Ordered Chicks! Assortment Surprise!

[ShannonMarie]

Oh my Goodness that is so sad! I am so sorry! Good luck

 

[keesmom]

Hmmm...
I never thought of that.
I thought shipping fertilized eggs would be just as delicate?
I could get an incubator.
Any suggestions on models?

Shipped eggs are a gamble. A good hatch is about 50%. I've had some better than that and I've also had 0%.

If you do get some to hatch, then about 50% of those chicks on average will be males. Just have a plan for those excess cockerels.

 

[Korte38]

http://incubatorwarehouse.com/incuv...CjZB2xQgFQV4WSAgOvFxYG4fXDg1JgcxoC-6YQAvD_BwE

I love this one. Eggs are probably as sensitive but if they don't hatch, it doesn't feel like they suffered. Still a financial loss though. But I've had good results with shipped eggs.

 

[Korte38]

Also, you can hatch your own eggs!

 

[Acre4Me]

Can you get them from a feed store near you?
Feed stores should be getting chicks soon. Most will special order and have them come in with their scheduled shipment.

Yes, there is a feed store that allows picking and choosing individual breeds/chicks (no minimum) and another that requires a min of 25 of one type. The no-minimum place is what I am interested in, but they source from a hatchery that has has several Salmonella outbreaks (last one in 2014, I think) so I'm not as interested in ordering from there until there is a longer salmonella-free streak from that hatchery. In addition, I am interested in chicks sooner than the April chick days at either of these places - we have some relatives visiting in September/Oct that would enjoy the chickens and collecting eggs. If I get chicks by end of Feb, then at least some of them will be likely to be laying by Sept/Oct maybe even all of them.

 

[Acre4Me]

I would not Order from Meyer again.. The first/last time I ordered from them was terrible, Thinking the actual hatchery was in Ohio I ordered 10 ducklings from them.. Turned out the Office was in Ohio and the hatchery was all the way in California I got 10 dehydrated week ducklings and ended up losing one the first day sadly. The only hatchery I order from is Mypetchicken.. Great place. The hatchery Is located in Ohio and I have not been disappointed with them yet..

!! Sorry for the loss! The chicks we got from Meyer were in Ohio and I could have picked them up in person, just about a 3 hour drive one way, and I didn't have that time to spare. Maybe it was the ducks that came from CA?

 

[Acre4Me]

Hmmm...
I never thought of that.
I thought shipping fertilized eggs would be just as delicate?
I could get an incubator.
Any suggestions on models?

Good Luck if you choose to hatch eggs. We (my 11yo and I) built a homemade still-air incubator for quail eggs last November. Surprisingly, it worked! We hatched 32 baby quail - really great experience for the 11yo! Of course, we had to watch the incubator closely (temp and humidity) and turn the eggs ourselves, but we weren't ready to purchase an incubator as every.single.one gets bad and excellent reviews and we had never incubated eggs before.

 

[Folly's place]

I won't get chicks shipped before early April here in southern Michigan, and that's pushing it. Anytime the chicks arrive very late will be a disaster, true, but weather is a huge issue. Cackle sent up 47 chicks for our order of 40 in early April, and all arrived in great shape, healthy, and all lived.
We are getting more is April this year, again from Cackle.
NEVER do I want to open a box of dead chicks!!!
Mary

 

[Diane2018]

Getting my first chicks this year want to get barred rockhens and RIR pullets any suggestions thank you