We received our chicks today, and at first, I thought all but one was dead. Upon closer examination, 18 of the 29 are still alive, but barely. I've got them just outside the heat lamp and there's sugar water in there, but they are literally laying prone. Is there anything I can do? I'm just heartbroken.
OMG Please Help - Hurry!
I would be calling the hatchery right now!
Either they are too stressed from the trip or there is something else wrong. Try to get the sugar water into them and call the hatchery.
I was worried about that when you said they didn't arrive because of the holiday. They should never have been shipped when there was a postal holiday. When you have time, verify the day they were shipped...if it was before Monday...there is no way they could reach you in the necessary 48 hours.
This has happened before to several members of DG. Call the hatchery immediately. Force a little sugar water into the chicks and keep them warm. It doesn't look good, but I came home one day to find the brooder light had burned out over three-day-old chicks . The smallest was cold and limp and not reacting. I thought it was dead...but I got it warm and it did recover completely.
Do the best you can--but I think this is the hatchery's, not the post office's, fault.
There are 11 dead, and I've gotten 15 out of the other 18 up and at least cheeping and moving around (most are on their feet). Three others aren't faring well. I've been giving them water with honey (which the hatchery said to do) and that does seem to be perking them up (that combined with the warmth). They shipped Sunday at 6:14 am which means they were in transit for 36 hours. Another man picked his up at the same time, and only half of his were up and walking (hopefully he fares well with the remainder). I'm never having them shipped again. It's too awful for them. They (McMurray) use Priority mail which is 2-3 days anyway. So three is okay with them. They said to call on Friday and give the final count and they'd refund or replace the dead chicks. I'm taking the refund and picking up the rest at my local feed store so I can get them home quickly.
I have been hand feeding them the honey water (dipping their beaks). I've tried to get some of the more hale ones to drink from the sugar water feeder, but they're not getting it. Should I give them a bit? (They have all had some of the honey water). How often should I pick them up to get them to try the honey water?
Thanks everyone. Let's hope for the best for these few stragglers, and be glad for the peace the 11 have now. Okay, gonna cry now. Be back in a bit.
Eileen
Once you get some sugar water in them and they are warm and walking around a bit, I would let them rest.
I still think the hatchery is very much to blame for sending them before a postal holiday--and they know it. Seventy-two hours is the absolute longest a newly hatched chick can possibly survive without food and water--it is not a time to aim for. And the chicks were probably sitting in a cold warehouse for at least one day.
It is just not acceptable. I would go to the DavesGarden Garden Watch Dog and make a report. MM is an old and experienced hatchery and should know better.
Oh Eileen I'm sending out a {{{{hug}}}}. I'm so sorry you had to go through this. It's tough this time of year due to the cold weather and then to add on the extra shipping time it's just too much for them.
I would continue to get them to drink just make sure it's well heated and no drafts. Whenever I dip their beaks I would keep them in the brooder an bring them over to the waterer so that they aren't going thru any temperature change by taking them out.
Please don't give up on mail order too quickly. I know it's heartbreaking when this happens but from my own experience it's hard sometimes to get the variety of birds from the feedstore or even local people. When the hatchery knew the weather was going to be really cold, they should contact you to see if you want the heat packs included and they should never ship when there's a holiday.
If you ever decide to mail order again, check out the hatcheries for ratings; also you should leave feedback on your own experience.
All the best and hope there's no more causalities.
Sue
Hi Catscan! We crossed posted! I absolutely agree w/ you if they are walking around leave them alone so you're not adding more stress.
So I should just keep trying with the ones who look half dead and are just laying there? Leave the rest be? They also left off the Quick Chick (the stuff that has the food and water all in one). Do I put just regular food in there then in the feeder (chick starter)?
I would add crumbled egg yolk--you could even try feeding them a little warm raw egg yolk.
