Mail Order chicks arrive - almost all are dead! Help!

[Hummer]

First of all - Thanks to everyone for the caring replies - I can't read the post without crying. And to the Chick Ranch person who made the cruel statement about firing "you" for ordering chicks in July to be shipped to Texas. Well, first of all the chicks were coming from Texas, to Georgia - not going there. 2nd of all, I'm just a Mom trying to buy some chicks for me and my children - I thought the seller would have more knowledge about when the chicks should be shipped and to what conditions they are being shipped. And #3, believe me, I HAVE beat myself up about this more than you will ever know. So I would appreciate you keeping your cruel comments to yourself -no matter who you may have been directing them to.

I do have to agree to some extent - that a lot of times workers are more interested in the Friday paycheck, than a job well-done. And that could go for the postal service or the hatchery. The lady I spoke with at Ideal wasn't really sympathetic or unsympathetic - just said sometimes that happens and they have no control over the condition in which the chicks are handled. She said the chicks are shipped in hot weather - because they "ship year round" - that's what they do.... (quote, unquote)

Ideal will replace the chicks, if I decide that is what I want. I am waiting until Monday to make this decision. I did try finding a Georgia hatchery, before using Ideal, but had no luck in finding one. Ideal was recommended by a feed store in Quitman, Georgia.

The chicks that I ordered were mostly Cochin Bantams with 4 Auracana Standard Hens. Only 2 Auracana's seem to be doing pretty good. Of the 2 bantams that were still struggling to survive - one died this morning. The other seems pretty unsteady on his feet, and does not want to eat on his own. I gave water immediately upon picking them up at the post office and then gave sugar water when I got them home. I have also diluted chicken starter in water and let the little bantam drink some of that. He drinks - but only when he is held and it is put in front of him - most of the time with me having to dip his beak in the water a little.... Not sure if he is going to pull through - but he is definitely stronger than the one that died this morning. The two hens are eating chick starter and drinking on their own - I think they'll be fine - they seem pretty fiesty.

Again, thanks for the encouragement. Still not sure what to do - Not sure I want to take the chance of ordering more if it may be the cause of more chicks dying.

 

[Steve_of_sandspoultry]

Sorry your first order went like that.

Will Ideal give you a "raincheck" until the weather cools some?

Since your chicks did have rough trip you might want to get a pack of vitamins and electrolytes from your feed store. That will help them recover faster.

Steve in NC

 

[phoenixmama]

Edited for content, reply to flame

Edited to add: To the OP, try not to beat yourself up. I'm bummed out about my 9 turkeys that were dead, but thankful for the one little one that is holding on. Plenty of people order chicks in the summer time. If the PO does their job and calls right away (like they are supposed to), and the person receiving the babies does their job and goes to pick them up right away...then things almost always work out well for the babies.

 

[Chris623]

Hummer,

So sorry for your loss. Can't imagine how sad you must have been when you opened the box. I remember opening mine after hearing all the peeping. I lost only one in transit, but just can't imagine losing 10. It wasn't your fault.........or the fault of the shipper, but the responsibility of the USPS. They know better than to put live chicks in a postal carriers vehicle. The more they charge for postage, the more sorry the service they provide. By the way, that's a beautiful little dog you are cuddling there.

 

[Camelot Farms]

Hummer, this may have already been said and I missed it but...have you tried posting on the chicks/chickens for sale page here at BYC? There may be someone close to you that could sell you chicks with no shipping involved.

Sorry for your loss and I hope that the sympathy and help that has been offered on this thread outweighs any negativity...

 

[embkm]

Hummer, where in GA are you? I am right near Athens and I have 5 baby chicks that just hatched on Tues/ Weds that I could give you. They are mutts and all mostly black, but if you are interested and close enough to pick them up, they are yours.
Email me at [email protected] if you want.

 

[corancher]

I am suppose to get chicks from Sandhill next week so I am keeping my fingers crossed.

So sorry about the loss of your little ones.

