I've hear the negatives, what about the positives?

[schmije]

I've ordered chicks twice and only had one DOA. Last year we received 27 the first week in March, and all were healthy. This year we received 36 on Feb 22. One was DOA, and the others are peeping happy chick sounds in my brooder right now!

 

[dieselgrl48]

So far We have only ordered from Murray McMurray.We had bought from them about 4 spring's in a row.I was weary how ever when We bought a run of duckling's the second spring.OMG We had ordered 30 white and Fawn runner's.The box was delayed one day and I think when hubby and I went to P.O. At 5:30 am there were 22 DOA

!We along with the postal worker were just in shock.I cried for day's over those poor little duckling's.Mc Murray offered a refund or replacement.We took the refund and waited a month and re-ordered but 15 the second time.Those arrived safely and in good health.Last year we ordered 24 Toulouse Gosling's.The gosling's somehow got routed to the in town post office but the postal worker's were great and called us right away.They were the cutest thing's all healthy and fat.I have never ordered from anyone else and doubt I order by mail this time as just now restocking our entire flock since We had to sell out last fall due to foreclosure or so We thought, but back on the farm now since Nov.1st.Baaaaa so miss all my bird's

.I've managed to hatch some OE's, some silkie's and some sumatra's in lil giant so far and got a few more diff. egg'scoming.Boy sure wish I had my Sportsman back!Can't wait till next month We got a local TSC and they will be getting chick's so will get some layer's there and hopefully they will get a nice shipment of bantam's as well.I'm sure some good hatcherie's out there.Good Luck. DG

 

[Davaroo]

Quote:
One of my favorite quotes is this one :

“When I look back on all these worries, I remember the story of the old man who said on his deathbed that he had had a lot of trouble in his life... most of which had never happened” - Sir Winston Churchill

For every bad story there is a good one. Chicks have been shipped in this country for a century or a little longer. You have said you are early, so have no qualms about blaming yourself if something goes wrong. You pays your money you takes your chances, as it were.

But hatcheries would not remain in business if postal shipping of live chicks wasn't successful. THat alone should quell any major fears you may have. Well... that and the quote from Sir Churchill.

 

[Cindiloohoo]

I have horror stories with my incubator. Fact is chicks are delicate. Either way you can expect losses and it's never easy to accept. I always hatch, and am glad I do.

 

[Matt A NC]

I got my chicks 2 weeks ago. They came from Cackle hatchery in MO to Morganton, NC in 48 hours. It was in the mid 20s when I went to get them at 9:30 that morning.

There were 55 in the box. They were all alive. 54 are still with me. I did lose one to the shipping process, but that was all.

Matt

 

[fasbendera]

Only good stories and outcomes. Our first year the chicks were shipped early and they arrived at the routing center in St. Paul, MN on Memorial Day (they weren't suppose to ship until after memorial day I was told). The USPS in St. Paul called us even though they were suppose to got to our post office because it was so hot that day and they were calling off the the people to see if they could pick them up in St. Paul instead of being shipped onto the next stop. Above and beyond the call of duty and while it was an inconvenience (hatcheries mistake) we were happy to travel and get them. Every year since then we have not had one DOA in the bunch.

 

[moonlyghtegirl]

Never had a DOA in the mail, and I have ordered a lot. I have lost two afterwards, one was just poorly and the other was criipled and we had to put her down. My post office is great. They are always as excited and happy as I am about the chicks arriving, and are always so willing to call me as soon as they arrive.

 

[Keenonf]

I got 19 chicks from ideal. None DOA. Though one died about a week later, he was a runt though.

 

[tammyd57]

I've ordered hundreds of chicks through the mail over the last 40 years or so. I have never had a DOA.
Most have been shipped from either McM or Cackle Hatcheries. (cross country to California)
Last April I ordered 15 Buff Orpingtons from Cackle. They were sent out Monday afternoon and arrived at my PO Wednesday morning.
I was asleep when our Postmistress called at 6 a.m. and my hubby answered. He woke me up laughing his butt off. The Postmistress had told him to come get "these partyin lil peepers right now!" She held the phone over the box so my husband could hear them all peeping like mad. When he got to the PO he knocked on their back door and the Postmistress came and opened it holding a chick in her hand! She took him in to the office and all 3 employees were in there watching the chicks. They had an empty metal trash can with a small ceramic heater inside with the box of chicks sitting on top keeping toasty warm!
It was awesome!
This year we decided not to order any new chicks. We're in the middle of building a home made incubator and we're going to try our hand at hatching some ourselves.

 

[tnchickenut]

Quote:
I'm not far from you and never had a DOA either. My local post is great about chickens too... they have a "chicken wall" and it has everyone who gets chickens and eggs numbers on it. (out of sight of the public).... when you get chicks or eggs they call you ..... AT 5 AM SOMETIMES! so you can go get them right away. My first chicks ever were delivered on a below freezing day... it was a small order (only 8) and they were (and still are) all fine.