Cackle hatchery's Hatchery Surprise- Anybody got this before?

[Fortholm]

As I have ordered hundreds of chicks from Cackle myself, and I am currently waiting on my 4th surprise, I must chime in hear and say that for the most part, they always have sent me healthy chicks over the past few years. I have only received 3 scissor beaks, and lost about 20 chicks due to shipping. I know I am happy customer.

 

[tusweet4u]

I also have been extremely satisfied with chicks from cackle. I have ordered many surprise boxes and never had any doa. I will continue to order from them. I have ordered from other hatcheries as well and overall cackles chicks have done well compared to others!

 

[Mysterious]

the keets are coming in a week!

 

[colorme2]

MY CACKLE HATCHERY BOX ARRIVED ON FRIDAY THE 22ND...49 CHICKS AND 2 GUINEA CHICKS. ALL ARE DOING WELL...JUST A NOTE...I HAVE BEEN USING A PRODUCT CALLED GROW GEL...DAY ONE THAT IS ALL THEY GET. DAY 2-3 THEY GET CHICK STARTER ( UN MEDICATED ) AND GROW GEL...THIS PRODUCT REALLY SEEMS TO HELP THE CHICKS.MY BOX INCLUDED POLISH,SILKIE,WYANDOTTES,AUSTRALORPS,MARANS,WHITE JERSEY GIANT,NAKED NECK,AND OTHERS WHICH I HAVE NO CLUE. VERY HAPPY WITH MY PURCHASE ONCE AGAIN.....I WAS REALLY WORRIED WHEN THE BOX ARRIVED AS ITS BEEN EXTREMELY HOT AND A FEW WERE A LIL WEAK BUT THIS GROW GEL PRODUCT REALLY DID THEM GOOD.

 

[Fortholm]

MY CACKLE HATCHERY BOX ARRIVED ON FRIDAY THE 22ND...49 CHICKS AND 2 GUINEA CHICKS. ALL ARE DOING WELL...JUST A NOTE...I HAVE BEEN USING A PRODUCT CALLED GROW GEL...DAY ONE THAT IS ALL THEY GET. DAY 2-3 THEY GET CHICK STARTER ( UN MEDICATED ) AND GROW GEL...THIS PRODUCT REALLY SEEMS TO HELP THE CHICKS.MY BOX INCLUDED POLISH,SILKIE,WYANDOTTES,AUSTRALORPS,MARANS,WHITE JERSEY GIANT,NAKED NECK,AND OTHERS WHICH I HAVE NO CLUE. VERY HAPPY WITH MY PURCHASE ONCE AGAIN.....I WAS REALLY WORRIED WHEN THE BOX ARRIVED AS ITS BEEN EXTREMELY HOT AND A FEW WERE A LIL WEAK BUT THIS GROW GEL PRODUCT REALLY DID THEM GOOD.

I put a teaspoon of honey in the water (mason jar) for the first day myself. It really gives them a boost.

 

[meltel]

Just a brief update on my order from Cackle and my new order from My Pet Chicken-which I now understand gets their chicks from Meyer. After a full 6 day course of antibiotics as recommended by Cackle I still lost 4 more chicks so that takes me down to 20-a 17 chick loss-2 came with scissor beak. I received 28 chicks-just what I ordered from my pet chicken. Same water, food, brooder setup-and it took an extra day in the mail than the previous time. Lost 1 and was promptly reimbursed by My Pet Chicken without any questions asked and was told to call them if I noticed any other issues. My 3 week old chicks from MPC/Meyer are thriving and close to the same size as my 5 week olds from Cackle. I also got 6 more chicks from my local feed store that uses Town Line Hatchery, hatched 24 Serama, Silkie and Orpington from eBay shipped eggs and got 10 mixed breed chicks from my local 4H fair. None of these chicks had any pasty butt or diarrhea and are being raised in separate groups and the exact same conditions as my Cackle chicks. I am not stating this to bash Cackle-simply stating facts because I wish I had this type of detailed review available to me prior to my order. I thought getting a bunch of extra extra chicks-wow what a deal but not when you end up with sick birds and 10 less than what you ordered. What made me most upset about Cackle was that I spoke to the owner directly and her lack of professionalism and customer service. I'm sure there are people who got a great order of birds but I got a "bad batch" no doubt in my mind or my vets and it is sad when a company does not stand behind their product especially when the customer had gone above and beyond basic care. I am sorry if anyone on this thread is upset regarding my posts about my experience-but it is just that-my experience. In the future, my next "surprise" batch will be a "Leanns special" from Meyer. Curious to see how a surplus from another company will fare compared to Cackle.

