Nervous about my order - should I cancel?

[Deerling]

I ordered 25 (26 with the free exotic) from McMurray Hatchery for the week of the 18th. They are all brown egg layers, so bigger chicks. It has been warm and sunny here for weeks, so I didn't really think about how cold it is elsewhere in the country (ETA we're near San Francisco). Seeing so many sad stories has me very nervous, though. I have a six year old daughter, and while we've prepared her that some may die I think a mass tragedy like some people are reporting would just be heartbreaking for her (and me, too). Every time I say anything about the chicks she gets worried and says "Are our chicks okay?"

Our friends locally recommended McMurray, but they order in March. There is a hatchery in state called Belt that I just found out about, but I couldn't find much information on them. I really don't want to sentence these sweet little chicks to death by shipping them across the country.

They said that because the 18th is a holiday the hatch was delayed a day and the chicks will be leaving their hatchery on Sunday, moving through the postal offices on Monday (because the post is still going, only small offices are closed) and arriving the 19 or 20. Hatching on the 17th and not arriving until the 20th seems like a long journey, but it doesn't sound like they're going to be sitting around waiting in a cold post office or warehouse or anything.

I don't know. Advice? Was it crazy to order from so far away? Would ordering more chicks help the survival? I did order the Growgel and Electrolytes.

Thanks in advance!

 

[GoldDogsMom]

My last chick order of 12 came to me in PA from Texas, everyone was happy and healthy! That was in april so it was still pretty cold here. I don't feel qualified to give advice so just giving my experience!

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Healthy chicks from robust stock aren't that fragile.
25 chicks are enough to keep each other warm.
I've lost very few chicks during transport and they were probably weak to start with and wouldn't have made it anyway.
Just be ready with clean lukewarm water and good quality chick feed.
Don't be in a hurry. They've gone a couple days without water so a few more minutes won't matter. As you pull each one from the box, dip their beaks in the water a couple of times till you're sure they know what water is and where it is.
Give them good footing like paper towels.

Good luck.

 

[cafarmgirl]

I personally don't like the idea of them hatching on the 17th, shipping on Sunday and not arriving until 19th or 20th. I'm a worry wart and I like my chicks arriving a lot faster then that and shipping on the weekends and with a holiday involved does run the risk of delays no matter what anybody says. I know the hubs are open and working and mail is moving but I've heard to many stories about chicks getting delayed when shipped over holidays so I just won't do it.

I am in CA too, in the central valley, and I always order from My Pet Chicken because I usually only order about 10 at a time. Chicks come from Meyer Hatchery in Ohio. They do not hatch on weekends or holidays and chicks ship the day they hatch. They hatch and ship first of the week unless Monday is a holiday, then it moves to Tues. My last order was hatched early on Tues. a.m. after Labor day, shipped out at 4:00 pm and those babies were home and snug in their brooder by noon the very next day. Super fast!

I have heard of Belt Hatchery too, down in Fresno, but haven't ordered from them only because they haven't offered small orders in the past. May have changed since then, I haven't checked back.