Purchasing quail chicks - Do they really survive the shipment??

[_Randall_]

Just wondering if anybody has ever bought any chicks (like advertised here: http://www.lakecumberlandgamebirds.com/enter.html ), and what percentage was still alive when they arrived???? This may be a reputable company ....... I don't know. Just was googling different resources to see what was out there, and it got me to wondering. I'm going to (hopefully) have an incubator this spring to start raising my own, but was just wondering about the success of shipping "day old" or so chicks across the country........in case I got a hankerin' to order some already-hatched birds. Just curious, that's all........

 

[shelleyd2008]

I know there was one person that had gotten some, though I'm not sure where. I believe they only had a few that didn't survive the trip, but it seems like they lost at least half within the first few days.

Quail can only go about 24 hours or so before they need to eat, so I wouldn't order chicks unless you can pick them up, or you are very close to where they are coming from. If the place offers some type of feed for them (like gro-gel or something), it would be in your best interests to get it.

I would rather buy a few adults and hatch my own, the adults would handle shipping much better.

 

[_Randall_]

Quote:
I'm not surprised at your reply. I expected to hear this type of success stories. I may be wrong, but it' hard to believe that the customer should expect to receive a given qty. of chicks, and all (or a very large % of them) be alive and well.....with a promising survival rate. But again, I'm just getting into this obsession.

Thanks

 

[SamG347]

I had week old quail chicks shipped to me in about july. Did have 6 or so make it...but 15-20 chicks were sent. I blame the heat really for the loss of the chicks. Seller is a friend so no worries it wasn't their fault it was a risk I was willing to take when it came to getting quail shipped. I will only ever ship adult quail and hatching eggs. No sense wasting the birds shipping young ones. I will possibly try well started birds that aren't quiet adults but don't know yet.

 

[_Randall_]

Quote:
OK.....so far, it's negative like I figured. I may just stick with eggs from one of the members on here. Forgive me.......I've got a bad hankerin' to increase my flock......just a little too anxious to wait out the long winter

 

[shelleyd2008]

Like I said in my post, if the place you are wanting to get them from offers grow-gel (or something similar), then they should be fine. But they don't weigh hardly anything as adults, so shipping them wouldn't be too awful much. monarc23 had shipped some last summer/fall that were about 3-4 weeks old, and they did all right. But little bitties, unless they have something to eat, would be a waste. Plus this time of year, they would need heat as well.

 

[_Randall_]

Quote:
Thanks for the info.......I think I'm just gonna get some eggs, and start from scratch. It'll be March'ish before I do anything though.

 

[deerman]

If order in the spring you would be ok with chicks, as long as it warm at time of shipping. Also depend on what type of quail, the coturnix grow fast after hatching so egg order and hatch will be laying in2 months. Other like Bobwhites eggs order and hatch would be the next spring before they lay.

If you get bob chicks trick is to get them on sugar water and eating asap. Same if you hatch eggs.

 

[_Randall_]

Just curious.....obviously they would be in a ventilated box (I'm assuming??) And, would they be delivered by UPS or such??? Just trying to visualize a box with baby quail in it not getting thrown around slamming them all over the place by any carrier!

 

[kooltex]

I ordered 115 bob chicks in may of this year, they sent 130. There were 30 dead in the box upon arrival, and they just started dropping like flies after I got everybody else in the brooder. I ended up with 19 that made it. They are doing great now. I did everything right, had brooder set up 24 hrs before they arrived, had food scattered on paper towels, water had sugar in it. I think the trip was just too much for them, and they didn't even come from that far away, only a 2 1/2 hr drive, but took 2 days to ship to me??? If I'd have known how close the farm was from me I would have just picked them up instead of having them shipped. So I buy eggs now, and incubate. Those are some high dollar 19 quail out there.