CACKLE HATCHERY

[Chiefs Mess]

I recieved a catalog from Cackle Hatchery (never ordered one) and was browsing through the pages. They claim they ship pure bred poultry. When I saw the prices I was shocked. For example: "Easter Egg Chicken" 5 pullets for $14.95.
I know prices have went up but good grief is this how much chicks are going for? They also sell Cuckoo Marans 5 pullets for $14.75.
Can anyone tell me if Murray McMurray is about the same price. Plus is Cackle Hatchery chicks pure bred poultry vs Murray and also Ideal?

If anyone can give any input greatly appreciated.

Chiefs Mess

 

[Ridgerunner]

To me, "purebred" means nothing about the quality of the chicken. It just means the offspring will look like the parents. An example I use from an article I saw a while back. A breeder took a flock of chickens and split it. He bred one of the split flocks for large size and the other for small size. The article did not say how many generations it took, but the average size in one flock is now 9 times the size in the other. Both those flocks are purebreeds from the same ancestors.

Unless certain traits are reinforced each generation, chickens quickly can lose those traits. I think that size difference shows the power of selective breeding. This means that you could get the best quality chickens and breed them. If you don't know how to select for the right traits, in a very few generations, your birds would probably be no better show quality than hatchery birds.

Hatcheries are not all alike, any more than breeders are all alike. You get different quality birds from different hatcheries, just like you get different quality birds from different breeders. But you are not likely to get show quality birds from any hatchery, certainly not consistently. Some do a better job than others of picking their breeders, but most use the pen breeding system where they keep many roosters in a pen with many, many hens. The random nature of the breeding keeps genetic diversity up, and most will look a lot like the chicken is supposed to look, but most will have flaws that keep them from being show bird quality. I've gotten the same breeds from different hatcheries and they look different. There are different people with different abilities and different goals picking the breeding flocks at different hatcheries.

When a show quality breeder breeds birds, they often match a specific rooster with one or two specific hens, trying for perfection. Even the best breeders hatch out more chicks that don't make the grade than potential prize winners. It's no surprise that the hatcheries with the randomness of the pen breeding method hatch a lot more rejects.

If you want a chicken that looks pretty much like the breed should but is almost certainly not show quality but will probably lay pretty well for that breed, the hatcheries are into mass producing these birds. If you want a show-quality chicken, you need to find a breeder that knows what they are doing. But they are not mass producing chickens and their prices will reflect that.

 

[ChickenThief]

I just ordered 32 chicks from cackle hatchery they all arrived alive and healthy.

 

[Jon Watkins]

Excellent experience with my order (3.5 weeks old now)

 

[rmh0508]

I bought my Bantam Cochins from Cackle last year. I think they are pretty nice looking birds (however I am not an expert, I am just partial to my birds lol) I was shopping around at several websites comparing prices, shipping and color options. Some hatcheries had better prices but no the selection of color or vise versa. Anyway Cackle had the colors I wanted and the price wasn't to bad. For egg laying standard size birds I am going with my local feed store because they sell them at their discount. Meaning I don't have to by X# to get the cheaper price and they are not charging shipping either. My cochins are broody all the time so instead of ordering chicks I am letting some of the girls hatch some. Here are some pics of my cochins, hajacking the thread here but are they good examples of the breed?

 

[Betsy57]

I realize this a very old thread. I just wondered what you thought about the personality of the Rhode Island Red chickens you bought from Cackle Hatchery. I bought Australorps from Chickens from Backyards that are way to skittish compared to normal for the breed and won't buy there again. And, I am considering getting one Rhode Island Red IF I can find a non-aggressive strain. Thanks!

I have always been very happy with Cackle's birds...health, personality, customer service. The RIRs are calm, comparable to the Cinnamon Queen's.

 

[SYLVIA STEVENSON]

I have always been very happy with Cackle's birds...health, personality, customer service. The RIRs are calm, comparable to the Cinnamon Queen's.

Thanks!

 

[djstanczak]

I have recently received chicks and ducks from Cackle and the experience was great. Nice birds and good customer service.

 

[orrpeople]

But, and not to be a negative Nellie, if you're looking for anything other than pet quality (PQ), better to order from a breeder who will selectively reproduce more SOP birds instead of mass quantities. Here's my Cackle Hatchery Speckled Sussex . (With a little BR fluff butt behind her!)

 

[BuffMomma]

at Murray Mcmurray the pullets are about 3.38 a piece for EE and you have to order 25 the prices have went up and shipping is crazy
Marans are 5.35 a piece