Best hatcheries?

[shadow rabbit10]

Hi,
I was planning on ordering some chickens and I have looked at a few hatcheries. I can only order 6 birds so I need a hatchery that sells low minimum quantities, and has sexed birds. I had the following hatcheries in mind:
- My Pet Chicken
- Cackle Hatchery
- Meyer Hatchery
- Possibly California, but I'm not so sure about that one
What is the best hatchery out of these? Are any of them good? Any other recommendations? First time raising chickens, need help.

 

[bwalden]

I have ordered twice from Cackle and have had excellent luck with them. Just ordered 18 Welsummers (15 Pullets, 3 cockerels) and received them end of last month. I havn't lost one yet. I've never ordered from the others but i'm sure as in most cases there are good and bad situations that have happened to people with them all.

 

[LuvinChickens]

I have ordered from My Pet Chicken and am pretty happy with the results. They all survived and had/have no health problems. Unfortunately the Blue Hamburg Pullet ended up being a Rooster, but that can happen with ANY hatchery. Good luck!

Edit: MPC has a spot to calculate the minimum chick number.

 

[zookeeptd]

I've ordered from Cackle twice. Last Aug ordered 25 (got 27) Hatchery surprise chicks and 30 guineas. All did great except one Guinea lost on 2ND day.These were my first flock and was all killed but 2 one month before they started laying(Delawares doing great!). 3 guineas lived. I gave them to a friend and they are also doing very well. Got my order 24Th of last month 5 each of 5 breeds. They sent 26 and we did have one loss on 2ND day. I plan to order Bantams in a few weeks. They have been helpful on the phone and I have no complaints.

 

[Bill Matthews]

Everyone should keep in mind that MY PET CHICKEN, BACKYARD CHICKEN, and STROMBERG"S are Website Resellers and do not hatch any chickens...You are just paying someone for nothing but arranging an order for you...Stromberg's does have access to really high quality breeders and in the old days was the largest hatchery company in the Midwest....

 

[Ramblin Rooster]

I LOVE MY BIRDS FROM MY PET CHICKEN!!! Very small minimum orders in the seasons other than winter and really good quality birds!

 

[atb9454]

I have ordered from My Pet Chicken and am pretty happy with the results. They all survived and had/have no health problems. Unfortunately the Blue Hamburg Pullet ended up being a Rooster, but that can happen with ANY hatchery. Good luck!

Edit: MPC has a spot to calculate the minimum chick number.

Where can you calculate the minimum chick number?

 

[shadow rabbit10]

I was looking at Cackle only because it had Turkens, and a town special. (Option to order 3 or 5 pullets instead of 25). They seem reasonable.

 

[shadow rabbit10]

I liked them too, but they're extremely expensive. However, Since they are the only hatchery with sexed bantams, I don't have much of a choice.

 

[BlazeJester]

I have used MPC twice now (the only "hatchery" I have dealt with directly). One flock is 3 years and going strong and the other is 6 months and going strong. One columbian wyandotte had bad genetics and didn't make it - one day she stopped eating and three days later she died. The other has a straight comb. I wouldn't order wyandottes from them again, but then I wouldn't order wyandottes again anywhere.

MPC drop-ships from Meyer, so I would go straight to Meyer for your birds if you're going to use them. However, Meyer doesn't sex bantams, so that's a catch.