Horrible hatchery experience (Ideal Poultry) is this normal?

[drdoolittle]

I ordered from Ideal this year, and I don't think it's them. My P.O. called me as soon as the chicks arrived, and I was allowed to go pick them up almost 2 hours before they even opened. I did lose 2 chicks after a few days, but some just aren't able to make it. Ideal had shipped my chicks on a Weds., and they arrived early Thurs. morning, so maybe your chicks were in transit too long. So sorry you had to go throuhg that.

 

[yoie]

I have ordered 3 times from Ideal this year and have not had a single loss. The first two times they were shipped on a Wednesday and I recieved them Friday morning Early! The last time they were shipped Wednesday and I recieved them Thursday morning, very early. I am on the Easternshore of Maryland and was impressed by the shipping time, I think that is why I had such a great outcome. I also opted for the insurance for the second and third shipping, the second shipping because I was getting bantams and didn't want them squashed by the larger packing chicks and the third time because I got duckling and didn't want chicks shipped with them. They do a good job for the insurance boxes, lots of extra stuffing and grogel. The bantams were extremely perky upon arrival, when the postal worker opened the box, one jumped right out! My shipments were in February, March and May so all different shipping temps too. I am sorry for the OP's loss,

please don't get discouraged from this experience.

 

[number1fishroom]

I had a similar experiance with Ideal and I must say my experiance was less than Ideal. I ordered 25 bantam chicks of which I have 5 left. Three were dead on arrival and most died within a few days. However some lived as long as a week before dieing. I think they were all just weak and inbred.

 

[turbo]

In my experience the main problem is most hatcheries will ship chicks priority mail...3 days. I ship a lot of chicks out...always express mail, so that they are only in the USPS hands for one day or two at the most. We rarely loose even one or two chicks...never all the chicks....

Can you request express shipping when ordering from a Hatchery?

 

[Boggy Bottom Bantams]

Quote:
was just about to say the same thing.
Folk, chicks are good without food and water for 2 days tops, after that they drop like flies. these 3-5 day priority trips KILL them. I have ordered from Ideal several time for color project work birds, and usually loose 90% of the chicks within 3 days . One, I personally believe they have weak stock, the chicks are always very small on the bantams I order in comparison to how big my show stock chicks are when they hatch.
I also ship thousands of chicks every summer, BUT I MAKE EXPRESS mandatory if you are ordering from me. Like the above post, since doing that, I may loose 8 or 10 chicks FOR THE HOLE YEAR!
Usually every thing arrive fat, happy, most importantly healthy and you have happy customers.

I explained to Ideal on my last order (ever) last summer what was happening, 3- day to get here was killing all my chicks every time and that I wanted to bump them to Express and was happy to pay the $40 or so for the shipping just to get them safely.
Bare in mind I have done this for 27 years now. They told me that wasnt the issue and if I would read their care instruction all would be o kay..... I dont need care instructions, LOL

I have hatched and raised birds for nearly 3 decades, I know what I am doing, and I know what is happening in these shipments.
After that, they wont get any more business for me.
Basically they are an assembly line deal and to take 3 seconds to slap on an Express label to help a customer actually get a live product safely to their home was just too much trouble.
Well they shipped them normal
50% DOA and all the other dead in 2 days, waste of money. Of course half of what I have gotten to stay alive wasnt near what I ordered over the other few shipments either, wrong color, 3 pound old english game bantams, etc....

 

[silkieluver_07]

When I'd order bantams from Ideal I would pay the insurance for no males for warmth added. I believe those chunkers squash the little bantams. Their Salmon Faverolles must be a weak strain or something, because everyone that I have ordered has died within a day. (All the chicks from Ideal arrive within 1-2 days) Overall, Ive never had problems besides the Faverolles

 

[SlowMoneyFarm]

Had a box of 50 in February that arrived dead. They were replaced...upsetting to hear the frequency of it happening.

 

[laseterlass]

I am in Anchorage AK. I ordered from efowl.com and after a day and a half in the mail. The airport P.O. called and said please come get them as soon as possible. They were loud you could hear them in the back ground. They jumped out of the box as soon as I got the lid off and started eating and drinking. I have put sugar in the water as one out of 15 chicks is a little lethargic. But I am really impressed with efowl.com.

 

[Blue]

I just placed an order with Ideal this morning, and I asked about the livability of their chicks, since I live all the way in Virginia. The lady told me that they usually did very well after shipping, but she also said that several weeks ago, they had a very bad shipping day with some birds where they had to sit in the USPS plane for an extended period of time, and I got the impression that they'd ended up losing a lot. I hope my chicks arrive in good shape, but we'll see.

 

[Matt A NC]

Quote:
I am south of you in NC and got my last Ideal order over night. The 6am call on a SUNDAY from the PO begging me to "come get these things" was a surprise. The PO ain't open, but someone would gladly bring them to me on the loading dock, just ring the bell.

Matt