The main thing is to order your chicks to arrive when temperatures in your area and the area the chicks are coming from are warm enough.
Ordering for too early in the season can affect the survival rate. I wait until May through June here so my chicks are travelling in 70-80 degree weather.
Order from a hatchery that is closest to you if possible.
Have some electrolyte in your water so chicks will have a quick source of energy when they arrive at your home. Some can arrive with low blood sugar, and they need a boost to get them going. You can also use a teaspoon of brown sugar to a quart of water that first day. That's what I use.
I personally order from My Pet Chicken. I like their website and customer service.
Ordering for too early in the season can affect the survival rate. I wait until May through June here so my chicks are travelling in 70-80 degree weather.
Order from a hatchery that is closest to you if possible.
Have some electrolyte in your water so chicks will have a quick source of energy when they arrive at your home. Some can arrive with low blood sugar, and they need a boost to get them going. You can also use a teaspoon of brown sugar to a quart of water that first day. That's what I use.
I personally order from My Pet Chicken. I like their website and customer service.
It's a good idea to check in with your post office after you've ordered too. Some post offices handle chick orders all the time, others might not, so it's good to give them a heads up and request that they call you as soon as the package arrives.
I've ordered twice from My Pet Chicken and have been happy with them.
I've ordered twice from My Pet Chicken and have been happy with them.
It is better to pick the chicks up at the hatchery, if possible, but often it's just not going to happen. I have ordered chicks from MMcM and Cackle with good results several times each, and once from Meyers, Also from the Freedom Ranger hatchery in Penn., with no problems.
Pick the season! Having birds shipped in very cold or hot weather isn't good, make it easier on those chicks.
Then, visit your local post office a few days before the chicks are to be shipped, and let them know that you want to be called at any hour when they come in. Give them good phone numbers, and have your brooder all set up and running, and be ready to run there at 6am, or whenever.
Chicks at the farm store have already arrived, by mail, and the farm store has absorbed any deaths. Care at the store varies a lot, depending on management and staff, and breed selection and sexing will be less --certain-- that directly ordering from the hatchery.
Also, getting chicks vaccinated against Marek's disease is a good idea, and chicks at the farm store won't have been done.
I get both; just what I want from the hatchery direct, and irresistable little guys at the feed store.
Beware of the feed store in spring! Those chicks will call you, especially when they go on sale...
Mary
Pick the season! Having birds shipped in very cold or hot weather isn't good, make it easier on those chicks.
Then, visit your local post office a few days before the chicks are to be shipped, and let them know that you want to be called at any hour when they come in. Give them good phone numbers, and have your brooder all set up and running, and be ready to run there at 6am, or whenever.
Chicks at the farm store have already arrived, by mail, and the farm store has absorbed any deaths. Care at the store varies a lot, depending on management and staff, and breed selection and sexing will be less --certain-- that directly ordering from the hatchery.
Also, getting chicks vaccinated against Marek's disease is a good idea, and chicks at the farm store won't have been done.
I get both; just what I want from the hatchery direct, and irresistable little guys at the feed store.
Beware of the feed store in spring! Those chicks will call you, especially when they go on sale...
Mary
When ordering or wanting different breed of chicken, do keep in mind of some unwanted behaviors. Try to stay with similar looking birds. If you want banties, make them all banties. or if you decide to go with frizzled stay with mostly frizzled.
The problem arises from our experience is that if a bird looks noticeably different than others, the odd bird out will get pecked on and sometime to a point of needing medical intervention. Sometimes, all is fine but sometimes, its becomes a battleground.
Legbar seem to stand up to orphingon and brama. Two of our polish got killed, third was witty enough to outrun and outwit the big birds and survived. One of our frizzled bantie was also killed the other one was given her own accommodation. Rest of the big birds could see her and she could see the rest but were separated by welded wire mesh. This was long long time ago for us. We've had over the course of years, anywhere from none to nearly 200 layers at a time. We took about 6 month off and starting a new batch of about 80 chicken.
MAIL ORDER: go with EXPRESS AND NOT WITH PRIORITY. PRIORITY CAN GET DELAYED.
POSTAL OFFICE: Make sure you have the EXPRESS TRACKING and let the postal staff at the office know to give you a call even if it's 4:30AM and be prompt with the pickup.
Brooder: have it ready the day before, heat lamp on to warm things up. Have electrolyte solution available.
When the chicks arrive: check to see if you can see a indented line down their leg. If you see it then the chicks are dehydrated. dip their beak into the electrolyte solution to encourage them to drink..
Vaccination: Spend the extra $2.00/bird for Marek's
Qty to order: minimum number of birds to have is 3. chicken need to have friends.
The problem arises from our experience is that if a bird looks noticeably different than others, the odd bird out will get pecked on and sometime to a point of needing medical intervention. Sometimes, all is fine but sometimes, its becomes a battleground.
Legbar seem to stand up to orphingon and brama. Two of our polish got killed, third was witty enough to outrun and outwit the big birds and survived. One of our frizzled bantie was also killed the other one was given her own accommodation. Rest of the big birds could see her and she could see the rest but were separated by welded wire mesh. This was long long time ago for us. We've had over the course of years, anywhere from none to nearly 200 layers at a time. We took about 6 month off and starting a new batch of about 80 chicken.
MAIL ORDER: go with EXPRESS AND NOT WITH PRIORITY. PRIORITY CAN GET DELAYED.
POSTAL OFFICE: Make sure you have the EXPRESS TRACKING and let the postal staff at the office know to give you a call even if it's 4:30AM and be prompt with the pickup.
Brooder: have it ready the day before, heat lamp on to warm things up. Have electrolyte solution available.
When the chicks arrive: check to see if you can see a indented line down their leg. If you see it then the chicks are dehydrated. dip their beak into the electrolyte solution to encourage them to drink..
Vaccination: Spend the extra $2.00/bird for Marek's
Qty to order: minimum number of birds to have is 3. chicken need to have friends.
And oh, after the first two three days, check for pasty butt. Soften and wash off with warm water. Must be done immediately when you find one. chicks can die within 6 hours or thereabouts after getting pasty butt.
Continue to check for pasty butt for first two to three weeks.
Continue to check for pasty butt for first two to three weeks.
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