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 Chickens For Sale Free Shipping in
Forreston, Illinois
We have many Rare Chicken Breeds for sale in Forreston 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. Forreston
Illinois also has poultry equipment for sale, game chickens for sale in
Forreston 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 Forreston IL.
Baby Chickens Food in
Forreston, Illinois
Thumbing through a baby chickens for sale in Forreston 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
Forreston 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 Forreston
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
Chicks Not Eating in
Forreston, 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
Forreston 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 Forreston,
Illinois Baby chicks are extremely
cute as well as
hard to withstand,
however it's ideal to prepare for their
arrival prior to you get them. Prepare first
by compiling not just the
proper materials, yet
also the proper
knowledge to take care of
them. Raising baby chicks is reasonably
straightforward, you merely have to offer them with the following: A tidy as well as warm
environment Lots of food as well
as water Interest and
love Environment Your habitat can be a straightforward box, fish tank,
feline service provider, or guinea
porker cage. Line it with old towels as well as
coverings (with no loosened
strings!) to begin, as well as after a few weeks use straw over newspaper.
Keep in mind: Avoid making use of just
paper or other slipper
surface areas-- or your chicks legs could expand
misshapen. You additionally need
something to provide food and
water in, such as a chicken feeder as well as water
recipe from the feed store, or a pickle container
lid for food as well as a family
pet bird water dispenser from an animal store. Additionally, as the chicks get
older you can present a perch
right into the habitat to get them
educated on perching. Heat To
keep your chicks warm you have to
offer them with a warmth source.
This can be as easy as a 100 watt
light bulb in a reflective clamp design lamp from an equipment shop, or an infrared reptile heat
light bulb likewise work extremely well (my
recommendation). Chicks need this
heat 24/7 up until their downy fluff is
replaced with plumes (which could take up to 2 months). The freshly
hatched require a temperature level
in between 90 as well as 100 levels,
and also every week this could
be minimized by
approximately 5 degrees or
so. The warmth resource should get on simply one side of the cage
to enable chicks a variety of
temperatures. The chicks are your best
thermostat- if they are hiding in the
other corner of your heat
light, you have to
minimize the temperature level. If
they are smothering each other under the
heat (not simply cuddling),
you need to add some warmth.
Home cleaning
Tidiness is essential and it keeps your chicks healthy and
balanced. Be sure to change
the bed linens
commonly and
always supply tidy
food as well as water Food and water.
Chicks expand quite quick
which requires plenty of clean
food as well as water. Offer
enough at all times and inspect
usually to
stop parched and
hungry chicks. Chick food is different than grown-up chicken food, and also it comes
in both medicated as well as non-medicated varieties. Feed chick food for the
initial 2 months, then
change to a grower food (~ 17 %
healthy protein) for another 2 months,
and then to a somewhat
lower healthy protein feed or a layer feed
(if you have layers). Soil Some chicks want
to get a running start on taking
dirt bathrooms, while others won't occupy that activity up until they are
older. If you have the area in your chick
enclosure, introduce a tray of sand or
dust for them to wash in.
Focus as well as love There are a
few benefits to spending time with your chicks. Firstly, they will most
likely bond with you and
not run away as grownups. Second, if you
examine your chicks daily and also
enjoy their habits, you could
catch health problem or other troubles previously. Watch out for wheezing, hopping, or
various other undesirable
indicators. Make certain to
likewise look at
their poop, as looseness of the bowels could cause matted plumes and clogged up cloaca.
Finally, it is necessary to look out
for social issues, such as the
tiniest chick getting badgered. Vacant nest syndrome So your
chicks are now fully feathery
and its time for them to leave the
safety of your home
and also move outside right into a cage. Look into our
section on chicken cages to read more
concerning cages as well as
correct cage habitats.
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