Baby Chickens for Sale in Big Rock, Illinois
Baby Chickens for Sale in Big Rock, Illinois
Baby Chickens in the Mail? Be Warned!
Cardboard box used by Murray McMurray Hatchery to ship baby chicks.
Well, here is something I am never going to do again. I have always been leery of ordering chicks online and getting them delivered by the US Postal Service. It just seemed odd to me to get fragile baby chicks delivered in the mail. However, this time I relented because I wanted to get a very rare breed (Dorkings) and they are rarely available from local sources. So, I called up Murray McMurray Hatchery in Iowa and made my order. Because of the fact I was ordering them in winter, I had to get a minimum of 25 chicks (apparently because they huddle together for warmth, and the more, the merrier). So, I ended up ordering 5 Dorkings, 10 Partridge Rocks, and 10 Golden Laced Wyandottes. I ordered them in November, but Murray McMurray informed me they couldn’t ship until January (probably has to do with their hatching schedule). Despite the fact I ordered two months in advance, they called me up in early January and told me that the Wyandottes would not be available, and they wanted to delay shipment for a couple weeks. I asked for a substitution instead of a delay and they offered me 10 Dominiques, which I accepted.
Eventually, the chicks were shipped on time and I was notified by text and email (as I requested) which was very convenient. Then all hell broke loose. At 5 in the morning someone from the Post Office called me (my cell phone number was on the outside of the box). He would not reveal his name, as he said he would be fired for calling me, as he was “just a schmuck that loads the trucks” and shouldn’t be doing this. At any rate, he said he had my chickens and they were going to freeze on the truck. He instructed me to call a number to the Post Office in Manchester, NH and request that the driver put them in the heated cab. I did call the number, but the clerk there told me they already shipped.
Later that day, I got a call from my local post office that my chicks had arrived. I headed down there to get them, but in the interim… they had been calling me repeatedly. It would appear the well-meaning Post Office employees had opened the box to try to give the chicks water (probably letting all their body heat out in the process). They also drove them to my house (I am at work) as I am pretty close to the office, and no doubt they sat in a cold car both on the way there and back. I wish the box was labeled with instructions on what to do (keep warm, don’t feed, etc). The fact is that a box full of peeping chicks is just irresistible to curious mail-people and no doubt they thought they were helping me. The net result was I had a box of dead and half dead chicks. However, inexplicably, there were only 20 chicks. Apparently Murray McMurray did not have any Dorkings (the entire reason I made this order in the first place!) and just shipped the other 20 without asking me, but they did credit my account the difference.
I tried to revive as many of the survivors as I could under a heat lamp… a couple limped around for a day or two, but eventually died. As you can imagine this was heartbreaking for everyone associated with Swampy Acres, and no doubt, the Hampstead Post Office. As of this writing, I have only one survivor out of 20. I had to go buy a few more chicks at the local grain store, as you can’t raise a solitary chick. I called Murray McMurray immediately and they were very understanding. They offered to ship me out an entire new batch (just on my word that all this happened) in February. I said.. let’s wait until spring. So April 7th, I will get a new batch.
Baby chick survivor and friends.
All in all, from this experience, I can’t recommend ordering chicks via mail in the winter. The combination of freezing temperatures and the fact that the Post Office employees have no idea how to deal with baby chicks, seems like a recipe for disaster. I will say Murray McMurray did a pretty good job helping me. They didn’t get stressed out or make me fill out a bunch of forms. it was easy to get someone on the phone. It was a plus that I spoke with an American rather than a help desk in Burma… always great if I can conduct business in English.
So in summary, be very careful when considering chicks by mail! Swampy Acres has not had success on the first attempt.
Baby Chicks Supplies in Big Rock, Illinois
We have many Rare Chicken Breeds for sale in Big Rock Illinois, including Sussex Chickens, Welsummer Chickens, Turken Chickens and more. Be sure to check out the Bargain Specials, as you can combine different egg layers in smaller amounts and buy as an assortment. Big Rock Illinois also has poultry equipment for sale, game chickens for sale in Big Rock Illinois, bantams for sale, ducks for sale, geese for sale, turkeys for sale, guinea for sale, peafowl for sale, pheasant for sale, chukar partridge for sale, bobwhite for sale, many different breeds of baby chicks for sale in Big Rock IL.Baby Chicks Order Online in Big Rock, Illinois
Thumbing through a baby chickens for sale in Big Rock Illinois catalog is a yearly traditions in many houses. My kids and I eagerly await the Murray McMurray Hatchery catalog. We love looking at all the cool and different chicken breeds available. Catalogs are free so head on over to their site and request one if you are interested.Typically hatcheries online offer both standard breeds
and bantams. Bantams are fun hardy little chickens, they lay tiny eggs
that kids especially love collecting. Bantams typically weigh less than 2
pounds when full grown. Just like ordering anything online there are pros
and cons to ordering baby chicks online. Pros of buying baby chicks in
Big Rock Illinois * Big Selection - If you are wanting a large
variety of different chicken breeds and egg colors, you will find the best
selection at an online hatchery. * Both Bantams and full sized chickens
available * You get to choose what sex you want. If you want a mixture of
both male and female then choosing a "straight run" will save you money
and you will get a mixture of male and female chicks. You can also choose
all males or all females too. * Weekly specials. Hatcheries have sales on
chicks, you are likely to get a good deal if you are flexible with the
breeds you are wanting. Cons of buying baby chicks in Big Rock
Illinois * Order early to get the best selection. Certain breeds sell
out fast, sometimes as early as 6 months in advance of shipping! If you
are wanting a certain breed it's best to order your chicks in the fall
before their orders sell out.
