Ideal Poultry

[Cremesoda34]

Ours are due this friday and I called ideal yesterday because we areu nder a cold spell. Very nice people and she assured me that they keep an eye on the weather to where the chicks go and they pack very well so they will stay warm. I hope so because I would cry if I opened them up at the post office and they were doa. We ordered 6 silkies, 3 self blue 2 buffs and 1 red and 3 black crested white polish and a standard white cohin male . Hope the packing peanuts will be cochin or brahma as we love the feather legged. If not they the packing peanuts get sold and we get some money back. I will give an update when they arrive.

 

[Cremesoda34]

Now I am sad, ideal called to let me know that the self blue silkies didn't hatch. so I had to replace with different or refund. I choose to replace with a white and 2 blacks. She did tell me that if they had any extras from the other batches they would do everything possible to get them to me.
Kinda stinks because I was on the waiting list for them and got the call last week that they had them for me but I do understand the hatching process as some are infertile and so on.
Keeping fingers crossed they will still have some for me.

 

[rsleghornchicki]

I'm sorry about the blues. We made the final disicion about when and what to order.
5 assorted d'uccles
5 assorted Dutch Bantams

 

[Chicky-dees]

I've ordered geese from them (brown chinese females) and picked them up (Ideal is only an hour away) and they were very friendly and the geese thrived beautifully. I've got my first mail order from them coming on Feb 22. I ordered some general dual purpose breeds, but also ordered a couple of top-hats and a Cubalaya male as 'designer chickens' for my coop, just for for fun.

I love that you don't have to order a 25 chick minimum. This works great, too, if you can pick up locally so they don't have to add the extra male chicks for warmth. Since the weather is cool, I will probably get extra males in my order (I ordered only 15 chicks) but that's not a big deal this time since I'm also building a huge coop and it can handle the extras long enough for them to get to mature slaughter weight.

Their website states that the Cubalaya males won't be sold until all of the Cubalaya females are sold so I may or may not get one this time around. I did email with my order that if another breed of longtail male were available, that they could substitue. I do hope the top-hat chickens arrive in good shape....when you only order two of one particular breed, your mortality rate increases. Hopefully with all of the other chickens in the box, my 'designer chickens' will make it here in one piece!

 

[rsleghornchicki]

congrats!!!!!!!I have like 4 pairs of brown chinese! Iove them! all though don't think i will be buying gosling anytime soon! They are soooooooooooooooo messy!!!!1

 

[Cremesoda34]

mine are do to arrive tomorrow. I am so excited and nervous all at once. Nervous because I don't want any to be doa and cry at the post office

and excited that tomorrow is the day.

I was told by ideal yesterday when they called to let me know they have been shipped that I would probly have at least 6 packing peanuts but probly more. I forgot I ordered 3 gray silkies also. So glad she told me my order again because I had forgot all about those 3 and would have wondered why I had extra silkies. I have 12 chicks plus the packing peanuts somewhere in air right now on a cargo plane.

 

[hollyk]

Just arrived today:
12 Barred Holland
12 Black Australorp
12 Minorca
8 Silver Penciled Hamburgs

All from Ideal and doing great. I have been ordering from them for 4 years now and usually get about 2 orders per year. I have always been please with the shipping, selection and quality of the stock. You should do just fine with them. I didn't read all the posts, but is Ideal the closest hatchery to you? Sometimes, it may be better to order close to home, especially when it is cold. Good luck.

 

[foothillsfiber]

Mine are 4 weeks old now. All tthat lived are doing good. I had 7 of my 25 suprise special that expired within 72 hours.

 

[rsleghornchicki]

og woops. Good luck on the silkies!!!!!!!!I LOVE silkies! don't forget to post LOTS of pics everyone. oh and tommorow on friday three leghorn babies are due! I live in the SD!!!!!WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOo

 

[Cremesoda34]

I the call at 5:18 am from the post office saying your babies are here and all are ok. I got dressed and out the door in record time still half asleep lol. They are all looking good and full of energy and they were warm. they gave me a total of 13 peanuts. the black with whites are the peanuts. any ideas as to what they might be?