Cackle Hatchery or My Pet Chicken?

My Pet Chicken is not a hatchery, but a dropshipper. I'm not sure which hatchery supplies their birds, maybe several. There's not a lot of difference in hatchery stock, generally, IMO. If you plan to show, don't get birds from any hatchery.

If you want to breed good quality birds and sell eggs and/or chicks in the future or show, get good breeder stock (I don't mean from a propagator of hatchery stock, but a breeder of fine stock). You'd think hatcheries were safe to buy from but I've heard of an incidence where someone got chicks from a hatchery everyone knows of here, put them in a brand new brooder never been used and they began dying at a week old. She had the state and her vet do necropsies on some of the chicks when the hatchery refused to make it right. They had Mareks. How they got that since it is not passed down through the egg, I'm not sure, but something is bad wrong about that. Those were her first chicks so they didn't get it in her brooder. I'm talking a huge order, now all dead. The survivors were rightfully euthanized by the state at her request.


No, I won't say which hatchery. The lab suggested that until it is determined for 100% sure the chicks came to her with Marek's from this well known hatchery, she not say anything for fear of a lawsuit. But, I bring it up because most folks think hatcheries are safer. Not necessarily.

If you get chicks newly hatched from a very well known reputable breeder who is AI and MG certified clean, you'll be ahead of the game. If you're just looking for a few sexed pullets for eggs, hatchery stock is fine and odds are, it will be at least, generally healthy when it gets to you, though it may never be a great example of its breed. I just haven't seen much difference in stock from any of the big hatcheries.

I've been debating posting... because I'm not a vet. However, I cannot find a single source saying that the incubation period for Marek's is less than three weeks.

popsicle said:

I've been debating posting... because I'm not a vet. However, I cannot find a single source saying that the incubation period for Marek's is less than three weeks.

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I know and that is what was confusing but the necropsy by the lab said the chicks died of Mareks and they never left a never-before used brooder of a person who had never owned chickens. Now, don't ask me if I trust labs because I do not. I wouldn't trust the state lab in GA as far as I could throw the staff there, but when you have almost 100 chicks start dying at a week old and lose almost every one of them quickly, something is terribly wrong. She had some necropsied by her vet as well as the state lab.

One thing I do know is that diseases mutate. Coccidiosis, for instance, has a mutation that can be passed through the egg from parent stock to chicks who do not show signs for literally months and just start dropping. This was confirmed by a University of KY lab, not GA. Surprised me and the owner of the chicks as well as the breeder of the parent stock.

Thanks for your help everyone! You've certainly have swayed my judgement! After researching and calculating costs, as well as communicating with multiple hatcheries, I've decided to go with Meyer, because of the quick, helpful staff and the good things I heard. Their shipping prices are more expensive than a couple of others, but I've corresponded with another poultry person, so we've decided to share an order next year in order to lower and split the shipping cost. I hope everything works out! Thanks again!

Blackberry18 said:

Thanks for your help everyone! You've certainly have swayed my judgement! After researching and calculating costs, as well as communicating with multiple hatcheries, I've decided to go with Meyer, because of the quick, helpful staff and the good things I heard. Their shipping prices are more expensive than a couple of others, but I've corresponded with another poultry person, so we've decided to share an order next year in order to lower and split the shipping cost. I hope everything works out! Thanks again!

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I ordered from meyer this year got fry pan bargain and leanns adopt me bargain all came healthy but one now at 5 weeks they are going great.

Skip my pet chicken if you want theirs and go straight to meyer which is the hatchery they broker for. I ordered 7 pullets but one turned out to be a cockerel. He was crowing at 8 wks so i re homed him immediately and notified my pet chicken. They wont do anything for 2 more weeks in case hes a pullet. Really? Didnet matter that he was crowing. Plus they want a picture to prove hes male. Their mark up is terrible. They charge $40 for lavender orp where meyer charges $25. Skip them.