I've ordered maybe a total of 50 chicks from Ideal in the last 4 years. I've lost 1 chick shortly after they arrived from the first batch and none since. The hens are of good size and aptitude. I love Ideal and will continue to order more from them. Of my original batch of 15, I still have 11, coming on 5 years of age next spring. The other three were taken by a fox, so I can hardly fault Ideal for that.
If you're losing chicks - maybe you need to look into when you're doing the ordering. Hot summer and cold winter times both have their issues - mostly dealing with the Postal Service - and in the spring, they're sending out about 100,000+ chicks a week and I would bet that the seasonal staff won't be as meticulous as the full timers, so things like emails and numbers could fall through the cracks.
If you're losing chicks - maybe you need to look into when you're doing the ordering. Hot summer and cold winter times both have their issues - mostly dealing with the Postal Service - and in the spring, they're sending out about 100,000+ chicks a week and I would bet that the seasonal staff won't be as meticulous as the full timers, so things like emails and numbers could fall through the cracks.