They have arrived! One dead but the other are very thirsty. Must have been good packing or strong birds. I never thought they would make the trip. Bad U S P S .Finished with buying birds...... Until next time.
Bad Experience w/IDEAL Poultry Hatchery: Normal Occurrence?
- Thread starter Gresh
- Start date
Compost King
Free Ranging
I have only heard good things from Ideal Poultry and I love their large selection but my first time receiving chicks from Ideal they messed up the order and sent the wrong chicks, and only half of them survived to this point (start laying next month). I am guessing I just got unlucky with my first order. The more rare the bird the less likely it was to survive. All my Dorkings died, all my Pheonix Died, a few Delaware and a Production red died. Some did fine but others never grew up to be strong. Some were weak from day one and lasted a few months smaller and lighter than the rest and died. The order mix up was on them but I am willing to say I could have possibly did something to make half of them sick and weak... Other than getting a breed that only they have I will probably not order from them. And if I do I would only order one breed per order to cut down on mistakes. If I am the only one complaining about them then its a fluke.
I ordered 25 chicks from Murray McMurray.
A bunch were DOA, and all except 8 of them died over the next few days. They refunded my money, but hovering over a batch of dying chicks was a traumatic experience for me; so I paid more to buy chicks our local feed supply shipped in from Ideal.
They aren't selling chicks anymore, so a few weeks ago I bought 15 Silkie bantams from Ideal.
They all arrived alive, and they've been a total joy!
Sorry to hear about your experience.
It seemed to me that 25 chicks might've been too many chicks in one little box, because the 25 I bought from McMurray's looked overheated, but it's never gotten above 89 degrees in Hilo; and at the time, the record high was 87 degrees.
But the 15 Silkies I bought from Ideal were happy!
Anybody else think 15 might be a better number to send than 25, especially in the summer?
A bunch were DOA, and all except 8 of them died over the next few days. They refunded my money, but hovering over a batch of dying chicks was a traumatic experience for me; so I paid more to buy chicks our local feed supply shipped in from Ideal.
They aren't selling chicks anymore, so a few weeks ago I bought 15 Silkie bantams from Ideal.
They all arrived alive, and they've been a total joy!
Sorry to hear about your experience.
It seemed to me that 25 chicks might've been too many chicks in one little box, because the 25 I bought from McMurray's looked overheated, but it's never gotten above 89 degrees in Hilo; and at the time, the record high was 87 degrees.
But the 15 Silkies I bought from Ideal were happy!
Anybody else think 15 might be a better number to send than 25, especially in the summer?
Compost King
Free Ranging
I had a similar problem with McMurray hatchery although all mine arrived alive, they started dying off quickly, I ordered some rare breed Leghorns that weren't hardy, I ordered the same leghorns 45 days later from Welp and most survived. I can't say for sure if I was the problem or McMurray just had a weak line of Red and Silver Leghorns. The welsummers I ordered from McMurray to fill out to 25 did fine and so did some of the other common breeds.
Dear Poultry fanciers, I have had a long time relationship with Ideal Poultry. I would say over 10 years now personally with one particular employee they have Rachael I absolutely love her. I have no doubt ordered over 10,000 chicks for my past business Pergrams' Poultry and my personal flocks. I HAVE YET TO HAVE ANYTHING BUT THE BEST CHICKS COME FROM THEM. I know first hand the pride that comes from this Hatchery. I just wanted to take the time to weight in on subject of not ordering from them again (bad Choice) my past business was in Ohio I moved from there to Georgia now but have yet to restart my business, but when I do and I will, I will Purchase my Chicks from Ideal and without hesitation they have a variety that no other hatchery has and yes at the very best possible price. I certainly cannot say why these things have happened to you folks but I can honestly tell you out of all have ordered I can only recollect losing maybe (5) for just unknown reasons sadly just the nature of nature out of thousands not trying to discredit anyone just telling my past experiences with Ideal Poultry...
VictoriaTemple
Songster
I had a difficult experience with Ideal Hatchery via the local feed store this past spring. The feed store (Pickering Valley Farm & Feed in Exton, PA) received their first shipment of the season on Feb. 25, 5 days after the chicks hatched (brutal snowstorm, obviously not Ideal's fault). Against my better judgement, I bought 6 chicks anyway. Immediately the chicks all came down with salmonella, and so did I. The chicks were in a brand new brooder and had no contact with other birds. 2, a Brahma and a Cochin, died, each after long exhausting and nerve-wracking battles. The remaining 4 were very sick, but recovered with a great deal of extra help from me. The feed store replaced the dead 2, and I bought more to ease the pain of the loses (Chicken Math). The big problem came a week or 2 later, when another Brahma from the original 6 began to show signs of deformity. She stopped growing completely, her wings froze in place, and her spine curved so she looked exactly like a little tennis ball. I did some research, and despite her being vaccinated could only conclude it was Marek's. She held on until she was 9 weeks old, but finally succumbed. I alerted the feed store and gave them pics of the poor chick.
As my Ideal girls (Brahma, Cochin, Rhode Island Red, and Americauna) have matured, they seem ok. To my inexperienced and loving eye they are beautiful. The Rhodie, who was one of the 4 survivors, is laying religiously every day, and the others are warming up in the bullpen. I would prefer to buy from a breeder if I can find one, but if not I will try again with Pickering Valley Feed, and Ideal Hatchery.
As my Ideal girls (Brahma, Cochin, Rhode Island Red, and Americauna) have matured, they seem ok. To my inexperienced and loving eye they are beautiful. The Rhodie, who was one of the 4 survivors, is laying religiously every day, and the others are warming up in the bullpen. I would prefer to buy from a breeder if I can find one, but if not I will try again with Pickering Valley Feed, and Ideal Hatchery.
Katy in Texas
In the Brooder
- Apr 12, 2020
- 4
- 11
- 18
Hello. I joined backyardchickens.com just so I could answer you.
First, I would NEVER put newly hatched chicks on pine shavings. The outgassing of chemicals and the smell of pine would be sure to make them sick. I would put them on newspaper for the first 2 or 3 weeks, changing it daily.
Second, I would never ever order only 7 baby chicks. I almost always order 25. Never fewer than 15.
Third, I have made so many orders from Ideal Hatchery in Texas I can't even remember them all.
Fourth, I raised my first chickens in 1959. I have several degrees in biology, taught at IWU vertebrate zoology and microbiology. I have been homesteading with my spouse since 1992.
I would not blame a hatchery for my msking so many stupid mistakes. Native Texan here.
Hopefully you have learned how to raise chickens correctly by now.
@Katy in Texas
You do realize that Gresh started this thread in 2011, right? And FWIW, he or she hasn't been here since 2016.
You do realize that Gresh started this thread in 2011, right? And FWIW, he or she hasn't been here since 2016.
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