Ordering chicks

[Jcmaidens]

Good chilly morning! This website has become my go to for all questions relating to my girls. I am wanting to branch out into meat birds and I am having a difficult time finding places near me that sell Cornish X chicks. I know folks order them in the spring but the thought of those little chicks in a box on a truck or mail bin upsets me. Can someone please tell me the process that is used when chicks are shipped so I can quell my fears and order some for spring?

 

[turkey girl 0964]

We order our meat birds from Hoovers Hatchery about 6 times and every single time they come perfectly fine. You just have to pick them up at the post office. There are also some companies that send out extra chicks with your order. Once we bought some meat birds from Tractor Supply, if you dont want the chicks to be shipped.

 

[Ridgerunner]

You can check at feed stores, many of them sell chicks from a bin in their store. Each feed store is different so talk to the people at yours. See how they handle it.

All the chicks in a hatchery are hatched in a certain time period so they can ship on schedule. They are boxed up and trucked to a post office distribution center where they are sorted either for truck or airplane shipment. By whatever means they are delivered to your local post office. Your local post office calls you and you go pick them up. The call usually comes fairly early in the morning.

Your carrier does not deliver them, you go to the post office to pick them up.

 

[Jcmaidens]

Thank you. Usually rural king and tractor supply don’t sell Cornish cross or I always get there too late how old r the chicks when they are shipped and is it dangerous for the chicks to be with out food or water or on a plane? Might sound silly and I’m sorry if I sound naive just trying to not cause undue stress on baby chicks.

 

[Ridgerunner]

how old r the chicks when they are shipped and is it dangerous for the chicks to be with out food or water or on a plane?

When they hatch they absorb the yolk. They can live off of that yolk for over 72 hours without eating or drinking. That's why I mentioned they are hatched in a certain time period, so they have enough yolk left so they can live while being shipped. They are just hatched, just a few hours old.

The risk is obvious, sometimes airplanes or ground transportation is delayed. You never know when a tornado or blizzard will disrupt transportation so try to order during better weather times of the year. And avoid postal holidays. You can notice an increase of posts on here about shipping problems right after a postal holiday.

They have been shipping chicks in the mail for a long time. They have procedures and methods to make that as safe as they can. For instance, airlines are not allowed to ship chicks in the same cargo hold with anything in dry ice. As the dry ice melts it releases carbon dioxide which can smother chicks. They have rules in place to prevent that. The system works really well but nothing comes with an absolute guarantee. Your trip to the grocery store doesn't either. You never know when someone will run a light or stop sign and cause damage. That doesn't stop you from going to the grocery store.


Usually rural king and tractor supply don’t sell Cornish cross or I always get there too late

Talk to them. Sometimes they will order chicks you want for you. You just go pick them up when they come in. Not every tractor supple or rural king will do that for you but some do. It doesn't hurt to ask. Many people do this to get around minimum number of chicks in mail orders from a hatchery or to avoid the inconvenience of running to the post office when they call.

 

[Jcmaidens]

how old r the chicks when they are shipped and is it dangerous for the chicks to be with out food or water or on a plane?

When they hatch they absorb the yolk. They can live off of that yolk for over 72 hours without eating or drinking. That's why I mentioned they are hatched in a certain time period, so they have enough yolk left so they can live while being shipped. They are just hatched, just a few hours old.

The risk is obvious, sometimes airplanes or ground transportation is delayed. You never know when a tornado or blizzard will disrupt transportation so try to order during better weather times of the year. And avoid postal holidays. You can notice an increase of posts on here about shipping problems right after a postal holiday.

They have been shipping chicks in the mail for a long time. They have procedures and methods to make that as safe as they can. For instance, airlines are not allowed to ship chicks in the same cargo hold with anything in dry ice. As the dry ice melts it releases carbon dioxide which can smother chicks. They have rules in place to prevent that. The system works really well but nothing comes with an absolute guarantee. Your trip to the grocery store doesn't either. You never know when someone will run a light or stop sign and cause damage. That doesn't stop you from going to the grocery store.


Usually rural king and tractor supply don’t sell Cornish cross or I always get there too late

Talk to them. Sometimes they will order chicks you want for you. You just go pick them up when they come in. Not every tractor supple or rural king will do that for you but some do. It doesn't hurt to ask. Many people do this to get around minimum number of chicks in mail orders from a hatchery or to avoid the inconvenience of running to the post office when they call.

Thank you so much this is exactly what I needed to know!!!!!!