USPS dropped the ball

[Crafty-Duck]

That's terrible!!! I would be so worried about temp. too!!!! that's the biggest thing

Hopefully it will all work out

 

[CluckyCharms]

The error occured in Mansfield when they didn't send them out when they were supposed to (the last shipout of the day at 5pm). Somehow the were forgotten and sat on one of the desks throughout the evening and into the night, through to the next morning. They stepped up their game above and beyond after that, and restored my faith in the USPS. As for me...this experience was scary and terrifying and the unknown was breaking my heart. But...even the post office in Mansfield sent an apology note with the box for their mistake. An apology goes a long way with me.

The Good:

The lovely Connie from the USPS was my angelvoice on the other end of the line this morning when she called at 2:58 saying she had three bagawks bagawking for me.

Thus far we have 2 absolutely gorgeous and fluffy and fat-headed little easter eggers females (never seen baby chicks with heads that big before) and 1 totally adorable golden buff that I didn't think I would like but now I love.

The Bad

All three are acting very "blah" and sort of drunken. I pick them up and they don't peep or even struggle they just sort of lay there. One had a pasty green butt (which isn't really abnormal this early) so I took a cotton ball and warm water to it and it came right off; the other two butts are non-pasty. I currently have a warm water and sugar mixture heating up gently to give to them, and I'm hoping that works. I also have some Grow Gel Plus B I might put in there. They are in with our two gold laced brahmas and so far all is well amongst them. Ours are only 2 days older than these ones I think.

One is yacking with her beak like she's choking on something and I'm almost positive it's NOT gapeworm..I think she just is thirsty. has not quite understood the idea of water pecking but she'll get there with some help.

All three are here now, unstable and very exhausted...but I'm hoping all of that is just from their journey.

Thank you to those who posted. I was told to go ahead and file for a reimbursement of my shipping money spent...but I'm not going to. They all arrived in healthy condition, the box was pristinely kept, and the two people we saw handling them while we were there were carrying the box around like it was a human baby, lol I don't have the heart to report wrong when the outcome was right.

I just hope they thrive and do okay. The goldenbuff is the weakest one...she won't stand up but sits and scoots on her bum around the brooder to get to the water, food and other chicks...she just won't use her legs or drink like the other two. She scoots to the lip of the waterer and sort of "admires herself" in the reflection and that's it. I'll give her til late tomorrow and maybe help her out with that...looks like it might be splayed legs.

I really...desperately...want a camera now. I wish I could show you pictures of the HUGE heads on these easter eggers, they're so fluffy that they're almost as big as their body.lol!

YAY CHICKS

Also I can say with absolute certainty now that I would recommend mypetchicken.com to ANYONE wanting to order just a few chicks and have them be okay in shipment transit. They pack the box with some sort of really soft "nesting" material and underneath that they have a heatpack. The box was still cozy when we picked them up and they didn't seem too hot or too cold - just kind of "tossed salad" feeling. The box itself wasn't your typical cardboard box with holes in it either...it was like four times thicker than cardboard...but still cardboard. I'll be ordering from them again, definitely. The chicks are clean and fluffy and their vents look nice and healthy, etc. Nothing is around their 'umbilical' area. MPC sympathized with me when I called and also gave me information about how to treat them when they arrived if they weren't doing well. They also said I could call any time because sometimes they are there very early or very late.

Even my husband, who hates being woken up at 3am when he has to work at 5...was being supportive and humoring me enough to give me "tired drunken smiles" (not drunk just so tired he looked drunk). In any case, it was a very humbling experience and I was probably way too rough in my posts. ( There are still excellent people at the USPS and I am grateful I got my chickababes in time. I think they'll be lively in a day or so...when they get over their car sickness. hehe

As for the tracking information - it still isn't showing anything. =/ Ah well..they're here so obviously they've been delivered (and so have I)

 

[laturcotte1]

This would NOT go without a letter to my attorney generals office. What is the matter with the UPS people, there is no excuse for them not doing their job and they didn't do their job. If they showed up dead what then, just order more. These are living beings for Gods sake. Someone needs to hear about this regardless how sorry they were or how nice they were after the fact. Also I don't think big heads on these chicks are a good sign either. Not sure what causes it but it doesn't sound good from what I've heard from those that have experienced this. Sorry for the poor chicks experience and I hope they pull though.

 

[SIMZ]

YAY!!! I'm so glad you got them!

It might be worth a try to feed them some scrambled eggs and/or yogurt just to try to give them some extra protein. I had some lethargic & dying chicks once and the hatchery told me to try that.

