my pet chicken reviews

[littlerae11]

Thanks for all of the advice! I will definitely put some coconut oil on my one chickies bum if she is still having issues today. The first two nights my chicks barely ate at all. I would get them up to give them a bit of water every now and then just because they were weak, but they didn't get up to eat much. I think it was just from high stress and cold conditions from traveling in their case, but I can certainly see how getting no sleep and eating 24/7 could cause it too!
csneall- you're welcome! I hope and pray your chicks all arrive safe and healthy and happy! but do be prepared for anything. Do all your research now on how to care for weak chicks from shipping and have everything on hand that you may need to give them if problems arise. Hopefully you won't have to use any of it!

 

[lutherpug]

I ended up losing 3 out of the 6. Two of them were in very poor condition when they arrived. I actually thought they were DOA, but they were barely hanging on. I was able to bring them both back to the point that they could stand and walk around, and one even started to eat and drink, but one never wanted to eat or drink on its own, despite my continuous all day efforts to nurse it back it passed that night. Then the other one took a turn for the worst the next morning and I couldn't bring it back. That one died the next afternoon, and then the one that actually seemed to be the strongest when they arrived took a strange turn overnight the first night as well and was lethargic the next day, I tried my best with that one too. Syringe feeding water with Electrolytes, and sugar water. Scrambled egg mixtures, mashed up warm chick started, but for some reason that one passed too. I had no idea why because it was absolutely fine the day before. I held it while it passed :,(
Two of my remaining three have had issues with pasty butt on and off from the start but I've been able to keep it under control. They both seemed a little lethargic this morning and I got really scared I'd lose them too, but I did more water with electrolytes, cleaned their bootys and made up some mash with their food and by the afternoon today all three were doing well. Finally acting like normal chicks. Running around, eating a ton, drinking, and taking quick snoozes before running again. Other than checking their butts quite often I've finally begun to relax. I really hope I don't have to go through losing any others!
Anymore advice on how to get them over the pasty butt? One in particular keeps having issues with it.
They are so dang cute, but I don't know if I'd ever go through the shipping process again. Too dang stressful and it just breaks my heart to lose any of them that way. I knew it was a possibility to have losses but was really hoping they'd all make it. I never knew how emotionally/physically/mentally exhausting it could be to try and nurse 6 chicks back from a stressful trip. Don't want to go through that again. Ever.
Again I'm really not trying to give MPC a bad review! Their customer service has been great through the whole process, and they're refunding me for the three chicks that passed. I just did not have a good experience with the shipping process, and because of that I will probably not order again.
So I guess my advice to everyone out their trying to decide wether or not to use MPC (or any hatchery) is this: MPC does their best to keep their chicks warm and cozy on their journey. My box had lots of hay and two heat packs. The chicks were adorable and a nice variety for an assortment of silkie bantams. I had one with a curled toe, but other than that no weird birth defects. My advice would be if you're going to go with a hatchery I think MPC is great, but do prepare yourself for possibly very stressed chicks if the delivery doesn't go well or takes longer than it should or the weather is very cold. You think you'll be the lucky one to get all perfectly rambunctious happy chicks, you never think you'll be the one to end up with all chicks stressed and barely moving, but it can happen! So be prepared to handle it and possibly having to spend all day and all night with those chickies for however long they need it! It can be an extremely tough situation to go through. I can say that I have learned a lot! But wouldn't want to do it again any time soon!

There's my long post!
I adore my three chickies and I'm glad to hopefully be past the worst of it!!

Oh heck, I'm so sorry you've gone through this. I'm sure you're exhausted. Glad to see that more experienced people have given you advice here. This forum is so helpful for us newbies. My chicks hatch and ship Monday and I'm cautiously excited but this is a good reminder that anything can, and does, happen. I hope the three you have thrive and that you enjoy them.

 

[Blooie]

My thoughts is that chicks hatched and raised by the momma are usually eating on the second day and they are probably eating some of her poop like most young critters do to get a good start on developing good bugs in their digestive tract.

Shipped chicks have been riding around in a box and are probably constipated and dehydrated. I haven't had much experience with pasty butt and I use a heat lamp. I also put some brown sugar in their water and keep my brooder a bit cooler and well ventilated.

Though I certainly respect your ideas on it Blooie.

