Hatcheries - no minimum recommendations?

[RiverOtter]

It's so unsafe for the chicks. Just split the order (call your local Agriculture extension office, tell them you're gathering names - people call them all the time and the local 4H and FFA club may well already have a group order you can get in on) or just sell the chicks on craigslist or something after.

If you only want 3 chicks, because that's all your town allows, odds are good there's a bunch more people nearby who only want 3 too

 

[MissE]

I order through a farm supply store. They get their chicks from Hoover. Since they order dozens of chicks at a time there's no worry about minimum orders, sudden cold snaps while in transit, or the 6 am walk up call from the post office. You know what day your chicks are coming in and can prepare for them. I do have to drive an hour to get them, but it's worth it to me. Besides, even the post office is 25 minutes away. They don't start getting chicks til mid March, but its below 0 at night this time of year, so no one really wants to try keeping a brooder box warm outside anyway.

 

[ShrekDawg]

Yes, Meyer has a 3 chick min from April to November. HOWEVER, if you order less than 15, then shipping is $50.

Yeah the shipping is crazy now. It used to be like $30 or $40 I think which is still crazy but they upped it to outrageous

 

[kgby13]

Where are you located? If you can go pick them up from a hatchery then they normally remove the minimum (Meyer in Ohio for example).

Texas. Closest big hatchery is ideal.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Texas. Closest big hatchery is ideal.

Might be mentioned all rwasy, but IDEAL has a 30$ minimum so that's like 5 or 7 chicks. Don't know about pick ups though

 

[cmom]

Often times if there is a feed store near you that have chicks, they may order chicks you want. Most do in my area especially around Easter.

 

[kgby13]

Might be mentioned all rwasy, but IDEAL has a 30$ minimum so that's like 5 or 7 chicks. Don't know about pick ups though

Ideal is my go to but they didn’t have all the breeds I wanted. Have an order with them for May shipment and one from mypetchicken for July. Hopefully I can unload some of the chicks from mypetchicken. Their shipping was high unless I ordered 15 chicks.

 

[cmom]

I don't know where you live but we have a local farm swap twice a month. Lots of buyers. I sell birds at our farm swap. I hatch out a lot of chicks every year of which around half will be males. I do grow them out and pick out the best as my future breeders but I also show poultry at poultry shows.