Mail order chicks

It was time to restock the coop and with my wife's new job as manager of the local farmers market we decided to boost the flock a bit. We ordered 25 Rhode Island Reds. While we waited the coop got a good cleaning and fresh coat of paint inside. Meanwhile a friends chicks arrived and he had a quiet box... someone had dropped the ball en route and they all died. Great, ours were due in 2 weeks. Monday came and went with no chicks, not too bad, they could survive another night, but that was all. This morning came and they weren't at our little PO. Our postmistress started backtracking, found them in Roanoke and got them on an express to a town about 45 minutes away. She called back to say she still heard them chirping in the background. We met the truck at about 2 and everyone was alive but 2 were already in deep trouble. Everyone else has perked back up and the two are still with us. There are good folks in the world.

Glad you were the lucky one. If it would have been a big city PO your's would have been quiet too. But it is getting worse with mail now days. Hardy any local post marks. Sending even the local mail off to have it sorted and then back to the same town. But they say they are saving money. http://countryplans.com/smf/Smileys/default/hmm.gif

Several years ago I ordered some and they were a day late arriving. The postmistress called me on the morning that they were supposed to arrive and told me they were not there but if they came later in the day she would drive them out to the house if some one was going to be home. I told her no one would be there. On the second day she called me and said everyone there was really excited that my "Peeps" had arrived and they were making lot's of noise. I went and picked them up. I think we lost only one. I sometimes wish we could slow down long enough to raise some more. It is hard to be able to go away for a week end or on vacation. Folks don't help each other out much around here. I tried getting neighbors kids to take care of them when we had them but we always lost some when we were away to foxes or to dogs. Just hard to keep them safe so I just quit keeping them. My wife said the other day she missed the fresh eggs but didn't miss the work. Funny thing is, I can't remember her getting up to let them out in the mornings or putting them up at night or watering them in the winter when their water was frozen but then my memory isn't that good....

I thought about the title "chicks by mail" http://countryplans.com/smf/Smileys/default/smilesm.gif
We lost the 2 overnight, one more is having a tough time but the rest look like they'll make it. The setbacks start the day you begin. I'll admit to missing the fresh eggs because Michelle does do the majority of the work. We tried to tend our neighbors flock when they had to rush out of town. We lost one a day, everybody loves chicken and they sure know it when the master is away. We put our last 2 social security hens in the freezer before Christmas so we could visit more. I've thought about a few pigs but it does tie you down... not that the excuse particularly bothers me http://countryplans.com/smf/Smileys/default/cheesy2.gif
You're right John, these girls came into Charlotte then went by, up to Roanoke, then back down to us. They must have missed a connection somewhere and then they missed the early truck that hits the local po's, it would have left them in Roanoke all day and overnight.

As we were driving home we decided the driver leaving the hatchery must be wearing really good earmuffs.