I need some reassurance . . . UPDATE page 3

[Young MacDonald]

I ordered chicks from Cackle that shipped yesterday morning. Both Cackle and I are in Missouri. I thought we might get them today, but after calling the Post Office twice (and being told by the postal worker that there were no more shipments coming into the local office today), I am resigned to the fact that they won't arrive until at least tomorrow.

Here's the part that is making me very worried. We are having a crazy heat wave. Today and yesterday are by far the hottest days of the year, with heat indexes of over 100. And tomorrow is more of the same.

Will the heat kill my babies?

 

[realmofthewoodsranch]

I would hope that both the post office and the truck they ride in are air conditioned!! I don't know if 100 degrees is good for them, but the brooder temps are pretty high when you first start... I don't have to worry about heat, but I'll cross my fingers for you!!!

 

[ArizonaNessa]

I live in Arizona and I order from Cackle alot each order being at least 100 birds at a time. I order all through the season and rarely have I ever lost any in shipping. I don't know if that will ease your mind or not but it gets in excess of 115* here in the hottest part of the summer. You being so close to the hatchery surely you will get yours sooner than I do mine which is 2 1/2 days. Don't worry I am sure they will be fine.

Make sure that you have their water and feed in the brooder and all ready to go BEFORE you get them. Add a little sugar to the water for the first week to give them a little boost. Oh and whatever you do, don't forget to dip their beaks in the water as you take them out of the box. A few marbles in the waterer will also help you to not loose any due to them laying in the waterer.

Good Luck to you and your new babies.

Edited to say that your brooder temp should be at about 95 degrees for the first week dropping the temp by 5 degrees each week after until the heat lamp is no longer necessary.

 

[chickenpearl]

Yes, hopefully it will just be like they are still in the incubator (or in a brooder). Hang in there

!

 

[Young MacDonald]

Thanks for all the positive words, especially about AZ. That makes me feel better.

 

[mom2chicksandpups]

I am all the way over in Alabama and had chicks shipped from Cackle yesterday. It's 95 degrees out now and nearly 7 p.m., so just imagine how hot it was around noon today. I am also worried about my chicks. We will keep our fingers crossed and maybe they will all arrive safely tomorrow.

I know this does not help the sadness of losing chicks, but if you do lose any in the first 48 hours after they arrive, call Cackle and they will refund that part of your money. I ordered from them before and it took 3 days to get the chicks here. They were expected within 2 days, but I guess the post office took a little longer than expected. I called them immediately and they noted this on my account, then told me to call back in 2 days to give them a total count of the number of chicks that were still living. They also threw a few extras in the box just in case any died in transit. It's still sad when you lose chicks, but at least they are willing to do this if it happens.

Good luck vibes are going out to you. I hope yours make it and mine too!!

 

[California Ducken]

Call Cackle in the AM and the PO too. You never know they may have had to delay their shipping for a day to you.
There was a person who ordered from them i think and the PO left them on their front porch and their dogs got to them and only one chick survived. It was the PO fault. They didn't follow directions to CALL the receiver. Yours is a different situation I know, but be vigilant in getting your babies.
Good Luck!

 

[ArizonaNessa]

Yes be vigilant about getting them. I would never allow my chicks to be delivered to my home on any day of the year. I insist on picking them up from the post office and even though I live in one of the biggest cities in the country our post office is quite good about calling when my chicks hit the door of the post office. Once they called me and allowed me to pick them up at the airport before they ever even went to the post office but that order was from Ideal not Cackle.

I have read where the people in the post office were so interested in the little chirping chicks that they played with the chicks. I would have purple kittens if I thought that they opened my shipping boxes. Be sure to get to the PO as soon as possible after you get the call.

 

[mom2chicksandpups]

My post office has been very good about calling early in the morning. We live in a small town, though, and they kind of know me from all the packages I get.

I think the ladies who work in the office also want the chirping chicks to get out of there as quickly as possible, which is okay with me.

I agree that it won't hurt to call and call your post office or to go by in person and tell them you are expecting live chicks.

I got a call once from a town 30 min. away to tell me that they had my chicks and I could either drive to get them or have them sent to my local post office the following day for pick up. Of course, I made the drive to get them so I could get some water in those babies. This was a shipment from Ideal, though.

 

[Young MacDonald]

I will call the Post Office again in the morning to see if they've arrived. The Post Office took down my number yesterday because I told her how important it was that we pick them up instead of having them delivered. I told her I was concerned that the heat would kill them, but also, we get our mail close to 5 each day and I'd much rather go in earlier and get them out of the box, into the brooder and give them their water dunk.

mom2chicksandpups - what type of chicks did you order? I wonder if we'll have siblings! We're getting Black Australorps, Salmon Favorelles and Light Brahmas.