I made a HORRIBLE mistake ordering from a hatchery! (Graphic Photos)

[Chicken Heel]

Sadly there are no hatcheries even remotely near us. Our local hardware stopped 'chick days' several years ago (I don't know why). Our only option is chick days at local Tractor Supply. We have heard nothing but horror stories about them. Hubby worked a second job part time there just briefly, and he was appalled. He specifically decided on his own to care for the chicks when they were there. Now, they are out of all chicks anyway. Ordering online is our only option. We can't order a lot of chicks. We have a yard (not a farm or acres), and certain coop space. We normally order the 3 minimum to add to our flock when some pass, keeping it at 8-9 hens max. REALLY hoping this new shipment from Meyer arrives with healthy chicks!

I hope so as well. Speaking of Tractor Supply, I have also supplemented my flock with a few chicks (mostly bantams) from there over the years and have had good luck with them, including 14 that I bought a few weeks after the Blue Rosecomb fiasco in early April. All have done great and been very healthy.

 

[Chicken Heel]

My very first attempt at chicken keeping earlier this year was an order from Meyer. Due to a winter storm (it was February), they had to cancel all shipments for the hatch day in question, so I just canceled the whole order.

Then I decided to go the Ebay hatching eggs route, which had it's own set of stressors. Biggest being, again, USPS. Almost every one of my orders took multiple more days to be delivered than expected, and the very last one more than a week (not a single hatched chick on that one). Prior to getting one delivery from an instate seller, my hatch rate was a dismal 23%.

But, knock on wood, of all of the chicks that made it through the first day (two did not, assisted hatches, had to be euthanized). So bad hatch rate, very good survival rate.

Due to my mix and wanting more hens of certain types, I decided to go the chick route to fill in the gaps of my future flock. I picked up four Bielefelder chicks last Friday and by Sunday, two had passed. No warning on one (it was fine in the morning, dead in the afternoon) and I tried to save the one when I saw it was struggling Sunday morning.

Now, I am gun shy about chicks from other sources. I had 6 chicks ordered from Greenfire but decided to cancel after losing 50% of the local chicks I picked up.

Just my own experience.

I had ordered six Shetland Hen chicks from Greenfire in November 2022 and lost three a few hours after arrival. The remaining three (2 roosters and a hen) have been healthy and the hen remains a great layer. The two roosters have been healthy but are extremely ornery. I had gotten a nasty injury from being spurred in my right calf muscle back in late March by one of them. They both are only still alive because they 1) are rare, and 2) they were $50 each as day old chicks. I have three more hens and four roosters from mating the two devils and the original hen that have done very well both laying eggs and in not being human aggressive. Thankfully so.

 

[Iluveggers]

Had a 50 chick order from McMurray ship on Monday, label accepted at post office at 1:20. They arrived at my post yesterday at 1:05. Lost 1. However they included two labeled extra female pullets in two different breeds from my order. The rest of them (all 51) are lively, bouncing, eating & drinking happily in the brooder in my garage. Some of the “weaker” breeds did great w the shipping. There’s no way I would have found the variety we received from somewhere local. June shipping in NY is the way to go. Very happy. Less than 24 hours from Iowa to my house.

 

[Iluveggers]

When I called Meyer I asked if they wanted the photo and they said no. I emailed it anyway. That is just how we found them when opening box. I just wanted them to see for themselves.

How did the new order go?

 

[MapleLaurelFarms]

However they included two labeled extra female pullets in two different breeds from my order.

Really glad it went well for you! But hmmm I'm not sure how I'd feel about the bonus breeds. I've never had a hatchery send extra in a breed that I didn't order. The reason I order certain breeds is because I want THOSE. I wonder if anyone else has experienced this also.

 

[MapleLaurelFarms]

Wonder if we will see hatcheries setting up sub-stations in different regions so they can be closer to their customers across the country.

I think several of the larger hatcheries already do this, or partner with other hatcheries so they can ship chicks from locations closer to customers. However, in the end it really just depends on which location is hatching all of the breeds that you ordered on what date.

For example, Valley Hatchery has a hatchery location in TN. I'm in NC so I hoped mine would come from there, but mine shipped from OH. Still got them in just over 24 hours, but my shipment traveled through TN before it got here. Eh well, makes no sense to me except maybe Ohio had what I ordered?

 

[redinator]

Drastic changes could mean none of us will be able to afford chicks anymore .Prices keep going up! The hatcheries will have to shut their doors when day old chicks cost $20 and $30 each and $100 to ship

I recently looked into ordering sexed pol pullets, I can't remember which hatchery it was. The pure breed pullets I wanted were roughly 20-30 a bird, which seemed like a fair price. When I went to check out the order was over $300 for 3 pullets. Are they laying golden eggs?

I'll just wait until my girls lay/breed. If needed in the future I'll order hatching eggs, it'll be less devastating to see cracked eggs than dead chicks.

 

[redinator]

I never ordered chicks, just hatching eggs once, but every year we see the same posts. Eventually the shipment of chicks will be banned even though millions of chicks are shipped successfully every year. There will always be risks in shipping chicks, nothing is 100%. Why not do the responsible thing and learn how to raise a quality heritage breed yourself instead of ordering designer chickens? A lot of the responsibility is on the person ordering chicks in the mail every year. Tell your husband to direct his emotions toward something more productive like starting a local poultry club instead wasting the governments time.

The outrage isn't about the chicks dying, it happens . . .it's the lack of concern from the hatchery and refusal to change their practices.

 

[Iluveggers]

Really glad it went well for you! But hmmm I'm not sure how I'd feel about the bonus breeds. I've never had a hatchery send extra in a breed that I didn't order. The reason I order certain breeds is because I want THOSE. I wonder if anyone else has experienced this also.

They were both pullets of breeds I did order. There were like 10 different breeds in the order lol so one extra of two of them. I thought it was nice. I'm sure they figured w 50 birds I wouldn't mind two more of something we already wanted. lol

 

[Savitar]

I second the earlier post about the changes at the post office, due to the 2020 postmaster that was appointed. Mail service in general has gone downhill in rural areas drastically due to the reductions in staff, and changes to regional distribution centers. You all have certainly watched your packages bounce around from regional center, out to a post office nowhere near your home, back to the regional center, etc. or have seen it just sit in the distribution center for days.

Before he resigned, the postmaster instituted a deliberate slow down for mail to certain rural areas in the country. It's a 10 year plan called "Delivering for America" that is designed to reduce costs and hours for workers. If you think that's going to make your mail delivery better and faster, I've got a bridge to sell that you would like. I guarantee that delivery of baby chicks is not high on the list of services they are going to "improve."

I bought baby chicks locally, and not all the breeds that I really wanted, because I won't be the cause of shipped chicks dying, which I know would happen with my mail service. When I say local, I had to drive some distance to get them.