Does anyone ever request no packaging peanuts?

[stefmech]

I am ordering from Ideal in the next few days - 15 bantams. I really don't want to worry about dealing with any extra males. Ideal says you can request no packaging peanuts. Would this be unwise considering the cold weather?

Has anyone ever ordered a small number without the extra males. If so, how did your chicks do?

Thanks

 

[lambchicks]

I am thinking about doing the same thing. Will be watching this thread. TIA.

 

[lauralou]

I did. I ordered from Ideal 2 years ago, I think it was. Ordered 10 pullets, in the comments section of the order form I wrote "NO Males For Warmth!". I had to purchase insurance since the order was small. It was very inexpensive. Something like $1.65.

My chicks arrived in early March, and we were having a cold spell here. I was lucky that a lady from the postal hub called me as soon as they arrived. I drove to the next town and got them late at night... So they didn't have to wait in the warehouse overnight and then come to my local post office the next day.

All 10 chicks survived. To adulthood. Which was a great shock to me, since they were my first chicks ever.

There was one chick who didn't seem to be in the best shape when I got them home. I was sure she would die. But after a few minutes under the heat lamp, she revived and was fine.

So my experience with it was great. That may not always be the case. I've only done it the one time, but I was so pleased to have all pullets. And they were all pullets. Again, I was lucky, and there were no sexing mistakes at all.

 

[henney penny]

Ask for a heat pack to put in with them if they don`t already do this

 

[thespinningcottage]

Last March I ordered 8 pullets from Myers Hatchery. They shipped quickly, too quickly in fact - I had been told that they would arrive at my post office after 3:00 pm on the designated day, but I got a call at school at 8:00 am. I couldn't get a sub in my classroom on that kind of short notice so I picked the chicks up when I could (about 3 pm) and 6 out of the 8 didn't make it. So the only advice I have for you is to be prepared to go get them at literally a moment's notice, don't work on assumptions like I did. Good luck!

 

[chickensioux]

Every time I order from McMurray, I request no packing peanuts and no free rare exotic chick (which always turns out roo). They have always honored that and only sent exactly what I wanted. So far so good with McMurray.

 

[4CiTyCHicHENs]

im oredering straight run assorted coohin bantams (because I cant choose just one kind!!) soon from ideal & of course, packing peanuts... I thought about this because i dont want to raise 25 chicks to the age they can be sexed, so I decided Im going to pay the extra few $'s & have Ideal tell me which are boys & which are girls & then post an add on Craigslist & see if anyone wants the male chicks & maybe sell all them for $10/15. So I dont have to raise all 25 chicks that come in a box to sexing age...

 

[txchickie]

Its only something I would do if it were June-August here....but then again I am a wierdo and enjoy the "free" peanuts LOL

 

[raimnel]

My free packing peanut is the only roo of his kind that I still have, I ordered 2 EE roo, I got 2 marked and an unmarked packing peanut. One of my marked roos died in shipping and the other went to freezer camp cause he tried eating my eye

 

[stefmech]

So I just called Ideal on the phone this morning and asked their advice. They of course recommend the extra males - no surprise there. But I did ask her if they have lots of DOA in the winter and she said YES! She said that if you wait till April of May your will have much better shipping results. I wondered, considering how many threads I have seen lately with chicks dying left and right. The lady on the phone at Ideal very clear about how risky it is to order in the winter. She said about 50% of their orders in the winter have some DOA.

I think I am going to wait till the first of April to order and then request no males. I don't know if I have that much patience though. I want my babies now!