Will be ordering New Chicks soon Need advice.

[StormyMoon]

First off we are ordering around 250 chicks from Ideal in 2012

I am curious how many do they normally put in each box in large orders? if anyone knows please let me know ty.

Second this is going to be my very first time ordering on line or having any chicks shipped to me.

Should I go to the post office first and let them know I will be doing this?
Or
Wait till after I have ordered them?

I have raised my own chickens but mine have stopped laying so I am going to refresh my flock
and retire the old flock.

We had a great hatching time last year and now I guess some of the girls have gotten old on me.
Many of that I hatched I sold , and I only have maybe 5 left from all I hatched.

A lot of the hens were given to me already at laying age but I never asked how old they were which was ok
basically they were my practice chickens to get started and see if I would like to be in the chicken business.

I am hooked, and I am addicted lol

But now I would like to try some different breeds and some of the ones I have already had.
I don't know if I should wait till Feb or March as you can see I am in Texas Feb is our coldest season.

Thanks for any help!

 

[Mahonri]

I think they put 25 per quarter box.

I'd order right away so that by July you'll be in eggs.

 

[StormyMoon]

Ok so that will be like 10 different boxes thanks,

I am trying to wait till around feb when I get my taxes done

I want to get

25 assorted Bantams
25 Easter eggerss

25 Black Australorps
25 Pekin Ducks

25 assorted Heavy Females
25 Buff Orpingtons

25 White Leg Horns
25 Speckled Sussex

25 Assorted Cochins
25 Silkies

 

[idispatch4911]

I'm in Southern Utah (Temps like Las Vegas...) and I just did my very first live chick order through Ideal. They were delivered 2 weeks ago - so cold December temps. All were very healthy and active and peeping like crazy even without a heatpack. I ordered 11 pullets and got those plus 9 packing peanuts that are all looking pretty roo-ish. I ordered online and then a week later changed my mind about some of the breeds and called up Ideal - they were great. I also changed my credit card info on the phone with no problems. I got an email saying my chicks were shipping soon, an another email saying my chicks had shipped. I actually got about 3 emails each time and was worried I'd have 3 boxes of chicks waiting - but I only had one.

I called my post office about a week before the chicks were to be delivered and asked how they usually handled things: do they deliver or call me to pick up? Each place is different. The post office people were helpful and reassuring. They told me exactly how they'd work it and it happened just as they said.

The only problem with ordering now is keeping baby chickies warm enough. We kept our 20 chicks in the cardboard brooder box in the kitchen with heat lamps until just this morning (2 weeks old and quite stinky!!). I moved them to the insulated garage with heat lamps and an electric blanket under the cardboard brooder box. Hick set up, but it works.

I would definitely order from Ideal again, no question! I don't think I'd consider researching other hatcheries unless there was a breed I really wanted that Ideal didn't have.

 

[StormyMoon]

Quote:
Thank you

I will be ordering from Ideal mostly cause they are close to me...

We have a Mobile Office in back and it will be used as a brooder room with heaters of course we will divide each up into 10's maybe? so they can have enough room to run around in their boxes. Before I used plastic storage boxes but that won't work this time with so many coming in at the same time. But for the Bantams I am sure the plastic storage boxes will work great.


This should be a fun new project in our new home I am excited to get started.
Thank you for the info on Ideal I didn't even think to ask what to expect from them but thats great to know cause I will be a nervous wreck till they are safe at home.

I really like getting the roos some of these will be st run which is ok with me. What ever we won't use to breed will be sold to new homes.

 

[gingit]

They have different size boxes, most will fit 4x25 so your chicks will do fine.
Ideal is a great hatchery. We ordered from a few different ones and the chicks that came from Ideal were very active & healthy. All arrived live and still are.

The post office usually calls us in the morning they arrive and we go to pick them up at 7AM.
Brooding 250 chicks is some serious work. Non stop water and feed.
Post photos!
Good luck!

 

[StormyMoon]

Quote:
Ok ty

yea It wont be too hard there are 8 people here that will be taking care of them taking turns , last spring I hatched 150 chicks all but 5 sold.
Now we are refreshing our flock, the bantams are going to be just a side hobby for me and the kids.

We won't be keeping them all but its cheaper to buy them in 25's the rest i will either sell to people around here or to the local
feed store he always buys up my left over chicks that I don't need.

 

[Chemguy]

I let my mail carrier know in advance, out of courtesy. She was pretty excited about it. If you don't have delivery of the sort I do, most hatcheries will send you an email once the chicks have shipped, including a tracking number. You'd be able to know when the chicks arrive and can pick them up at the post office. My phone # was on the shipment, and the PO also called me when the chicks arrived, to ask if I would pick up or if I wanted them delivered.

 

[gingit]

StormyMoon
I saw your goats photos. Beautiful!
We have 7 goats and really hope for kids this spring.

Can't wait...

 

[itsy]

I've worked with Ideal before and have been pleased!

Definitely call the post office. We recently moved, but at my former PO, I called ahead of time and asked them what they would like me to do. They said to call them the morning of the day before and the day of (just to make sure the peepers didn't get there early) and then to come in and get them. My PO didn't want to deliver them, nor did they want my number to call me when they were there. I suppose they're all different!

Good luck!