Chick delivery problems...via usps

[red maples]

Hi all,

Had chicks delivered 100% dead yesterday.

Come to find out this year in particular there have been more than normal deliveries of chicks via USPS that are arriving 100% dead this year. I guess there are enough deliveries of 100% dead birds nots only chickens but, ducks and turkeys as well, that it is in the very beginning stages of an investigation as to why this is happening and where the chicks are being delivered from. If it is a shipping issue, heat issue, suffocation issue, or human error but I posted on my face book page that I got a dead shipment of chicks and had a person from a local NH farmer's market organizer/volunteer tell me there have been alot of issues.

I had 1 friend that ordered 30 layers and she got 4 ducks in her delivery 1 of which was dead she had them for a week and all but 2 and the 3 ducks died (sounds like that was possibly a brooder heat issue maybe) but none the less the hatchery replaced the dead chicks.

Anyway just wondering if anyone else has had any problems with delivery issues this year.

[heus]

Not chicks but some people seem to be having problems with packages of bees dying in the mail.

[red maples]

I have heard of that too. postal workers don't like the bees so what do they do put them on the loading dock in the cold and well they die!!!

[NH/Pete]

Well I didn't have any losses this year. 150 chicks ordered. They shipped 154 and all survived.
I get my meat birds from Pa. Shipped on a Monday and I got them on Thursday. Guess I was lucky.

I'm three weeks into the grow out now and a few less wouldn't of been so bad. :lol:

[maple flats]

How many days did they have the chics? They likely froze or at least got too cold with the temps early this week.

[heus]

Ive always ordered from Murray McMurray Hatchery in Webster City, Iowa. Never had a dead chick0ver past 25 years.

[wiam]

How many days did they have the chics? They likely froze or at least got too cold with the temps early this week.

I would disagree. I have had chicks delivered in January and had no problems.

[sirsapsalot]

How many days did they have the chics? They likely froze or at least got too cold with the temps early this week.

Post office union probably said that having the bird's inside with the workers was unsafe and they keep them outside in the cold.

[sirsapsalot]

Ive always ordered from Murray McMurray Hatchery in Webster City, Iowa. Never had a dead chick0ver past 25 years.

I order from there too. They have a 25 chick minimum so they can stay warm and withstand the abuse of the USPS.

[red maples]

I have ordered small batches of chicks from them before and have never had an issue even earlier in the year with colder temps and never had an issue. this particular company you can order as few as 11 chicks (12 with bonus chick) which I have and had no problems . I am guessing its human error. left them in cold area for too long. some dumb@## who doesn't know anybetter probably said oh we'll leave them on the loading dock to give them some fresh air!!!

[KenWP]

Last year we had a stupid postal strike but they did it rotational and the hatchery tried twice to mail my quail before they tried a different shipping method. I was told that they never covered death losses due to the problem but I got the birds replaced non the less.The place where I pick them up always has extra birds left as the hatchery sends a few extra to cover death losses and they don't usually loose that many in a normal year. I was able to pick up 12 yesterday that they had sitting around and didn't want to hold over Sunday.

[red maples]

Healthy happy chicks arrived this morning!!! still waiting on the meat birdds though probably get here tomorrow. In my new Homemade Brooders!!!

577457755776

[Specklefield Farm]

Just curious, what are you guys paying for each chick when dealing straight through the hatchery? I've bought mine locally at farm supply stores for $2.50 for standards and $5.00 for fancy breeds (and prices are adjusted with bulk orders). Sounds expensive, but I only pay for the ones are are still wiggling! LOL

[Rhino]

Got my 40 babies (39) actually, 1 died on route back home this morning. My cost for the 40 jumbo broilers (meat birds) was $48.00. My chicks came out of Beaver Dam Wis. and i seen on the box this morning that the shipping was $6.85. I Had to be at a local feed mill in town at 6 oclock this morning for pick up. Got them in a 300 gal. metal stock tank and all is good. Eat, drink, poop and nap for the next 8 weeks. (not me, the chickens)

[wiam]

I get mine from Welp. I paid $2.50 for Red Sex Links (females) and $1.35 for straight run Cornish Rocks. These prices are for 100 of each breed. They do not add shipping. Their price is delivered.

[slammer3364]

I also ordered mine from Welp,just arrived last Fri. in great shape.Paid 3.25$ apiece for pullets (mottled Javas ) not to many hatcheries handle them. Sorry about your luck.

[NH/Pete]

$1.23 a bird for meat chicks. All cockerels cornish X

[red maples]

the pick your own breed all pullets were I think $5 each shipping included that was from healthy chicks and ore out of OHIO. I got red broilers 25 for $2.65 plus shipping...not sure what that was $15 I think. the same company has rocks x's for 1.80 for 25 plus shipping. Thats Randall burkey out of texas. They were one of the ones that had the red broilers so I went with them but I wanna find one a little closer to home. I will look PA for the next batch so shipping is a little cheaper. from Randall Burkey 100 red broilers are 2.40 and Rock X's are 1.70 and obviously the more you get the cheaper they are.

[wcproctor]

Just curious, what are you guys paying for each chick when dealing straight through the hatchery? I've bought mine locally at farm supply stores for $2.50 for standards and $5.00 for fancy breeds (and prices are adjusted with bulk orders). Sounds expensive, but I only pay for the ones are are still wiggling! LOL

I get mine at a local feed store and I pay 2.50 each also. Sounds to me it less hassle this way(or less dead).I have to replace some girls dam coyote has been around and it got my roster too.

[red maples]

yeah thats why I had to get some more ladies from the lovely (now dead) mink that got 5 layers and my rooster last Oct. but trying to keep things positive my ladies are looking alot better without the "harrassment" from the rooster and are actually laying better too. there is only really the hen pecked one which there is always one. poor thing always getting pushed around!!!

[KenWP]

You guys get skimmed with the broilers.I get the white or the red for a $1 a piece and if I was to buy over a 100, 95 cents. Thats for males.The females are 89 cents and down to 85 cents if over a 100. The laying hens are $2:50 thou.

[red maples]

There was an article in the paper the other day about more chicks being delivered dead. there were several orders in the keene area that were dead one batch was 300 the other 350, one woman said she gets has been getting chicks delivered for over 30 years and has NEVER recieved a dead delivery. and talking to our local feed store they lost 2 big orders (not one) of 250 chicks each.

[wiam]

You guys get skimmed with the broilers.I get the white or the red for a $1 a piece and if I was to buy over a 100, 95 cents. Thats for males.The females are 89 cents and down to 85 cents if over a 100. The laying hens are $2:50 thou.

I have bought broilers for $1 before.(Is that shipped for $1?) The broilers from Welp for $1.35 (shipped) grow a lot faster.

[KenWP]

This is picked up at the feed store.They are the same ones the big guys use also.They grow so fast its weird.I kill then off between 12 to 15 pounds dressed weight.We have to cut them up as we get 4 or more meals per bird that way. Inever order them shipped as the language gets in the way. I can actually get them cheaper direct from the hatchery in Montreal but have to pay postage.