Ugh...I'm so dissapointed and sad. New babies arrived in bad shape.

[Fluffy Hens]

I've never had a bad shipment of poults before. I had ordered 10 poults and 7 chicks. The chicks arrived overnight but the poults were in a separate box and arrived this morning. One was ice cold dead and flat as a pancake Upon closer inspection was barely breathing. Sat with her for 4 hours under the heat lamp. Gave warm fluids, unbelievably she sat up and was looking around. I still don't expect her to make it, but at least I tried. The others are all very limp and weak. Made sure all got fluids, but I had to go to work. One poult was doing the flipping over and cranking the neck around thing. Out of 10 it looks like two Royal Palms and one Bourbon Red may make it. I think both the Narragansetts and the rest will all pass by tonight. I asked to have them overnighted and I would pay extra but the hatchery said they can't due to some agreement with the bird hatchers association or something like that. I guess they had a really rough trip.

 

[SurferchickinSB]

I've never had a bad shipment of poults before. I had ordered 10 poults and 7 chicks. The chicks arrived overnight but the poults were in a separate box and arrived this morning. One was ice cold dead and flat as a pancake Upon closer inspection was barely breathing. Sat with her for 4 hours under the heat lamp. Gave warm fluids, unbelievably she sat up and was looking around. I still don't expect her to make it, but at least I tried. The others are all very limp and weak. Made sure all got fluids, but I had to go to work. One poult was doing the flipping over and cranking the neck around thing. Out of 10 it looks like two Royal Palms and one Bourbon Red may make it. I think both the Narragansetts and the rest will all pass by tonight. I asked to have them overnighted and I would pay extra but the hatchery said they can't due to some agreement with the bird hatchers association or something like that. I guess they had a really rough trip.

How sad, let us know how it goes and hopefully they will all be healthy when you get home from work today!

 

[R2elk]

I've never had a bad shipment of poults before. I had ordered 10 poults and 7 chicks. The chicks arrived overnight but the poults were in a separate box and arrived this morning. One was ice cold dead and flat as a pancake Upon closer inspection was barely breathing. Sat with her for 4 hours under the heat lamp. Gave warm fluids, unbelievably she sat up and was looking around. I still don't expect her to make it, but at least I tried. The others are all very limp and weak. Made sure all got fluids, but I had to go to work. One poult was doing the flipping over and cranking the neck around thing. Out of 10 it looks like two Royal Palms and one Bourbon Red may make it. I think both the Narragansetts and the rest will all pass by tonight. I asked to have them overnighted and I would pay extra but the hatchery said they can't due to some agreement with the bird hatchers association or something like that. I guess they had a really rough trip.

I am sorry that you are having to deal with this. Reputable hatcheries have a minimum, typically 15 poults to make sure they can stay warm enough to make the journey. It is my opinion that it was wrong to ship them in separate boxes. Had they all been in the same box, they probably would have been warm enough to survive.

As far as I know they are shipped via USPS who does not have an actual overnight class. If someone told you they couldn't be "overnighted due to an agreement with the bird hatchers association", they were lying to you.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Shipping can be very hard on them. If you are able, poultry nutri drench is a fantastic supplement. I add it into the first liter of water and direct dose to the beak any who are not active.

We ordered 20 poults and lost 8. But I have received whole failed orders of 25 bantams in the past.. twice in a row. My route seems fairly good if more than 50% make it.

Congrats on your new babies!

 

[sourland]

Good luck in salvaging some of these. Sorry for the losses.

 

[Fluffy Hens]

I am sorry that you are having to deal with this. Reputable hatcheries have a minimum, typically 15 poults to make sure they can stay warm enough to make the journey. It is my opinion that it was wrong to ship them in separate boxes. Had they all been in the same box, they probably would have been warm enough to survive.

As far as I know they are shipped via USPS who does not have an actual overnight class. If someone told you they couldn't be "overnighted due to an agreement with the bird hatchers association", they were lying to you.

That's why I ordered extra chicks. I expected them to be in the same box. I work at the post office and we do get adult show birds (roosters and hens) overnighted but they are from private owners. The hatchery told me the line about the bird hatchers association

 

[Fluffy Hens]

Shipping can be very hard on them. If you are able, poultry nutri drench is a fantastic supplement. I add it into the first liter of water and direct dose to the beak any who are not active.

We ordered 20 poults and lost 8. But I have received whole failed orders of 25 bantams in the past.. twice in a row. My route seems fairly good if more than 50% make it.

Congrats on your new babies!

Thank you, I will see if the feed store is still open on my way home. Do you think TSC would carry that? I guess I should call.

 

[Fluffy Hens]

The chicks arrived in fantastic shape so I guess that's something.

 

[Ninjasquirrel]

This is why I will only buy my chicks from a store. I would be furious if this happened. You couldnt get me off the phone as I would be demanding for someones supervisor. Id have some choice words...which should not be stated here

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Thank you, I will see if the feed store is still open on my way home. Do you think TSC would carry that? I guess I should call.

I KNOW they do... unless it happens to be out of stock.

No need for choice words... *most* hatcheries and USPS are doing their best to provide us with a service. Life is delicate. Most hatcheries offer a 48-72 hour after pick up live guarantee and will replace or refund any losses. Feed stores simply deal with the loss before the public. They are a great choice for peeps who don't want to deal with this and are happy with the choices available to them locally. I deal with shipping because I desire more choices.

Hope your babies are all good and start to thrive soon. Making sure to feed an appropriate turkey or game bird starter is key. I always crush my crumbles a little extras the first week... which seems to make for happier chicks/poults... and did increase my survival rate.. on shipped chicks from almost none to now 50-80%!