Meyer Hatchery - 4 of 15 chicks dead

[NotableNancy]

We are getting chicks the same week. I'm expecting 30 plus one of the Meyer meal makers

Best of luck to both of us; or I guess our chicks. Ordering 30 will help keep them warm I'm sure.
Since I sell on ebay and use USPS I am in the PO almost every single day and they are all aware i am getting them in, have both my home and cell number and the girl that works the night shift said she would call me the second they come in. I'm so lucky because I think they will try to take care of them. They told me others have gotten mail order chicks and they bring them up front where it's warmer and the peeping doesn't annoy them at all. They think it's cute!! My fingers and toes are crossed. And I'm sure I'll mention it to them a few hundred more times just for good measure !!!

 

[Debs55]

Best of luck to both of us; or I guess our chicks.  Ordering 30 will help keep them warm I'm sure.
Since I sell on ebay and use USPS I am in the PO almost every single day and they are all aware i am getting them in, have both my home and cell number and the girl that works the night shift said she would call me the second they come in. I'm so lucky because I think they will try to take care of them. They told me others have gotten mail order chicks and they bring them up front where it's warmer and the peeping doesn't annoy them at all. They think it's cute!!  My fingers and toes are crossed. And I'm sure I'll mention it to them a few hundred more times just for good measure !!!

Ha that's pretty cool! I've never ordered chicks before and I'm not sure if other people in my area do or not. How do you go about alerting your PO?

 

[TheCrazyChick]

Sounds like a USPS problem, not a Meyer problem. There's a reason USPS is going broke. In my opinion. Still sorry to hear of your loss. I'm lucky that I can drive to Meyer to pick them up. I had one out of seven that was weak upon pick up. The GroGel seemed to perk her up within a day.

 

[NotableNancy]

Ha that's pretty cool! I've never ordered chicks before and I'm not sure if other people in my area do or not. How do you go about alerting your PO?

I've never ordered chicks either OR owned any.
I would go in and talk to the people at the front window this week or next and tell them that you are expecting live chicks and the approx. date. Probably best to go in the morning and maybe you can even talk to the person that would actually do the calling. My PO is smaller in size compared to others I've seen (I swear I live in a Stepford town and everyone knows you name at the bank, grocery and PO) . Ask if they will call you when they come in. Then the week before, write your name and all phone numbers on an index card and leave it for them. My PO said she may call as early as 6 a.m. I don't care what time it is.. it's less than a mile away and I'll be there in minutes Maybe you can ask them to move them to a warm area while they wait for you to go up there. And of course stop in the Monday of hatching and tell them how excited you are because they hatched and they are on their way to you!

I find it never hurts to bring them a big plate of cookies a few times a year too!!! One time I brought them a huge chocolate cake from Costco (they really help me out all year long) and the next day one of the PO workers came to my door and asked where I got it because she loved it so much she wanted to buy one!!

Hope that helps.

 

[hogster160]

I agree, PO problem. I live in a small town, all of my mail is delayed by a day or two, so I drove to Meyers to pick up my chicks as well Jan 15th. All 9 did just fine for the drive (4 hours). They were all chipper most of the way lol. And still all doing well.

Good luck to all of you who are waiting on chicks in the mail.

Deb

 

[Vamvakas]

I made an order from them 2 falls ago and got around about 28 chicks, lost atleast 10 from them first week many runts. Never ordering from them again.

 

[CarolJ]

I've ordered from Meyer several times and never had a problem. If you search for threads about other hatcheries, you'll likely find similar stories about DOA chicks for any hatchery that ships chicks. It happens. Hatcheries would go out of business if they deliberately shipped sickly chicks or if they didn't pack them in good boxes with sufficient padding. But, just think of it, the chicks are in a box for 2 or 3 days - no food or water (which they don't "need" - but when we hatch chicks at home, they're eating and drinking almost immediately), the boxes are shuffled around - and no telling what happens to them. The boxes could be thrown or dropped. They possibly go through extremes in temperature. It's really a wonder more don't die en route.

I definitely think it's a postal service issue - not the hatchery. There are too many things that can go wrong between the time the chicks leave the hatchery until you pick them up at the post office.

 

[jbs]

Just to update this thread, my last sick little maran died overnight, so my losses were 6 of 15 chicks. Meyer credited me for the 6 dead chicks and their Marek's vaccinations. I asked the customer service person if they were having any problems shipping just 15 chicks, and was told that this is their first winter doing that. While my experience was "not the norm", they will evaluate the policy, and make changes if they need to.

I don't think that Meyer is a horrible company, but if I ever do order from them again, I will either order a minimum of 25 chicks or place an order in warmer weather. I hope that my experience helps someone else make an informed decision.

 

[NotableNancy]

I'm sorry the little marans died and thank you for sharing what Meyer tld you. I didn't know this was the first winter shipping 15.
How are the rest of the chicks?

 

[NotableNancy]

I've ordered from Meyer several times and never had a problem. If you search for threads about other hatcheries, you'll likely find similar stories about DOA chicks for any hatchery that ships chicks. It happens. Hatcheries would go out of business if they deliberately shipped sickly chicks or if they didn't pack them in good boxes with sufficient padding. But, just think of it, the chicks are in a box for 2 or 3 days - no food or water (which they don't "need" - but when we hatch chicks at home, they're eating and drinking almost immediately), the boxes are shuffled around - and no telling what happens to them. The boxes could be thrown or dropped. They possibly go through extremes in temperature. It's really a wonder more don't die en route.

I definitely think it's a postal service issue - not the hatchery. There are too many things that can go wrong between the time the chicks leave the hatchery until you pick them up at the post office.

I totally agree with your assessment and have heard sad stories about most other hatcheries as well. I always wondered that if newly hatched chicks are given the opportunity to eat/drink do so. I wrongly assumed since I read they 'don't need to' that meant they don't. Newbie here.... but now it pretty much makes sense. I think a lot of it is just luck- temperature outside and if you get attentive PO workers. We'll see what happens. But I think in the future I will buy in warmer weather. I wish I could increase my order to 25 chicks but I just can't keep that many in my coop and don't know of anyone else that could take them off my hands.