My chicks are dying!!! Hoovers Hatchery

[CorrieG]

I have been raising chicks for over 13 years.

For the 1st time this year I purchased some chicks from tractor supply online which goes through Hoover's Hatchery. I have never used them before but they seem to have decent prices and thought I would give it a go.

Received the birds within 48 hours from shipment. A few were DOA, which I have never had happened before with other hatcheries. Placed them in their brooder with 2 heat lamps and a brooding plate. This is a large enclosure and they have more than enough room to move away from the heat. Put nutrients in the water and free access to crumbles. It has now been a little over 48 hours since the chicks have arrived and I have lost 13 out of the 30.

Before this arrival of chicks I can count on one hand in 13 years how many chicks I have lost. They seem to become lethargic, I give them some nutridrench and sugar water and they just decline until they die.

I am just incredibly sad and remarkably disappointed at the health of these chicks.

Anyone have any suggestions or does Hoovers Hatchery just suck.

 

[nuthatched]

It's the coldest winter in a while, if chicks get chilled, they don't always bounce back and it's game over. A lot of people are having bad luck with orders over the last month.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Hoover has no control over what happens to those chicks once they ship. Then they are in the hands of the post office. Often the chicks are flown by an airline to get them delivered within 48 hours. Mishandling at any point in that journey can cause a problem, especially in extremely cold or hot weather. You said you ordered them online through Tractor Supply. I assume they were shipped straight to you and TSC did not handle them, not if some were DOA.

Is it possible somebody at Hoover messed up? Of course, about anything is possible. The majority of the time this type of problem is caused by something that happened during shipping, not by the hatchery. I don't know how Hoover's guarantees work since you went through TSC but I'd call Hoover and talk to them.

 

[gimmie birdies]

I was sent chick in a very cold Oct. on year, with no heat pack. If it is cold weather request or pay for one.

 

[CorrieG]

I'm in W Tex. We've had very mild temps, lately. They just seem like sickly chicks. It's very sad. They were shipped directly to me.

 

[Huntmaster]

I'm in W Tex. We've had very mild temps, lately. They just seem like sickly chicks. It's very sad. They were shipped directly to me.

Isn't hoovers located in Iowa colder there not sure when shipped but there has been a lot of winter storms lately. Sounds like shipping stress to me.

Mishandling at any point in that journey can cause a problem, especially in extremely cold or hot weather.

 

[nuthatched]

I'm in W Tex. We've had very mild temps, lately. They just seem like sickly chicks. It's very sad. They were shipped directly to me.

But the chicks are coming from the cold upper Midwest, where daytime temps been hovering just above freezing for weeks.that's a rough start.

 

[1Slayer]

I have been raising chicks for over 13 years.

For the 1st time this year I purchased some chicks from tractor supply online which goes through Hoover's Hatchery. I have never used them before but they seem to have decent prices and thought I would give it a go.

Received the birds within 48 hours from shipment. A few were DOA, which I have never had happened before with other hatcheries. Placed them in their brooder with 2 heat lamps and a brooding plate. This is a large enclosure and they have more than enough room to move away from the heat. Put nutrients in the water and free access to crumbles. It has now been a little over 48 hours since the chicks have arrived and I have lost 13 out of the 30.

Before this arrival of chicks I can count on one hand in 13 years how many chicks I have lost. They seem to become lethargic, I give them some nutridrench and sugar water and they just decline until they die.

I am just incredibly sad and remarkably disappointed at the health of these chicks.

Anyone have any suggestions or does Hoovers Hatchery just suck.

I'm sorry... that's so heartbreaking. I wish I had advice, just sending hugs...

 

[MadeInHabersham]

I have been raising chicks for over 13 years.

For the 1st time this year I purchased some chicks from tractor supply online which goes through Hoover's Hatchery. I have never used them before but they seem to have decent prices and thought I would give it a go.

Received the birds within 48 hours from shipment. A few were DOA, which I have never had happened before with other hatcheries. Placed them in their brooder with 2 heat lamps and a brooding plate. This is a large enclosure and they have more than enough room to move away from the heat. Put nutrients in the water and free access to crumbles. It has now been a little over 48 hours since the chicks have arrived and I have lost 13 out of the 30.

Before this arrival of chicks I can count on one hand in 13 years how many chicks I have lost. They seem to become lethargic, I give them some nutridrench and sugar water and they just decline until they die.

I am just incredibly sad and remarkably disappointed at the health of these chicks.

Anyone have any suggestions or does Hoovers Hatchery just suck.

So this is interesting. I have always purchased from Hoover's with not a single problem. Usually one out of 20 I might lose which to me is a pretty good ratio. This year my flock of Cornish cross is 9 days old and out of 20 I have already lost 7. One was DOA. The next to die was clearly worn out from traveling. The rest have just been dying one at a time lacking symptoms. I go to bed at night and they are all running around and appear fine, the next morning I wake up to a dead chicken.
Hoover's refunded me for those I lost in the first 48 hours. I know that this has been an exceptionally cold season in some areas of the country, I am in Georgia and it's very mild here right now. I am feeding them the exact same, good quality crumbles. I am doing the exact same thing I do every year.
No disrespect to Hoovers because I know that things happen but, it sounds like yours and mine came about the same time. If you come to a conclusion, please post.

 

[Suebee1948]

I have been raising chicks for over 13 years.

For the 1st time this year I purchased some chicks from tractor supply online which goes through Hoover's Hatchery. I have never used them before but they seem to have decent prices and thought I would give it a go.

Received the birds within 48 hours from shipment. A few were DOA, which I have never had happened before with other hatcheries. Placed them in their brooder with 2 heat lamps and a brooding plate. This is a large enclosure and they have more than enough room to move away from the heat. Put nutrients in the water and free access to crumbles. It has now been a little over 48 hours since the chicks have arrived and I have lost 13 out of the 30.

Before this arrival of chicks I can count on one hand in 13 years how many chicks I have lost. They seem to become lethargic, I give them some nutridrench and sugar water and they just decline until they die.

I am just incredibly sad and remarkably disappointed at the health of these chicks.

Anyone have any suggestions or does Hoovers Hatchery just suck.

I ordered chicks from Hoovers Hatchery in January to be shipped to me here in Georgia. 10 out of 15 died in the first couple of days. My first time with chickens and I did everything recommended to save them. I was pretty sad. Hoovers refunded my money for the 10 chicks. I think it was too cold for them in shipping.