California West Sac Postal Service

[Jeevan Singh]

I live in West Sacramento, CA has anyone ordered chicks from the Hatcheries and pick them up at the United Postal Service 95691? They don’t have the greatest reviews but how are they with chicks?

 

[cavemanrich]

When you order your chicks from the hatchery, it is in YOUR BEST INTEREST, to track the shipment. You will know about which day they are due at your post office. Simply call each day and ask if your chicks have arrived. Remember that the peeps at the post office have many things to take care of besides your chicks. I'm not trying to be harsh, just real.
WISHING YOU BEST..... and

 

[luckyplucky]

We're in West Sac also. We have only gotten mail order chicks one time, a year ago, from My Pet Chicken (others have been from feed store or private local breeder we saw in person). I tracked the heck out of that shipment, and was up-to-date on their status/location the entire trip! They shipped out on a Monday, and got to the PO's main distribution center on Industrial Blvd. Wednesday evening (my friend had gone in person to check for me before closing but by the time chicks arrived there, the location was closed and they don't do pickups there anyway so I was thisclose to breaking in - just kidding, if anyone from the post office is watching). First thing Thursday morning they moved them to local branch on Merkley and I got a call even before the pickup window there opened, saying they were ready to be picked up. I was there in 10 minutes and the kind people there knew I was coming and opened the window early for me. All chicks were alive and well, and the heating pad that shipped with them was still warm. So, overall, a positive experience. My only frustration was not being able to pick them up the night before at the distribution center, knowing they were minutes from their new home.

 

[luckyplucky]

Oh yes, we have some more chicks arriving next week. From MPC also, and I am hoping that this one goes as smoothly as last time. I will keep you posted.

 

[cavemanrich]

Like to hear positive stories. At least you wont have to be listening to the below.

 

[Jeevan Singh]

We're in West Sac also. We have only gotten mail order chicks one time, a year ago, from My Pet Chicken (others have been from feed store or private local breeder we saw in person). I tracked the heck out of that shipment, and was up-to-date on their status/location the entire trip! They shipped out on a Monday, and got to the PO's main distribution center on Industrial Blvd. Wednesday evening (my friend had gone in person to check for me before closing but by the time chicks arrived there, the location was closed and they don't do pickups there anyway so I was thisclose to breaking in - just kidding, if anyone from the post office is watching). First thing Thursday morning they moved them to local branch on Merkley and I got a call even before the pickup window there opened, saying they were ready to be picked up. I was there in 10 minutes and the kind people there knew I was coming and opened the window early for me. All chicks were alive and well, and the heating pad that shipped with them was still warm. So, overall, a positive experience. My only frustration was not being able to pick them up the night before at the distribution center, knowing they were minutes from their new home.

Why did that happen? What’s “moved them to merkley?

 

[MrsMistyReal]

 

[luckyplucky]

Why did that happen? What’s “moved them to merkley?

I'm trying to remember exactly what I was told when I was tracking them (though it might have been said to my friend when she went in person), but I believe it had something to do with the fact that while the large Industrial PO provides basic customer services like stamps and mailouts, etc. they are considered more of a sorting facility and don't have the staff to monitor pickups of live animals or something. That might have applied to all big packages, I'm not sure. So a postal worker brings it to the smaller branch with everything else that needs to be "picked up." But since the Merkley PO was so on top of it I didn't feel they were sitting around once they got there. And I would rather have them be a big obvious cheeping center of attention at the tiny pickup area there then lost in a vast warehouse at the sorting center (though, like I said, it would have been better to be able to pick them up the night before when i knew they were there)!
I would say just keep on top of the tracking, and check in with the post office the day they're scheduled to arrive or earlier. Your phone # is supposed to be in BIG numbers on the box so as long as it is I think they call you right away (especially since the peeping is surprisingly loud and I don't think they want to listen to it all day).

 

[aart]

When you order your chicks from the hatchery, it is in YOUR BEST INTEREST, to track the shipment. You will know about which day they are due at your post office. Simply call each day and ask if your chicks have arrived. Remember that the peeps at the post office have many things to take care of besides your chicks. I'm not trying to be harsh, just real.

Also good to call the PO the week before they are due to arrive, talk to them...
... ask them(nicely) 'how do you handle chicks arriving'?
It will give them a heads up and establish a hopefully good relationship.

 

[luckyplucky]

@Jeevan Singh just to update you, my chicks from MPC shipped yesterday. I do have text and email tracking alerts on, but checking the USPS tracking info yesterday reminded me of something. As the tracking page indicates in the screenshot, the USPS site estimates that they are going to arrive today by 3pm. That is not true, even though USPS guarantees next day delivery (I assume that's why the estimate shows that), apparently this does not apply to live chicks! The only reason I remember this is because MPC mentioned it in their e-mail both times I ordered from them. So yet another reason to have alerts on so that you get notified every scan point along the way as they travel cross-country to you. If I remember Ideal is in Texas? So it may not take as long as from Ohio, I expect mine to arrive in town some time tomorrow.