Never Again! Meyer Hatchery

[Volcanic Egger]

I ordered 16 chicks from Meyers last spring. The chicks were shipped promptly and all were alive and with a tad bit of help for one, they all survived.

BUT!!!!!!!!!

I ordered 3 Cream Legbars, two girls and one boy. As they grew up, I could tell that I had three hens and no boys. Just how could Meyers screw up sex link chicks? Male one day old CL chicks have a predominant white spot on their head! I was actually worried from the start as all three had chipmunk stripes. I called Meyers and they gave me a credit. Thanks for nothing.

And

The Meyers Cream Legbars are laying pastel green eggs, no where near any shade of blue.

Additionally

Two of the 16 chicks became very aggressive towards the others and eventually I had to get rid of the two; one copper egger, and one BCM.

And now

My lavender orpington rooster is becoming increasing aggressive to humans especially me. He will even rush the chicken wire when I simply walk around the outside of the run. He is always poised to attack when I am in the run cleaning or tossing scratch and he will attack and not back down. Looks like I will have to get rid of him too. He is huge.

Other issues

The Olive Egger lays the same pastel green eggs as my Easter Eggers....no where near olive. In fact the EEs, the Cream Legbars and the Olive eggers all lay the same color eggs. A real bummer. I was hoping for and paying for a nice colored Easter basket.

Also

I've owned chickens before and these from Meyer are the most unfriendly and skittish birds I've ever owned. They were hand raised as chicks but now they won't let you get close to them let alone have a hen squat for me.

Conclusion

I will never order form Meyers again. It appears that all their colored eggers lay the same color eggs and there seems to be an aggressive streak in their lineages. And they messed up a sex link order. Meyers needs to start a new flock in my opinion as it appears they have lost any true breed characteristics with their current flocks and results in a bunch of mutts.

 

[matt44644]

Cream Legbar
Eggs: Blue or Green. http://greenfirefarms.com/cream-legbar-draft-standard-of-perfection-for-the-usa-apa-application/
Eggs Sky Blue to pastel green https://www.meyerhatchery.com/productinfo.a5w?prodID=CRLS

 

[Volcanic Egger]

Cream Legbar
Eggs: Blue or Green. http://greenfirefarms.com/cream-legbar-draft-standard-of-perfection-for-the-usa-apa-application/
Eggs Sky Blue to pastel green https://www.meyerhatchery.com/productinfo.a5w?prodID=CRLS

Thanks Matt. Yes I know they can be greenish but....

The Olive Egger lays the same pastel green eggs as my Easter Eggers....no where near olive. In fact the EEs, the Cream Legbars and the Olive eggers all lay the same color eggs. A real bummer. I was hoping for and paying for a nice colored Easter basket.

 

[dekel18042]

Other than missexing a cream legbar, I think the other things are things that everyone takes a chance with when she gets shipped chickens. If you read the cream legbar info, it says blue or green eggs.
I've gotten my best blue eggs from some plain old Easter Eggers.
Not sure what "copper eggers" are, will have to look them up.
I'm sure most of us in the beginning for one reason or another got some chickens we thought were wonderful and wanted more and others we figured we didn't want any more, so we learn as we go along.
Good luck, and perhaps you can add a few more that are more to your liking.

 

[Volcanic Egger]

Sorry I meant Olive Eggers and overall I am very disappointed after spending nearly $400 for sixteen chickens.

 

[ImNotYogi]

Im still brand new to chickens. I'm getting my first flock in late April from Meyers. From everything I've read from dozens of posters I reached the conclusion that hatchery birds are pretty much a coin toss with breed standards and temperaments. My order contains brown egg layers, EEs, and two Legbars. I'd love to have a multi colored basket. I'd be pretty bummed if I didn't even while knowing it's a coin toss.

 

[dekel18042]

Sorry I meant Olive Eggers and overall I am very disappointed after spending nearly $400 for sixteen chickens.

Their chickens do seem a bit pricy, and yes, I would be unhappy about the olive eggers, as well as the missexed legbar. (Too bad we're not closer, I have an extra legbar rooster.) Don't any of yours lay an olive egg? However reading Myer's info I would have been a little leery. They say their OE's can lay from olive to teal in color and IMHO, teal is nowhere near olive.
I wanted an OE in my order the other year. Unfortunately they were sold out, so as soon as it gets a bit warmer and I start the incubator I can make my own.
I have several breeds of dark egg laying hens and some a medium brown so I can hatch some from each with my blue gened roosters and see the different shades of olive I get and go from there.
Hopefully you can experiment and see what color egg layers you can make for yourself.

 

[COChix]

Hello,

We ordered our flock of 28 from Meyer and are happy with them all. We ordered the Rainbow Pack - cold hardy, plus 2 Buff Orph roosters. We lost one after shipping and ended up with two RIR roo's, which were later culled due to aggression issues, towards our Buff Orph roo's. With the exception of those RIR roo' ours are friendly, non agressive and very balanced as a flock. We hand raised them and spent a lot of time with them when young and I work with the roosters daily to keep them docile and approachable. We ordered chicks and our cost was less than $150, not sure why your cost so much, did you order pullets?

Here is a shot of our eggs all from Meyer. Like others have said hatchery birds are not always true to breed standards and it is a crap shoot as to what you get.

 

[TaraBellaBirds]

Hello @Volcanic Egger The issues you discribed with your birds is a chance you take with any hatchery. Since big hatcheries go for volume you lose quaility, and are unlikely to get birds near SOP. Temperment is another issue with hatchery birds. When you put a great number of birds together to breed, the more aggressive roos will have a higher % of offspring.
You are more likely to get the traits you are looking for from a local breeder. With Spring coming up there will be lots of lovely birds for sale here on BYC! I have had to drive several hours to obtain the quailities I'm looking for, but they are always worth it! Often it pays to be picky, plus you are supporting a local business rather than a big for profit company!

 

[chickadee5002]

So sorry to hear that about your chickens. All of my girls and 1 boy are from Meyer and all are sweet and docile (and I didn't get really hands on with some batches). I think its a real gamble with any chickens not just hatchery birds. My ee's lay green and blue which is very pretty but that is a gamble you can't guarantee what egg color is. For the cream legbars it does say on their site can lay green eggs so that shouldn't be to much of a surprise as even breeders have green layers. My rooster is a black austrolorp and he is very docile and never attacks people. I hope in the future your chickens turn out better for you.