Baby Chickens Breeds in Big Rock, Illinois
Quantity - you must order a certain number of chicks. Typically hatcheries will require you buy a minimum of 25 chicks at a time. The number is necessary for the chicks survival during shipping. All 25 chicks are put in one small box without heat. They are crowded in the box and produce enough body heat to arrive in good shape. * The wait - If you choose to buy chicks from a feed store you will have them the same day but if you choose to go with a hatchery you have to wait until they are ready to ship and then wait for the chicks to arrive. Ordering baby chicks online in Big Rock Illinois is easy and has always been a very pleasant experience of me. It can be a little frustrating waiting for the chicks but it's so worth the wait. When the post office calls and you hear all those little "cheeps" or "chirps" in the background you'll know the wait was worth it! How to Care for your new baby chickens in Big Rock, Illinois Baby chicks are quite charming and hard to stand up to, yet it's ideal to prepare for their arrival prior to you get them. Prepare first by compiling not only the right products, yet also the proper expertise to care for them. Raising baby chicks is fairly straightforward, you simply should give them with the following: A clean as well as cozy environment A lot of food and also water Attention and love Habitat Your habitat could be a straightforward box, fish tank, cat carrier, or guinea porker cage. Line it with old towels and blankets (without any loosened strings!) to begin, and after a few weeks use straw over paper. Keep in mind: Avoid using only paper or other sandal surface areas-- or your chicks legs can expand malformed. You also need something to serve up food and water in, such as a chicken feeder and water meal from the feed store, or a pickle container lid for food as well as a family pet bird water dispenser from a pet store. Likewise, as the chicks grow older you could introduce a perch into the environment to get them educated on perching. Heat To maintain your chicks heat you have to offer them with a heat source. This can be as straightforward as a 100 watt light bulb in a reflective clamp design lamp from an equipment shop, or an infrared reptile heat bulb likewise function extremely well (my suggestion). Chicks require this heat 24/7 till their downy fluff is replaced with plumes (which can use up to two months). The recently hatched out need a temperature level between 90 as well as 100 levels, and every week this can be minimized by approximately 5 levels approximately. The heat source should be on just one side of the cage to enable chicks a range of temperature levels. The chicks are your best thermostat- if they are hiding in the other edge of your heat light, you need to reduce the temperature. If they are smothering each other under the warmth (not merely snuggling), you should include some heat. House cleaning Tidiness is crucial and it maintains your chicks healthy. Be sure to transform the bed linens often as well as constantly give tidy food as well as water Food and water. Chicks expand very quick which requires lots of tidy food and water. Provide sufficient whatsoever times as well as examine typically to stop dehydrated and also hungry chicks. Chick food is various than adult chicken food, as well as it is available in both medicated as well as non-medicated varieties. Feed chick food for the first two months, after that switch over to a grower food (~ 17 % protein) for another 2 months, and afterwards to a somewhat reduced healthy protein feed or a layer feed (if you have layers). Soil Some chicks prefer to get a head start on taking dirt baths, while others won't take up that task up until they are older. If you have the space in your chick enclosure, introduce a tray of sand or dirt for them to shower in. Interest and love There are a few benefits to spending time with your chicks. First of all, they will certainly more than likely bond with you as well as not run away as grownups. Second, if you analyze your chicks daily as well as enjoy their behavior, you could catch illness or other issues previously. Keep an eye out for wheezing, hopping, or various other undesirable signs. Be sure to likewise consider their poop, as looseness of the bowels can lead to matted plumes as well as obstructed cloaca. Finally, it is very important to keep an eye out for social problems, such as the tiniest chick getting teased. Vacant nest syndrome So your chicks are currently totally feathered as well as its time for them to leave the safety and security of your home as well as relocate outside into a cage. Check out our part on chicken coops to find out more regarding cages and also appropriate coop environments.Baby Chicks And Ducks For Sale Baby Chicks Order
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