My experience with McMurray

[weaversfarm]

My understanding from our USPS is they won't insure chicks or fertile eggs. Too many accidents happening and the Post Office would be making refunds hand over fist if they had to pay out for damaged eggs or dead chicks that died as a result of being kept in the back of a cold truck. That is what I was told by the postal worker at my Post Office. Don't know if this is standard procedure, or if my post office doesn't want to mess with live chicks or fertile eggs.

 

[Coralietg]

We just ordered from McMurray for the first time, as the feed stores don't have chicks yet. They (28 chicks) shipped 2am Saturday, I picked them up from the post office this morning (Tuesday morning!).

9 were dead in the box, including the two Blue Silkies I desperately wanted. 3 were lifeless, but breathing. Every attempt to revive failed, and they passed. Since then, another 5 have died. A couple more look a bit iffy. I'm down to 11 chicks.

I called after we got home from the post office, and Customer Service credited back for the (so far) 12 dead. I will call again in the morning, urgh.

This has been a sad experience. My 4 year old is heartbroken every time we find another keeled over.

 

[SamanthaBrooke]

Oh my gosh, I am so sorry for both of you, how heart breaking!!! Also your post office must have special terms because I had the option to insure my hicks when I bought them from ideal but I talked to ideal and they said if more them 4 die in 72 hours then they send me money back or chicks, whichever I wish.

 

[kadota48]

Ive called mcmurray a copule times because i got the email saying they were shipped on Sunday Feb 3 at 5am and they were supposed to be here today. While i was on the phone with one of the reps i told her what was going on and she said she can order me a replacement of all my chicks that would arrive next week or i could wait and see if they show up tomarrow and call them back for the outcome. Also, McMurray is supposed to reimburse your order if anything goes wrong. Just take a picture of the unlucky ones, call the hatchery, and tell them the news. I also agree that the sunday lay-over is a bad idea as well.!

 

[happybooker1]

As a first time chicken owner I ordered from McMurray because they had the best assortment/cheapest prices I could find at the time.

I ordered the straight run 25 Assorted Feather Footed Bantams and got 26 + the Mystery Chick (a regular sized EE -- and he was a GIANT compared to all those baby bantams--LOL!) They were delivered Oct. 21, 2012.

All were healthy, cheeping, and none died. At a week or 10 days I traded 16 + the Mystery Chick to my local feed store for dog food. I have since lost NONE of the original birds and my ONLY complaint is I kept nearly all Roo's (sob!). Since I traded the 16, I don't know how the sexs would work out percentage wise for the entire batch.

The assortment was terrific (they promised at least 4 varieties/colors and I got at LEAST 7) and all are still growing -- and CROWING -- strong.

I wouldn't order chicks from ANY hatchery until March and I live in Texas. Weather is just too iffy until then. Plus I know the back of those PO trucks aren't climate-controlled.

 

[DawnB]

@ dolphinlvr4 : I'm placing an order with mypetchickn.com this Saturday. Glad to hear you had a good experience. I've had a couple other friends who ordered from them in the past with great satisfaction as well.

Thanks for the burst of confidence...this will be our first order of chicks.

 

[dolphinlvr4]

DawnB, like I said I'm new to this too but so far I've been very pleased and I like that they don't ship over weekends as well. Just remember to call ur post office n remind them to call u as soon as ur chicks r there and good luck! I'm loving having chickens ( only using mine for eggs) but am very attatched.

 

[jessaba]

Well you guys talked me out of ordering from McMurray. We always order from cackle, but they don't have BLRW at cackle. But after the whole sunday thing I will NOT be ordering from them. I will just find a breeder semi-close. Cackle always ships on monday or wednesdays and we get them a day or two after ship-date.

You would think they would try to change their hatch dates to stop this from happening.

 

[SamanthaBrooke]

Well you guys talked me out of ordering from McMurray. We always order from cackle, but they don't have BLRW at cackle. But after the whole sunday thing I will NOT be ordering from them. I will just find a breeder semi-close. Cackle always ships on monday or wednesdays and we get them a day or two after ship-date.

You would think they would try to change their hatch dates to stop this from happening.

Did you look into Ideal Poultry? I'm in Buford GA and got mine today and all 30 are PERFECT!!

 

[kadota48]

well, yesterday i got all of my chicks from the post office and sad to say, none of them were chirping like usual all of them were DOA. i ordered them from mcmurray because a couple of my friends have told me good news about their orders. Maybe i was just the unlucky one :/

Anyways, i called them and said what happened and like they said they would, they replaced my order and the new ones are supposed to be here monday or tuesday..i gave them the zipcode to the distribution center because thts where they go before they get taken to other cities post offices.

One of the friends thts had good luck with mcmurray said tht they could easily sit in the distribution center for up to a day before leaving. Im pretty sure thts what happened to mine. like i agrred, they deffinately need to exclude sundays from the shipping process, but if the post office is taking their time when they box clearly says "live chicks, please rush", then in my personal opinion, the post office employees are also to blame for the DOA chicks.