Ideal Poultry's chicks and ducks, this happen to you?

[shay20]

I odered a bubch from welp, only have 5 left out of 33, they were vac for mereks, the ones i hatched my self are not vac and they are doing fine. I found out that the mereks vac lowers there immune sytem way down than normal for almost 2 to 3 weeks old, so if they get the slightest chill they wont make it compared to a chick was not vac. so i will never have my chicks vac for the mereks any more.

 

[amamaofmany]

Sorry to hear you've lost so many babies!

So far, so good over here. Got our babies from Ideal on Friday morning, and haven't had any that seem sick and none have died. Very active!

I know that can change, but we keep them super clean (using bedpads bought next to the Depends') and cleaning the water every few hours, and changing the bed pad 4 times a day to keep them as clean as possible. We check them for pasty bums twice a day and have taken care of any dirty bottoms asap.

They all seem to be in good shape.

 

[mcmch91]

I tried to order from Ideal twice this year. Both times -- terrible results. The first time 1 of 26 survived. They reshipped the full order. No survivors the second time. Granted, the temps were cool and the second batch got held up in the post office. Ideal was fine with a 3rd reshipment, but I couldn't take the little chicky Jonestown in the box anymore. I took a refund and bought a 'bator to hatch my own.

There are so many questionable circumstances in the shipment of chicks that it is hard to blame any one part of the process. But, just in case, I won't be ordering from them again. I'll stick closer to home.

I also heard from others that if you are shipping through the Missouri postal hub, the chances of delay or chilling seems to be higher? No proof, but even my local post office adimitted that they have seen the trend. I don't know why, but if I can avoid shipping across that hub, I will.

 

[Cuckoo4Marans]

I have never had problem with Ideal. The people are great, their birds are AMAZING, and their service is wonderful. I love working with them. They make everything so easy. And did I say... their birds are AMAZING! I adore my chicks I just got... 100% ALL ALIVE, healthy, happy, and loud. (just like I like'em!)

 

[Freestep]

It's been so long since I posted here, I couldn't remember my login info! But this is important enough to cross-post everywhere you can think of.

I have chicks from an Ideal order I received two weeks ago (3-18-09) that are getting sick and dying. They are having tremor, incoordination, ataxia, and are falling over on their side and back.

I have heard people are having the same problem with recent orders from Cackle Hatchery.

Last year, McMurray Hatchery had an outbreak of Avian Encephaliomyelitis in their breeder flocks. AE is a viral disease that can be transmitted from bird to bird, and from hen to chicks through the egg. It has the potential to decimate your entire flock.

McMurray at first denied there was a problem, until so many people complained of sick chicks that they had to investigate. Eventually they admitted that their breeders were passing on AE due to a "failed vaccine".

I have been in contact with Ideal and, just like McMurray did last year, they deny there is problem. This makes it extremely important for everyone who is having a problem to call or email the hatchery and tell them if you have sick chicks. They will try to tell you that they don't have a problem, and that it must be something YOU are doing wrong. But the more people that call, the more likely they are to investigate their own operation.

Unfortunately I have not been able to get anything tested, so I don't know yet what I'm dealing with, but I'm not willing to take chances. I have put blood sweat and tears into my flocks, and to have AE come through would be devastating.

I have had good luck with Ideal in the past, so their response to this issue is disappointing.

Carla Freestep
http://freestepfarm.com


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[Fresh Eggs]

Oh my!


I losy foour of my chicks just like that! But thankfully, the rest are fine and healthy. I would isolate the ill chicks!

Best Luck,

F.E.

 

[Cara]

Shipping stress. I had the same thing happen last year, I ended up losing every single turkey I bought, most of the guineas and a few bantams too. They appear fine when they arrive, but it's the after effect of a stressful journey. Mine were from a different hatchery, but they were great. I thought they had some kind of illness so I let the hatchery know, and they refunded all the losses immediately even though it was not their fault. I had other chicks in the same brooder that I had hatched, and none of those were sick. I'm sure Ideal would do the same, they've always been great to deal with too.

 

[Cara]

Something else you might consider; i've only lost chicks when I gave them vitamins/electrolytes. I was trying to help, but it seems that straight water is a lot better for them.

 

[DiVon80]

Ideal has in there care tips about waterlogging new baby ducks. They say there, it will kill them. So read the care tips on Ideals web sight. Got my babies from them ordered 26, 3 weeks later all fine and growing.

 

[Chickenaddict]

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Vitamins and electrolytes wouldn't kill a chick unless maybe if you mixed too much in their water. I always put my new hatches on v&e for the first week or so and have never had a problem. I ordered from Ideal for the first time last october, few were doa and lost a few more over the course of a few weeks. I chalked it up to shipping stress. I wasn't too pleased with the blrw bantams i ordered but then again they are hatchery birds. I never have my chicks vaccinated nor do i give medicated food and have never had ill chicks that i have hatched out here besides one run with cocci which was easily cured. My first time ordering chicks we ordered from MM 52 chicks were sent, 3 doa's and over half the rest passed away. Most of the survivors ended up to be tough lil roosters. I will not order from either again because i'd rather get quality eggs or birds from reputable breeders than go thru the heart ache of loosing sooo many. Ideal was better than MM by a long shot.