Meyer Hatchery 2 questions please

[Merrymouse]

I ordered from Meyers with a hatch date on Monday 3/13 and I have a couple questions

I was wondering for those folks that ordered through Meyer how long in general before your chicks arrived at post office? Im asking because I'm trying to decide if I should take Tuesday off from work. I live in Massachusetts if that helps.

Also, I ordered 15 chicks plus one meal maker. I see that some people are getting more chicks than they ordered. Does Meyer do this? I know most hatcheries will add extras for warmth but I thought that was only on very small orders.

Do they call you or something to let you know an approximate arrival time? And how exactly do they process the chicks? Meaning, I ordered several different breeds and they were all available for that date when I ordered. Do they all hatch on the same day or over several days like the weekend before and then when they have all you requested they package them up and ship them? Just confused because I know they only can survive a few days after hatch without water/food.

Ok that was way more than 2 questions but you'll have to forgive me, Im a total newbie to chickens

 

[SunHwaKwon]

They are supposed to ship them within 24 hours of hatch, I believe, as per the USPS guidelines. I have wondered that as well, though, since for instance I just hatched four Marans and they hatched over the course of a day and a half, and then you add in time to sort and pack and send them to the post office. They have a couple days of nutrition after hatch from absorbing the yolk, and then of course theoretically could survive a couple days longer than that as long they don't get too cold or hot or jostled around, etc. They hatch in such large numbers I am sure there are enough early and late hatchers to fill each order with chicks from each breed that hatched at relatively the same time, if that makes sense.

You can call the post office to find out what time they generally arrive, if they know, and to let them know you are expecting a shipment and give them the best number or numbers to reach you at.

As for how long it takes, mine have always arrived sooner than expected. My last order was 25 from Ideal (Texas) and 49 from Cackle (Missouri) on 2/22 and they arrived on 2/23 from both places to here in eastern Maryland. They arrived to the post office around 1130. When I got my guinea order from Cackle in 2015 it also took 1 day but they arrived at 7 am, at a slightly further post office since I was working somewhere else and I send them to my work address so I can pick them up at lunch.

 

[debid]

I'd expect them to arrive on Tuesday or Wednesday. If your local post office is the main one near an aiport, it's quicker. Rural addresses frequently take two days. I'd actually go into the post office and have a chat because I believe that they'll care more if they see your enthusiasm.

 

[song of joy]

I've ordered from Meyer Hatchery a few times, always with good results. However, I've always had chicks delivered in late April, May or June, as it can be risky this time of year due to the weather (overnight temps this week will be in the teens).

The length of time in shipment will depend on where you're located and how the mail is routed between Meyer Hatchery (Ohio) and your location. I'm in central Pennsylvania, and I've always received the chicks the day after they were shipped, so they're in transit for less than 24 hours. I'm guessing two days to get to Massachusetts, but with air transit it could turn out to be one. They'll give you a tracking number so you'll be able to keep track of when and where they are. Just be aware that the tracking info can lag behind by a few hours.

Based on the degree of feathering when I've received them, it appears all the chicks were shipped within hours of hatching - probably less than 12 hours. I could see the egg tooth on some of the chicks.

Call your local post office to let them know you're expecting chicks, and when. Give them your name and cell phone number and ask that they call you as soon as they come in. Sometimes I get a call before the post office officially opens - what an exciting way to start the day!!

With larger orders (15+), I wouldn't be surprised if Meyer included an extra chick or two, but I've never had them include "extras for warmth". In my orders they included heat packs, which is probably the reason they didn't need to include extra chicks for warmth.

Best of luck to you, and enjoy your chicks!!! Be sure to have your brooder already set up with a heat source established. Their first need will be warmth . . . then water, then food.

 

[Kiki]

I ordered from Meyers with a hatch date on Monday 3/13 and I have a couple questions

I was wondering for those folks that ordered through Meyer how long in general before your chicks arrived at post office? Im asking because I'm trying to decide if I should take Tuesday off from work. I live in Massachusetts if that helps.

Also, I ordered 15 chicks plus one meal maker. I see that some people are getting more chicks than they ordered. Does Meyer do this? I know most hatcheries will add extras for warmth but I thought that was only on very small orders.

Do they call you or something to let you know an approximate arrival time? And how exactly do they process the chicks? Meaning, I ordered several different breeds and they were all available for that date when I ordered. Do they all hatch on the same day or over several days like the weekend before and then when they have all you requested they package them up and ship them? Just confused because I know they only can survive a few days after hatch without water/food.

Ok that was way more than 2 questions but you'll have to forgive me, Im a total newbie to chickens

Just an FYI.
My post office has NEVER called me to let me know my chicks are in and waiting.
Not saying yours will not call you, just letting you know my experience.

 

[IdyllwildAcres]

I ordered from Meyers with a hatch date on Monday 3/13 and I have a couple questions

I was wondering for those folks that ordered through Meyer how long in general before your chicks arrived at post office? Im asking because I'm trying to decide if I should take Tuesday off from work. I live in Massachusetts if that helps.

Also, I ordered 15 chicks plus one meal maker. I see that some people are getting more chicks than they ordered. Does Meyer do this? I know most hatcheries will add extras for warmth but I thought that was only on very small orders.

