MyPetChicken FAIL, need alternative

[ChickAsThieves]

I would be livid about the cost of the shipping! I honestly for the life of me can't figure out how Amazon Prime WITHOUT FAIL in the hundreds of orders I have placed with them over multiple years, has gotten every package to my door in 2 days, occasionally less, and hatcheries can't seem to figure out how to do the same. There's another BYC'er whose chicks never got scanned in by anyone in the postal service other than when the label was created, and they arrived 3 days late, all DOA. How can one company get it down to a science and others just fail miserably?

On top of that, hatcheries charge insane shipping rates. I pay Amazon $100 a year for Prime shipping. So far in 2017 I have placed 19 orders. That breaks down to $5.20 an order, but that number gets smaller every time I order! In 2016 I placed 60 orders, which breaks down to $1.66 an order. Every order gets here in 2 days. I have ordered a patio umbrella, a pool vacuum, a bureau. Bulky stuff. EVERYTHING CAME IN 2 DAYS. FOR $1.66!!!!!!!!
The hatcheries need to get their heads out of their butts and find a more effective means of shipping. Alternatively, Amazon could start selling chicks and then life would be a dream...

 

[21hens-incharge]

There are several hatcheries listed near the OP. I did a bit of looking and there are a lot of breeds listed at sinaturepoultry.com.

Not an endorsement just info. I had never heard of them until I did a google search in California.

 

[mommakatx2]

I would be livid about the cost of the shipping! I honestly for the life of me can't figure out how Amazon Prime WITHOUT FAIL in the hundreds of orders I have placed with them over multiple years, has gotten every package to my door in 2 days, occasionally less, and hatcheries can't seem to figure out how to do the same. There's another BYC'er whose chicks never got scanned in by anyone in the postal service other than when the label was created, and they arrived 3 days late, all DOA. How can one company get it down to a science and others just fail miserably?

On top of that, hatcheries charge insane shipping rates. I pay Amazon $100 a year for Prime shipping. So far in 2017 I have placed 19 orders. That breaks down to $5.20 an order, but that number gets smaller every time I order! In 2016 I placed 60 orders, which breaks down to $1.66 an order. Every order gets here in 2 days. I have ordered a patio umbrella, a pool vacuum, a bureau. Bulky stuff. EVERYTHING CAME IN 2 DAYS. FOR $1.66!!!!!!!! 
The hatcheries need to get their heads out of their butts and find a more effective means of shipping. Alternatively, Amazon could start selling chicks and then life would be a dream... :yiipchick  

I think this is an unfair comparison. Amazon has several warehouses throughout the United States that keep stock. Everything that ships Amazon prime comes from a regional Amazon warehouse. They also are not shipping time sensitive, live animals. Animals who have to hatch, be sorted, invoiced, boxed, and then shipped...all from one place which may or may not be close to the destination.

There is inherent risk in shipping delicate chicks through the mail, especially this time of year. I think the hatcheries do the best they can but sometimes the outcome is terrible

Also, hatcheries have no control over the shipment once it leaves and not all post offices are direct delivery...for instance, I live in WA, my chicks are delivered to Seattle (1.5hrs away) first, then the same day they ate trucked to Tumwater (20 min away). Then they SIT an additional day a warehouse and are transported the next morning to my local PO. By then it's been 4 days.

I lucked out and was able to pick up my first shipment from the 2nd hub, but the second one the timing was all wrong and they had to wait the additional day. Two were DOA and the rest were pretty pitiful. I don't blame the hatchery though...

I wish there were more hatcheries throughout the US with the variety of breeds that we all look for. I would much rather drive and buy.

 

[lutherpug]

I think this is an unfair comparison. Amazon has several warehouses throughout the United States that keep stock. Everything that ships Amazon prime comes from a regional Amazon warehouse. They also are not shipping time sensitive, live animals. Animals who have to hatch, be sorted, invoiced, boxed, and then shipped...all from one place which may or may not be close to the destination.

