Ordering Bantams from hatchery.

[ericsplls]

I would like to start by saying hello to all the BYC members. I've been stalking here for a while and decided to join in on the fun. I ordered some chicks from Ideal a few weeks ago. I originally wanted some delewares but not many. I ordered 5 st run delewares and they had a hatchery choice bantam assortment at 99 cent each so I got 25 of them to get the 1/4 box order. The post office made a boo boo and the chicks spent an extra day riding around the back of a truck. I had 10 dead on arrival and lost another 6 in the first 48 hours despite trying everything I knew to get them going. After that everything was good until last week we had a power outage. Lost two more. Is it normal to lose alot of bantams in shipment or is it just from the extra day without feed and water. This is the first time I have ordered bantams through the mail. I haven't lost a single standard chick. I'm trying to decide whether or not I want to try to order any more bantams or not. Ideal did refund me for the dead chicks.

 

[Domestic_goddess]

IMO i think is was probably the extra day on the truck, I'm so sorry for your loss. I've just ordered myself from MPC and they ship out tomorrow and I'm crossing my fingers that they all arrive well.

 

[Kelly G]

Hi! And

! Glad you joined!

Others with more experience will probably weigh in here...but for what it's worth, here's my input:

I think because the Bantams are so much smaller, they probably have less reserves to draw from.

I have 21 bantams due to ship to me fom Ideal this Wednesday...I have my fingers crossed. Make sure you let Ideal know...they will cover your losses with either a new shipment or a refund. They are very reputable.

Good luck!

 

[ericsplls]

Ideal refunded my money for the lost chickens even though it was the post office at fault. They offered to reship but I don't have the room for all the males they would send with them to keep them warm. With my luck they would be white leghorn cockerels. I can't wait to find out what they will grow up too. There were two silver ones that died but there is a clean legged blue one in there and several appear to be cochins. I just hope theres some pullets in the mix.

 

[Mandalina]

i'm sorry for your losses!

 

[IggiMom]

I have had more trouble with shipped banties than standards, but really, mostly my chicks get to me in good shape. I think it was the extra time out.

Catherine

 

[Mama2B&D&...Chickens]

Sorry for your loss

Could you take the shipment and just sell the packing peanuts on craigslist? Just a thought...we didnt ordered bantams but have some coming through MPC as well and I'm SO nervous! about to the point where I feel like driving up myself to pick them up! haha...LONG drive from FL though...

 

[ericsplls]

I think you will be fin. e. Somehow mine took a plane from Texas to Tallahassee Fl. From there they should have went to Albany Ga then Valdosta. Some how the holes in the box, the big writing, and the noisy chicks didn't seem like anything special so it went on a truck to Jacksonville then Waycross who called me and said they would find someone to get them to the post office in Valdosta. No problem until I called that evening and no one knew anything about it. They then got put on a truck to Macon GA then Albany and Finally Valdosta. Thankfully I thought to bring a feeder waterer and heat lamp to work that morning. They were all weak. I'm not interested in getting another order right now. They called me the day before the shipment to say the Delewares wouldn't be available until May so I changed them to RIR. I really wanted the delewares so I may reorder then but I have seen some good looking delewares on here so I might have to start finding out a little more about them. I could probably take the shipment then sale on craigslist but there are plenty of free roos on there right now. Thats Why I'm going to try to make a switch to delewares after I try them because the cockerels should have a little more meat than the rir's I have now. Plus I'm hoping they are a little more friendly. My RIR hen has laid 16 eggs in the last 17 days on a free range diet plus a handfull of pellets and whatever I dump out of the chicks feeder. They just seem to cause alot of trouble. They pick on each other and won't leave my barred rocks alone. Even the chicks seem to be mean.