Any one ever buy from Cackle hatchery?

[popsicle]

Someone recommended Cackle to me for show stock. I'm finding that looking for show quality Brahmas is near impossible. I was skeptical, and I still am looking at their pictures and show stock. Would someone confirm that for me?

I have seen photos of their Light Brahmas that were leaps and bounds better looking than my Light Brahmas from Welp (Privitt). I wouldn't judge by the photos you see on the breed pages, but by the videos of the breeder flocks. If the photos came from their stock, they were probably chosen because they are the best examples. The breeder flock videos will give you a better sample of what you might get.

 

[chickincrazy]

I ordered buff laced polish from Cackle Hatchery. The chicks were healthy and turned out to be great show birds when they got older!

However I picked them up from the hatchery, so I have no shipping "experience" whatsoever. This year I ordered Barred Rock bantams. Tey haven't hatched yet so I'm still waiting. God willing, they will turn out alright

 

[blucoondawg]

I have a question for those of you who have ordered from Cackle in the past, how do the birds turn out size wise when full grown? My last order was from McMurray and I have another order lined up for this spring, their birds are good color wise and very healthy but they seem to run small, it seems to me my light brahmas are the size a standard RIR or BO hen should be and all the other breeds are too small, I have New Hampshire, White Roc, Barred Roc, Black Australorp, Easter Eggers, Silver Laced Wyandottes, Light Brahmas. They're nice looking birds but like I said small. Also they are old enough now I should be getting larger eggs out of them and I am not as a matter of fact some, the white rocs for sure, are laying very small eggs, smaller than super market large, when I was a kid our chickens were much larger and we got eggs that had a hard time fitting a jumbo egg carton.

I would rather order from Cackle if their birds are larger like a dual purpose breed should be and the Brahmas are even bigger. The only ones out of my McMurray birds I am really satisfied with is the EE, they lay a good amount of fair sized eggs and are normal size for an EE.

 

[draye]

I have a question for those of you who have ordered from Cackle in the past, how do the birds turn out size wise when full grown?  My last order was from McMurray and I have another order lined up for this spring, their birds are good color wise and very healthy but they seem to run small, it seems to me my light brahmas are the size a standard RIR or BO hen should be and all the other breeds are too small, I have New Hampshire, White Roc, Barred Roc, Black Australorp, Easter Eggers, Silver Laced Wyandottes, Light Brahmas.  They're nice looking birds but like I said small.  Also they are old enough now I should be getting larger eggs out of them and I am not as a matter of fact some, the white rocs for sure, are laying very small eggs, smaller than super market large, when I was a kid our chickens were much larger and we got eggs that had a hard time fitting a jumbo egg carton.

I would rather order from Cackle if their birds are larger like a dual purpose breed should be and the Brahmas are even bigger.  The only ones out of my McMurray birds I am really satisfied with is the EE, they lay a good amount of fair sized eggs and are normal size for an EE.

Some are and some aren't.. You get that from about anyone though.

 

[chickincrazy]

I have a question for those of you who have ordered from Cackle in the past, how do the birds turn out size wise when full grown? My last order was from McMurray and I have another order lined up for this spring, their birds are good color wise and very healthy but they seem to run small, it seems to me my light brahmas are the size a standard RIR or BO hen should be and all the other breeds are too small, I have New Hampshire, White Roc, Barred Roc, Black Australorp, Easter Eggers, Silver Laced Wyandottes, Light Brahmas. They're nice looking birds but like I said small. Also they are old enough now I should be getting larger eggs out of them and I am not as a matter of fact some, the white rocs for sure, are laying very small eggs, smaller than super market large, when I was a kid our chickens were much larger and we got eggs that had a hard time fitting a jumbo egg carton.

I would rather order from Cackle if their birds are larger like a dual purpose breed should be and the Brahmas are even bigger. The only ones out of my McMurray birds I am really satisfied with is the EE, they lay a good amount of fair sized eggs and are normal size for an EE.

Cackle has great birds. But I wouldn't recommend getting jersey giants from them. I got two and they are very very small and one has a messed up comb and a twisted tail. But if you were to get jersey giants, it would be very hard to find a good breeder. Anyways, you said your chickens were from McMurray and they are small? How old are they? It normally takes them quite a while to get full size. Plus they raise show quality fowl. Maybe you just got a bad batch. I do recommend Cackle Hatchery!!!

