What percent of chicks arrive at your house dead?

[cluckmecoop7]

Just wondering.
Please also post below your experiences!

 

[SnapdragonQ]

There isn't a 0 % choice.

In nearly 15 years I've only ever had 1 chick arrive expired. And I've ordered a lot of chicks over the years so I'd say less than 1 %.
My problem has been the opposite...you order a certain amount and expect a few losses but everyone survives and then you have a few too many bodies, especially when the extras turn out to be roosters.... which you really did not want!

 

[cluckmecoop7]

I added to the poll.

 

[ashtonbritney]

I ordered 8, expecting at least one to die in shipment or shortly thereafter. a week later they're all alive.

 

[Koggecritters]

I ordered 15, they sent 17. All 17 still alive a month later. I split the batch with 3 friends.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

I put 15% or more...

My shipping route tends to be rough. Bantams from MPC arrived with a BUNCH of stargazers... 100% loss and second shipment... lost all but 2. Also, on the second round I learned to crush the feed extra. MPC, decided not to ship to my zip for the rest of THAT season, which I thought was a good idea.

Coming from breeders and other hatcheries my bantam loss is usually around 50%. Standard birds fair MUCH better. probably at least 10% still though if not a little more.

Knowing how rough my route is... I only purchase chicks with live arrival guarantee. But I also disclose my shipping concern with any private breeder and let them assess whether or not they can afford the risk.

To my location... no such thing as "express" mail, even though that's the only option from MPC. One breeder said even though it wouldn't truly be express that shipped that way it would get on a plane on their side. First shipment sent express with about 50% survival rate. 2nd shipment sent priority for about $8 instead of $55... arrived in the same amount of time with the same approximate amount of survivors. Shipping was paid by the sender... I personally request priority because according to my experience... express goes onto other planes and misses it's truck connection to come up the coast out of SFO... verses being on the truck. *Sometimes* express takes a day longer to MY location. Most of time it's the same, but never has express beat priority... YET.

I do value the effort made by our post people and the hatcheries that supply us!

 

[Ridgerunner]

I've only ordered chicks 3 times, once from Cackle, once from Meyer, and once from Ideal. A total of around 70 chicks. All arrived alive and all lived for months. All were dual purpose breeds.

 

[MGG]

I ordered 3 from Meyer, all arrived safe and sound

 

[bruceha2000]

12 chicks from Ideal in TX 2012
7 chicks from Meyer in OH 2015
6 chicks from Meyer in OH 2017
5 chicks from Meyer in OH 2018
8 chicks from Meyer in OH 2019

ZERO arrived dead or even somewhat distressed.

@EggSighted4Life how far are you from San Francisco and is that the airport your chicks are shipped to?

 

[EggSighted4Life]

@EggSighted4Life how far are you from San Francisco and is that the airport your chicks are shipped to?

Most chicks seem to go through SFO on their way here... I'm not less than 7 hours away... though the mail truck do seem to make good time. If they make the midnight transfer in SFO then they USUALLY arrive at my local post office around 6:30 am... I guess this makes it clear that their updates are delayed on the website... which actually last time I watched them scan my chicks out it didn't show up on the tracking for about 2 hours still.

If they don't show that "midnight" transfer (arrival/departure) in SFO.. the chicks arrive in Eureka, (90 ish minutes south) and their post master Brad always calls around 2 pm to see if I can come pick the chicks up.. or states they will be on the first truck out in the morning.. we get only two trucks daily.. 6:30 & 8 am. Sometimes I make the drive.

Most recent order was from Cackle... I ordered 15 straight run large fowl... they sent 17 from a Wednesday hatch. Hubby drove the 90 minutes each way to pick them up in Eureka Friday which essentially gets them home 12 hours sooner than they would have arrived on Saturday. Cackle had also included a heat pack. I had 12 survivors... that is lost 30% of the total shipped. Of course all sellers met their end of the agreement and reimbursed without issue and I also tried my best to to help those that needed it. Please note that in most instances mentioned my numbers are not just the DOA's per the original question.. but also those that pass shortly thereafter. I will try to include that when I can remember though.

Purely Poultry, 25 bantams... 50% survived but can't remember exact details without pulling records.

Meyers... has had what seems like the best results for me. I ordered both chicks and poults on separate occasions. I can't remember exact rate on chicks but must have been good enough I decided to try them again. The poults I think 12/15 made it equaling 20% loss there.

Ducklings ordered from Metzer... 7/10 made it. I remember 1 was DOA and the other 2 just didn't come around. That's 30% loss. Those actually made it here pretty fast from inside California... Maybe under 24 hours.

I know one of my LFS has some of her chick shipments held at the post office in Oregon... about 25 miles north of us. She's figuring they MAY take a different route... But, I would talk with local post master before presuming anything.. In fact, that's a really good idea! Anyone know of a way to see the route thing will take??

Wow, my numbers are awful as have some of the experiences been ... but over all a fantastic learning adventure!

Expecting 2 more shipments later this year ... 1 set 25 breeder bantams and 1 set 10 large fowl from Green Fire Farms. Still hoping for the best!