Has anyone ever lost chicks through the mail?

[KaylorFarms]

Hello,
It's me again.. I was wondering if anyone has ever lost any chicks when they've gotten big orders of like, 25 or so? I've gotten poultry through hatcheries before but have never gotten more than six. So this is definitely going to be a different experience. They're all silkies so would bantams be at a higher risk of not making it? I look forward to hearing everyones experiences

 

[joydix]

Yes they have a harder time making it. After they survive being dumped thru trays and down chutes they are thrust into boxes and who knows what happens in the mail! Larger breeds do much better. Since they are not sexed anyway I have gotten into hatching them myself. I have gotten some great breeds that way. Hatched seramas last year and silver pencil Wyandotte’s year before. Also silkies. Otherwise we do have feed stores but not too diverse and you don’t have to witness the deaths

 

[keesmom]

I've lost a chick or 2 during shipping in an occasional order. Unfortunately it does happen. However I've also lost 1-3 day old chicks I've hatched here that didn't have to travel.

I saw in another post your order is with Cackle. I got a shipment from them 6 weeks ago. Ordered 16, got 19 healthy chicks. All are still doing well. I expect you will get a few extras also.

 

[LilyD]

Hello,
It's me again.. I was wondering if anyone has ever lost any chicks when they've gotten big orders of like, 25 or so? I've gotten poultry through hatcheries before but have never gotten more than six. So this is definitely going to be a different experience. They're all silkies so would bantams be at a higher risk of not making it? I look forward to hearing everyones experiences

I got 25 from Meyers Hatchery they sent me 27 I lost two between the first 3 days. The rest were all great. I like Meyers because they are very committed to 100% live guarantee.

 

[KaylorFarms]

Yes they have a harder time making it. After they survive being dumped thru trays and down chutes they are thrust into boxes and who knows what happens in the mail! Larger breeds do much better. Since they are not sexed anyway I have gotten into hatching them myself. I have gotten some great breeds that way. Hatched seramas last year and silver pencil Wyandotte’s year before. Also silkies. Otherwise we do have feed stores but not too diverse and you don’t have to witness the deaths

I've lost a chick or 2 during shipping in an occasional order. Unfortunately it does happen. However I've also lost 1-3 day old chicks I've hatched here that didn't have to travel.

I saw in another post your order is with Cackle. I got a shipment from them 6 weeks ago. Ordered 16, got 19 healthy chicks. All are still doing well. I expect you will get a few extras also.

I got 25 from Meyers Hatchery they sent me 27 I lost two between the first 3 days. The rest were all great. I like Meyers because they are very committed to 100% live guarantee.

Thanks everyone! Is there any chance they'll all make it alive or should I expect the worst? Do big orders increase the chance of losing some?

 

[LilyD]

Usually this time of year it helps because it keeps them warm. I know with Ideal if you do a very small order they will add more birds to it they call them "packing peanuts" usually rooster chicks, to keep the ones you order warm. They also usually will add extra birds so if you order 100 they may send 107 birds so that you have extras if they get chilled or something happens in shipping. I know usually for Meyers I don't seem to have many that don't make it even with the larger numbers and if I do lose more than the extras they provide they will give me a credit towards my next order or send me new chicks the next time I have an order coming.

 

[KaylorFarms]

Thanks all! I'll update when they arrive and let you know if they all made it okay.. I'm just hoping they'll all be alive

 

[Acre4Me]

Good Luck! We had an order from Meyer for 26 chicks - all arrived DOA! But pretty sure it was USPS mishandling based on some specifics. Sent regular mail (not express) . Money was refunded (but not $10 shipping).

A week ago we received 28 chicks from Sandhill Preservation. we have lost 2 of the chicks (but they sent us 3 extra, so I didn't report this to them) - one the day we got them (we had to euthanize it due to severe leg issue, might have been from shipping...hard to say - they are so tiny), and then one yesterday (it also had a foot issue that seemed to correct itself, but got weaker then died, so maybe stress from a shipping issue or just was never going to make it). We paid for Express shipping and got the chicks 19 hours after the PO received them on the shipper's end.

