Ordering chicks in the post? Humane?

[donnie]

chicks can survive alot , and they are an animal, now dont get me wrong i love my birds and all , but you also have to remember they are not a live birth too, thunder can keep them from hatching along with other situations as well , so i dont actually think it is the hatchery fault , alot of time even if you hatch at home not all the chicks make it so die when pipping , zipping or even after hatched, then some still die off along the way of growing up ......... so it is all life , some die and some live , its not nessaceraly anyones fault , but under certain cercumstances it can be someones fault when the birds are not taken care of properly , but nature will always take its course and only the strong will survive .... sorry if i have offended anyone with this post

 

[Gonzo]

I think it seems a little rough, and harsh on the little guys. I also think its sad so many baby roo's get culled right off the bat... Maybe with chickens going mainstream these days, well have more backyard or farm breeders, and we won't have to depend on the chicken equivlent of a puppy mill.

 

[CheepSunglasses]

I actually won't order from commercial hatcheries. I not only disagree with some of their practices, I take responsibility for my decisions- and that includes putting day old chicks in the mail. Stuff "may happen" but not to my birds, and not if I can help it. I prefer to support the local economy. We have some excellent local breeders that I'd rather buy from and they appreciate my business. I don't mind driving a little to make sure my birds make it safely. Besides, you get to see the parents so you know exactly what you are buying.

 

[teach1rusl]

If I had my rathers, I'd not do the mail thing. But I probably wouldn't have ended up with chickens had I not gone that route, because I didn't know anyone local who had chicks, and I did NOT want to end up with a rooster at that time. I literally had nightmares about the things that could have happened to my little chicks in transport, and was a basket case. Happily, my girls arrived healthy. I would have gladly paid extra to overnight, because they were in that box for two days.

It does bother me when people say "just order more" if some are DOA. But it would bother me for someone to suggest that I chop one of my girl's heads off and eat her. For a person who wants chickens for meat, that's just a fact of life. So maybe it has to do with the purpose of the chicks ultimately? Or it may be like if you have a puppy ordered from a breeder and they inform you that the puppy you'd chosen had died. They would offer to replace it. And even though you were set on THAT one puppy, and very sad, to make yourself feel better you might take the offer of the replacement puppy. So it's a bit of a psychological/consolation thing too, I think.

 

[farmerlor]

I've seriously ordered hundreds of chicks from McMurray and Ideal and I've only ever lost three baby chicks and one baby duck. Who's to say these were not just weaker than their friends who managed to make it through the shipping process? I know that accidents happen in the shipping process just like they happen at home on the farm. I've lost more babies due to my own darn stupidity than anything else and I've seen some mean mommas who culled some of her babies for who knows what reason. Now I don't order chicks anymore due to my incubating habit but I don't think the question of how humane the shipping process was would stop me from doing so again if I needed to.

 

[chickenannie]

I first try to find a hatchery I can drive to, or a way to get chicks close by (friend, breeder, etc). If that doesn't work then I look for a hatchery in my region and/or state, so the chicks don't have to be shipped as far. this works typically because there are hatcheries in Pa. Last, I'll order from a hatchery that is out of state, but only if I can't find them closer. Talk to people, ask around, you might be able to get some closer than you think and skip the mailing part.

 

[dwegg]

I guess really it's a question each of us having to ask ourselves and only we can answer if..

1. getting live chicks through the post is humane..

2. supporting hatcheries and their practices is the right thing to do just to get the chickens we want.

I searched for my chickens and got them from two different local breeders, a chicken swap and a small 4H group. My girls aren't fancy or anything and I know that I would love mutts all the same as pure breeds.

'Think Globally...Buy Locally'

Someone once posted a link to a tv show 'dirtiest jobs' where he was at McMurray Hatchery and it upset me how they were 'sorting' chicks, squeezing them and throwing them into bins and boxes ect...I actually couldn't watch the whole thing...

 

[san415]

Yes of course its inhumane. There is also a reason only the post office will ship live animals like chicks, Ups nor Fedx will. The federal agency is able to do things that private companies can not. Reptiles and Fish in special boxes can ship at UPS and Fedx, but only as a next day air box and as Saturday next day air on a friday. People feel that the "need" for the animal outweighs the animals needs. That is the way it is often in our society. The shipping system is no place for chicks to spend even 1 day. Trucks are unheated in the winter, very hot in the summer, Loud and filled with exhaust fumes, and boxes at all shipping companies are often dropped or vibrated on belts and sometimes damaged.

I should point out that I have worked at UPS for 25 years and so my views are based an what I have learned there. I also can get chicks of some type in about a 40 mile drive. So sometimes reading about being able to get a certain type of hen makes me want to be able to order chicks I can't bring myself to do it. It also really bothers me that they send extra chicks that are roosters as a live shipping filler. So far any of my birds that have been roosters I was able to give away on craigs list. Doesn't seem nice to consider them as disposable though.

I am also sorry if I have upset anyone, we all have different comfort levels, I eat fish and I don't expect any lectures on it from vegans. Most people do the best they can to be decent and humane people and I think that's all we can expect from ourselves.

 

[DaughterOfEve]

dwegg, you have to do what is right for you. I did not want to do the mail thing and started my breed search. In one day I found two breeders for the two breeds I want. One is a byc member, the other lives the next town to me and had an add on craigslist.

 

[DaughterOfEve]

dwegg, you have to do what is right for you. I did not want to do the mail thing and started my breed search. In one day I found two breeders for the two breeds I want. One is a byc member, the other lives the next town to me and had an add on craigslist.