 

[Gincoza]

now I am worried I am gettign 25 leghorns on teh 15th by mail,,just hopes all goes well and they are fine,,this is the first time I have ever ordered chickens online,,am getting them from Meyers hatchery in Ohio I think I am in alabama,,the weather is very hot,,100 plus most days,,just hope my birds do well

 

[Hummer]

To Melissa,

Thanks for the offer, but I am in South Georgia near Thomasville. About a 4 hour drive, I suspect, to Athens - maybe 4.5. But thanks for the generous offer!

To everyone else,

I am new to this forum - is there anyway that I can search the post with the chickens for sale that are near my area - or do I just have to look through them all? So far, the ones that I have seen are all up north! Also, I still have not had any luck finding a hatchery that is closer to my area. I did email Cackle hatchery - in Missouri - which is a little closer to Georgia. Looks like the chicks would have to go through Tennessee and then Georgia. Coming from Texas they have to go through 3 states before getting to Georgia.... Actually, I think the chicks are flown to Georgia - so the travel time may not be that much different.... So far, I have not been able to find anyone - with the hatchery or the post office, that knows the route that the chicks travel to get to Georgia from the Ideal hatchery.... You would think that someone would know, huh?

To answer some of your questions, regarding whether or not the post office called me when the chicks arrived - The initial attempt to call was from Albany, Georgia. Apparently, Albany is the postoffice that recieves the mail that is distributed to the surrounding towns. Albany is about an hour from where I live. Albany did not have the correct phone number to contact me, but attempted to call the hatchery to get the correct number... I have not been able to find out from anyone when the chicks were received at the Albany post office and in what condition they arrived there. I have been told by one post master that if Albany was trying to call me before sending them on down the line, then the chicks must have been in pretty bad shape when they received them. Normally, Albany would not be calling me to come pick chicks up an hour away from where they are suppose to be delivered.... The chicks were then sent on down to Thomasville, which is about a 20 minute drive from my town. Thomasville received the chicks around 2:30pm and by this time, the chicks had spent another 2 hours or more being transported from Albany, in the back of a mail truck, to Thomasville.
When I ordered the chicks, I had spoke with our local post master and made all the proper arrangements for him to call me when he received the chicks... I did not know that they would never get to him and neither did he.

The hatchery assures me that the chicks were just hatched the day before - so, I think, the deaths of the chicks must have been due to the stress of the journey. Regardless,
I would recommend to everyone ordering chicks to make sure that the hatchery list your phone numbers on the box (if possible) so that no matter where the chicks wind up, that someone will be able to contact you!

Has anyone had any experience with Cackle hatchery? Do you think that would be a quicker trip for the chicks than coming from Texas? Or, does anyone know of any hatcheries that are closer to my area? I did look at the my pet chickens website and they are located in CT, but don't seem to have any Cochin Bantams.

Cackle Hatchery emailed a reply to a question that I had regarding shipments in the heat and said that they have have real good luck in shipping chicks in this heat - they said that they "spread the birds" Not sure what that means - unless they group them in smaller numbers in compartments in the box... I only ordered 14 and the box that they were in was about a 10"x12".

Also, someone had asked if I could get Ideal to wait and send my chicks in the Fall when the weather starts cooling down - I had already asked them that and the answer was, "no", if I want the chicks then, I should wait and order them at that time - and there is no guarantee that they would have the bantams that I want.

Thanks again to all - the little bantam Cochin is still holding on - walks around better now - but still does not want to eat on his own. The two pullets seem to be thriving pretty well. Already putting on wing feathers, eating and drinking and running around.

 

[IggiMom]

Ideal has a very good reputation. They will made good on your chicks.

I always let the PO know I am expecting chicks before they come and they call me when they come.

I think they would call even if I didn't let them know they were coming; they are very good about it.

Your PO should never have let them sit in the truck.

Good luck. I would expect that your next batch will come with no trouble. That will probably not make you feel any better about this awful experience, but may give you something to look forward to.

Hugs.

Catherine