WHY WHY WHY didnt I get Express delivery??!!

[moenmitz]

Got my 100 broilers from JM Hatchery at around midnight. They were supposed to have been here Friday morning, so it was almost three days. Not sure WHERE they were hanging out, but they were in tough shape. SO glad I talked to the distribution center and begged them to call me if any trucks brought them in during the night- they would all ahev been dead by morning. They were cold and really lethargic. Though surprisingly LOUD. Wow are they loud. Close to a half hour home, and by then, 2 were basically dead, just hadn't stopped breathing, another half dozen were iffy. First two died within the hour, I have 3 that are barely holding on, I am hoping they can pull out of it, been up nursing them since they came. Everybody else is doing good, once they thawed out and quit piling (which is what happened to the others, I think they got smushed) they went wild. I have NEVER seen chicks this active before. They were leaping out of the brooder so fast I had to practically throw them back in to catch the next one. They are really, really, really active. Cant stress that enough. Which has now caused a 4th tragedy- SOMEHOW one of the little stinkers got under the waterer...cant fathom how, I checked and re-checked, & checked again setting it in there...Poor little guy was flat and soggy. I feel so bad.

Very friendly little boogers too- might be hard to eat them....They have been eating non-stop since they warmed up, would be drinking non-stop too, but I keep taking the water away every so often or I think they would drink themselves to death. Course, they are busy trying to drown as it is. Apparently, THESE chicks like to swim-I cant keep them out of the waterer for anything-full body dives, and they seem not the least bit unhappy about it. Perhaps they are actually ducks...

Tenacious little things, they have managed to escape the hardware cloth covered wire pet crates that previously held 70 + baby chicks for 4 weeks without any problem. They crawl through the holes in the crate, wedge themselves between the hardware cloth and the crate, which is wired pretty tight, and out they come. Which does NOT make me feel nearly so secure about keeping predators out-I would have bet money they were critter proof... I finally gave up trying to keep them safe a couple of hours ago- I just didnt trust anything I did after watching them slip right through my previous protection. I moved them all into the house into big Rubbermaid tubs. At least nothing will eat them in here if they escape. They even managed to squeeze through the holes on the chick feeder and I have had to rescue a few that were in there gorging a long time and apparently exhausted themselves or buried themselves in feed. One guy is having a hard time still, but he may be one of the original weaklings that I thought had recovered enough to go in with the rest-I really cant tell. I can see why they range well, pretty sure they will burrow to China after a bug-they did somersaults trying to catch some flies.

Anyway-when they didnt show up this morning, I envisioned a box full of 100 dead chicks, so even if I lose a few more, it could be worse. Disheartening though, I have never lost a chick until now. I wish I would have gotten Express delivery- I would definitely advise it for anyone who is more than a day away from the hatchery they order from-who knows WHERE the post office left these poor guys sitting that they got so cold. Live and learn....

 

[miss_jayne]

wow! what a story...
overall, you are doing great considering the circumstances.

my post office called me at 3:30 am to come get my fuzzies. i must say, i think the thank you note IN ADVANCE really helped. i let them know they could call me day or night and that the faster i picked up, the healthier my shipment.

maybe try that as well as the express delivery. sounds like it's going to shape up well in the end.

 

[ticks]

Wow, in a way you kinda got lucky.

 

[moenmitz]

Maybe not so much- as of this morning, I have lost NINE. Two more are very, very weak.

 

[keljonma]

Sorry about your birds. Don't forget to contact the hatchery so you can get credit (or replacement).

I've never raised meat birds, but some of my friends have. I know they are very greedy eaters. They aren't supposed to have feed available 24/7 like your laying flock. They are such piggies!

 

[ticks]

Quote:
9 is better then all of them.

 

[moenmitz]

13 dead now. I am just sick. Everybody left looks pretty active, save for a few that seem a bit droopy. I have them isolated so they wont get trampled, and everyone is getting Quik Chik in the water. I think the hypothermia & dehydration was just too much for their little systems. It took hours before they would stop piling under the heat lamps, even when I moved the lamps a bit closer it didnt help. Just couldn't get warm. They all were insane over the water too, I had to keep taking it out so they wouldn't drink too much, and as it is, one was drowned when the others trampled him in the water, poor little fella. Don't know what else I can do but watch and wait and hope for the best. Everyone that has looked weak, I have separated, kept them drinking and under the heat,-stayed up all night with them, but they just keep wilting away.

I let Joel at JM Hatchery know what happened through email, but haven't heard back from him yet. He is probably out of the office. He was pretty concerned that they had not arrived on schedule, so I think he will help make it right. I did not know the birds would not be insured though- I would have gladly paid extra for it otherwise.

Thanks again for all of your kind words.

 

[newbie coops]

I'm wondering what type of waterer you have that a chick could get in it and drown...? And I am pretty new at raising chicks - maybe it's different with meat birds - but everything I've been reading says that water is absolutely required at all times, especially for baby chicks, so I don't know that it's a good idea to remove the water even if you think they are getting too much. I think they will stop drinking it when they don't need so much of it. I'm sure you've done this but have you put some sugar or vitamins and electrolytes in their water? That can make a very big difference when you have weak chicks.

I'm so sorry for your difficulties and I do hope you don't lose more chicks.

 

[moenmitz]

No, no...not depriving them of water.... I only was taking it out for 15 minutes at a stretch, then putting it back in for five minutes-when they get that dehydrated they can drink so much they essentially "drown." This way they could each get a few little drinks and then let that "soak in" so to speak. And yes, the water had both sugar and "Quik Chik" in it-everybody got their beaks dipped the second I took them out of the box.

The waterer was just one of those little plastic quart ones that are at every feed store, with the red bottom. I have never had any chick even attempt to get in them before, I filled them full of marbles before and it was of no need for those chicks. These I didnt bother doing that because of not having a previous issue. Because it is the little waterer, it is really shallow, and had he not been being forcibly held under, he would have been ok. I had them in 3 seperate brooders and was running between them trying to help the sick ones, locate the weak ones and keep the healthy ones from zipping out the door while I was doing that- just didnt see the poor guy at the bottom of the pile until I went to take the waterer away again. 100 identical chicks are alot to keep tabs on, and like I said, I have never seen any so FAST! Wore me out chasing after them. They are so sweet though, really friendly and not at all timid like our other chicks have been. Hop right up on your shoe or hand. If not for being stuck in a box for so long, probably sitting under an air conditioning vent I bet, they would ha
ve been just fine. I think they are fairly resilient to have survived at all. their little feet were like ice, and their bodies were cold to the touch!

Anyway, it is now 7:30 pm, no more new deaths, so I am starting to breathe easier. Joel emailed me back and said he would send new birds or give me a credit, so I am going to take the birds-and I will pay for overnight delivery this time!

 

[frankenchick]

How awful! But, I must say, you are doing a fabulous job, if only 13 have died!

My chicks have always come overnight; it's a good reminder that this shouldn't be assumed. Thanks, and best of wishes for you and the babies.