There is inherent risk in shipping delicate chicks through the mail, especially this time of year. I think the hatcheries do the best they can but sometimes the outcome is terrible

Also, hatcheries have no control over the shipment once it leaves and not all post offices are direct delivery...for instance, I live in WA, my chicks are delivered to Seattle (1.5hrs away) first, then the same day they ate trucked to Tumwater (20 min away). Then they SIT an additional day a warehouse and are transported the next morning to my local PO. By then it's been 4 days.

I lucked out and was able to pick up my first shipment from the 2nd hub, but the second one the timing was all wrong and they had to wait the additional day. Two were DOA and the rest were pretty pitiful. I don't blame the hatchery though...

I wish there were more hatcheries throughout the US with the variety of breeds that we all look for. I would much rather drive and buy.

I agree with you. The US Postal Service is the sole provider of live chick shipments, for better or worse. I think that, in general, they do a really great job but that is absolutely worthless to hear if they've botched your order and I totally get that.

My own experience with MPC has been really good-scissor beak chick aside-but I cannot hold them responsible for that as it wasn't obvious when it hatched. In the future I will probably mostly buy locally but that is only because I now have the experience to know what I'm doing when buying baby chicks and Cackle is a 3 hour drive for me. MPC was a good option when I was just getting started and I'll likely use them again for sexed silkies and breeds I cannot find reasonably close.

That said, my sincerest condolences for those who have lost chicks (or not even received them!) due to weather and shipping. I wish you the best and I hope your chicks are doing well/arrive safe and sound.

 

[keesmom]

I would be livid about the cost of the shipping! I honestly for the life of me can't figure out how Amazon Prime WITHOUT FAIL in the hundreds of orders I have placed with them over multiple years, has gotten every package to my door in 2 days, occasionally less, and hatcheries can't seem to figure out how to do the same. There's another BYC'er whose chicks never got scanned in by anyone in the postal service other than when the label was created, and they arrived 3 days late, all DOA. How can one company get it down to a science and others just fail miserably?

On top of that, hatcheries charge insane shipping rates. I pay Amazon $100 a year for Prime shipping. So far in 2017 I have placed 19 orders. That breaks down to $5.20 an order, but that number gets smaller every time I order! In 2016 I placed 60 orders, which breaks down to $1.66 an order. Every order gets here in 2 days. I have ordered a patio umbrella, a pool vacuum, a bureau. Bulky stuff. EVERYTHING CAME IN 2 DAYS. FOR $1.66!!!!!!!!
The hatcheries need to get their heads out of their butts and find a more effective means of shipping. Alternatively, Amazon could start selling chicks and then life would be a dream...

I suspect the OP opted for Express shipping. Express is expensive (having shipped juveniles/adult birds I know).

You can't compare Amazon to hatcheries. Amazon most often uses UPS - hatcheries cannot. They will not ship birds. Fedex won't take on chick shipments either. Fedex does handle live birds in some cases - for example they often transport USPS Express bird shipments between USPS sorting facilities. If you think late arrivals and DOAs can't happen at Fedex hands, think again.

The fact is that millions off chicks arrive healthy at their destinations every year by way of the USPS. Yes, there will be the exceptions due to abnormal weather patterns, but there is not much anyone can do about those other than hope for the best.

 

[ChickAsThieves]

My intention is not to make a direct comparison to Amazon, but to just point out that shipping can be done cost effectively and efficiently. If Amazon can find a way to make it work, so can USPS.

UPS was founded by two kids with a bicycle in 1907. It seems like 117 years later there should be a better option than the postal service to ship live animals. Yes, many chicks are shipped through the postal service and arrive no worse for the wear. Many are DOA. The postal service could do better if they made it a priority. The hatcheries could demand more of the the postal service if they wanted to. In so many posts I have read on BYC where chicks get lost in transit or die during the shipping process, the postal service blames the hatchery, and the hatchery blames the postal service. The customer gets a box of dead chicks, some heartache, and still foots the astronomical shipping bill. In my opinion, that's not acceptable.

