how long can I transport day old chicks, after mailing, in car?

[patandchickens]

I'm mulling over methods of Chicken Acquisition for next year.

Unfortunately Canada is kinda short on hatcheries that sell Interesting Breeds, especially sexed.

How bad an idea would it be to order chicks shipped to the Buffalo NY post office, pick them up same or next day, then drive them across the border (with health papers of course) ~4 hrs to my home? Would that be too hard on them? What do you think?

Thanks,

Pat

 

[Tuffoldhen]

I think same day pick up would be best...they would need to be kept warm and have sugar water kept available on the ride home...can't afford to be chilled, need a heat source ......you might lose some tho with first the shipment and then a road trip...just be prepared....It's up to you.....just read up on shipped chicks and what to do when you get them....its usually day 3 by the time hatched chicks arrive to a buyer...thats the longest they can go without food or water....

 

[LittleChickenRacingTeam]

Another thought, Feather Fancier newspaper is published in Ont. 11 times a year, & many reputable breeders advertise in their classifieds. Its around $20 for a years subscription.

http://www.featherfancier.on.ca/

Also twice a year (spring/fall) Mount Forrest, Ont. holds a Fur & Feather Fancier Swap & Sell. A lot of good birds are sold there at reasonable prices. What breeds are you looking for? I'm an associate director for the Halton Agricultural Society & know a lot of breeders from various fairs I attend. Keep in mind, that show quality birds are not cheap like the pet quality ones the big hatcheries offer.

You should also consider attending the poultry show at The Royal Winter Fair in Toronto in Nov 6-7. You could get names of the best breeders in Canada.

http://www.royalfair.org/

 

[patandchickens]

Quote:
Thanks for the suggestions! The thing is (sorry I didn't explain this in the first place), I do not honestly WANT "show quality birds". I don't mean I don't want the price-- I mean I am really not looking for purty exhibition strains. I want useful chickens. And, without going into it further and risking treading excessively on anyone's toes, I would prefer not to support the whole poultry showing thing, sorry.

Actually what I'd most prefer would be healthy birds from someone's backyard flock(s), but it seems like you need to know everybody in the county (or everybody in the province!) to have much chance of connecting up with something like that. Which doesn't describe me. So, <shrug>

Maybe I will ask around at the Royal (if I can *find* anyone around the poultry show area - in past years it's always seemed to have few if any competitors around when I've been there) to see if anyone could point me in the right direction. No luck yet doing this at local fairs but you're right, I should keep asking.

Thanks,

Pat

 

[newdock]

Hi Pat!

Do you belong to the Canadian Chicken Egg Swappers? There are always people looking to sell / give away / trade birds, chicks and eggs on there. It is purely Canadian and there are a lot of people in Ontario that are on the board.

Check it out in MSN groups!

I suspect you will find something....a lot of breeders will sell what they consider to be their "undesirable" birds (they don't meet the standards for a perfect chicken) at very good prices because they don't want to keep them in their breeding programs. Plus there are a lot of people who are just like you and me - having fun and getting eggs....

 

[LittleChickenRacingTeam]

patandchickens wrote... I do not honestly WANT "show quality birds".

Ok then, what kind of breeds are you after?. The Mount Forrest sale & swap would be able to hook you up with meat/egg birds as well. The Mennonites sell a lot of chooks there cheap. And newdock is right about eggswappers. I forgot about that one, and obtained 1 of my silkies from that site.

A good Canadian hatchery for meat/egg birds is Frey's. Here is their link..

http://www.freyshatchery.com/index1.html

I will be at the ROYAL, and if you are planning on going, let me know. I can supply you with a list of ALL fairs in the province. Hopefully, one of their contacts could help you with the breeds you are looking for.​

 

[patandchickens]

Ooo! Thank you both for pointing me to the Canadian Chicken Egg Swappers group. Had not heard of that before! Am now waiting for my sign-up to be processed.

Ok then, what kind of breeds are you after?

Somewhere between "I'm not certain" and "I'm flexible"

. I *think* what I want to do for this next year, aside from maybe get a small number of meat birds through the local feed store, is to try just two or three pullets each of several different types to try to get a sense of what I'd like to have more of. Needs to be cold hardy, reasonable temperament, a decent layer, and big enough to more or less eat the culls if I do start breeding them.

So I am currently thinking something along the lines of Wyandottes (any color except black or barred, just b/c aesthetics), maybe partridge Chanticlers, maybe Welsummers, maybe light or speckled Sussex, dunno. Have not got my heart irrevocably set on any one particular thing. If I were deciding among noncommercial breeders, the temperament and health of the chickens would be the deciding factor, more than breed/color.

The Mount Forrest sale & swap would be able to hook you up with meat/egg birds as well. The Mennonites sell a lot of chooks there cheap

When is that? I might go, but at the same time I am leery of buying birds that way because I am totally new to chickens and I *know* that I have no chance of identifying diseased etc animals. (I've been working with horses for over thirty years now, and I still approach HORSE auctions with a certain amount of caution).

I will be at the ROYAL, and if you are planning on going, let me know.

Oh yes, we will absolutely be going, always do - have not decided yet exactly which day(s). It would be nice to be able to stop by and say hi to you! Thanks for all your help!


Pat​