Picking up new chicks with long car ride

[Chickstarrs]

I am picking up 15 one day-old chicks from a hatchery on Saturday. It is going to be a very long day since it will take up about 5 1/2 hours one way. The fellow at the hatchery says they will be fine with no extra heat. I am not so sure. Will they be fine without water or food too?

What is the best way to settle them in when we get home? It will be late at night. Should I keep them in the dark and put them under the MHP. Or should I wake them up, check them all over, make sure they know where the food and water is and let them settle themselves in before turning off the light and heading to bed myself?

Thanks

 

[Brooks_]

I am picking up 15 one day-old chicks from a hatchery on Saturday. It is going to be a very long day since it will take up about 5 1/2 hours one way. The fellow at the hatchery says they will be fine with no extra heat. I am not so sure. Will they be fine without water or food too?

Doesn't really sound different from shipping. The car will be heated and they'll be boxed. I should be fine.

should I wake them up, check them all over, make sure they know where the food and water is and let them settle themselves in before turning off the light and heading to bed myself?

Yes.

 

[neo71665]

You will be fine.

 

[Duckbreeder2020]

I am picking up 15 one day-old chicks from a hatchery on Saturday. It is going to be a very long day since it will take up about 5 1/2 hours one way. The fellow at the hatchery says they will be fine with no extra heat. I am not so sure. Will they be fine without water or food too?

What is the best way to settle them in when we get home? It will be late at night. Should I keep them in the dark and put them under the MHP. Or should I wake them up, check them all over, make sure they know where the food and water is and let them settle themselves in before turning off the light and heading to bed myself?

Thanks

Maybe bring some food and water with you can put them in a dog crate on the ride so they are warm and have enough food and water

 

[Brooks_]

Maybe bring some food and water with you can put them in a dog crate on the ride so they are warm and have enough food and water

I think they'd do better boxed for stability reasons.

 

[CoopsNPoops]

What hatchery is it? We had about a 3 hour drive from Cackle when we went and got our chicks. They asked us how far of a drive we had, and added a warmer and a hydrogel for the ride. It didnt cost extra and i assume this is also how they ship them. A reputable htchery surely will send something for such a long drive. If they dont, just make a stop or two and offer water. A heat source shouldn't be much of an issue as long as your not driving with the windows down and your car temp isn't to cold.

 

[neo71665]

They won't need food if they are truly only a day old. They can survive those few hours till they get home off the yolk they absorbed. Baby chicks don't come out of the shell eating right away.

 

[Chickstarrs]

What hatchery is it? We had about a 3 hour drive from Cackle when we went and got our chicks. They asked us how far of a drive we had, and added a warmer and a hydrogel for the ride. It didnt cost extra and i assume this is also how they ship them. A reputable htchery surely will send something for such a long drive. If they dont, just make a stop or two and offer water. A heat source shouldn't be much of an issue as long as your not driving with the windows down and your car temp isn't to cold.

I am picking them up from Performance Poultry in Carrying Place, Ontario. They will come packaged in a box for transport. No, we likely won't be driving with the windows down . I might bring a little hand warmer just in case.

 

[WhySayWhat]

I just got my chicks in yesterday, they were shipped from Ohio to Washington state (roughly 2100 miles). They came from Meyer and were well-packed with no extra heat source. My PO kept them (and 2 other boxes of chicks that came in together) in a warm room until they opened so I could pick them up. We did have 1 that was DOA, but she was very small and looks to have been trampled by her box mates.

I would suggest checking on them frequently to make sure no one gets trampled on the way home. Also, get them unpacked and into the brooder as soon as you get home. Show them the water (I only showed the first one, the rest ran right for it), get food (Meyer sent a free package of GroGel along with them so I added that as well, and get them to the heat source. I have a heat plate and had to sort of shove them under before they figured out that was where it was warm, but then added a heat lamp as well as they were all screaming and acting chilled still hours later. Once they are fed, watered, and warm, they'll quiet down and act like normal babies (eat, sleep, poop, repeat).

Good luck on your trip and with your new babies!