Best and worst experiences ordering live chicks?

[AprilsZoo]

If buying through the mail is your only option, get rush delivery! Always have an insistent conversation over the phone about what you want ask lots of questions. I myself have had bad experiences buying through the mail.
Track the chicks and rush to get them at the post office get them home asap to a light bulb.
They arrive dehydrated. Immediately give them water for electrolytes. They are more likely to die otherwise. Lots of water!

I dont know when you last ordered chicks, but when the USPS cutbacks happened a few years ago, many sorting centers were closed. Then last September/October things got even worse with more transfer depots, etc. closing. There’s no such thing as “Rush delivery.” Not anymore.

Even the hatcheries that offer to ship via Express Mail vs Priority mail, make it clear that the USPS will NOT guarantee overnight delivery of live animals. Actually they offer no guarantee AT ALL on live animal delivery! You can also find that fact stated on the USPS website. The post office says they will only accept chicks for shipment if they have a reasonable expectation of completing delivery within 3 days— no matter what the shipping class! That means your chicks could conceivably be 4 days old when they reach you. It also means that regardless of what the expectation was at the time of shipment, the chicks can end up being in transit longer, due to unforeseen delays. Many of the workers handling the shipment have no idea there are live animals in transit. The semi drivers for example, they have no idea what’s in their trailer— just that it’s “mail”. The hatcheries that offer the Express Mail option will tell you that it is hoped that the shipment will get quicker handling & be delivered faster. But if you ask them straight out, they admit that the post office‘s policy does not provide for any sort of assurance that Express will get your babies to you any faster. And you’ll get no refund if it takes longer. In most cases, the chicks will arrive in the same amount of time either way.

UPS and FedEx will not ship live poultry.

Your best bet is to research how mail gets routed between wherever the hatchery is and where you are. It’s not enough to order from the one closest to you. There are many instances of shipments being routed in the opposite direction before finally heading back toward the orderer. The USPS system has no method of routing live animal shipments differently than someone’s mortgage payment, for example. Everything is managed by computer.

Often, parcels aren’t scanned properly in transit either. Or sometimes the system fails to update properly. Anyone expecting chicks should physically go to the receiving station in their location, or the post office your mail comes from (not always the one closest to you) and tell the POSTMASTER that you are expecting chicks, and leave your number to be contacted as soon as they arrive. Make clear that you want to be called no matter what time they arrive. It doesn’t always work— but the odds are good that they’ll call.

 

[Cecisflock]

I don’t know much but i would not suggest Cackle. you can read the thread in my signature abt Clover

 

[Davethebirdman]

Great book.

How about thinking about something new!
Like I’m voting for the most handsome rooster contest! There are no voters!! A new idea

 

[AprilsZoo]

Personally, Steph, I’d love to buy one of his birds... for my soup pot.
On second thought, im afraid they’d just be tough and tasteless.

 

[Stephanie8806]

Personally I’d love to buy one of his birds... for my soup pot.

Thank you for the support and the helpful information regarding shipping policies!

I assumed feed stores got their chicks from large scale hatcheries, but didn’t know how few or really where they all were. Last year, I asked if they knew what they were getting and they gave me a spreadsheet of all their intended weekly orders. It was a nice reference sheet to consider the possibilities that might be available, but even that was inaccurate. For instance, there were 3 different breeds when I went, and they said the hatcheries just sun something else if they’re out of stock But, I got to see little codes in the spreadsheet and could tell which hatcheries they came from. (“J” for Jenks, “McM” for McMurray, etc). It was quite interesting!

Good luck with your journey! I’m definitely unsure on whether or not I will be special ordering or just going with whatever comes in this year. I get the feeling 2021 is going to be a “go with the flow” type of year, and that the correct path may just be whatever is least stressful

 

[Stephanie8806]

I don’t know much but i would not suggest Cackle. you can read the thread in my signature abt Clover

Thank you for the input! I’ve been seeing some not great stuff about them lately.

 

[Stephanie8806]

I know IDEAL has olive eggers and marans and salmon faverolles, not sure about the others.

Thank you! I have never actually checked them out, but I will now All mention of Ideal here has been good, so that’s encouraging!

And as to your offer for eggs: if I was your neighbor I’d surely take some of your backyard mixes! You have always been friendly and helpful. Good peeps raise good peeps

 

[Stephanie8806]

I've ordered from Ideal Poultry, McMurray Hatchery, and Cackle Hatchery.
I've done Cackle once, McMurray I think twice, and Ideal at least 4 times.
Order size ranged from 7 to 50.
I didn't lose any of the 7 from Ideal.
All of the other orders were 15 chicks or more, and DOA (dead on arrival) were 0 and 3 birds per order.

I've had a number of birds that did not entirely meet breed standards, but not in ways that would hurt them. Examples:
--a Red Shouldered White Yokohama from McMurray that had a pea comb, instead of the walnut comb their description says
--a Spangled Russian Orloff from Ideal that did not have a muff/beard
--a Silver Spangled Appenzeller Spitzhauben from Cackle that had 2 toenails on one toe

Based on my own experiences, I would not hesitate to order by mail.

Of course have the brooder warm and ready, with warm water, and chick starter. I use paper towels on the floor of the brooder for at least the first day, and I sprinkle some chick starter on the paper towel, as well as having feeders. The chicks seem to notice little bits on the floor sooner than they notice the feeder.

Many people advise dipping the beak of each chick in water, but I no longer do that. I decided it's more important to get them all under the heat lamp quickly. Instead, I have glass marbles in the waterer, and put it close to the heat lamp. Many chicks try to peck the shiny marbles in the water, and then they taste the water and start drinking. Then the others copy them. (If I see a particular chick looking bad, I will first make sure it's warmed up, and then dip its beak in the water, just to make sure it knows what water is for. But that has been quite rare--averaging less than one chick per batch.)

Thank you so much for the breakdown! Very helpful and thorough!

 

[TheAlrightyGina]

I don’t plan to acknowledge one more single comment of yours on this thread. I would suggest others consider doing the same.

I ignored them the second they started showing their sass minus an s

Personally, Steph, I’d love to buy one of his birds... for my soup pot.
On second thought, im afraid they’d just be tough and tasteless.

Hey now, it ain't their birds' fault they're lacking in manners!

You probably right tho

 

[Stephanie8806]

I ignored them the second they started showing their sass minus an s

Hey now, it ain't their birds' fault they're lacking in manners!

You probably right tho

Sometimes you’ve just gotta speak your piece before jumping ship

And same, it’s not the poor birds fault! But I’m sure we’ve all been blacklisted from his fabled “wait list”. It’s probably just like waiting in line for the bathroom only to find out it’s clogged and there’s no toilet paper when you finally get there anyways.