Amazon wanted more than the status quo and they made it happen. Other companies (of any kind!) could follow suit. That's all that I'm saying.

 

[JS69135]

I am awaiting my first chick order from MPC today, and reading this post has my stomach churning as the Chicago Post Office has my chicks "somewhere" but just not where I can find them.

The chicks have been traveling since yesterday afternoon - my face is in a constant state of "OMG I HOPE THEY DON'T DIE!" like the Edvard Munch painting. I can buy local if I need to.

On this note. I do not think that a government bureaucratic agency (USPS) can be compared to a business (Amazon). One is running at a loss and provides a mandated service. The other provides a service to customer and stockholders. Apple and oranges, no not even oranges. It like comparing apples and dog collars.

Fingers crossed, I'm on my way to the post office in search of my chicks.

 

[Wildest]

Last year, I ordered 10 chicks from MPC. They shipped well enough for me, but perhaps I was just lucky?
All 10 chicks lived and are now thriving. However, 3 out of the 10 turned out to be roosters. But I understand it is extremely difficult to sex chicks, so I guess 70% isn't that bad.

I was planning on getting more chicks. About a week ago, I was browsing MPC but I might check out some other sites and local farm stores to see if they have any of the breeds I'm looking for.

 

[dekel18042]

I would be livid about the cost of the shipping! I honestly for the life of me can't figure out how Amazon Prime WITHOUT FAIL in the hundreds of orders I have placed with them over multiple years, has gotten every package to my door in 2 days, occasionally less, and hatcheries can't seem to figure out how to do the same. There's another BYC'er whose chicks never got scanned in by anyone in the postal service other than when the label was created, and they arrived 3 days late, all DOA. How can one company get it down to a science and others just fail miserably?

On top of that, hatcheries charge insane shipping rates. I pay Amazon $100 a year for Prime shipping. So far in 2017 I have placed 19 orders. That breaks down to $5.20 an order, but that number gets smaller every time I order! In 2016 I placed 60 orders, which breaks down to $1.66 an order. Every order gets here in 2 days. I have ordered a patio umbrella, a pool vacuum, a bureau. Bulky stuff. EVERYTHING CAME IN 2 DAYS. FOR $1.66!!!!!!!!
The hatcheries need to get their heads out of their butts and find a more effective means of shipping. Alternatively, Amazon could start selling chicks and then life would be a dream...

Amazon shipping is amazing, but Amazon has various warehouses throughout the US and a local HUB which may account for the short trip. Unfortunately the hatchery you are ordering probably has only one location.

 

[ChickAsThieves]

Amazon shipping is amazing, but Amazon has various warehouses throughout the US and a local HUB which may account for the short trip. Unfortunately the hatchery you are ordering probably has only one location.

I know that in most ways the comparison I made is apples to oranges, but my essential point is that there are better and faster methods to ship. It would be great if someone got on board with the hatcheries other than USPS because it's a crap shoot with them.

For instance, our mail lady (at my house) is a grouch. About 3 weeks ago we got 3 packages delivered. Nothing heavy, but too big for the mailbox. She apparently hates having to get out of her mail truck, so she brings our packages to the house and DROPS them on the porch. I was in the office which has a window onto the porch so I saw and heard what she did. Thankfully, nothing was breakable, but she didn't know that! Fast forward to 10 days ago. One of my boyfriend's employees accidentally backed into our mailbox in the morning. That same day another package (too big for the mailbox) was attempted to be delivered. She didn't bother bringing it to the door because the mailbox was broken. She wrote "mailbox down" on the box and went on her merry way. She's just not nice, end of story.

I work in a neighboring town and the mail man at my office is super nice. Always friendly, always says hello. If there's too much mail for the box he brings it into the office instead of cramming it in.

Postal service is alllll over the place.