For those ordering chicks

[pips&peeps]

The shipping box is made to maintain the heat the chicks body's make and in normal circumstances it should keep them warm enough. That is if you ship the full 25 chicks. If the chicks are left outside in the cold, of course they will get chilled and can die.

I would like to remind people that you should not mail chicks over a day old or under 8-10 weeks. The birds must be a minimum of 6 ounces to ship in the mail after they are a day old.

If someone ships less than 25 chicks I recommend putting a hand warmer on one side because they can get up to 130 degrees. If you put it on one side of the box, it allows the chicks to move to a cooler side should that happen. There are also warmer packs that only get up to 100 degrees and last up to 72 hours. They can be found on ebay.

Always make sure you ship express mail and the chicks must be signed for. Let your post office know you are waiting for them and better yet, call your post office and see if you can get the number to your distribution center and call them to let them know about your chicks. Most times you will get a call from them and can pick your chicks up there whenever they arrive 24/7.

 

[seminolewind]

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You Flockmaster you!!!

Do you mean that in a good way or........

 

[seminolewind]

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I would be careful with that...I'm in florida, my chicks came in october, only 8 of them, from Indiana (or Illinois?) and they did not include the heat pack like they were supposed to. They were so mushed together they looked like one big chicken blob and 3 died the first week.

There are so many options, incubate your own or get some eggs from someone else, or wait of course. Unless there's a hatchery near you...

I agree, it was 23-25 here for a week at night. I can't deal with dead chicks, I would cry. That's why I have a bator now, winter is the best time to hatch eggs, and something to look forward to.

 

[gritsar]

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Gosh, I'm the second most impatient person in the world, LOL. That's why I get eggs in the mail instead! Gritsar, if you don't have a bator, get one, you can have chicks all winter! (who you callin an enabler?)

Yeah, bator keeps getting moved lower and lower on the wish list; after a better fence for the dog and enough money for all my meds. of course.

I'll just wait for spring and hit up my good friends at Ideal.
Besides, a bator means I'd get instant broodies out of every one of my current, motherhood-boycotting hens right?
Congrats on the title change!

 

[nanawendy]

I'm wiping my brow as we speak. As a very new chicken lover( about 10 months), I was ready to order today. My first flock came from the feed store... 9 for 9...They are very healthy and happy and so am I. We were going to order some special girls to add to the flock I live in No.Wa St. Not that cold but certainly colder that even the upper 50's. So I'll wait, and do what's best for the girls. I get so much great info. from here. Thank You

 

[seminolewind]

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WELCOME to BYC!!! Get yourself an incubator. I'm such an enabler! Then go to feathersite and browse through all the chickens you want! Then sit outside and design your dream coop. I am certainly not good at waiting. But hatching eggs are cool and I go in and stare at them every day for 21 days. Don't ask me what I'm looking at, I'm just looking at them.

 

[seminolewind]

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Gosh, I'm the second most impatient person in the world, LOL. That's why I get eggs in the mail instead! Gritsar, if you don't have a bator, get one, you can have chicks all winter! (who you callin an enabler?)

Yeah, bator keeps getting moved lower and lower on the wish list; after a better fence for the dog and enough money for all my meds. of course.

I'll just wait for spring and hit up my good friends at Ideal.
Besides, a bator means I'd get instant broodies out of every one of my current, motherhood-boycotting hens right?
Congrats on the title change!

You really need a bator-all those Brahmas and THOR!!!!!!!

 

[PineappleMama]

Well I feel better. I figured I had until 'spring' to get my coop built and a brooder set up... plenty of time... BEFORE getting eggs or chicks. Figured it would be safer to wait until temps were warmer, and more stable. Sure we get 50 or even 80 degree days in Dec and Jan but that's NOT spring, it's just moody mother nature, so I thought the smart thing (both for safety and our budget-Christmas is a bugger) was to wait. But then I saw posts about shops already having/planning chick selling and was like Holy Crow I'm Not Ready.

Nice to know I'm not totally insane... or, at least in this instance my insane overplanning/paranoia was a wee bit justified.

 

[Marlinchaser]

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Do you cry when a egg doesnt hatch? I would flood the place with my shipped egg hatching rate, at least with hatchery chicks you know you got nothing if the box arrives dead, instead of waiting 21 days to find out I get nothing.

 

[nanawendy]

Seminolewind... Thanks for the tiny push. My neighbor offered us his bator today, never been used and automatic turner(?) My DS is all for it, but eggs are limited to local sources. Maybe I should look for a egg shipping source?? So new so many questions, but this last 10 months has been a great family experience.