Murray McMurray problems anyone else?

[LaFleche]

Okay as promised, my delivery report.

I was expecting to get the call from the P.O. later in the morning and have time to fill the waterer and feeder but the nice lady called me at 8:20 so I jumped into my britches n boots and drove old Penelope, our Gen 2 Prius, to go pick them up, with the heater blasting max hot. Our truck's heater core is bypassed due to a leak so the Prius seemed the more peep friendly vehicle. Before I even opened the P.O. door all the way I could hear the peeps a-peeping. No other customers. I am always the only customer. Only a few hundred full time residents in my little town so the post office is never busy. Two minutes later, Penelope's hybrid power train roaring like an F-16, I was racing back down the bayou to our little spread.

Took the steps two at a time with the little fellas because it is a bit chilly this morning, in the mid 60's I think. Took the box to our improvised brood box. Opened the box and not a single dead or obviously sick birdlet in the bunch. Hand watered each and scattered an initial snack of chick starter mix on the heating pad, and now the fun begins. Stupid heating pad shuts itself off after two hours. I have a drop light but no heat lamp, just 100w actual incandescent bulb. Should do until tomorrow, when my chick heater arrives. Chicks aren't bunching up and aren't avoiding the bulb either, and they take brief forays off the heating pad exploring their nursery.

Sorry for the video, you can't really count them or see them all that well. I'll make another later but I wanted to record the unboxing.

Great update! I am glad that they arrived all in good condition.

 

[Iluveggers]

All settled in.

Aww! Remind us again what you ordered? I have some McM chicks coming in May!

 

[500Chickens]

Ordered 40 assorted babies last year for delivery in March. They were shipped on the 3rd and arrived on the 4th. Half of them were dead. In addition, Murray decided to replace about 20% of the order, replacing several more expensive chicks for plain White leghorns. Anyway, I called and got a scheduled reship to replace the dead birds, gave them an earful about the crappy replacements they sent me, hung up the phone.

Then, this morning I get a phone call from the post office. A box of dead chicks waiting for me. What in the hell?

Murray sent my 40+ chick order TWICE. The second time they sent it on the 5th, despite their supposed policy of only sending on Mondays and Tuesdays. And then the PO lost the box and it showed up this morning, another box of dead birds from Murray McMurray...

I am sick about this. Absolutely sick to my stomach. I love my birds and seeing not 1 but 2 boxes full of dead ones due to no fault of my own is really hitting me hard. I just wanted to vent and see if anyone else has had this kind of problem this year.

The hatcheries are getting together and needing for us to file complaints against usps so they can take this to the federal level. My dad ordered me some chicks as a present and they got lost in the mail... it has been 10 days

 

[Growley Monster]

Aww! Remind us again what you ordered? I have some McM chicks coming in May!

16 unsexed brown leghorns, and the free extra surprise chick. No idea what it is but you can clearly see the odd man out in the second video, black and gray and a bit of white. Very docile little chubster. Doesn't blink an eye when you pick him up. The leghorns are frightened out of their wits by a human hand anywhere near them. I expected that but I wanted some wild-ish birds so I could at least make an attempt at free-ranging. We have hawks, eagles, and owls but not so many land based predators. I also went with brown rather than white leghorns so they wouldn't stick out so much to a hungry hawk's eye. My intent is to let one rooster mature naturally, caponize a couple others and fatten them into roasters, and cull the rest as frying chickens as required. Maybe keep two roosters if they don't fight too much. Fingers crossed for 6 to 8 laying hens to keep us in eggs.

 

[Iluveggers]

16 unsexed brown leghorns, and the free extra surprise chick. No idea what it is but you can clearly see the odd man out in the second video, black and gray and a bit of white. Very docile little chubster. Doesn't blink an eye when you pick him up. The leghorns are frightened out of their wits by a human hand anywhere near them. I expected that but I wanted some wild-ish birds so I could at least make an attempt at free-ranging. We have hawks, eagles, and owls but not so many land based predators. I also went with brown rather than white leghorns so they wouldn't stick out so much to a hungry hawk's eye. My intent is to let one rooster mature naturally, caponize a couple others and fatten them into roasters, and cull the rest as frying chickens as required. Maybe keep two roosters if they don't fight too much. Fingers crossed for 6 to 8 laying hens to keep us in eggs.

