Shipped Chicks Vs. Home Chicks

[CluckyCharms]

Hi all,

I decided I wanted 2 easter eggers in our flock of 6. So...I ordered two of them. They were sent via USPS Express mail today and should be here by tomorrow morning between 3 and 5am according to shipping history from that area.

These will be our first chicks that we will be getting that are shipped rather than hatched in our home or purchased locally.

Is there anything I need to do differently with these chicks versus the chicks that are "homegrown" so to speak?

 

[galadtomeetya]

I've gotten shipped chicks a few times. Mine have always benefited from warm water at first (rather than cool). I forgot about that and gave one batch of chicks cool water & I had a worse time with pasty butt in that batch. Other than that, I'm can't think of any differences. Some folks like to use electrolyte water, but I never have.... Should be about the same.

Good luck with your new chicks!!

 

[CluckyCharms]

I've gotten shipped chicks a few times. Mine have always benefited from warm water at first (rather than cool). I forgot about that and gave one batch of chicks cool water & I had a worse time with pasty butt in that batch. Other than that, I'm can't think of any differences. Some folks like to use electrolyte water, but I never have.... Should be about the same.

Good luck with your new chicks!!

Oh my gosh, you just made me realize why our most recent chicks had pasty butt!! I DID give them cool water rather than the room temp water that we normally give - just for one day. Usually I run the water and let it sit for 24 hours to get rid of the chlorine and such...but I had forgotten that day, so just used cool tap water....pasty butt ensued the entire day following and then went back to normal.

...never would have thought it was due to water temperature, so thanks!!

 

[galadtomeetya]

No prob! I guess its like eating an ice cream cone to them-- makes them get cold from the inside! Poor little things...

And, I've never raised fewer than 10 at a time. I generally lose one in the first day or so. (Can usually see a "wimpy-looking" one from the very first.) Only getting two chicks would make me very nervous! You are brave!!

 

[CluckyCharms]

No prob! I guess its like eating an ice cream cone to them-- makes them get cold from the inside! Poor little things...

And, I've never raised fewer than 10 at a time. I generally lose one in the first day or so. (Can usually see a "wimpy-looking" one from the very first.) Only getting two chicks would make me very nervous! You are brave!!

Well, technically there are three in the shipment (that is the hatchery's minimum) but one of them is a golden buff and will probably be getting a new home. If we lived in the country with no ordinances I'd keep it, but since we're so stinkin' limited to how many we can have, I'm being ultra picky with which breeds we keep. The third one is different because they did not have enough easter eggers to fill an order of three for that shipping week, and I didn't want to wait another 2 weeks and have them be that much younger than our other baby chicks...so we can introduce them easier.

They don't send any packing peanuts...they just place some sort of heating element (heat pack?) in the box with the chicks and send them off. I'm extremely nervous but if they don't make it I'll just know not to go that route again.

 

[galadtomeetya]

How are your chickies doing? I hope they all arrived safe & sound and are thriving!!

 

[aoxa]

No prob! I guess its like eating an ice cream cone to them-- makes them get cold from the inside! Poor little things...

And, I've never raised fewer than 10 at a time. I generally lose one in the first day or so. (Can usually see a "wimpy-looking" one from the very first.) Only getting two chicks would make me very nervous! You are brave!!

 

I usually get some like this as well. Except the last hatch. Not a single runt at all. I hatched 15 chicks. Only one egg didn't hatch. Best hatch I've ever had!

Also, ACV helps prevent pasty butt.

 

[CluckyCharms]

I do have some Braggs on hand - the other chicks wouldn't drink water with it in there because they were pickypants, but I forgot to start using it again after they left.

In any case, in regard to the chick question - might be a problem. USPS has only let me down once in 20+ years of sending and receiving packages, but I think this might be x2.

I checked the tracking information and it says they're still in Ohio - same place they were when they were sent yesterday.

On the shipment information it says "Guaranteed by November 20th at noon" but they're not at the PO here.


[Edit] - finally got a hold of the local post office and she spent lot of time with me on the phone and figured everything out. She admitted the USPS in Mansfield OH dropped the ball. The chicks were entered into their system at noon yesterday and at 4:15 this morning they were STILL THERE so who the heck knows how they'll end up.

 

[Tumbleweed33]

Question for you experienced chick shippers; where do you get your boxes? Should I buuh a bio filter? What's your best tried and true packing method?