Ordering chicks online?

[CaitlinAnd]

I'm very new to this and was looking up where I could get black australorps and found that you are able to order day old chicks, has anyone done this? I'm scared they will be hurt or killed in the process...I'm not sure how it all works and could use a little insight on what exactly happens when you order them online

 

[orrpeople]

I'm very new to this and was looking up where I could get black australorps and found that you are able to order day old chicks, has anyone done this? I'm scared they will be hurt or killed in the process...I'm not sure how it all works and could use a little insight on what exactly happens when you order them online

Chicks ordered to be sent by mail through online retailers (generally through hatcheries, although there are some wonderful small farms who also ship chicks) generally fare quite well. The post office has been doing this since - well at least since my grandparents' would order them in the 1920's for their North Dakota farm! Shipping charges can vary greatly from seller to seller, as well as minimum chick orders. But, the basic premise is that chicks have about a three day period after hatch where they don't need to eat or drink, so they are sent at 1 day old.
I think a very large percentage of BYC members have received chicks via mail, and quite a few have also shipped them!
mypetchicken.com has some great info on their site about the whole process. I'm not advocating for them, I just really loved reading their information when I was somewhat new to chicken ownership.

 

[CaitlinAnd]

Chicks ordered to be sent by mail through online retailers (generally through hatcheries, although there are some wonderful small farms who also ship chicks) generally fare quite well. The post office has been doing this since - well at least since my grandparents' would order them in the 1920's for their North Dakota farm! Shipping charges can vary greatly from seller to seller, as well as minimum chick orders. But, the basic premise is that chicks have about a three day period after hatch where they don't need to eat or drink, so they are sent at 1 day old.
I think a very large percentage of BYC members have received chicks via mail, and quite a few have also shipped them!
mypetchicken.com has some great info on their site about the whole process. I'm not advocating for them, I just really loved reading their information when I was somewhat new to chicken ownership.

that's is actually the site that I had found that sparked the question! Thank you so much, my next question is, will I be picking them up at the post office or will they be delivered to my home?

 

[orrpeople]

Yep! They'll put your phone number on the noisy little box and your post office will call you to come get them! It's such a fun experience! My Speckled Sussex came by mail last summer and I loved getting them! Sometimes, sadly, you might get a little one that doesn't make it, so they recommend not opening the box with excited little kids present.

 

[orrpeople]

And, Welcome to the BYC community! There are some awesome folks around this site! But, a word of caution: chicken ownership is addictive!! I wanted 6. I now have 29 hens, 1 main rooster, 4 up an coming roosters, two recent hatches in brooders and eggs going in the incubator tomorrow morning!!

 

[CaitlinAnd]

And, Welcome to the BYC community! There are some awesome folks around this site! But, a word of caution: chicken ownership is addictive!! I wanted 6. I now have 29 hens, 1 main rooster, 4 up an coming roosters, two recent hatches in brooders and eggs going in the incubator tomorrow morning!!

thank you! I plan on starting with four, we'll see how it goes lol

I can almost guarantee I'll end up with more!

 

[LLranch]

If you look around online a little bit you will find there are many hatcheries. Most are very reputable good businesses. One of the things I look at when ordering chicks is which one has the chicks I want closest to me for instance I order most of my chicks from cackle hatchery because they are in Missouri and I am in Kansas minimizing the time the checks are in the mail

 

[dheltzel]

Yep! They'll put your phone number on the noisy little box and your post office will call you to come get them! It's such a fun experience! My Speckled Sussex came by mail last summer and I loved getting them! Sometimes, sadly, you might get a little one that doesn't make it, so they recommend not opening the box with excited little kids present.

Very true!
Also, I like to tell the postal clerk that "I heard this was a good place to pick up chicks".

It's tough to get a govt employee to smile, but that did it.

 

[IdyllwildAcres]

I am getting my first batch of chicks in two months from Myer's hatchery, somethimes you just have to have faith that it will all work out.

Welcome to BYC

Gary from Idyllwild Ca here

Must. Finish. Coop.

 

[IdyllwildAcres]

I am getting my first batch of chicks in two months from Myer's hatchery, sometimes you just have to have faith that it will all work out.

Welcome to BYC

Gary from Idyllwild Ca here

Must. Finish. Coop.