I placed an order January 17th for 100 Speckled Sussex chicks that the website said were immediately available.
I always like to order my chicks early, so once weather warms up in may, They can be outside already. I received an email that my chicks would ship April 11th. Not the normal four week backorder, but I had paid already and just though that sometimes these things happen.
The morning of the 11th I receive a lunchtime email asking if I can substitute 22 birds as they only had 78 to send me. Twelve weeks of planning and they couldn't find a company to ship me birds? They had only three breeds available from all of those listed on the website...andalusians, buckeyes, and white cochins. And not 22 of any one of them, so I told them to go ahead and ship replacements. I paid $33 for 'overnight chick shipping, and they promised they would ship monday afternoon.
Thursday morning my chicks arrive...at least 72 hours after hatching but the hatch date on the box reads the 10th, Tuesday. And they paid $13 for shipping. Is that a normal handling fee on 100 chicks?
My very accommodating postmaster lets me pick up the chicks at 6:45 in the morning, as they don't open until 8am, and in his phone message he said..."They are so LOUD! Come get them!"
I get them home and happily open the box, I have my brooders all set up with fresh food, water with ACV...and I only received 86 chicks plus six DOA. And since they have been here, we've lost another 24 and they are dropping like flies. But oddly enough, ONLY the sussex is dying. I think they held the hatch to add more birds to the box from the next days hatch. Even my normally stoic husband is nearly in tears at the parade of death in our living room. I mean, I raise all sorts of animals to eat, but it's still sad to see a baby die without a chance.
So every twenty minutes I'm trying to revive my dying birds, and this entire thing is heartbreaking. And Burkey has the nerve to tell me I can have chicks at some distant future date as they have no availability.
I'm so disappointed with this company. I've never had a loss rate like this before. Even the replacements won't be sussex, they'll be something else. Has this happened to anyone else? I've been very nice up until the email telling me they don't know when they will get me birds. I told them it was unacceptable.
I'd love to return here and tell everyone Burkey made good on my purchase. Has anyone had this experience before? Is this a normal loss rate on 100 chicks? I've ordered this many before and have lost 1.
I appreciate everyone letting me vent.
I always like to order my chicks early, so once weather warms up in may, They can be outside already. I received an email that my chicks would ship April 11th. Not the normal four week backorder, but I had paid already and just though that sometimes these things happen.
The morning of the 11th I receive a lunchtime email asking if I can substitute 22 birds as they only had 78 to send me. Twelve weeks of planning and they couldn't find a company to ship me birds? They had only three breeds available from all of those listed on the website...andalusians, buckeyes, and white cochins. And not 22 of any one of them, so I told them to go ahead and ship replacements. I paid $33 for 'overnight chick shipping, and they promised they would ship monday afternoon.
Thursday morning my chicks arrive...at least 72 hours after hatching but the hatch date on the box reads the 10th, Tuesday. And they paid $13 for shipping. Is that a normal handling fee on 100 chicks?
My very accommodating postmaster lets me pick up the chicks at 6:45 in the morning, as they don't open until 8am, and in his phone message he said..."They are so LOUD! Come get them!"
I get them home and happily open the box, I have my brooders all set up with fresh food, water with ACV...and I only received 86 chicks plus six DOA. And since they have been here, we've lost another 24 and they are dropping like flies. But oddly enough, ONLY the sussex is dying. I think they held the hatch to add more birds to the box from the next days hatch. Even my normally stoic husband is nearly in tears at the parade of death in our living room. I mean, I raise all sorts of animals to eat, but it's still sad to see a baby die without a chance.
So every twenty minutes I'm trying to revive my dying birds, and this entire thing is heartbreaking. And Burkey has the nerve to tell me I can have chicks at some distant future date as they have no availability.
I'm so disappointed with this company. I've never had a loss rate like this before. Even the replacements won't be sussex, they'll be something else. Has this happened to anyone else? I've been very nice up until the email telling me they don't know when they will get me birds. I told them it was unacceptable.
I'd love to return here and tell everyone Burkey made good on my purchase. Has anyone had this experience before? Is this a normal loss rate on 100 chicks? I've ordered this many before and have lost 1.
I appreciate everyone letting me vent.
