Bad Hatchery Experience

[LulaBell]

Have you given them any poultry nutri-drench? If not, I would give them each a drop or two.
Have you seen them all actually drink after you showed them the water? Are they eating? What are they eating? How warm is the brooder? Can you post a picture of your setup?
Shipping is very stressful on the chicks. IMO, they ALL should receive extra care the first three days after arriving.

I just gave the 3 weak chicks nutridrench. They drink a little when I encourage them. They have shown no interest in the crumble I have out. We roughly converted an old bathroom cabinet into a brooder. My thermometer is mia, I’m watching the behavior of the healthy chicks to adjust my lamp(are they huddled together, are they in the far corner, are they dispersed and active etc).

 

[A_Fowl_Guy]

Your lamp should be on one side and not over the middle and the food should be in the cooler area.

 

[DobieLover]

View attachment 1704713 View attachment 1704714 View attachment 1704715
I just gave the 3 weak chicks nutridrench. They drink a little when I encourage them. They have shown no interest in the crumble I have out. We roughly converted an old bathroom cabinet into a brooder. My thermometer is mia, I’m watching the behavior of the healthy chicks to adjust my lamp(are they huddled together, are they in the far corner, are they dispersed and active etc).

Your chicks are going to outgrow that brooder in a couple of weeks. Be prepared to move them.

I agree with @A_Fowl_Guy to reposition your heat source.

One of my chicks had been pecked and was bleeding at the top of her beak on arrival from the hatchery. She was clearly the weakest. It took 3 days for my chicks to arrive.

I supported the weak chick with daily nutri-drench and cooked egg throughout the first three days. I also fermented my chick starter so they greedily gobbled it up. She caught up to the others in about a week.

The little weak chick grew up to be second in command in my flock.

 

[LulaBell]

Your chicks are going to outgrow that brooder in a couple of weeks. Be prepared to move them.

I agree with @A_Fowl_Guy to reposition your heat source.

One of my chicks had been pecked and was bleeding at the top of her beak on arrival from the hatchery. She was clearly the weakest. It took 3 days for my chicks to arrive.

I supported the weak chick with daily nutri-drench and cooked egg throughout the first three days. I also fermented my chick starter so they greedily gobbled it up. She caught up to the others in about a week.

The little weak chick grew up to be second in command in my flock.
View attachment 1704821

I did reposition the light and move their food and water to the cooler side. They seem to like that better. I do have a larger brooder ready to move them to. It is on our somewhat enclosed porch. Once they are bigger and stronger, and this weather cooperates, I’ll move them to it

 

[DobieLover]

I did reposition the light and move their food and water to the cooler side. They seem to like that better. I do have a larger brooder ready to move them to. It is on our somewhat enclosed porch. Once they are bigger and stronger, and this weather cooperates, I’ll move them to it

Sound like a good plan! Hopefully you won't lose any more chicks. Good luck to you and your babies.

 

[Spartan22]

I have never pick up or order from TSC, though I check out what they have occasionally to gawk or look.

Looking at you location, Mt. Healthy in Cincinnati or Meyers from Polk, Ohio are closer to you which I ordered from both and never lost a single chick and had never used nutridrench neither. Hoover hatcheries seems like had longer routes on shipping. Our local store, (I’m in NE Ohio)also order from them that gets shipped out on Tuesday from Minnesota and arrives on Thursday, last year I picked up 4 Sapphire Gems from them but waited till 3-4 days later when I saw that on first few days after shipments they lost quite a few(I kind of stalk them everyday).

I’ve ordered chicks in the mail in January, February and March and they all did good from aforementioned hatcheries. Proper packaging, speed of shipments and deliveries lump together with good stock affects baby livestock’s viability.

 

[LulaBell]

I have never pick up or order from TSC, though I check out what they have occasionally to gawk or look.

Looking at you location, Mt. Healthy in Cincinnati or Meyers from Polk, Ohio are closer to you which I ordered from both and never lost a single chick and had never used nutridrench neither. Hoover hatcheries seems like had longer routes on shipping. Our local store, (I’m in NE Ohio)also order from them that gets shipped out on Tuesday from Minnesota and arrives on Thursday, last year I picked up 4 Sapphire Gems from them but waited till 3-4 days later when I saw that on first few days after shipments they lost quite a few(I kind of stalk them everyday).

I’ve ordered chicks in the mail in January, February and March and they all did good from aforementioned hatcheries. Proper packaging, speed of shipments and deliveries lump together with good stock affects baby livestock’s viability.

I don’t believe I’ll order from them again. I had looked into those closer hatcheries but they did not have what I wanted available. I think I’ll have to reconsider and accept what they have. Lesson learned on my part

 

[Acre4Me]

Sorry about your chicks!

I'm in OH, on the western side. After receiving a shipment of 100% dead chicks from Meyer - likely due to mishandling by USPS, I have since picked up my chicks. I've picked up from Meyer hatchery, and from Eagle Nest Hatchery.

If you want to see what is near to you, look at NPIP site by state:

http://www.poultryimprovement.org/statesContent.cfm

Lots of listings, so scroll through all the pages.

If looking for a certain breed/type, they use stock codes, which are listed on the left side of the link above (numerical or alphabetical). For example, the listings for colored layers such as Ameraucana and Easter Eggers are below, but you could certainly look for others.

Good Luck!

 

[LulaBell]

Sorry about your chicks!

I'm in OH, on the western side. After receiving a shipment of 100% dead chicks from Meyer - likely due to mishandling by USPS, I have since picked up my chicks. I've picked up from Meyer hatchery, and from Eagle Nest Hatchery.

If you want to see what is near to you, look at NPIP site by state:

http://www.poultryimprovement.org/statesContent.cfm

Lots of listings, so scroll through all the pages.

If looking for a certain breed/type, they use stock codes, which are listed on the left side of the link above (numerical or alphabetical). For example, the listings for colored layers such as Ameraucana and Easter Eggers are below, but you could certainly look for others.

View attachment 1705079

View attachment 1705080

Good Luck!

Thank you! Very helpful info!

 

[joydix]

I have never ordered baby chicks before. I’ve always been a Tractor Supply buyer. This year I wanted colored egg layers which our local TSC didn’t have. I did some looking and decided to order from Hoover’s (the Hatchery which supplies our TSC). Out of 18 chicks I have lost 6 so far. 4 seemed very lethargic when I picked up my shipment and they ended up dying yesterday evening. One more passed before I went to bed and I found another first thing this morning.

I have shown them to their food and water. Some still are very “tired” and don’t show much interest. I put save a chick electrolytes in their water to give them a boost after their long transit. Is there anything else I can do?? Is this how it goes? Did I do something wrong??

you can do all those things and i have almost never (save one) been able to revive or help those that seem to be failing. tractor supply also just sells them as soon as they arrive pretty much so even when i have bought from them (once) i had deaths. if you ever have watched how they process baby chicks at a hatchery it is shocking and sad. they just dump the newborns from one section to another on conveyor belts like they are some kind of disposable garbage. its no wonder they die like crazy! when you buy at the store most of the deaths have already occurred so you don't see. rarely will i buy from a feed store...sometimes i cant resist the cuties but by then what is going to die has died. i won't order again from a hatchery. its toooo hard! i feel your pain tho and have done is too many times....now i hatch if i want chicks or buy local....