Kicking myself, so worried.

[journey11]

MMH has a new thing this year, shipping min 15 chicks for dates beginning today (April 1st). Something I don't think they considered and I certainly didn't--the delay caused by the Easter holiday!

My post office always calls at 7:30am on the dot. As the minutes ticked by, I started to worry and decided to call them. My babies always come on Monday, but they'll not arrive until tomorrow morning. This makes it day 4 from their hatching. I am so worried they will not do well or many may die. On top of this our temps have been about 15-20 degrees cooler than usual, mid-40's today.

I wish I had thought of the delay... I would have been content to wait another week if it meant healthy chicks. I'm pacing the floor until tomorrow.

 

[brezlynsmom]

Hoping they are all ok when you get them.

 

[3riverschick]

MMH has a new thing this year, shipping min 15 chicks for dates beginning today (April 1st). Something I don't think they considered and I certainly didn't--the delay caused by the Easter holiday!

My post office always calls at 7:30am on the dot. As the minutes ticked by, I started to worry and decided to call them. My babies always come on Monday, but they'll not arrive until tomorrow morning. This makes it day 4 from their hatching. I am so worried they will not do well or many may die. On top of this our temps have been about 15-20 degrees cooler than usual, mid-40's today.

I wish I had thought of the delay... I would have been content to wait another week if it meant healthy chicks. I'm pacing the floor until tomorrow.

--------
Ok, get over to your local Tractor Supply or feed store. Pick up a small bottle ($7.-$10. of Poultry Nutri-Drench by Bovidr Labs. When the chicks arrive, give each one a single drop by mouth. Put 4cc per gallon in their waterer. If that is too potent for their taste buds , use 2cc per gallon and still get good success. Do this for the 1st 2 weeks you have them or as long as you wish. For the Hows and Whys behind this see the thread "How To Deal With Travel Stress In Baby Chicks" in this "Raising Chicks" forum.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/746509/how-to-deal-with-travel-stress-in-baby-chicks
I have used Bovidr Labs emergency nutritional supplements for years on my puppies and poultry. Just a wonderful specialist company with top flight products. My poultry stay on it from day of hatch.
800,000 chicks can't be wrong,
Best Success,
Karen
Waterford English Light Sussex
in western PA, USA

 

[Thecrispy1]

Did you call the post office? I got mine from them today. All healthy. I worried about Easter too but it didn't seem to make a difference.
yeah maybe I should read the whole post before I comment...good luck I hope they will be ok...

 

[ArtGirl]

If there not doing well when they arrive I would definitely give them electrolytes (save a chick). It gives them energy and make them eat more which makes them thirsty and keeps going like a snowball

. We have used it several times and it has save 2 of our chickens and 1 of the chickens twice!

We just got a chick that wasn't doing good from our feed store. We tried to give her vitamins and other stuff but her little body was deformed and she didn't make it.
All of the other chicks are doing great and have lots of energy. They are so healthy and strong that we are going to try to enter 2 of them in our state fair this year.
Hope you have good luck with them and there all happy healthy chicks.

 

[journey11]

I didn't get a chance to post last night, but they came last minute yesterday! The post office in Charleston (an hour from here) called me at 3 and said they were on their way to another post office 30 minutes from here and to pick them up there. I called that post office to let them know and they said the Charleston truck had already come for the day, but I gave her my number anyway. She finally did call for me to come get them and said they'd let me in after-hours since they'd still be there. Whew! I've never had such trouble getting my chicks before. They've always come to my post office, 10 minutes from here. Maybe it's because of all the downsizing and restructuring the USPS is doing?

Anyways, they are doing fine this morning and have already drank half a gallon of water between the 15 of them. These have to be the cutest box of peeps I've gotten yet. They are EE's and I can't wait to see what variety of colors there are.

Thank you 3riverschick for the suggestion of the emergency nutrition supplements. I will bear that in mind as I'm sure it will come in handy someday for any of my critters. Since these peeps were still ok, I used Quick Chick and 3 tbsp sugar in their water.