Murray McMurray problems anyone else?

[B_Chickle01]

I have ordered from McM a bunch of times. They usually arrive to me in NY the day after they ship. I’ve had zero losses and zero sexing errors. I also order later in the year because NY weather can go through cold snaps even in April.

Have you ordered from them recently? I live in NY as well and am looking around right now, trying to decide the best choice. I really hate getting my chicks in the mail, but I haven’t had much luck otherwise.

 

[B_Chickle01]

I really hate to hear this since I have an order from McMurray scheduled in May.

Did you receive your chicks yet? Was wondering how you made out if you did already get your scheduled order!

 

[Iluveggers]

That’s the kind of stuff that really makes me hate the internet or more social media at times. When you search for help in making the best decision about which hatchery to choose, you have to decipher between made-up stories and real ones! Then, of course, you have the scammers. On a side note, I am glad, though, that I came across this thread from OP; now I am crossing that hatchery off my list of choices.

I have ordered from McM a few times in the past and they are probably my favorite hatchery to deal with. All of the birds I have from them from any group are still alive and laying well (oldest group is 3 years old). I have another order coming from them in a few weeks to NY. I am anticipating no problems once again. I don’t personally know anyone who has had any problem with them that has received birds from April on (it isn’t wise to order birds early in the northeast).

 

[CharlesnBlue]

The hatcheries are getting together and needing for us to file complaints against usps so they can take this to the federal level. My dad ordered me some chicks as a present and they got lost in the mail... it has been 10 days

No excuse for this kind of incompetence

 

[B_Chickle01]

Doesn't look like FedEx or UPS ship birds.
View attachment 4069395

https://www.ups.com/us/en/support/s...ted-items/prohibited-items/plants-and-animals

Thank you. I worked at the shipping center for FedEx Express as a CSA, and I can confirm that we did not ship live animals. I am not sure if it differs depending on what state, but I can't imagine it does, since it’s just per FedEx policy.

 

[Smokerbill]

I received an order of chicks from M McM a couple weeks ago. 13 out of 16 were dead in the box. Two were close to death and I was able to nurture one of them back to good health. One was pretty strong right out of the box, so I ended up with two live chicks from the shipment.

It wasn't the fault of the hatchery, but USPS is to blame for not giving the live chicks the special care they require. My guess is that they were allowed to get too cold somewhere in the shipping process.

I was given a full refund of the purchase price, minus the $15 USPS live chick surcharge, which is a joke because the post office does nothing to earn that fifteen bucks.

 

[B_Chickle01]

I have ordered from McM a few times in the past and they are probably my favorite hatchery to deal with. All of the birds I have from them from any group are still alive and laying well (oldest group is 3 years old). I have another order coming from them in a few weeks to NY. I am anticipating no problems once again. I don’t personally know anyone who has had any problem with them that has received birds from April on (it isn’t wise to order birds early in the northeast).

I definitely agree with your statement: it is not wise to order birds early in the season in the Northeast. It's a gamble in the summer too, like late August or July; however, I did one year order some paint silkies in like early July, and I was so paranoid about it, but I chose to see what happened as they were only coming from Massachusetts, and I live on the border of Massachusetts and NY, but they all arrived live and well, thankfully, and my post office was wonderful.

The woman contacted me literally as soon as they arrived and then repeatedly lifted the corner of the box to check on them and talk to them. I am wondering if this issue is more related to USPS than to the hatchery itself.

 

[B_Chickle01]

I received an order of chicks from M McM a couple weeks ago. 13 out of 16 were dead in the box. Two were close to death and I was able to nurture one of them back to good health. One was pretty strong right out of the box, so I ended up with two live chicks from the shipment.

It wasn't the fault of the hatchery, but USPS is to blame for not giving the live chicks the special care they require. My guess is that they were allowed to get too cold somewhere in the shipping process.

I was given a full refund of the purchase price, minus the $15 USPS live chick surcharge, which is a joke because the post office does nothing to earn that fifteen bucks.

I was thinking this (OP) seems more of the post office’s negligence than the hatcheries’.

 

[B_Chickle01]

That is untrue. Reptiles are shipped almost exclusively with fedex. Also, my dad is a high up USPS employee (not saying what specifically for obvious reasons) but 5ish years ago he was touring a FedEx facility and there were chicks running all over the place. As far as I am aware fedex does not hire day old chicks so the only other way that could happen is in a shipment of chicks was going through the facility

I guess not every FedEx location will accept live animals, so it apparently does differ depending on which FedEx shipping center it’s arriving at? I worked as a CSA at the FedEx Express shipping center in Pittsfield, and I can confirm that we did not ship live animals, as one of my job duties included scanning packages into the system and sorting them based on whether they were going out, rerouted, or being held for pickup at the location, etc.

 

[B_Chickle01]

What I really don't get is Fedex and UPS both ship other live animals all the time; it's how the aquarium industry functions. So if I wanted, I could get a moray eel sent by Fedex overnight from California right to my door in rural NY...but not chicks. Although UPS in my area would still just dump the box in the snow on the side of a hill...

It differs depending on the location of the shipping center/warehouse that the items would be routed to for delivery. Not all FedEx locations will ship live animals. I worked at the FedEx Express shipping center in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, and they definitely did not choose to deal with the shipment of live animals.