It's that time of year again

[gritsar]

The time of year when everyone has spring fever and let their impatience get the better of them so they order chicks. The weather is still very much unpredictable across the country right now. People forget that while it might be warm where they are, chicks have to travel through alot of different places before arriving at their local post office. The result in too many cases is dead, dying and seriously stressed chicks. I've been around BYC for awhile and I see it happening over and over again at this time of year.

Just because the hatcheries will ship now, doesn't mean it's in the best interest of the chicks. It's business. If they refuse to ship to you they know there's a hatchery somewhere that will. People think they have to order now to get the best selection and that's true. But just because you order now doesn't mean you have to take delivery now. Most hatcheries will allow you to specify a later delivery date.

Patience people! Your future chicks will be just as adorable a month from now, or even two months from now. Do you want to open a box of live, happy, healthy chicks or a box full of half dead ones?

Just my two cents.

 

[Imp]

Well stated.

Another season of BYC.

Imp

 

[Happy Chooks]

Yep, I have seen it every year at this time too. Many parts of the country are still WAY too cold for shipping chicks.

No worries here, 3 dozen EGGS are on their way to me!

 

[ranchhand]

Quote:

I agree. It's so tempting, but DO take advantage of the delayed shipping option. Use the time to get the brooder perfect and the coop completed. Then spend a lot of time reading about the breeds you are getting, general chick/chicken care and predator proofing. The Learning Center, at the top of the page, is a very good place to spend these last few months of winter!

 

[ranchhand]

WARNING- HIJACK UNDER CONSTRUCTION!


Grits, may I add something for those who are going to enlarge an already established flock?
A lot of folks are thinning their flocks of adult birds to make room for more chicks.

Anyone considering buying started birds NEEDS to read this thread!

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=12751

 

[ZooMummzy]

I agree. The weather is just really too unstable and I hate that so many chicks are being lost. I hate that my local feed store is getting chicks in tomorrow too. I think it's way too early. This is my first year hatching my own in the winter and I think it's going to become a yearly event. It's difficult enough getting shipped eggs through right now safely, I just can't imagine live chicks having to endure the trip.

 

[Moabite]

I still have all 6 happy health hens I got last spring and 6 is the limit for my coop. I'm refraining this year for getting new chicks cause I don't see any reason to cull. But when is a good time? Thanks in advance.

 

[gritsar]

Quote:
I would shoot for the time of year where daytime temps. in Utah are consistently in the 70s and nighttime temps. are no lower than the 40s. Then I would begin nagging the tar outta my local post office to make sure they know I have chicks coming and get it right.

 

[Stacykins]

I know my chicks will be shipped the first week of June from Meyer, so hopefully all will be good then

But my eggs in the bator? They made it just fine and are showing development

 

[Mak]

I ordered my chicks in early January, but I am not having them shipped until March. I just figured it was far too cold earlier than that for those little babies to be floating around in a box in the back of some truck. Heck, there have been days it felt too cold for me to walk from the house to the coop! I'd rather wait, as hard as that is, than end up with chicks dying because they got too cold in shipment.