My Pet Chicken- Minimum Order?

[Secretlyspotted]

I am planning to order chicks and I need them to arrive somewhere in the last week of January and the first week of February. I really only want 8 chicks. I was looking at ordering from My Pet Chicken but I checked their website and it had a note that all orders between Jan 6 and Mar 14 have a 15 chick minimum! Is this because it is the coldest part of the year? Or because it is a popular time to order chicks? Or am I missing something?
Does anybody know if this rule is specific to MPC? I really, really don't want 15 chickens!!

 

[Pyxis]

It's not just MPC. Meyer hatchery (which MPC dropships from) also lets you order fewer than 15 in the warmer parts of the year and they stop this time of year - for good reason. In this cold, ship less than 15 chicks and you'll get them all frozen to death. They need each other to huddle together and stay warm. Actually 15 is a pretty small order this time of year, a lot of places require 25.

 

[Secretlyspotted]

Thanks for the info! I figured it was something like that. I actually already picked out my 15... good excuse to get more chickens! I am all new to this. I have five pullets but this is my first hatchery order. So excited to meet my new babies!

 

[Pyxis]

If you want to save a few bucks and didn't have any sexed bantams on your order, order straight from Meyer. You'll get the same chicks you would have gotten anyway for a littler cheaper

 

[Eggcessive]

I've had chicks from Meyer a couple of times. MPC gets some of their chicks from them and other hatcheries (MPC is the middle man.) I agree with getting as many as you can, and perhaps sharing some with a friend. They use a heat pack with smaller orders, but you are asking for dead chicks getting them in January if you don't get 25. Meyer charges less for shipping the more chicks you get, so only getting 5 or 10 your shipping will be huge. I have gotten 15 in late March, and all arrived safely.

 

[Secretlyspotted]

I can imagine caring for 15 chicks/chickens- I CANNOT imagine 25. We don't even have coop space for that many! I live in west GA so I don't really think about the cold too much. Yes, it may be close to freezing in Feb sometimes, but there is a good chance it could be in the 60s too. I think I'm just gonna risk it, I guess. I don't know anybody who would split an order with me. I literally live in the chicken capital of the world- there are about 100 industrial chicken houses within 10 miles of my house. People around here are not really looking to order from a hatchery.

 

[Charm1704]

You can always sell extra chicks on Craig's list, and if you raise them up to a little older they will pay for you chick order. A lot of people I sell to want older chicks and are willing to pay more.....jut a thought....~Charm1704......