Thanks, OH....I appreciate that very much. You know that I'm a firm believer in Mama Heating Pad. I prefer it over even the Eco Glow, not only because of the setup costs but because it's not open all the way around like the EG and I think they get much more of that darkness they need. They also seem to run into MHP when they get spooked, because they are hiding under it like they would under a hen, whereas under the Eco Glow they are still just as "in the open." What you said about dehydration and bug development in their systems makes perfect sense, and I wonder if it's not a combination of the two in my case because I brood outdoors in the run where the adults have been running around all of the time. I also like to toss a clump of sod in the brooder pen every so often for the same reason...early exposure to the substrate they'll be living on full time when they are bigger. Well, that and they love to dig and scratch at it and take dust baths in the dirt they knock off it.

That said, I'm always quick to say that MHP isn't the only way to raise chicks. If that were true we wouldn't have so many chickens raised very successfully under lamps, right? Like you, I respect very much the fact that each owner has to decide what will work best in their situation. MHP isn't right for all situations, and it does take a huge leap of faith to try it that first time.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Thanks, OH....I appreciate that very much.  You know that I'm a firm believer in Mama Heating Pad.  I prefer it over even the Eco Glow, not only because of the setup costs but because it's not open all the way around like the EG and I think they get much more of that darkness they need.  They also seem to run into MHP when they get spooked, because they are hiding under it like they would under a hen, whereas under the Eco Glow they are still just as "in the open."  What you said about dehydration and bug development in their systems makes perfect sense, and I wonder if it's not a combination of the two in my case because I brood outdoors in the run where the adults have been running around all of the time.  I also like to toss a clump of sod in the brooder pen every so often for the same reason...early exposure to the substrate they'll be living on full time when they are bigger.  Well, that and they love to dig and scratch at it and take dust baths in the dirt they knock off it.  


That said, I'm always quick to say that MHP isn't the only way to raise chicks. If that were true we wouldn't have so many chickens raised very successfully under lamps, right?  Like you, I respect very much the fact that each owner has to decide what will work best in their situation.  MHP isn't right for all situations, and it does take a huge leap of faith to try it that first time.  

I'm glad you don't get offended by me. I can certainly see the advantages of the MHP, who knows one day I may make the leap.

I brood later in the season so I don't run my lamp much, chicks get outside on the warm grass all day, I turn a big plastic bucket on it's side in the sun and it becomes a hot spot for chicks to sit in, so maybe that's my version of the heating pad.

I also get sod clumps and dandelions in for them to peck at and to acclimate them to my soils organisms.

I personally think people have troubles with heat lamps because their brooder are way too small and they are using the 250 watt bulbs in the house, which I never use, too hot. As well as they just leave them in the brooder the whole time. Chicks get bored after the first week or two and are mentally ready for some stimulation in the great outdoors.

For smaller set ups the heating pad would definitely work better. I brood larger groups sometimes, too many to fit under a hen or single pad.

I don't brood in the house ever, I have a nice building that I do it in, sunny, warm and a perfect situation.

And finally, I haven't seen any negatives to using my light. I have often wondered about the light on always, but mine seem to seek it out like it's a momma, and cry when it's not there.

I always enjoy learning new stuff and reading about your heating pad has been one of them. Thank you.

 

[MyPetChicken]

I ended up losing 3 out of the 6. Two of them were in very poor condition when they arrived. I actually thought they were DOA, but they were barely hanging on. I was able to bring them both back to the point that they could stand and walk around, and one even started to eat and drink, but one never wanted to eat or drink on its own, despite my continuous all day efforts to nurse it back it passed that night. Then the other one took a turn for the worst the next morning and I couldn't bring it back. That one died the next afternoon, and then the one that actually seemed to be the strongest when they arrived took a strange turn overnight the first night as well and was lethargic the next day, I tried my best with that one too. Syringe feeding water with Electrolytes, and sugar water. Scrambled egg mixtures, mashed up warm chick started, but for some reason that one passed too. I had no idea why because it was absolutely fine the day before. I held it while it passed :,(
Two of my remaining three have had issues with pasty butt on and off from the start but I've been able to keep it under control. They both seemed a little lethargic this morning and I got really scared I'd lose them too, but I did more water with electrolytes, cleaned their bootys and made up some mash with their food and by the afternoon today all three were doing well. Finally acting like normal chicks. Running around, eating a ton, drinking, and taking quick snoozes before running again.

Other than checking their butts quite often I've finally begun to relax. I really hope I don't have to go through losing any others!
Anymore advice on how to get them over the pasty butt? One in particular keeps having issues with it.
They are so dang cute, but I don't know if I'd ever go through the shipping process again. Too dang stressful and it just breaks my heart to lose any of them that way. I knew it was a possibility to have losses but was really hoping they'd all make it.

