Rec'd Two Orders w/High losses - Help anyone!

[jossanne]

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They were hatched on Friday, but shipped on Saturday? Are you sure? Usually they ship the same day the chicks hatch. On my Ideal Poultry orders, they enter the hatch time and the ship time, and my babies always have a hatch time in the wee hours of the morning on the invoice/box, and ship just a couple of hours later.

The two orders that I've had from McMurray hatched on Saturday, and arrived to me in rural New Mexico on Monday, with no problems.

 

[goosemama]

Thanks all for your input - to Cindy who received her chicks Sunday afternoon - did the post office call you on Sunday to pick up? I thought the post office buildings would be closed to customers on Sunday and that just the delivery system still operated over the weekend?

I wish I could buy locally as someone suggested, but the Dorking breed is too rare to find easily - only 3 hatcheries carry them and I know of no private breeders. I did get some Cornish Rocks and Gold Stars at my local Tractor Supply two weeks ago and they are fine and healthy, but I really wanted to add Dorkings to my flock and have waited a long time to find them. I tried to get them last Fall and the hatcheries I called said to call them about March as they wouldn't have them until then. When I called in March all were sold out ALREADY except McMurray. I am just hoping I'll get one or two hens from this disastrous incident and be able to incubate some eggs in hopes of more hens next year.

I was told by the MM people when I called that they have ALWAYS shipped on Saturday. They have a very good reputation in the business and others are getting chicks quickly even though they live as far away from Iowa as I do. I'm just assuming its the particular post office route they are taking to get to me that's adding too much time. I have had good results getting chicks from Cackle Hatchery in Missouri, My Pet Chicken and Meyer on Ohio but none of them carry the Dorkings. This is the first real disaster with high losees that I've experienced. I'm going into our local post office today and ask them what the abbreviations on the label indicate to see if I can determine the routing system they used to get to me. Not that this will help anything but may answer a few questions in my own mind.

 

[goosemama]

To Jossanne - yes I'm sure of the hatch date because its printed right on the top of the box: Hatched 2010 - 04-23 l7:00 (which would be Friday the 23rd at 5pm). Then it is printed that they were shipped Apr.24 2010 from Zip 50595 McMurray Hatchery, 191 Closz Drive, Truck 5, 695218/773694, Webster City, IA 50595. This is printed on a USPS Priority Mail label. There is another label that I don't understand the abbreviations says ATL>DL-1928 and MSP>DL 1081 which I presume is the route deliveries to get to me. I'm going to take the whole box top into our local post office and ask them if they can tell me what this means. But its very clear they were hatched on Friday, Shipped on Saturday but didn't arrive in Western NY until 7:00am Tuesday morning.

 

[jossanne]

So they were 3 1/2 days old when they arrived at your house. A lot of chicks have arrived safely in that amount of time. I wonder why they're having such problems getting to you!?! Are dorkings particularly fragile? I hope you figure out the problem. I'm so sorry for all those babies and for your troubles!

 

[goosemama]

I'm not sure if Dorkings are particularly fragile or not - have never read that they were, but others who breed them would know better than I. I just know because they are a rare old breed not many places carry them. There is reported to be less than 1000 in the States. They were brought to Britain by the Romans and then by the colonists to America. The brooding aspect has not been bred out of the hens as it is in many other breeds, and they will set on eggs at the drop of a hat, which probably keeps their numbers low as then they don't lay as many eggs. The roosters are said to be very gentle but they are best known for their meat quality. Its reported to be more tender than the Cornish Rock (and I love them). Queen Victoria of England would not eat any other breed of chicken. I figured if they are that good as meat birds, even if they take a lot longer to get to weight I could process the extra roosters for meat while still having a nice egg laying flock.

I did stop in the post office today but the postmaster was not in. I'll go back when she is there as she is very knowledgeable. The clerk on duty couldn't figure out the tracking abbreviations on the box but did say all the mail for our area comes to Rochester first, which is about 4 hours north of us, Express mail comes to a small town called Hamburg only 30 minutes from us and a driver brings it out in a van. This is how My Pet Chicken sent my earlier shipment of 6 chicks. Think they arrived from wherever they were shipped in 2 days. I'd just like to know for my own satisfaction the route these babies were sent.

 

[jossanne]

I was at Sandhill Preservation's website today, and found that they have dorkings. It'd take a while to get them, but their birds are said to be pretty high quality. Have you looked there?

 

[doIreallylikeeggsthismuch]

I live in Wyoming. Ordered 25 from McMurray. Our postal lady called 730 Sunday morning and had me come meet her. She said that the postal service does not usually do this but she loves animals and hated to see them wait. We live in rural Wyoming!! It all depends on who is working!!

 

[Tugger1]

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Hey Chic Chick Where in Alberta are you from? We got our Chickens from Berg's Hatchery and have never had a problem with this check out their web site as I know they deliver to SK but it may be a shorter drive and no customs

 

[Knock Kneed Hen]

I just got a call from my local feed store. She ordered a big batch from MM and has had a bunch of returns because now that the chicks are about 5 weeks old they are developing all sorts of problems: crooked beaks, neck, can't stand, etc...
She has had not just one customer, but at least five now, that have returned chicks. I took a few that were having trouble standing and that were returned to her. She was going to cull them but I said give them another week and lets see what happens. Anyhow, she wants two back because she's taking them up to UC Davis to have tests run. Poor little chickies will sacrifice with their lives but at least we should get to the bottom of this. I have read here on BYC where people have called and complained to MM and were told that they have not received any other complaints...phooey!! That's exactly what they told this store owner. UC Davis is going to determine if they're problems have been cause by poor genetics, poor hatching conditions, poor or contaminated feed or disease.

I met her at the shop the morning she received the birds, which was a Monday morning. She received about 90. I only saw one with a runny eye but we chalked it up to getting poked or pecked during transit. The others all appeared healthy and no dead ones. I was impressed. Within a week some of the obvious deformities started appearing. I will post on this thread the findings. I just hope that anyone getting birds from MM will call them and complain AND post here. I tried to give them the benefit of the doubt but now I think they're just covering their fuzzy butts!!

 

[goosemama]

Thanks Knock Kneed Hen for your input. MM has always seemed to have a sterling reputation and they are definitely not the cheapest price wise. I know they were very sympathetic and accommodating to replace my first order without question, however there may be more to this problem than we know if you are witnessing these deformities of chicks sent to Tractor Supply.

Thanks Jossanne for the tip on Sandhill - theirs are about twice the cost of the other hatcheries and can't remember the other reason I decided not to order there (maybe distance or policy). Am sure they have good stock but it seemed kind of a complicated ordering system so being a computer dummy I backed out.

I know Yellow House Farm have Dorkings but they do not ship - its pickup only and they are in New Hampshire which is out of the question for me in Western NY. Am sure their quality is good as they support their enterprise with egg and breeder sales and are into lots of different heritage breeds or turkey, geese etc.

I lost 3 more today so have 6 from the first order which survived and seem to be growing and so far and 14 alive so far of the 2nd order so don't want to order too many as I may get overwhelmed. When I call MM tomorrow I will ask for a refund instead of a replacement.

Everyone's input has been helpful and thought provoking to read of the various experiences and glitches that might have occurred whether it be hatchery or post office or post office personnel .
Thanks Again!