Unclaimed chicks at Post Office?

[elmoflim]

Oh gosh, I’d definitely leave a note in their mailbox. They might have been expecting the chicks later or delivered to their house. I’m so glad you rescued them I’d give them a week or two to respond then sell the chicks(for feed cost and electricity.) Hopefully they’ll get in touch with you by tomorrow! Let us know how it goes.

 

[Noy]

Oh wow! Talk about a mixup!
How lucky that the post office staff remembered you and had a way of reaching you, at last.
And you taking them in to save them really warms my heart!

As others have said... try to find ways to reach the people they were meant for - I wouldn't hesitate to knock on their door - and if you can't, I'd put them up for sale in a week (or if you can hold them longer, people pay more for 4-6 week olds).

Please keep us posted! And good luck, I hope the ones that survived all make it.

 

[Mosey2003]

Maybe the chicks weren't meant to ship yet and the family is on vacation?

 

[Scottiemom]

Maybe the chicks weren't meant to ship yet and the family is on vacation?

That is what we think. Apparently, this is not the first time this has happened with this shipper and these customers.

 

[Scottiemom]

As an update, we were able to contact the shipper and were directed to find the chicks a home since I could not keep them. As it happens, I had told the employees at our feed store what happened and someone called them the next day asking for chicks! They took his number (no store around here has chicks this late in the season) and passed it on to me. They now have a new home with a place all to themselves.

 

[tpatricco]

As an update, we were able to contact the shipper and were directed to find the chicks a home since I could not keep them. As it happens, I had told the employees at our feed store what happened and someone called them the next day asking for chicks! They took his number (no store around here has chicks this late in the season) and passed it on to me. They now have a new home with a place all to themselves.

What a lucky outcome! I can't believe whoever ordered them originally never came looking for them. That part is awful. Thanks for being these chickies good Samaritan!!

 

[starri33]

As an update, we were able to contact the shipper and were directed to find the chicks a home since I could not keep them. As it happens, I had told the employees at our feed store what happened and someone called them the next day asking for chicks! They took his number (no store around here has chicks this late in the season) and passed it on to me. They now have a new home with a place all to themselves.

Thank you for taking them in, I bought some this year from TSC and they'd been left sitting in the post office pretty much the whole day, 2 out of 8 didn't make it. I'm glad you were able to find them a home with someone who's going to love them and care for them.

 

[Helloworld]

Friday afternoon I received a call from my local post office asking for my help. An order of chick's had come in for a customer but the clerk had not been able to get in touch them and it was nearing closing time. (We live in a rural area where packages can only be picked up for a couple hours Saturday morning for the weekend.) The clerk remembered I was brooding some chicks I received almost 2 weeks prior, so he asked if I might be able to care for these chicks, too, if the customers couldn't be reached. Luckily, I happen to have an extra brooder, lamps, feeders and waterers, electrolytes, the works. Of course I didn't want all those little fuzzy butts to suffer, so I went down to the post office just before closing and the clerk and I opened the box. Sadly, 3 didn't make it, 1 was terribly beat up and the rest were in pretty rough shape. I then got them home, and got them drinking and eating. I tried all weekend to contact the customers, but no luck. Now it's Monday and the local postal clerk has also tried to contact the shipper and the customer, still nothing. (That said, we believe it may be a mix up with the shipper and the customers are not even expecting the chicks yet.)

So, my question is, has anyone else had any experience with anything like this? What happened? How was it resolved? As an emergency, I am happy to help, but I really don't have the room for 19 medium sized chicks. I usually only brood 6-8 LF chicks at a time and I definitely won't mix them with my own.

Did you contact hatchery?

 

[Scottiemom]

I was finally able to contact the customer (and the shipper again). It WAS the shipper's mistake. That said, I am a little concerned about MY chicks now. Even though I did not mix the miss-sent chicks with mine, over half of the miss-sent chicks did not survive and (as I found out later) the shipper does not vaccinate for anything. My chicks were vaccinated for Marek's. I lost one of mine to "failure to thrive" and now I have another acting erratically. (Suddenly running around frantically and running into walls, and the just sitting kinda rocked forward on his chest a bit and his head twisted to the side.)

 

[paneubert]

I was finally able to contact the customer (and the shipper again). It WAS the shipper's mistake. That said, I am a little concerned about MY chicks now. Even though I did not mix the miss-sent chicks with mine, over half of the miss-sent chicks did not survive and (as I found out later) the shipper does not vaccinate for anything. My chicks were vaccinated for Marek's. I lost one of mine to "failure to thrive" and now I have another acting erratically. (Suddenly running around frantically and running into walls, and the just sitting kinda rocked forward on his chest a bit and his head twisted to the side.)

Highly, Highly, Highly, Highly, Highly doubt the surprise batch of chicks had any disease. It is really really rare for day old shipped chicks to bring in any disease since the hatchery should be clean and they are packed and shipped soon after hatch. There is not really a window for them to contact Mareks or other nasties while in that post-hatch but pre-ship period. And since yours were the vaccinated ones, they would be protected (hypothetically) anyway. Sorry for your loss!