My chicks are dying!!! Hoovers Hatchery

[aynesidea]

I have been raising chicks for over 13 years.

For the 1st time this year I purchased some chicks from tractor supply online which goes through Hoover's Hatchery. I have never used them before but they seem to have decent prices and thought I would give it a go.

Received the birds within 48 hours from shipment. A few were DOA, which I have never had happened before with other hatcheries. Placed them in their brooder with 2 heat lamps and a brooding plate. This is a large enclosure and they have more than enough room to move away from the heat. Put nutrients in the water and free access to crumbles. It has now been a little over 48 hours since the chicks have arrived and I have lost 13 out of the 30.

Before this arrival of chicks I can count on one hand in 13 years how many chicks I have lost. They seem to become lethargic, I give them some nutridrench and sugar water and they just decline until they die.

I am just incredibly sad and remarkably disappointed at the health of these chicks.

Anyone have any suggestions or does Hoovers Hatchery just suck.

My 4 came from TSC via Hoover, they are doing fine, but I don't know how many died from shipping, since TSC keeps them for 24 hrs before they sell.

 

[Maddcatter]

I'm in W Tex. We've had very mild temps, lately. They just seem like sickly chicks. It's very sad. They were shipped directly to me.

I ordered 40 chicks from Hoover's in December. I also live in W. Tx. 14 of them were alive when they got here, and 2 more died with in days... I've taken to calling it the death box.

It was probably USPS. I honestly think someone left my box of baby chicks in front of a tailpipe.... The 2 that died once they got here seemed to be blind in at least one eye, and that's why they weren't eating.

I'm sorry for your loss, may I recommend privett hatchery? They're in NM, and the order I got from them seemed A LOT better... Probably because they were only in the postal system for a day.

 

[Luv Ducks]

Would love to be able to pick up my chicks from a hatchery, but so far the closest I can find is Deer Run (4 hrs away) in Frederick, MD. We have family there so a visit would work, but they only sell straight run and DH really doesn't want a roo.

Yes that is a chance we take unless we buy them sexed. Metzer Farms sells them sexed but I had to pay for shipping and only wanted two so I got what I wanted at least. They came all the way from California to Ohio just fine but I ordered in June to keep from having weather issues which worked out great for me. I figured by the time you buy unsexed, feed them for several weeks in order to figure out the sex, you might as well pay for shipping and get what you want. That worked for me anyways and I am glad I did it that way. They are now two years old and lay every day and have always been very healthy.

 

[aynesidea]

Yes that is a chance we take unless we buy them sexed. Metzer Farms sells them sexed but I had to pay for shipping and only wanted two so I got what I wanted at least. They came all the way from California to Ohio just fine but I ordered in June to keep from having weather issues which worked out great for me. I figured by the time you buy unsexed, feed them for several weeks in order to figure out the sex, you might as well pay for shipping and get what you want. That worked for me anyways and I am glad I did it that way. They are now two years old and lay every day and have always been very healthy.

And I'm on the Eastern Shore so that's probably way too far to ship?

 

[Donnabear68]

And I'm on the Eastern Shore so that's probably way too far to ship?

I'm in the Scranton, PA area. I order (sexed) chicks from Stromberg's, and they deliver my order to their store in Wilkes-Barre. I pick up my babies there. I've done this two years in a row, and haven't had a problem at all. Stromberg's headquarters is located in Minnesota, and will ship to your door also.

 

[HomeofTheChicks]

Every single time I have ordered chicks from Tractor Supply all or at least a few have died..

 

[aynesidea]

I'm in the Scranton, PA area. I order (sexed) chicks from Stromberg's, and they deliver my order to their store in Wilkes-Barre. I pick up my babies there. I've done this two years in a row, and haven't had a problem at all. Stromberg's headquarters is located in Minnesota, and will ship to your door also.

Good to know. Trying to teach DH chicken math, the 4 we have are 4 wks old, and seem to be doing well.. my main focus now is to get a Sheltie rescue here as soon as we return from mission trip to NH end of June.

 

[JanR1]

I haven't ordered through TSC recently but I have in the past. Of course the chicks come from Hoovers. I haven't had any problems with chicks dying but if I remember correctly my orders were a little later in the year. Probably mid to late April. I'm also from Texas. I think I agree with some of the others that it is probably due to transportation as opposed to the hatchery itself. I'm inclined to think that 48 hours may be a little long for shipping but they have been doing it for a lot of years. I decided that I'm going to check on CraigsList and see if I can find some closer that I can pickup myself. I think I'm going try for some a little older.

There is a hatchery in Texas, Ideal Poultry Breeding Farms Inc. They say they have been in business for 80 years. I just recently found them so I haven't ordered anything from them. https://www.idealpoultry.com. Unfortunately if you are looking for replacement it will probably be late May or June before you can get on anyone's list.

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[janiedoe]

I personally, love Ideal hatchery's (Cameron TX) chickens.
I've never had shipped chicks, though.
(They are less than two hours drive time from me. And they have a couple of fantastic Mexican restaurants in Cameron) I've always gotten healthy chickens that have been correctly sexed.
If there is an Atwoods nearby, check them out. The ones around here have Ideal chicks. I've been told that all their chicks come from Ideal, but I don't know that for a fact.

 

[Luv Ducks]

And I'm on the Eastern Shore so that's probably way too far to ship?

I would think not as Ohio is no way close to California and now they have a hatchery in Tennessee. You can contact them and find out at least. I was concerned about the distance mine had to come but since it was June weather was not a concern and they were both perfectly healthy. You only have to buy two and you can get them sexed is what I appreciated. Good luck with your decision.