THAT DOES IT FOR ME!I HAD MY ORDER ALL MAKE OUT,BUT I WAS AFRAID SOMETHING LIKE THAT WOULD HAPPEN TO ME AND I JUST COULD NOT STAND IT TO SEE DEAD CHICKS IN MY BOX.I HAD TALKED WITH MY POST OFFICE AND SHE SAID THAT SOMETIMES YOU DO GET A BOX OF DEAD CHICKS AND SHE SAID IT IS SO HEART BREAKING TO SEE THAT .I`LL JUST DEAL WITH MY LOCAL FEED STORE.SO SORRY MEVNMART YOU HAVE TO GO THROUGH THIS.
Thanks, Catscan, I'll give that a try.
I have found that if you have a good relationship with your feed store, they will order whatever variety you want as long as it is available from their supplier.
Our feed store (the one I've seen chicks at) is a chain store, so I'm not sure they'd do special orders. Is it okay for me to mix the chicks, or should I wait to see what happens to the weak ones? The ones I ordered were vaccinated, but the feed store ones probably aren't. I just don't know what to do. I lost all but one of my bantys. I'm so disappointed and distraught about this. This is not a good first experience. I'll post my review of McMurray once I see how this all pans out and how they respond.
So sad!
When I got mine last fall, they were hatched Oct 27. I picked them up at my post office early morning on Oct 28.
I thought all chicks had to be overnight.
Mine came from Hoover's Hatchery in Iowa.
There are a number of things wrong here, I totally agree with Catscan on this. This should never happen. We went through this same problem and lost foty six of fifty last year in Feb. I never get babies now before March 15th. Another thing is the person who buy's the chicks should make sure their chicks are no where close to a holiday for pick up. No chicks should be shippen in Feb without heat packs. Also Mevnmart I would use a blender and break down the crumbles to almost a powder for the babies. You can also make sure the water is warm, and you can mix a little water with powdered feed for the first couple days. I always feed powdered feed for the first two weeks even when I hatch my own. It just makes it very easy for them to consume it. Sure sorry about your loss. I would not give up on hatcheries for one bad experience though. Feb is just to cold for shipping babies in my opinion. Hay
And the death toll rises. Four more gone, and two that I think are banties not looking like they'll make it. That leaves us with a dozen out of 29. We're not sure whether to give these guys a few days to revive themselves or if we can make a divider and get more at the feed store so I can differentiate between the hatchery birds and the feed store ones. What do you think? I definitely want to replace the banties and replace the six or so females that we lost. I'm really not sure what we've got since there were three added boys and one mystery "exotic" chick. The one that was up when we opened the box seems to not have a match (I bought two of each kind of pullet) so he's either a filler or the mystery bird. Only the Banties were straight-run, so I'm thinking at most, I've got three boys and the rest should be girls. My brain is in a spin. My father-in-law says it's because I had a huge bubble of excitement around me and somebody went and popped it.
I actually had a dream last night that all but five of the chicks were dead. I think I was so focused on them that I may have felt what was happening. Not sure I believe in that sort of thing, but who knows. I just hope that we don't actually get down to five. I don't think we will because the ones walking around really do seem good.
Sorry to go on and on, but this is my first go around with chickens, and we're not off to a prodigious start.
Oh Mevnmart, I'm so sorry! How awful for the poor chicks and a terrible experience for you too.
I can't believe the company sent them that way, how cruel. Thinking of you today and hoping the remaining chicks are thrive.
Annie
Eileen, what a horrible experience! I will be curious to see how MMcM handles this. We get almost all of our chicks from them and have for many years, from the time that our local hatchery closed down. We have never had any problems with them except for some goslings which seemed to contract coccidiosis a few weeks after they arrived. And I can't really blame that on MMcM because of their age, although we'd never had that problem before. Thankfully we were able to pull most of them through with Amprolium.
Anyway, I wouldn't give up on MMcM because of one bad experience, but that's just me. Maybe I'd be discouraged too if it were my first try at mail-order chicks!
Well, we're up to 18 of 29 dead now. And two more look like they may not make it. I'm going to take the refund from McMurray and I've already bought chicks to replace the dead chicks from the local store. I got only six banties this time, 8 pullets, two straight run cresteds and three guineas (my mother-in-law wanted these). They all look great, and quite active, so I'm praying they'll keep up. I separated the McMurrays from the new chicks and put the guineas in a separate galvanized tub with their own light, food and water, since I think they're supposed to grow faster than the chickens.