16 unsexed brown leghorns, and the free extra surprise chick. No idea what it is but you can clearly see the odd man out in the second video, black and gray and a bit of white. Very docile little chubster. Doesn't blink an eye when you pick him up. The leghorns are frightened out of their wits by a human hand anywhere near them. I expected that but I wanted some wild-ish birds so I could at least make an attempt at free-ranging. We have hawks, eagles, and owls but not so many land based predators. I also went with brown rather than white leghorns so they wouldn't stick out so much to a hungry hawk's eye. My intent is to let one rooster mature naturally, caponize a couple others and fatten them into roasters, and cull the rest as frying chickens as required. Maybe keep two roosters if they don't fight too much. Fingers crossed for 6 to 8 laying hens to keep us in eggs.

Oh I hope you get enough hens, also! Would love a closeup of the oddball, guessing chick breeds is so fun! Comb? Muff/bears? Leg feathers? I’ve heard leghorns are pretty good at free-ranging, good luck with them!

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Whew! What a saga! Read it all in one sitting, had me at the edge of my chair. Glad you got your littles and they are all comfy, warm, watered, fed and squared away. Had some BKs once, yes they are skittish. Never did tame mine, but ... good eggs!

Glad everyone quit blaming the hatchery and realized the problem is with the shipper! I had similar issues with an order from Hoover's last year. Def not Hoover's fault but they replaced the order.

 

[McChooky]

16 unsexed brown leghorns, and the free extra surprise chick. No idea what it is but you can clearly see the odd man out in the second video, black and gray and a bit of white. Very docile little chubster. Doesn't blink an eye when you pick him up. The leghorns are frightened out of their wits by a human hand anywhere near them. I expected that but I wanted some wild-ish birds so I could at least make an attempt at free-ranging. We have hawks, eagles, and owls but not so many land based predators. I also went with brown rather than white leghorns so they wouldn't stick out so much to a hungry hawk's eye. My intent is to let one rooster mature naturally, caponize a couple others and fatten them into roasters, and cull the rest as frying chickens as required. Maybe keep two roosters if they don't fight too much. Fingers crossed for 6 to 8 laying hens to keep us in eggs.

I added 9 brn leghorns & 3 welsummers to a flock of 7 hens (2) yrs ago and had a lot of drama when the pullets all started laying. I had to separate my youngest from my oldest 4 hens(I gave them their own coops and runs)They get along great when they free range.

 

[McChooky]

16 unsexed brown leghorns, and the free extra surprise chick. No idea what it is but you can clearly see the odd man out in the second video, black and gray and a bit of white. Very docile little chubster. Doesn't blink an eye when you pick him up. The leghorns are frightened out of their wits by a human hand anywhere near them. I expected that but I wanted some wild-ish birds so I could at least make an attempt at free-ranging. We have hawks, eagles, and owls but not so many land based predators. I also went with brown rather than white leghorns so they wouldn't stick out so much to a hungry hawk's eye. My intent is to let one rooster mature naturally, caponize a couple others and fatten them into roasters, and cull the rest as frying chickens as required. Maybe keep two roosters if they don't fight too much. Fingers crossed for 6 to 8 laying hens to keep us in eggs.

I'm curious what that big gray one is!Lol

 

[Growley Monster]

I'm curious what that big gray one is!Lol

Me too. I won't drag this thread off topic so I will post a "help ID this chick" thread elsewhere, with pics.

 

[Growley Monster]

Great update! I am glad that they arrived all in good condition.

After a week in our custody, all 17 peeps are still in apparent good health and growing like weeds. I would order from McMurray again, yeah.