I never knew how emotionally/physically/mentally exhausting it could be to try and nurse 6 chicks back from a stressful trip. Don't want to go through that again. Ever.
Again I'm really not trying to give MPC a bad review! Their customer service has been great through the whole process, and they're refunding me for the three chicks that passed. I just did not have a good experience with the shipping process, and because of that I will probably not order again.

So I guess my advice to everyone out their trying to decide wether or not to use MPC (or any hatchery) is this: MPC does their best to keep their chicks warm and cozy on their journey. My box had lots of hay and two heat packs. The chicks were adorable and a nice variety for an assortment of silkie bantams. I had one with a curled toe, but other than that no weird birth defects. My advice would be if you're going to go with a hatchery I think MPC is great, but do prepare yourself for possibly very stressed chicks if the delivery doesn't go well or takes longer than it should or the weather is very cold. You think you'll be the lucky one to get all perfectly rambunctious happy chicks, you never think you'll be the one to end up with all chicks stressed and barely moving, but it can happen! So be prepared to handle it and possibly having to spend all day and all night with those chickies for however long they need it! It can be an extremely tough situation to go through. I can say that I have learned a lot! But wouldn't want to do it again any time soon!

There's my long post!
I adore my three chickies and I'm glad to hopefully be past the worst of it!!

OH NO! I'm so sorry! Did you call to get your refund? I'm so sorry that your chicks had such a rough time.

I find that pasty butt tends to be related to feed. I pulse some dry oatmeal through the food processor and add it to the feed until the poop becomes more solid.

Please let me know if I can do ANYTHING to help.

Alex
My Pet Chicken

 

[MyPetChicken]

Thanks, OH....I appreciate that very much. You know that I'm a firm believer in Mama Heating Pad. I prefer it over even the Eco Glow, not only because of the setup costs but because it's not open all the way around like the EG and I think they get much more of that darkness they need. They also seem to run into MHP when they get spooked, because they are hiding under it like they would under a hen, whereas under the Eco Glow they are still just as "in the open." What you said about dehydration and bug development in their systems makes perfect sense, and I wonder if it's not a combination of the two in my case because I brood outdoors in the run where the adults have been running around all of the time. I also like to toss a clump of sod in the brooder pen every so often for the same reason...early exposure to the substrate they'll be living on full time when they are bigger. Well, that and they love to dig and scratch at it and take dust baths in the dirt they knock off it.

That said, I'm always quick to say that MHP isn't the only way to raise chicks. If that were true we wouldn't have so many chickens raised very successfully under lamps, right? Like you, I respect very much the fact that each owner has to decide what will work best in their situation. MHP isn't right for all situations, and it does take a huge leap of faith to try it that first time.

I actually think I'm going to modify this idea for my (personal)"teenager" pen. I'm going to flip half of a dog house over with a heat lamp in the middle of a large pen for the 4-6+ week old chicks to grow out. They are too big for the brooder but too small for the big grow out pen.....I don't want them squished.

Alex
My Pet Chicken

 

[Blooie]

Check this out, Alex....

https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/yes-you-certainly-can-brood-chicks-outdoors

 

[MyPetChicken]

Check this out, Alex....

https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/yes-you-certainly-can-brood-chicks-outdoors

I love it!

Don't you want to apply to work with us? We are hiring......


Alex
My Pet Chicken

 

[Blooie]

I love it!

Don't you want to apply to work with us? We are hiring......


Alex
My Pet Chicken

Sure....um, can I work from home? Kendra needs her Gramma!

Edited to add: Alex, with the exception of Scout, 2 Marans, and a few of the feed store chicks (most of which are in the freezer now) every single chicken I have remaining out there started out as MPC babies. Look pretty doggone good, don't they? The Buff Brahamas, the big EEs, the Buff O, the Red Sex Links, are from MPC.

 

[MyPetChicken]

Sure....um, can I work from home? Kendra needs her Gramma!

Edited to add: Alex, with the exception of Scout, 2 Marans, and a few of the feed store chicks (most of which are in the freezer now) every single chicken I have remaining out there started out as MPC babies. Look pretty doggone good, don't they? The Buff Brahamas, the big EEs, the Buff O, the Red Sex Links, are from MPC.

Of course! All of our employees work remotely from home(or the EMS station they are currently staged at).

They look amazing!


Alex
My Pet Chicken