Speaking of guineas - once all of my chicks are grown, will the guineas be able to intermingle with the chickens, or will they attack them? We got them mostly to free range in the yard and eat the bugs and snakes. The roosters will be free ranged as well though, and I don't know if the guineas will be dangerous for them.
I feel like an idiot for not educating myself better. I wouldn't have thought the hatcheries would sell chicks in February if it was too early. I also ordered them a few weeks ago, and didn't even think of the holiday. You would hope the hatchery would recognize that and advise me, but they said they'd delayed the hatch until Sunday so they'd be okay. Well, three days is apparently too long, particularly without heat packs, and that makes me angry.
I'm not going to entirely give up on shipped chicks, but I am definitely going to try to stick with one closer to me and insist on paying for overnight shipping.
I'll update, and upload pics once I'm sure they're all viable. I'm going to call McMurray on Friday, as they advised, and give them the final count. I'm just not sure how it works. There were four free chickens in there, and I have zero clue which are which. All of the banties are gone, so I know there should be 14 hens and up to four roosters. So at least we should have most of them be girls.
I'm not discouraged about keeping poultry, but I am going to educate myself a lot more. I'm determined to become a pro at it and give my chickens the best life possible.
Haystack - the chicks seem to be eating the crumbles without grinding them. Not all seem to be eating though yet. Do you still recommend throwing it in the food processor? Thanks!
Eileen
I've had good and bad experiences with getting chicks shipped. I've ordered from MM twice and both were good experiences. Once was a February shipment, and they put in 14 extra male Leghorns for warmth. All arrived alive, although two chicks (not any of the Leghorns of course!) died a couple days after we got them - they just didn't seem to know how to eat and drink. I didn't bother MM about that because it just seemed like a fluke.
Then we ordered from MM last summer and all chicks once again arrived just fine.
The summer before last I ordered layers and broilers from Mt. Healthy, and most of them were dead on the first shipment. The broilers mostly survived, the layers didn't. It was the USPS' fault for not taking adequate care with the boxes (it was summer and they let them get over-heated). Mt. Healthy replaced my order (including the entire broiler order, even though most of them in the original shipment were fine). They shipped the replacement broilers separately, and then the replacement pullets, except they didn't have any more of the one breed, so gave me a credit.
All in all, I can't complain.
Don't let this put you off ordering chicks. Thousands of shipments of chicks happen without any problems. And getting them from the feedstore doesn't mean that the chicks aren't shipped. They have to some from *somewhere*. But, I would avoid shipping around holidays, and in extreme weather seasons.
I do think MM should replace or credit you for your entire order as it seems most of the chicks are not surviving, just for the sake of good customer relations. Keep us posted.
Mevenmart: I would still grind the crumbles for at least a weak. Also keep in mind that several of the babies might seem fine and still die days later as a result of the trauma. I would agree that they should replace the entire order, as you can't know what you have and what you have not. Trauma can often be delayed in reaction time. So at least give yourself the benefit of the doubt. Mevan it only takes seconds to grind the crumbles in a blender. It will pay off. Haystack.
I take boiled egg yolk and mix it with electrolyte water (chicken vitamins) and oatmeal that has gone through the coffee grinder. Make a runny blend of it and put a drop of it on their beak. Even the weakest will lick it usually. Just cause they are up and walking doesn't mean your out of the woods.. (Not to be negative, just a warning to keep your emotional guard up)
The delayed death toll is going to happen regardless of what you do. Some of them are going to fail. Trust that it's better for them to sleep now than struggle to live a less than desirable life.
My heart goes out to you!
PS... if your local feed store is ordering chicks.. chances are they have been vaccinated.
This is such a sad thread, it's heartbreaking, poor little chicks. Hope the surviving ones pull through and do well.
I am so sorry, my heart goes out to you. I hope the survivors do well, along with the newest ones.
Someone on BYC just got an order of 35 ducklings from Ideal and are going through the same thing....they have lost more than half so far.
