We placed an order from a hatchery (as I have done many times). We ordered 30 and have already lost 5 and one is about to go... agh Of course I can't get replacements until late Jan, and that is like Blizzard season here... So 6 out of 30, The ones that are healthy are really healthy. Last time I ordered for this hatchery (prefer not to name) I did have quite a few die in the last order- I ordered from another hatchery (Townline in Michigan) and didn't have any die we had ordered 35 from them... Townline is not hatching until Feb tho and I would like them sooner. ;-/
My first order was 8 chicks all arrived healthy and lived to adulthood. My second order was for 35 and from a different hatchers. We were shipped an extra and all 36 arrived healthy. We were worried about one being weak, but witin 24 hours we couldn't figure out which one that was. At about 1 week of age, we found one dead in the brooder...don't really know why, but I suspect it was smooshed by the other chicks, because I hadn't seen anything that looked like a sick chick that morning. So, my experience, while limited has been very good. How quickly are you losing these chicks? If they are dying in the first 24 hours, the hatchery will usually consider it their fault. If they are arriving healthy but you are losing them after more than a few days, I suspect that there may be a problem with your set-up, brooder, feed, water...something contributing to the loss. Keep in mind, however, that I am no expert on chick diseases. Perhaps someone else will have more useful advice.
<Knock on wood>. And I hope I don't jinx myself by posting this!! Ordered 25 chicks from McMurray. Got 26 + the Mystery Chick. All lived. At 10 days, I took approximately 16 + the Mystery Chick to the local feedstore to trade for dog food. Bought 6 week-old Silkies from a local, and she gave me the 7th for free just so she didn't have one left. They all have survived. Bought 4 2-day old Serama chicks from a local. They're going on a week now -- happy and healthy. So..... I have never faced loosing chicks in my short chicken stint. Maybe I'm doing something semi-right!!
