How to order baby chicks through the mail can seem a little daunting the first time. But knowing what to expect throughout the process will make the experience less stressful and worry-free and make you more prepared.
Common Terms When You Order Baby Chicks
How to order baby chicks is easier if you fully understand everything the hatchery is telling you. Even though chick terminology is easy for veteran chicken owners to understand, for the novice it may seem overwhelming. Here are a few common chick terms you might see.
Pullet: Sexed female chick
Cockerel: Sexed male chick
Straight run: Unsexed chicks (straight-run chicks are a mix of cockerels and pullets, but usually contain more cockerels due to more eggs hatching as males versus females).
Grogel: Pronounced grow-gel, this supplement is critical for feeding chicks stressed from shipping.
Broiler: Meat chickens
Layers: Hens that lay a lot of eggs
Dual-Purpose: Breeds that can be used for meat and eggs.
Marek’s vaccine: The Marek’s vaccine is an optional choice for backyard flock owners. However, it is critical to ensure that vaccinated and unvaccinated chickens are not mixed or reside on the same property.
Where to Order Baby Chicks
How to order baby chicks begins with choosing a reputable hatchery that sells the breeds/varieties you are looking for. Bear in mind that if choosing a rare breed or color variety, there is usually a two or three chick maximum.
Whenever possible, ordering from a hatchery that is in your area (the state you live in or a neighboring state versus cross-country) is the best way to reduce stress from extreme weather conditions and prolonged traveling. Selecting a hatchery that is certified by the National Poultry Improvement Plan (NPIP) is the best way to guarantee healthy chicks. Parent stock and chicks from hatcheries that are NPIP certified are tested for avian influenza, salmonella, and other diseases to ensure healthy birds every time.
Prevention is key to helping day-old chicks grow into production chickens, so err on the side of caution and choose a hatchery supported by the NPIP.
When to Order Baby Chicks
When to order baby chicks is critical depending on your geographical location. Summer heat can be difficult for baby chicks to survive, leaving them dehydrated and stressed. Chicks shipped in the summer months are more prone to heat exhaustion and dehydration and experience a higher mortality rate.
Chicks shipped in winter can experience stress from the cold and even freezing to death.
The best time to purchase chicks is in the spring and fall when temperatures are neither too hot nor too cold. Keep in mind that chicks arriving in the fall will need to be fully feathered and old enough to withstand the chill of winter before the cold sets in. (about eight to twelve weeks of age.) Therefore, raising chicks in the autumn may not be ideal for northern climates, where winter sets in quickly.
How to order baby chicks begins with placing an order at a hatchery, so be sure to place the order several months in advance, as chicks quickly sell out.
Hatchery Mistakes
Even though no one wants to learn about hatchery mistakes when discovering how to order baby chicks, mistakes can happen.
While many hatcheries guarantee one hundred percent sexing accuracy, it doesn’t mean you won’t get a cockerel in with your pullets. Chicks are difficult to sex accurately, and unfortunately, mistakes do happen. The sexing guarantee is there to ensure if the hatchery does make a mistake, your money is guaranteed to be refunded. Be sure to report any sexing errors within the hatchery’s guidelines so your money can be refunded.
Fun Sexing Fact: Did you know? Almost all chick sexers are Japanese. Vent sexing was first developed in Japan and continues to be most accurate when performed by a trained Japanese sexer.
On occasion, hatcheries may send you the wrong breed. While this can be disappointing, there is no way to return the chicks. The best way to handle the situation is to report the mistake to the hatchery (with photo proof) and move on.
Shipping Day!
The shipping process is not only stressful for chicks, but it is also stressful for the soon-to-be chicken owners. How to order baby chicks is less stressful when knowing what to expect throughout the shipping process.
The shipping label is often created before the chicks finish hatching, as the hatchery must move quickly to package new hatchlings and send them to their new homes. Shipping labels may be created as far in advance as the day before. Before you know it, the chicks will ship and be on their way.
Once arriving at the post office, chick orders are rarely scanned throughout the shipping process as post office employees have less than forty-eight hours for chicks to arrive at their destination. It’s not uncommon for tracking information to only update once or twice a day, but take heart; even though there are records to prove it, your little poultry passengers are working their way through the postal system.
Setting Up the Brooder
Now that we have answered how to order baby chicks, it’s time to set up the brooder. Brooder supplies you will need include:
- A safe brooder
- Heat lamp or brooder hot plate
- Chick-sized water fountain
- Chick-sized feeder
- Starter Feed
- Probiotics
- Electrolytes
- Aspen wood shavings
Be sure to have the brooder set up before the chicks arrive to ensure the brooder is warm and ready for the new arrivals.
The Long Awaited Call
Once arriving at the local post office, a postal employee will call the telephone number you provided the hatchery with when you placed the order. This call may come through as the local post office branch or an employee’s personal phone number.
This call can come as early as four in the morning or anytime throughout the day. Be prepared, whatever time the post office calls, by having the brooder set up and ready to go to ensure the chicks can move in as soon as you bring them home.
Tips and Tricks
#1 When filling out the order form, always give the hatchery the phone number that will be easiest to reach you on. Not only is this important for mailing, but it is also critical in case the hatchery needs to contact you if there is a problem with your order.
#2 When the chicks arrive at the post office, be sure to pick them up immediately to ensure one hundred percent livability. Always open the box(es) inside the post office in case there are any casualties. If deaths have occurred, a post office employee will have you fill out a form to send to the hatchery to replace birds.
#3 After chicks have arrived, check their vents often throughout the day for the next few days to ensure no chicks have contracted pasty butt. If vents are messy, gently clean them with a damp cloth.
#4 Spending time with your chicks is essential for them to get used to you and being handled. Pick up chicks several times a day, and gently talk to them or pet them while handling them. Be sure to speak your intentions to avoid scaring your new arrivals.
How to order baby chicks through the mail can be slightly stressful for both the chicks and the anxious owners, but knowing what to expect and how to prepare and care for your new arrivals will make the experience easier and more enjoyable for everyone.
This article about how to order baby chicks was written for Chickens magazine. Click here to subscribe.
