Ordering Chicks In Winter

[snowhorse]

Does anyone have any thoughts on ordering chicks in the winter?

I live in Massachusetts and believe I can order from Meyer Hatchery in Ohio as early as this month for chicks. I would obviously keep them in my house until the warm weather breaks, but as far as shipping is concerned would this be a bad idea? I am most likely going to order 25 chicks. Would this keep everyone warm enough?

 

[Mahonri]

McMurray also sends chicks this early.

As long as the P.O. calls you, you should be fine.

 

[EweSheep]

Ideal Hatchery can ship chicks as well but they will add chicks for warmth. I've ordered as early as Jan 30th and have not lost a chick to the cold but to the stress. They were generous they would give 30 chicks instead of 26.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Let me offer a link that may help.

Ordering chickens thread
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=158038

As you will see from other posts, others order at this time and have great luck. Sometimes bad things happen, but they can happen at any time. My main advice is:

1. Contact you local post office before they arrive and work out details of pickup.

2. Do not order anywhere around a postal holiday. People who work at the post office may say that it does not matter, but my brother is a postal carrier and he agrees with me. I also notice a lot more threads on here about problems in the mail around postal holidays.

3. Get your order shipped so they do not get hung up on the weekend.

 

[snowhorse]

I placed my order with Murray McMurray hatchery.

They will ship out between Feb 7th and 9th. I will call the Post Office as it gets closer, or should I let them know now? It a month away at this point.

I ordered 25 chicks with a free rare chick which will be fun, and maybe they will send some extra by the sounds of it. So I think I should be good. Thanks for all your help as well as posting that thread, I had searched around for a thread about ordering in the winter with little luck, but I am still getting the hang of this! Thank you!

 

[Ridgerunner]

I would talk to them the day the chicks ship, not before. You will probably find them helpful and knowledgeable, but, like anywhere else, you get all kinds.