When you get the chicks, look them over well, make sure they drink some water. Have some electrolyte water available, if possible. We usually give a drop of Nutri Drench too. Any one that is still lethargic, get more Nutridrench later that day or the next morning. Seems to help. We picked up some chicks at a hatchery 2 months ago, and a couple were lethargic the first couple fo days, but the electrolytes and NutriDrench helped them too - and they were not shipped.

After you check them out, watch them get around in the brooder. Whose energetic, whose lethargic, who might have a mobility issue.
Good Luck!

 

[LilyD]

When you get the chicks, look them over well, make sure they drink some water. Have some electrolyte water available, if possible. We usually give a drop of Nutri Drench too. Any one that is still lethargic, get more Nutridrench later that day or the next morning. Seems to help. We picked up some chicks at a hatchery 2 months ago, and a couple were lethargic the first couple fo days, but the electrolytes and NutriDrench helped them too - and they were not shipped.

Good Luck!

We had chicks lost once through a different hatchery but it was due to the post office mishandling them. They were sent priority 2 day which is the way our chicks usually come but the driver wouldn't release them to the post office since I wasn't right there and then put them in air conditioning for the whole car ride and in the office while waiting for me to come get them after my post office called. It was turkeys too who tend to be less hardy and I lost half the box of 25 because of their mishandling. Not many people through the post office really know how to handle chicks and so there is definitely a possibility that you will lose a few.

If I have any that act a little logey or slow and don't seem to be moving around I will actually pick them up and hold them close to myself or close to the heat light for like 30 seconds and then put them directly under it so they get warm. Often if they are chilled they will act off and won't respond when you put your hand in. I've brought back several by doing this.

 

[KaylorFarms]

Good Luck! We had an order from Meyer for 26 chicks - all arrived DOA! But pretty sure it was USPS mishandling based on some specifics. Sent regular mail (not express) . Money was refunded (but not $10 shipping).

A week ago we received 28 chicks from Sandhill Preservation. we have lost 2 of the chicks (but they sent us 3 extra, so I didn't report this to them) - one the day we got them (we had to euthanize it due to severe leg issue, might have been from shipping...hard to say - they are so tiny), and then one yesterday (it also had a foot issue that seemed to correct itself, but got weaker then died, so maybe stress from a shipping issue or just was never going to make it). We paid for Express shipping and got the chicks 19 hours after the PO received them on the shipper's end.

When you get the chicks, look them over well, make sure they drink some water. Have some electrolyte water available, if possible. We usually give a drop of Nutri Drench too. Any one that is still lethargic, get more Nutridrench later that day or the next morning. Seems to help. We picked up some chicks at a hatchery 2 months ago, and a couple were lethargic the first couple fo days, but the electrolytes and NutriDrench helped them too - and they were not shipped.

After you check them out, watch them get around in the brooder. Whose energetic, whose lethargic, who might have a mobility issue.
Good Luck!

We had chicks lost once through a different hatchery but it was due to the post office mishandling them. They were sent priority 2 day which is the way our chicks usually come but the driver wouldn't release them to the post office since I wasn't right there and then put them in air conditioning for the whole car ride and in the office while waiting for me to come get them after my post office called. It was turkeys too who tend to be less hardy and I lost half the box of 25 because of their mishandling. Not many people through the post office really know how to handle chicks and so there is definitely a possibility that you will lose a few.

If I have any that act a little logey or slow and don't seem to be moving around I will actually pick them up and hold them close to myself or close to the heat light for like 30 seconds and then put them directly under it so they get warm. Often if they are chilled they will act off and won't respond when you put your hand in. I've brought back several by doing this.

Cackle hatchery is only 3 hrs 12 mins from me. So maybe shipping won't be so bad?? Also, would Gatorade by any chance be a good electrolyte for them?