I have always purchased my birds locally and will continue to do so. If 52+ dead chicks is "the nature of the game"(when ordering from large hatcheries ), then I am certainly not playing because that is unacceptable in my world.
I think all business is in some way responding to demand. Shipping chicks to NH in Feb. had risk writted all over it. Shipper and person ordering had to know that weather is dreafully unpredicatble at that time of year.
If not the nature of the business certainly the nature of the weather to be very hazardous to baby chicks.