Chick delay

Three weeks ago, we ordered 15 Dark Cornish chicks from Natures Hatchery, to be shipped the next week.  Then waited, and waited, and waited.  I called the post office --- any chicks?  "Nope," our nice postmistress said.  "Have you tried calling the hatchery?"

So I called the hatchery, got voice mail, left a message.  Waited a few more days.  Still nothing.  So I emailed the hatchery.  Nothing.  Called the hatchery again.  Nothing.  By now, it had been two and a half weeks since I ordered our chicks, and a week and a half since they were supposed to ship.  I finally gave up, left the hatchery a message canceling my order, and looked elsewhere.

Unfortunately, everyone else was ordering their chicks while I sat around trusting Natures Hatchery to come through.  My new choices were to order all male Dark Cornish to be shipped soon, or wait over a month to get some females.  We chose the former route so that our forest pasture experiment can start rolling along, and will order some hens to round out our flock in the summer if the breed seems to fit the bill.  (Or maybe we'll get lucky and there'll be some mis-sexed birds in our first flock.)

Just thought I'd let you know why we haven't posted any chick pictures yet --- and to warn you off Natures Hatchery.  By the time you read this, our new chicks should be in the mail!  Our brooder and chicken waterers are ready for them.