Well, we went through and de-pasty-butted the lot of them and applied vaseline. Before that, we'd lost a few more. We are now down to 5 from the hatchery, with one that won't make it through the next few hours. So we have a total of 16 new chicks plus four, for a flock of 20. I think we're going to stick with that so long as there aren't any more major losses. I'm keeping my hopes low so I'll be pleasantly surprised when they thrive.
As far as McMurray goes, if I've got four chicks of 29, that means the 25 I ordered are essentially wiped out. I have no idea if what's left are the fillers and the "surprise" bird, so I'm going to ask them for a full refund (though likely minus shipping). That will recoup what I've spent to replace them here, even though now I have fewer birds. (I had to buy a separate container, lamp and feeder for the guineas, so I'll actually be ahead money-wise on the chickens - not ahead in any other way though).
Thanks so much for your support and sympathy. I have always loved DG for the gardening, and now I see that the P&L board is just as chock-full of knowledgeable, helpful folks. My thanks.
Eileen
Lots of luck with the remaining chicks, and I would think that MMcM would refund everything after this experience. What a shame you had to go through this, and that you had to see those poor chicks suffer and die. Being careful not to order anything on a holiday weekend is probably a good tip, although I've gotten chicks right after the fourth of July - from two different hatcheries - and they were fine. Maybe the fact that it was warm out made a difference.
Do keep us posted about how the rest do, and what happens when you contact the hatchery. And yes, the people here are wonderful! They've helped me out many a time.
Small victory! 20 made it through the night including 4 from the shipment!
I spoke with Ruth at McMurray this morning. I started the conversation by telling her that I understood they had a great reputation which is why I chose them. I also said that I thought this was just an unfortunate incident, though I also explained that they failed to send the chick start packet and I was dismayed that they had no heat packs. She got a little defensive and said if they didn't send quality product, they wouldn't have been in business for XX number of years. Whatever. She agreed to a 100% refund of my money. So they did make good. I found a few hatcheries within a few hours driving distance, so in the future, I think I'm going to go that route. I can't bear to open another shipped box and face that sight again. Thanks for your support, everyone. I'll take pictures once this last chick passes - I'll have 2 remaining from the original shipment. The rest of the chicks look to be doing well, though one died this morning from the feed store lot. I also lost a banty yesterday. I'm confident I've got things set up right, and my temperatures are good. All of the chicks seem to be eating and drinking.
One question. I have one little banty that is white and I've dubbed him (her?) "Drunken Master". He seems very wobbly on his feet and seems to kind of move his head around like he's drunk or on the verge of sleep. Any idea what that would be? He's cute as can be, but I'm afraid there may be something wrong with him. Thanks guys.
Eileen
Watch that chick carefully. In the meantime I recommend you go buy a bottle of baby vitamins of a brand called 'Polyvisol- without Iron' and give weak chicks one drop (put it low on beak and they will drink it) or if all are drinking reliably add some to their waterer.
I've saved some really weak quail chicks this way- and boy can they be delicate little critters!
He may just be a little slow to mature or have slight neurological problems. I have had some chicks like that. Some don't make it...but most catch up. Just make sure he is getting a chance to eat and drink...sometimes the weaker ones can't compete.
Most of the disease that I know of with those symptoms wouldn't show up till the chick is older.
I had an undersized chick in my last order that didn't seem to know how to eat. She would drink but just stood at the food pan and stared upward! She seemed generally a little spastic. I fed her for several days: first a mix of yogurt and egg yolk then yogurt and ground chick crumbles. When she was hungry she would call until I came and got her. She eventually learned to peck the mixture out of a bottle cap as I held it for her, and then to eat with the others. Now she is a normal little pullet. Don't give up.
Can you tell if it is a silkie chick? The vaulted skulls some silkies have makes them prone to neurological injury, but my experience with it (one bird) was that it involves head tucking.
You're right, ultasol. Wry-neck in Silkies makes their head go down between their legs and they walk backward. You can often cure it with vitamin E with Selenium. It can be amazing to watch them recover.
Unfortunately, Drunken Master passed away this morning. Today, I had a funeral pyre for the whole lot of the dead chicks in our burn barrel. So sad. But, the remainder of the chicks are going strong, so I'm optimistic we'll be in the clear soon. /fingers crossed