chicks coming today!!! will they be ok for a few hours??

[JeninMN]

We have 25 buff orp chicks arriving some time this afternoon...my question is:

We are delivering 15 of the 25 to our friends that live out by us but not until after 5pm...so there is a few hours where the chicks will be at our office until we get off of work....

Will they be ok if we leave them in the box they come in for a few hours???

 

[columbiacritter]

I do that too, but I always transfer them to a bigger box with a heat light and sugar water. Helps to get them hydrated and eatiing as fast as possible. If you dont' have that with you then leave them i the shippign box to keep eachother warm. Make sure you don't put them somewhere they will over heat!

 

[CityClucks]

Do you know how long they'll have been in transit? They should be fine without food or water for a few hours if they are still just a day or two old. but if you have water to give them that is better.

Make sure they're warm enough, though...if you can, put a heat bulb over the box for them. You'll be able to tell if they're cold because they'll huddle together. If they're too warm they'll spread out away from the heat.

Good luck!

 

[lisahaschickens]

They'll probably be OK but I think you'll be a lot happier if you get them out and into a bigger box with heat, food, and water (sugar water with vitamins, preferably). The shipping is stressful to them and the sooner they get warm, calm, fed, and watered, the better chance you have of having a high number of survivors. Especially since you can't tell if they've had a hard trip or not, I think you'll want to do that. Also, when they arrive, they'll be distress peeping until you get them out of there. For me, it broke my heart... I drove home from the post office at top speed, telling them, "don't die! don't die! we'll be home soon! I know it's cold!" I'm just saying for me, I would have worried too much about them to leave them in there that long. All that said, mine came first thing monday morning from a saturday ship. Some people don't get theirs until Tuesday from a Saturday ship, so I know they CAN make it... it's just harder on them with each passing hour.