McMurray's New Shipping Practices...has anyone heard about this?

[Bluemoon420]

pips&peeps :

This sounds more like McMurray is at fault here. Chicks are supposed to be less than 24 hours old when shipped.

If they are hatching on Thursdays and Fridays, they are in the wrong. I always set my eggs late Sunday night or late Monday night so the chicks hatch and are less than a day old to ship on Monday or Tuesday afternoon. Sometimes some of them hatch a little early, but never would I ship a two day old chick; they can't make it. This appears to be what McMurray is doing.

I think they need to spread out their hatching and shipping days a little more and it would be less influx for their post office and maybe the chicks would live. And, yes, the post office will deliver chicks on a Saturday when using Express Mail, it costs $10-12 more, but it can be done.

I thought the same thing. If they are hatching on Thursday and Fridays then those chicks aren't a day old. Their chances of making it thru the mail aren't good at all.

Bluemoon​

 

[SoniaS]

I mail ordered chicks for the first time ever from McMurray. They were sent Saturday morning at 5am. The post office called me at 9:30 this morning (Monday). All chicks were alive in the box. We lost one this afternoon and I think I will lose another over the night. Otherwise they seem to have shipped just fine. I'm in Sacramento, CA.

 

[Mrs MIA]

Quote:
Likewise... I had two boxes of chicks that shipped Saturday, and arrived Monday at 8am in Alaska. All 129 chicks survived. I don't think it's MMH...

 

[SoniaS]

I literally had nightmares after reading these posts, waiting for my chicks to arrive so I was so glad when they arrived alive. Just had to post my experience to help ease other people's fears.

 

[Elphaba2140]

Hi-I posted about my chicks a couple of weeks ago and had asked if this was normal. I too ordered 25 chicks. One was DOA at the Post Office and I lost 7 more by Thursday. I got my shipment on Monday morning. Since I am an RN I too tried heroic measures on the sicker ones with no avail. I have also raised hand fed Cockatiel chicks before. I thought this was an isolated thing. I emailed them right away on Monday evening to tell them about how many died that day alone. I was told to call on Wednesday at the end of 48 hours. They are giving me a refund for the lost chicks but I feel bad. In the email they said that a loss this big was NOT normal for them. It seems however after reading this thread it may not be true. I feel bad that all these chicks had to died senselessly.

 

[cocosandy]

When I have some time...hah!...havent even done taxes yet!...Im going to call all the hatcheries and find out their shipping policies directly and document it all...I want to know when this started and try to make a page for people who have lost chicks...in shipping or later...fro, McMurray.
I had one beautiful houdan chick that made it and was around 6 wks old, doing great. I gave her to a friend who had held her through the Marth Stewart taping ans she was living the life of Riley in a cage inside, waiting for her huge new coop to arrive; she was with a chick her age that I had hatched, and they were very happy. Then she dropped dead.
I understand the cross beak dying because of nutrition, even though I tried and tried, but I dont understand why this one dropped dead after making it through such a nightmare and being cared for so carefully.
I am hearing about way too many of these things happening around this hatchery; and its not just this year either.
The people who say that there is no problem use their years of experience and their new successful deliver this year as an example of everything being OK. I just think that that narrow minded and that at some point someone has to look into whats happening.

Its a sad thing for me but I hatch and...I have been doing this for a long time. Its just that I run this chicken group and there are many new people who I am helping out personally, and its like losing your first chick all over again. To these folks and their little kids, these birds are like dogs...and as much as I warn them that chicks are fragile and that you lose some, its heartbreaking to see losses that can be prevented if I gave different advice.
So, I feel like my experience in this world and using the tools that we have here is imperative in not only saving chicks but in giving people who want to start out a good experience.
Just like I wouldnt say to leave them outside in a rabbit cage or leave out info about predator proofing, Im gonna figure this out.

Right now, luckily, Backyardchickens member AHappyChick, who is local to me and a member of my group, has great young birds and chicks, so for the new chicken keeper who wants the breeds she has, I am suggesting her....and I could see even having her hatch certain orders for next year. The only reason to use hatcheries is to get different breeds that arent available locally...and to take care of the roosters. At a point I feel like I have to learn to sex chicks and what to do with roosters, even if its raising them and placing them or...you know....culling...ewww...(but eventually someones gotta do it)

so sorry for your losses.
When McMurray offered to reship I took the refund too. Oddly they charged me for the grogel and vitamins that I had ordered and used on the dying chicks. So they refunded the amount for the chicks only! seems like they might have sprung for the vitamins that I used in my futile attempt to save them; and now that Ive lost ALL of them, well.....

OK, on to taxes..

 

[IggiMom]

I would love to see a page such as you suggest making about the different hatcheries. Sounds like a lOT of work though.

Catherine (IggiMom)

 

[DaKid]

Hello Ya'll
You must remember that when you receive these chick's that they are already 3 days old plus -not day old chicks . SO you must have you brooder ready and temps set at lease 90 *F and make sure you have food and water ready ----the water sure have a pit/ or small amount of sugar in it , and you must hand held each chick as you place them into they brooder and dip they beck into the water dish so there know where the water is, as for the food there fine it , but the water is what they need as the arrived to you home , Your loses will be min. if you do this .


I have order from Murray McMurray for the last 4 yrs and I now ordering from Cackle Hatchery and Murray McMurray this year .

 

[CompassionateFarmer]

We are a small hatchery located in Florida. We ship every Monday and Tuesday with no problems. The post office has done a great job getting our chicks to their new homes.
I can not imagine shipping chicks on a saturday. You are just asking for problems. During the hot summer months they sometimes refuse to except shipments if the temp. are too high.

 

[AHappychick]

wow I did not realize. I also did not know that Tuesday was the bussiest day.

I think that it may not be far from when the PO stops allowing live anything, if that happens I am in big trougble as my chooks are finally paying some of my overhead.

How is the drake? are his feet better? oh and thanks for the nice post