Quote: This was my first time shipping birds out, but I've received a number in... they've all arrived just fine. chicks on the other hand... my chicks from sandhill preservation center, I had one good shipment, one OK shipment, all 3 shipments from McMurray were received dead... then again, those all got lost in st Louis for 2 days each time too. go figure.
I won't ship day old chicks, there's just too much at stake for so many little ones. but the adults have always been shipped express and always received right on schedule.
the adults I've received have come from KY, AR, ME and OH... mostly bantam cochins,... actually come to think of it, they've ALL been bantam cochins. LOL
shipping was easy. a little bit of shavings and pellets in the box, with an apple cut in half for them to nibble on for moisture.
on the birds I've received, sometimes the apples are still whole, sometimes all that's left is peel... the hens have laid eggs while on route, one girl ate hers. I think maybe it cracked and she just gobbled it up. the roosters seem to travel faster. maybe they're more annoying. LOL
now that I've shipped successfully I'm not as 'afraid' of it as I was. LOL I am planning on buying some more shipping boxes. the two I used were ones I got some cochin boys in this spring. I also plan to try shipping younger birds too, but never anything under 4 weeks old. if you know you might ship, I might suggest training them to eat apple slices now and then. young birds seem to accept new foods easier than adults.
IMO it's the express vs priority that makes all the difference with the day old babies. when I ordered from sandhill I opted for express, so the babies got here faster. mcmurray didn't have that option. and I know others have had good results, but I won't do that again. those 3 attempts resulted in over 100 dead chicks, which saddens me like you'll never know. well you might, I don't know but I'd rather not have to go thru that again.
but fwiw, the breeders I've worked with (on the receiving end) have all been byc members. some I've met since buying birds from them. a couple I hope to meet someday in the future. 8)