Packing peanuts

[UGAchick]

I know that I am new to this (which means that I have yet to develop a think skin when it comes to my chickies) but I am SERIOUSLY disturbed by the idea of packing peanuts. Including extra birds in the order that no one wants just to keep the desirable ones alive?!?! Does anyone else have a problem with this? Why not set a minimum order size? People can go in with others to place an order that does not have to require the use of packing peanuts. I know that I am going to take some heat for this, but I just needed to see if I need to get over this or if others are bothered too.

 

[CountryPantry]

When the weather is cooler there needs to be enough in the shipping boxes to supply enough heat for all. Packing Peanuts are not bad chicks, they are just usually roosters. I have gotten orders with some packing peanuts and they were rhode island reds, beautiful when fully grown. I never have a problem rehoming the extra chicks. We love our packing peanuts. My packing peanuts have often paid for my whole order when I sell them.

 

[leenie]

Yep I find it horrible too. I can only handle so many chicks here and if I had placed a mail order for say 6 chicks and 20 arrived I would be really upset . . . as well how to I explain to my children why we have to do away with the ones we didn't order. That's why I go on craigslist and find chicks locally.

My next time I'll be in the market for chicks I plan on buying the eggs of my choice for the old "classroom chicken hatch project" then adopting the ones I need and the rest the school will deliver to the farm.

Win win in my book. No $ for the school, I get the breed I want and everyone gets a home.

 

[HEChicken]

The key is to think about what would become of these chicks if they were NOT used as packing peanuts. As a PP said, they are usually roos, which means they have less chance of being ordered. Typically people want hens and even if they order roosters, they want 1 rooster per 10 hens or so. Which leaves 9 unwanted roosters. 50% of all chicks hatched are roosters so.....that means a LOT of unwanted chicks. Without going into detail, if they are not used as packing peanuts, they suffer a gruesome fate. So - by adding them to orders as packing peanuts, they stand a CHANCE of getting a permanent home. If they end up being eaten, well, at least they had a longer life than they would have had if they had not been used as a packing peanut to begin with. And, if they are so cute that they end up being kept by the receiver and eventually become head roo of a flock, then all the better.

 

[txchickie]

I am one of the ones that loves packing peanuts

It's like an extra suprise in your peeping box of chicks! Haha

And to call them chicks 'that no one wants' is not an accurate statement. I have had NO problems finding homes for my packing peanuts, and several live down the road at my IL's as bug eaters and pets. I love going over there and seeing the big RIR roosters hanging out in their yard.

SInce you are so against this, should hatcheries NOT include packing peanuts to help keep the "desirable" ones alive? Is that really so bad? If you do have such a problem with it, you can order insurance with your shipped chicks and take the risk of your desired chicks not having enough warmth to survive the trip. Or you can pay the $$ and order from a place like My Pet Chicken and avoid this drama all together.

 

[Soaring Chicks]

Quote:
I agree 100% better to have lived then die as babies. They get a chance at life as packing peanuts. Give it some more thought to what happens to the unwanted ones if not used for extra heat. Your mind will change. Also if use as positve ways can be a learning chance about life for your kids to learn from.

 

[RThomas]

I'd much rather receive them as "packing peanuts" than have them go to the grinder.

I may not want a bunch of roos, but there are a lot of people out there that would love to have them. We got six RIR peanuts with our order and someone is coming out to pick them up today.
Also, most hatcheries will give you the option of having the peanuts or not, you just have to buy the extra insurance (at a low cost) if you don't want them.

 

[Serrin]

Wait...are we talking about using the standard Styrofoam packing peanuts? Or is this a euphemism for live chicks? If it's Styrofoam peanuts, then I'm completely against them. The starch based peanuts will break down with just a bit of water and dissolve into the ground without any lingering toxic aspects to it.

If you mean using extra chicks to help out the ones you ordered to keep warm...what's the harm? You might just get something that you really like and wouldn't have considered otherwise. I'd love to get a few extra chicks that I didn't have to pay for myself. All are welcome here!

 

[HEChicken]

Quote:
LOL, I've got so used to packing peanuts meaning chicks I'd forgotten there was another kind. I can just imagine talking to someone about their order for anything and if they mention packing peanuts, wonder when we started talking about chooks....

 

[Serrin]

Quote:
LOL, I've got so used to packing peanuts meaning chicks I'd forgotten there was another kind. I can just imagine talking to someone about their order for anything and if they mention packing peanuts, wonder when we started talking about chooks....

Good Grief! Do you have any idea how long it took me to figure out BR means Barred Rock, and BLRW means Blue Lace Red Wyandotte? There's still abbreviations that I trip up on around here. As well as euphemisms.....as just witnessed by my last post...**Walking away with a terribly red face** Oh Lordy! Lordy! Lordy!!