2018 Meat Birds - Baby Chicks Arrive!

Two weeks ago I did an inventory on our chickens in the deep freeze and I counted 28 birds in gallon sized Ziploc bags.  I told Tricia that it was time that we go ahead and order the 2018 birds.  I looked at the pricing and delivery schedule of three competing hatcheries and finally settled on Cackle Hatchery.  Cackle Hatchery is in Lebanon, Missouri.  Cackle had the second best price, but the best delivery schedule for Jumbo Cornish Cross meat birds - not sexed.  You can order all males, but they are a little more expensive, since they grow bigger, faster.  Not sexed means you get an assortment.  Ideally, 50% will be male and 50% female.  They would hatch on 2/28 and be shipped out the same day, arriving at our house on 3/2.  You can see the pricing below.  I ordered 60 chicks priced at $2.15 per bird and there was shipping and handling of $36.20 involved.

I received tracking information that told me that the chicks would be delivered on Saturday, March 1.  That would be good.  I would be home and be able to set up the brooder.  That was the plan.  The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry, however.  I received two calls on Friday morning from our town's Post Office alerting me that we had a package that was making noise.  I called and let Russ and Tricia know.  They went to the post office and picked up the package.  They come shipped in boxes like this:

The shipping label on the bottom right of the box tells me that this box came from MCI (Kansas City Airport) into BTR (Baton Rouge Airport) and then trucked to Jennings.  These day old chicks have a lot of mileage on them!  Tricia and Russ got the brooder all set up with wood shavings, heat lamps, feed, and water.  For safety, they put a piece of a cattle panel on top to keep the cats from feasting on the baby chicks.

They ensured that each drank water and then set them in the brooder.  Cackle Hatchery has a guarantee on the birds.  If any of them are dead when you open the box, they will give you a dead chick credit.  All you have to do is call them.  It is strictly the honor system.  All our chicks were alive.  Usually they give you a few extra in the event some of the birds are dead on arrival.  We counted 61, so they gave us one extra - a 'Baker's Dozen,' if you will.

Unfortunately, the next day there were 3 dead and then the following day, there were 5 more dead.  Today, there were no more fatalities, thank goodness.  All I can figure is that some of them were stressed during shipment and although they were okay, they eventually died a day later.  They were promptly removed from the chick brooder and composted in the garden.  RIP baby chicks.  We barely knew you.  A 13% mortality rate right off the bat is not good.  The only good thing is if your birds are going to die, now's the time to die - before you've fed them a bunch of feed!

We will keep them fed and watered and keep the bedding dry and clean.  We'll also keep the heat lamp positioned to provide them enough heat, but not too much.  Each week, we'll follow their progress and show you the rapid progression these birds take from a cute fuzzball to a monster in 8 - 9 short weeks!