Murray McMurray problems anyone else?

[DonyaQuick]

Do you all think that this is happening "on purpose", to get the usps out of having to ship live birds? I know legally this is the only way to ship poultry, but I would gladly pay to have another service like fedex, ups, amazon, or even a new private "live poultry and hatching eggs" shipping company, ship my orders of anything bird related. I know they added a new $15 fee this year...you think this would make things better, not worse...

What I really don't get is Fedex and UPS both ship other live animals all the time; it's how the aquarium industry functions. So if I wanted, I could get a moray eel sent by Fedex overnight from California right to my door in rural NY...but not chicks. Although UPS in my area would still just dump the box in the snow on the side of a hill...

 

[Amer]

USPS has been dodgy lately. Sure, the chicks might arrive at their destination within three days, but they also might spend six days in the mail
After my eye opening experience of shipping fully grown pullets to Ohio only for them to get stuck in the mail for six days (they survived in the end, just very hungry and thirsty.) I have decided USPS is no longer to be trusted and I no longer advise people to take that gamble.
USPS used to be better, but it's worse now.

 

[CabritaChicks]

You're absolutely right—there are multiple ways to ship animals beyond just USPS. When I moved to the Virgin Islands, I brought my parrots with me, but they had to be shipped as cargo. This meant they traveled on a separate flight, rather than as checked baggage or in-cabin. The process involved dropping them off at the airport’s cargo facility, where they were handled by the airline's cargo division rather than the standard passenger services.

I've also received rescue birds from various locations, including Guatemala. Every single one of them was transported as cargo on a non-passenger plane. However, unlike traditional package deliveries, live animals shipped as cargo must be picked up at the airline’s manifest cargo area at the airport—you don’t get them delivered directly to your doorstep (unless you hire a currior service to pick them up and deliver them from the airport cargo).

I also know that my RIR chicks came by cargo plane- not USPS. Although my Eggs I ordered are coming USPS (waiting on arrival- arriving late).
Maybe that is the confusion?

 

[CabritaChicks]

I get you on the aquarium.... FedEx will ship anything it seems. No regard. That is how I got all of my aquascaping plants, and of course the fish and inverts.

 

[gpc]

I wanted to follow up on this since I always appreciate when companies handle issues well. McMurray’s promptly processed a replacement order with no questions asked. The representative mentioned they’ve had some shipping challenges out of St. Paul and have temporarily stopped shipping from that location.

 

[McChooky]

We had an order of 25 chicks arrive today from McMurray. 10 were alive. We lost one tonight. USPS notified us they were at St. Paul, MN at 4:09 PM 3/25. We took delivery in Fort Worth, TX around noon 3/27. This is our 3rd order from McMurray and the first we’ve had problems with.

I'd be hesitant to order anymore chicks shipped after hearing so many are dying.I hope the rest of them make it!

 

[Growley Monster]

Bummer. I have an order from McMurray due to arrive in two weeks or so. I will post here how many live ones I receive. Fingers crossed. First time I have ever ordered chicks or any other livestock by mail. South Louisiana, here, FWIW and weather is fine, and local P.O. is very dependable. I naturally expect out of 17 chicks to maybe lose one or a couple, but I would be extremely upset if I lose half or more. Hey, I am a hunter and a carnivore, but It's just not right and not humane for any animal to die or especially for several at once to suffer and die, due to simple and avoidable human mistake or carelessness. OP's experience goes beyond "stuff happens". Anyway, I will check in and report when we get our peepers.

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.

 

[Amer]

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.

I used to have brooders where the heat source is just a lightbulb fixed right in the wall so that should work.

 

[McChooky]

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.

You are one of the lucky one. Sometimes the orders get delayed in shipping and some breeds don't take the trip well(silkies,etc) Murray McMurray is still my favorite chicken hatchery! Never had any issues with any of my chicks. I don't order chicks shipped in the winter months or summer months .This I've learned by observing the outcomes and experiences of other buyers. Thanks for the video!

 

[Growley Monster]

All settled in.