 

[colorme2]

I put a teaspoon of honey in the water (mason jar) for the first day myself. It really gives them a boost.

THAT'S A GREAT IDEA!!! THANKS FOR THE TIP

 

[colorme2]

SO SORRY TO HEAR YOU HAD SO MANY ISSUES WITH YOUR CHICKS...I CAN UNDERSTAND YOU BEING UPSET AND I AGREE THAT IT WAS A BAD BATCH OF CHICKS AND CACKLE REALLY SHOULD HAVE DONE MORE WITH YOUR SITUATION....ITS GREAT TO HEAR YOUR OTHER CHICKIES ARE DOING FINE....I HAVE THOUGHT ABOUT THE LEANN'S SPECIAL ALSO FROM MEYER..IT WOULD BE INTERESTING TO COMPARE THE TWO AS I HAVE PURCHASED QUITE A FEW CACKLE SURPRISE BOX'S OVER THE YEARS...MAYBE YOU COULD START A NEW THREAD WITH LEANN'S SPECIAL..I JUST MIGHT TRY ONE OF THOSE NEXT YEAR....THANKS FOR SHARING YOUR EXPERIENCE...AND ENJOY YOUR LIL CHICKS.

 

[Buff Orpingtons]

Is it a good time of year to buy the surprise if I just want an assortment of chickens?iI have been reading this forum for a long time and I am so tempted to get one

 

[Poultrybonkers]

Just a brief update on my order from Cackle and my new order from My Pet Chicken-which I now understand gets their chicks from Meyer. After a full 6 day course of antibiotics as recommended by Cackle I still lost 4 more chicks so that takes me down to 20-a 17 chick loss-2 came with scissor beak. I received 28 chicks-just what I ordered from my pet chicken. Same water, food, brooder setup-and it took an extra day in the mail than the previous time. Lost 1 and was promptly reimbursed by My Pet Chicken without any questions asked and was told to call them if I noticed any other issues. My 3 week old chicks from MPC/Meyer are thriving and close to the same size as my 5 week olds from Cackle. I also got 6 more chicks from my local feed store that uses Town Line Hatchery, hatched 24 Serama, Silkie and Orpington from eBay shipped eggs and got 10 mixed breed chicks from my local 4H fair. None of these chicks had any pasty butt or diarrhea and are being raised in separate groups and the exact same conditions as my Cackle chicks. I am not stating this to bash Cackle-simply stating facts because I wish I had this type of detailed review available to me prior to my order. I thought getting a bunch of extra extra chicks-wow what a deal but not when you end up with sick birds and 10 less than what you ordered. What made me most upset about Cackle was that I spoke to the owner directly and her lack of professionalism and customer service. I'm sure there are people who got a great order of birds but I got a "bad batch" no doubt in my mind or my vets and it is sad when a company does not stand behind their product especially when the customer had gone above and beyond basic care. I am sorry if anyone on this thread is upset regarding my posts about my experience-but it is just that-my experience. In the future, my next "surprise" batch will be a "Leanns special" from Meyer. Curious to see how a surplus from another company will fare compared to Cackle.

Ive gotten the leanns adopt me bargain last year. Was a nice assortment...even got a crevecoure roo considering they never carried them. All were healthy though...healthier then my cackle throwaways. Lol