HELP!! 26 baby chicks and 15 didn't make it...Help!!!

[ARose4Heaven]

Check out this thread. Several of us ordered from McMurray and had problems with the delivery. There are a lot of good ideas in this thread that you can use to ensure your new shipment gets to you in good shape. The problems are not the hatchery, but the post office. In cold weather, they just aren't trained to watch out for babies.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=439411

 

[tigercreek]

I'm in Florida and I received 30 from McMurrray today and they are all doing great. Got a surprise chick with a little hat on it's head! Everybody is eating and drinking fine. Suspect somebody along the way left yours out in the cold or something. Sorry to hear about your shipment. Gotta be hard to see so many little babies DOA. .Wouldn't blame the hatchery though. Just a USPS screw up. I would go ahead and have them reship. .........stan

 

[Nostalchic]

I'm always curious about why people order chicks in January and February. Is it because you hope to have the pullets laying well by fall? (I get mine in April or May, and they do, anyway.) Or just excitement and impatience (which I can thoroughly understand!)? But it's so chancy - even if the weather where you are is fantastic, it may be hideous between, say, Iowa and your place. It always just made sense to me to order them for spring time - wondering what your reasons were for winter chicks... I'm not being critical, just wondered. I'm really sorry about your chicks, I know that must be awful when you're so excited and anticipating such a happy event as the arrival of chicks.

 

[ARose4Heaven]

Good point about the January February shipping risks. If I had not been in the same state as the hatchery, I would never have ordered 100 chicks in January. Mine shipped the 28th, arrived 6am the 29th, and I still lost one. It is just too risky without the heat pack in the box. Even with the pack, delivery can be delayed by weather.

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

I just posted in another thread with dead chicks from McMurray.

I have ordered from them several times and all my chicks arrived alive. I believe they will work with you if you call them and tell them the problem. They can send replacements if they choose- just ask them!!!

It has been bitter cold in some areas.

 

[FarmGrl1721]

I understand where everyone is coming from with their opinions. I know it isn't the hatchery's fault and they have a great reputation. Somewhere along the line it is the usps. I am going to the post office on friday of this week to discuss with them and try to figure out what went wrong in the process of shipping. I don't mind taking a drive to get them from another post office as long as i can get them sooner so they do not get cold. Of course one of the reasons why i am getting my shipment in february is out of pure excitement. The other reason why is because it was the only time they were offering the certain breeds that i am looking for. Hopefully my monday shipment will be better and McMurray will throw in some others for warming purposes.

Wish me luck I'll keep you all posted

 

[kelidei]

Quote:
Wow! I had a mixed order too and they did divide the box. Did you have more than just a few.... I had 7 banties and they put them on one side with my 6 cochins and all the others on the other side. Maybe some one screwed up... did you mention it to them? I know when I saw the bantie chicks (I never ordered them before) I had no idea how bitty they are... I was amazed no one was crushed!

 

[kelidei]

Quote:
Wishing you lots of luck and a bunch of happy healthy fuzz butts!

 

[Diamond Wire Farms]

Yes, sometimes the USPS can do some pretty incredible things. Like last week they delivered my hatching eggs to the wrong house. Then ARGUED with me on the phone when I called to say that the shipment was marked delivered but the box was not here. (Really?!? Let me check my other porch. No, still not here.) Then the neighbor put the box on her dining room table and thought she'd return it to the PO later that week. In the meantime, I am doing the donkey kong trying to get someone to ask the Postman which house he delivered to.

Bottom line: umpteen phone calls, and 15 country doors knocked on = 9 eggs safely in the incubator. Fingers crossed the first candling goes well. But I did make a friend, because now the neighbor wants to be on call to watch 'her' eggs hatch!

 

[magoochie]

I got mine from McMurray today as well. I ordered 25 plus the free rare chick. They actually sent 27 birds.

All are doing well but 1. I have a turken that is VERY weak. He has drank a little sugar water, and had some hard boiled egg yolk, but the others just trample him and he doesnt walk around much.

There is another thread of people who had the same problem with McMurray. They got a new order of chicks shipped to them and they are doing GREAT!

My chicks were shipped friday night and I got them today.

Ask them to make sure they add a heat pack to your next order for extra warmth just in case.

SC is a long way from Iowa, maybe they got too cold, or were handled poorly. I hope your new batch does good!