 

[CluckyCharms]

This would NOT go without a letter to my attorney generals office. What is the matter with the UPS people, there is no excuse for them not doing their job and they didn't do their job. If they showed up dead what then, just order more. These are living beings for Gods sake. Someone needs to hear about this regardless how sorry they were or how nice they were after the fact. Also I don't think big heads on these chicks are a good sign either. Not sure what causes it but it doesn't sound good from what I've heard from those that have experienced this. Sorry for the poor chicks experience and I hope they pull though.

I thought about that, but in all honesty, they included an apology note when they didn't have to (the original starting facility) and they admitted they goofed. There was only 1 obnoxious worker I spoke with yesterday (and I spoke with quite a few USPS reps). 99% of them were very accommodating to my "21 questions interrogation" and most of them were very sorry about the mix-up. They set the chicks aside for special handling and then forgot about them. SO in my opinion their intentions were good...just didn't follow through.

YAY!!! I'm so glad you got them!

It might be worth a try to feed them some scrambled eggs and/or yogurt just to try to give them some extra protein. I had some lethargic & dying chicks once and the hatchery told me to try that.

I did in fact give them scrambled eggs this morning but they only walked around in it, squishing it between their toes and creating a mess (didn't eat it). They resembled Lucille Ball stomping around in the grape bin, making a mess. I dipped their beaks in it but they just flung their heads around and looked at me indignantly.

They are all drinking water on their own - no beak dipping necessary. I think our GLBs must have shown them the water or they just found it themselves.

The two EEs are doing quite well this morning, and are drinking water like crazy. The golden buff/comet/red star isn't doing very well. She's still not standing up and is scooting around on her bum, or laying on her side. It is sad because at first I only got her to fill the order, but when I saw her it was "instant awww"...I pray she makes it somehow. Nothing is physically wrong with her feet or her legs from outward inspection...but something could have happened in transit, I won't know for a bit. She drank a touch and ate some grow gel, but just can't seem to right herself. I put a brace on her legs using medical tape because it comes off easily...but...that only made her fall over harder because she couldn't use her legs/feet to get comfortable...almost like chicken tipping versus cow tipping so I took it off the poor thing.

Big heads - I don't think I explained this very well. We're not used to this type of chicken. The EEs have big chipmunk cheeks and big beards so their heads look huge and fluffy. I'm not used to chicks with all that extra fluff in their faces. lol I don't think their heads are abnormally enlarged or anything like that.

 

[Going Quackers]

I cannot imagine how stressful that was. I am glad they arrived and hope they turnabout. The hatchery i got my girls from stopped shipping in my province i gather due to issues just like these. I had to drive hours to get them, which they fared just fine with but we were constantly watching lol

Many EE's have chipmunk cheeks.. love that!

 

[galadtomeetya]

Ah, I'm so happy your little ladies finally made it home! What a nail-biter!!
(I love the little beards on the EE's, too-- sooooo fluffy!)

 

[CluckyCharms]

Thank you very much.

I went to check on their water a few minutes ago and the golden buff was *sort of* standing. When she heard me walk in the room she plopped back down on her side - makes me wonder if she's faking it. I don't think chickens know how to manipulate though.

They're drinking ACV water and eating grow gel plus b + chick starter at the moment.

The GLBs don't seem too fussed that they have new roommates, they're just not snuggly with them. The trio is snuggly and the GLBs are snuggly, just not in the same group. They have their little 'cliques'.

The third GLB calmed down a couple days ago when I put objects in there to amuse him, but he got bored of those this morning and started attacking the others again. I'm almost positive he is a roo because he's almost twice the size of the other two. The sad part is that he is *the* single most beautiful example of a GLB chick I've ever seen and I hate the fact that he's nasty-mean. I've been holding him a lot but it doesn't seem to make a difference - he even opens his beak and nips/bites at me. It doesn't break the skin but it does hurt. He's not even pecking - he's latching and yanking. He's separated from the rest now. I put him in the pen with the 4 week olds and he even picked on them mercilessly...even yanked out three wing feathers of my female NJ; they did nothing to him. He may need to be culled due to his attitude but dang it...he's gorgeous.

 

[cafarmgirl]

Awww, I'm so glad to hear they arrived! It's always distressing to hear about chicks lost in the mail and sitting somewhere. So glad to hear you have them now!

I've found that Save-A-Chick electrolite solution in their water perks them up amazingly well and I always give that now for a couple days to shipped chicks. I had a couple slow ones in my last order and they perked up really fast with that stuff. That and just getting some warmth and rest. I had one that slept most of her first day home, next day she was up and at 'em, zooming about the brooder with the rest.

Good luck, hope they do well.

 

[AlienChick]

Whew! This was a rough ordeal for sure!
I'm so glad they're doing much better.
A little molasses in the water can't hurt if you've got some lying around.