What's your experience been with McMurray?

[new_at_chickens]

I have had serious trouble with McMurray and am quite ticked off at them. Just wondering what others' experiences have been, as we keep being told that our situation was a "fluke."

McMurray shipped out the first set of chicks that had hatched on 2/6/09 on 2/7/09. They didn't get here (Virginia) until 2/10/09! Three and a half days in the mail for a few states over.

Two were DOA and we lost 8 more within 24 hours. 10 dead out of 26! We were experiencing a "heat wave" for all of those days - temps were in the 60's.

We complained and they said they could send out replacement chicks the following week (with filler chicks to keep them warm). I expressed my concern about the holiday, but they said they would ship the chicks out on the Sunday before (instead of Saturday).

We finally got them this morning (FOUR DAYS LATER)! All but three DOA and cold - the three that were alive were cold and gasping for air. One more died shortly after we warmed them up. I highly doubt the remaining two will live.

What really ticks me off is that the shipping box said they went out SATURDAY afternoon! Almost four full days in the mail. And they didn't send them with filler chicks - 10 chicks left alone in a box with some grow gel for four days in the cold - it was a DEATH SENTENCE!

When I asked about the number of chicks, they said that they were "experimenting" with making the box smaller so they could ship less chicks. Their idea of experimenting was to put a cardboard insert in the box and add some Grow Gel.

If this is true (and not a mistake), why are they experimenting with chick numbers in FEBRUARY?!

I am so ticked off at them (and the post office for being so incredibly slow). They offered to send more chicks and I said NO WAY. I have already buried enough poor little chicks.

Has anyone else had a bad experience with McMurray? This is quite a shock to me because I've always heard only good things about them...

Thanks,

Melissa

 

[Katy]

I haven't ordered for years, but that's who I always used to get chicks from.

I'm sorry that you've lost the chicks.

Part of the issue is the time of year. Even tho it may have been warm where you are, that doesn't mean it's warm all along the route they need to travel.

Last year at this same time the posts started showing up about DOA chicks. Things can happen in route at all times of the year, but the weather can be so up and down this time of the year in my opinion that it's really risky to ship right now.

Order for shipment in another month or so and there will probably be a better outcome.

 

[Mrs MIA]

Monday was a holiday, did you warn your PO that you were expecting them? Holidays are always a consideration when choosing shipping dates.

I've had good experiences with them, even when I was silly enough to think I could ship them in to Alaska in February. It's our responsibility to think about the conditions during shipping, too.

Please don't let this turn into another bashing thread... there's plenty of them out there already. With good and bad experiences by all parties. It is between you and the hatchery to sort out.

 

[al6517]

At least 95% of what I have heard from folks about McMH has been very good.

AL

 

[birdsofparadise]

Iʻm sorry to say that I had the same experience with McMurray pheasant chicks. The first order of 50 had about 10 d/o/a and I lost another 20+ within 48 hours. The replacement order (I demanded a full 50) had similar results. So, after two orders, I had about a total of 40 viable chicks. What I didnʻt know is how much 2 weeks difference makes in the brooder. The older chicks picked at the younger chicks mercilessly. I finally had to run two brooders.

All in all, an unpleasant and expensive experience. And collecting those tiny corpses every morning was just too depressing!

 

[Mrs MIA]

Are you giving them a little bit of sugar in their water when you get them, and dipping their beaks in the water to make sure they're drinking? Quik Chik in the water helps, too.

 

[new_at_chickens]

I'm not trying to bash McMurray. I'm just looking for information.

I checked them out thoroughly before ordering. The BBB rates them highly as do many other sources.

They've just been less than honest with me and I want to see if others have had similar experiences.

The chicks were stuck in the mail for 3.5 days one time and 4 days the next. That is partially the fault of the USPS. They can only survive without food and water for about three days after hatching.

The second delivery date was really messed up. I told them I was concerned about them shipping the birds over the holiday and they said that it would be no problem because they would ship them out on Sunday. They shipped on Saturday and didn't arrive until this morning (Wednesday).

They also only sent the 10 chicks I had asked to be replaced. NO FILLERS - although they told me that fillers had to be included and I was fine with that.

When questioned, at first they told me that they were "experimenting" with the size of the orders. When I didn't buy that they admitted that it was a mistake that the 10 went out all by themselves.

Yet it was done on purpose because the chicks were in the box with a cardboard insert - so the box section they were in was only half as big.

 

[kitchwitch]

well if they're experimenting with smaller orders, it makes sense to do so during colder months, however, the customer should be informed that this experimenting is going on. Then you can be prepared.

 

[streemers]

i will be receving my order of 15 ducks next week and will let you know how it turns out. sorry about all the doa's that is so yucky. i was also wondering about other peoples dealings with them.

 

[halo]

Sigh.....why do people think that McMurray Hatchery is responsible for the weather and the postal service? I have had them take 3 full days to get to me, and they were just fine. But it wasnt in FEBRUARY!!