Survival rate of baby chicks?

[johnsonpoultryfarms]

I have ordered baby chicks on numerous other occasions and had a 100% survival rate..... but this last week I received a shipment of 26 Mille Fleur d'Uccle bantams and had 6 DOA, 3 died before I made it home and another a few hours later... they apparently had a tough time in-transit though..... This is the exception though not the rule also I haven't had any issues with the ones who made it the first 24 hours after I got them in the brooder!!

 

[Boggy Bottom Bantams]

I ship chicks more than I buy. Of the several thousand I send out a year, I may have 5-6 reported back DOA.
I also only ship Express mail on them.

On the otherhand, I have ordered bantams from Ideal several times, usually 50% DOA and another 50% or so of the survivors dying within the following week.

I get bantams only, their bantams are very fraile and weak, and ship VERY poorly if it takes more than a day or so to get to you.

Large fowl ship better, breeder stock ships better.
If you local feed store has chicks, they usually all make it because the weak ones died on them and you get to pick from the strong left over stock.

Of course all this is just based on shipping loss. Basic care knowledge is needed too or they'll all die this first night.
Dont mix batches either to prevent disease risk. Keep them as far away from other birds as possible til they grow up, etc, keep them at 95 degrees the first week lowered by 5 a week. Good medicated feed, freash water daily, periodic vitamin and minerl supplements etc all go a long way to helping you have better results.

You can get in the healthiest chicks in the world, but if you are new and do something wrong, they can die very easily. Read up on basic care and all, buy from a feed store if possible, keep their brooder well ventilated and clean and you should be just fine.

 

[magicpigeon]

I collect mine instead of having them shipped... 100% rate nonetheless

 

[Arielle]

My first year with chicks.

Bought 25 from Mcmurray, got 2 extras; 2 died. 25/27
Pickup at feed store and survived: 7/8 EE w/ parrot beak died; 4/4.

shipped: ordered 8. 11 shipped. 11/11

My own hatching eggs 14/16, 2 died day 1.

Chicks seem to be very strong.

 

[Sonic Pug]

Ordered 4 from Meyer. All 4 are doing great at 4 1/2 weeks.

Ordered 6 from MPC. All 6 are doing great at 4 1/2 weeks.

 

[Wild-Flower2011]

I have ordered several times from Ideal-Poultry and always had 100% survival rate, honestly the only one I have not had a 100% survival rate with was Cackle

 

[Tenom Dude]

I ordered mine (10 Naked Necks) 13th of July 2011 and one died... sigh..

 

[KWAK]

well i have been raising chicks every spring for 7 years and usually didnt lose chicks, this spring i had 60... 59 died thanks to somthing getting in the brooder and eating their wings(it was only their wings that got ate on every single one?).

 

[ozark_chickies]

Quote:
I have ordered 35 chicks twice from Cackle and had one die each time. I have also bought chicks from the feed store and TSC, which are also hatchery chicks, and none died. To be fair to Cackle, three of the chicks I incubated from my own eggs have died.

 

[kara_leigh]

I got my first hatchery order last week from Meyer. I ordered 25 chicks, received 26. One died on the trip here, two more died in my care (of the three, two of them were broilers so I'm wondering if something was wrong with them to begin with). The rest are doing wonderfully. I'm pretty sure I was keeping them too warm, which is why they died. That is my fault, not the hatchery's.