Chick Death?

[chickensducks&agoose]

What is the expected rate of death in an order of chicks? I hope to place my 1st order from ideal this spring, and I thought (until reading these last posts) that they would all just be fine, barring any box squishing, or super freezing....

 

[bufforps]

I have ordered chicks 3 times now and have not lost any upon arrival or in the few days following. A lot of times they send you an extra in case you lose one. All the orders I have gotten have come in the spring, so there was no concerns about them freezing.

 

[jossanne]

I've had chicks shipped 3 times. The first two orders were from McMurray, and the last one was from Ideal.

The first time, 36 were ordered, 47 were shipped. One died in transit, and two died within a day or two. This was in March.

The second time, 26 were ordered and shipped, all 26 are still alive and healthy today at 7 months old. This was in July.

The third time, 10 were ordered, 25 were shipped, one packing peanut died in shipping. The rest are now 14 weeks old. This was in October.

The hatcheries guarantee live chicks upon arrival and for 48 hours afterward, usually. If you have dead babies, they will take care of you.