Do they call you or something to let you know an approximate arrival time? And how exactly do they process the chicks? Meaning, I ordered several different breeds and they were all available for that date when I ordered. Do they all hatch on the same day or over several days like the weekend before and then when they have all you requested they package them up and ship them? Just confused because I know they only can survive a few days after hatch without water/food.

Ok that was way more than 2 questions but you'll have to forgive me, Im a total newbie to chickens

I'm getting mine two weeks after you do. I chatted online with a Meyers rep she said I should have them in CA by Wednesday, shipped on a Monday. Our post office is small town, no mail delivery we all know everyone's name I am sure they will call! Plus I will be checking in with them that Monday....

Gary

 

[ChickAsThieves]

I ordered from Meyers with a hatch date on Monday 3/13 and I have a couple questions

I was wondering for those folks that ordered through Meyer how long in general before your chicks arrived at post office? Im asking because I'm trying to decide if I should take Tuesday off from work. I live in Massachusetts if that helps.

Hi Merrymouse -

You're probably in the Massachusetts thread and have already mentioned this, but where in MA do you live? I live in Kingston.

I had chicks delivered last April from Murray McMurray and MyPetChicken. I called the post office before they arrived (after I got the shipment notification) and let them know they'd be arriving and to call ASAP when they arrived. They called me at around 7:30am and let me know one set had arrived. I went and got them, brought them home and tended to them. They called me again around 9:30-10 and told me the second batch had arrived, so then I went and grabbed those ones. The post office was very nice about it.

You should take the day that they will arrive off because you don't know what time they will arrive AND because there's a chance you will have one or two that aren't doing so hot after the trip that need TLC. You can't just pop those ones in the brooder and hope for the best. Plus, you're going to want to watch them!

As far as extra chicks goes, I received exactly the amount that I ordered. Murray McMurray has the "free rare exotic" which is essentially the Meal Maker. Expect a roo. They will swear up and down and all day long that they pull those chicks straight run, but I'll eat my hat if that's true. If you read through the threads on the topic almost every single one turns out to be a cockerel. I think they throw in the odd pullet now and again to satisfy the masses on message boards like this one!

Needless to say, my free chick was a black Cochin. He was gorgeous and gentle. Our other rooster did away with him, sadly.

As another poster said, make sure you've got your brooder up and running for a few hours before you anticipate the chick's arrival. They need to get warm stat, so starting out with a cold brooder is no bueno!

Good luck!

 

[Merrymouse]

Hi Merrymouse -

You're probably in the Massachusetts thread and have already mentioned this, but where in MA do you live? I live in Kingston.

I had chicks delivered last April from Murray McMurray and MyPetChicken. I called the post office before they arrived (after I got the shipment notification) and let them know they'd be arriving and to call ASAP when they arrived. They called me at around 7:30am and let me know one set had arrived. I went and got them, brought them home and tended to them. They called me again around 9:30-10 and told me the second batch had arrived, so then I went and grabbed those ones. The post office was very nice about it.

You should take the day that they will arrive off because you don't know what time they will arrive AND because there's a chance you will have one or two that aren't doing so hot after the trip that need TLC. You can't just pop those ones in the brooder and hope for the best. Plus, you're going to want to watch them!

As far as extra chicks goes, I received exactly the amount that I ordered. Murray McMurray has the "free rare exotic" which is essentially the Meal Maker. Expect a roo. They will swear up and down and all day long that they pull those chicks straight run, but I'll eat my hat if that's true. If you read through the threads on the topic almost every single one turns out to be a cockerel. I think they throw in the odd pullet now and again to satisfy the masses on message boards like this one!

Needless to say, my free chick was a black Cochin. He was gorgeous and gentle. Our other rooster did away with him, sadly.

As another poster said, make sure you've got your brooder up and running for a few hours before you anticipate the chick's arrival. They need to get warm stat, so starting out with a cold brooder is no bueno!

Good luck!

Im in Upton and I think we touched base on the MA thread. You didn't mention if you got your chicks the next day after hatch or two or three days? Unless I'm reading it wrong

I have a friend who is taking the chicks I can't keep as I only plan on keeping 8. Too bad about your cochin, I have two partridge cochins coming and I'm hoping at least one is a hen. I ordered two of each of the breeds that I definitely want in case of roosters. So we'll see how my plan works out. I'm going to call Meyers and the post office today.

 

[Merrymouse]

Thanks you all

Im going to call the post office and Meyer today. I think I will just take Tuesday off, I already have Weds and Thurs off so hopefully I should be covered. My other issue is we are expecting over a foot of snow starting Monday night and all day Tuesday into Wednesday!!! What terrible timing.

Now Im so worried my chicks will be delayed and maybe even perish before arrival. Nothing I can do but hope for the best. Stinks though because we really haven't gotten much snow at all this winter. We've had several days in the high 50's even in February and March which is super rare. And now that my chicks are being delivered we are expecting over a foot of snow!!!!! fingers crossed all goes well

Thanks again for all your help

 

[Kiki]

Fingers crossed for ya!