You should totally give them a try!!!

 

[chickincrazy]

Also some strains of poultry are not as good at laying as others. Murray probably doesn't breed for the egg laying gene. Now I'm not trying to make Murray look bad! I'm just sayin' that they are mostly for show chickens.

I hope you find what you're lookin' for! God Bless!

 

[blucoondawg]

Also some strains of poultry are not as good at laying as others. Murray probably doesn't breed for the egg laying gene. Now I'm not trying to make Murray look bad! I'm just sayin' that they are mostly for show chickens.

I hope you find what you're lookin' for! God Bless!

Show chickens? You are the first person on this forum who has claimed any large hatchery to breed show chickens and not layers. It is the common thought process that large hatcheries breed for meat and egg production, more utility birds, and not for the breed standard or show chicken. I don't really see how it is possible for a hatchery that must produce as many chicks as McMurray to breed for show quality birds.

Also like I said they are decent looking birds, they just seem small and a few of them are laying very small eggs which shouldn't be the case from these breeds. I don't think I got a bad batch, I just think their birds likely run smaller, I think the white rocs are laying the tiny eggs, I won't be getting that breed again anyways. I actually wanted RIW but they didn't carry them so in the future if I place an order with Cackle the rocs will be replaced with RIW

 

[popsicle]

My red-layer hens from Cackle are nice and big--as big as my Jersey Giant from Welp. On Cackle's site, it looks like they sell several red layers--cherry eggers, production red, RIR, New Hampshire. Mine came in an assortment and I have no clue what they would be sold as. One looks like a New Hampshire. One doesn't look like a NH but looks like what they sell as NH (if you look at the breeder flock videos), and a couple are red with some partridge-ness (they were striped as chicks).

My SLW from Cackle is disappointingly small.

I haven't gotten any Brahmas from Cackle--I know the whites look nice, but I don't know how big they are.

The other breeds I have from Cackle: black Cochin (on the small side), Cuckoo Marans (average?), BSL (on the small side, but bigger than the SLW), Houdan (ate him, he was good), EE (small, but bigger than SLW, I ate an EE cockerel at 16-weeks, less meat than the 16-week-old Houdan)

 

[chickincrazy]

My red-layer hens from Cackle are nice and big--as big as my Jersey Giant from Welp. On Cackle's site, it looks like they sell several red layers--cherry eggers, production red, RIR, New Hampshire. Mine came in an assortment and I have no clue what they would be sold as. One looks like a New Hampshire. One doesn't look like a NH but looks like what they sell as NH (if you look at the breeder flock videos), and a couple are red with some partridge-ness (they were striped as chicks).

My SLW from Cackle is disappointingly small.

I haven't gotten any Brahmas from Cackle--I know the whites look nice, but I don't know how big they are.

The other breeds I have from Cackle: black Cochin (on the small side), Cuckoo Marans (average?), BSL (on the small side, but bigger than the SLW), Houdan (ate him, he was good), EE (small, but bigger than SLW, I ate an EE cockerel at 16-weeks, less meat than the 16-week-old Houdan)

The mystery partridge birds could very well be partridge rocks!!!

 

[chickincrazy]

Show chickens? You are the first person on this forum who has claimed any large hatchery to breed show chickens and not layers. It is the common thought process that large hatcheries breed for meat and egg production, more utility birds, and not for the breed standard or show chicken. I don't really see how it is possible for a hatchery that must produce as many chicks as McMurray to breed for show quality birds.

Also like I said they are decent looking birds, they just seem small and a few of them are laying very small eggs which shouldn't be the case from these breeds. I don't think I got a bad batch, I just think their birds likely run smaller, I think the white rocs are laying the tiny eggs, I won't be getting that breed again anyways. I actually wanted RIW but they didn't carry them so in the future if I place an order with Cackle the rocs will be replaced with RIW

I read in MurrayMcMurray's magazine that they raise show chickens. And I never said that they didn't raise egg laying birds. I said they probably didn't breed many egg layers. They have a few, such as their pearl leghorns, they just mostly raise purebreds.