Looking for the best hatchery with the best shipping!!

[Newmotherhen89]

Hi fellow BYC peeps!

I've been trying to find a good Hatchery where I can order chicks from, but I want to find one that has great service and really cares about their baby chicks and cares about how they will be shipped.
which companies seem to care the most about the chicks welfare?

I've never ordered chicks online and don't know much about it or the process.

what are your guises best experiences, and what to expect or prepare for, and what companies to stay away from


Thank you guys, any response and experience is helpful and i'll continue to research too!

 

[beetandsteet]

I've always used Ideal Poultry in Cameron Texas. They're the closest to me, and their chicks have always been very healthy and productive. Their prices are reasonable, and shipping is built into the price of each chick. When I got a dead chick in an order, they promptly refunded my money.
Ordering chicks online can seem a bit daunting at first, but it's actually really easy. Make sure you check the shipping date when you place your order. Notify your local post office you'll be expecting chicks around that date, and request that they call you as soon as the babies arrive (the box the chicks come in also tells them to call your number). Don't let the chicks bounce around in the mail truck all day. Open the box in front of a postal employee and make sure everyone's alive (if there's a large number dead, the hatchery may ask for a confirmation from the postal worker). If there are dead birds, call right away and notify the hatchery. Have your brooder up and heated before you leave for the post office. Monitor the chicks and make sure they are drinking. You may want to dip some of their beaks in the water to get them started. Only put in the feeder after you've seen them drinking to prevent pasty butt.

 

[MeepBeep]

The best for you might not be the best for another...

IMO most 'bigger' hatcheries are compatible in the end, so most people recommend choosing the one that located closest to you that has what you want to avoid extra days in transit... As the stress and time in transit until the birds are in your care can make a huge difference in health...

Also this time of the year it might be better to simply purchase from a local farm or feed store as most have 'chick days' going on right now...

Beyond that for the best selection you really need to order chicks back in December (or whenever they start taking pre-orders) even though they won't generally ship until March or April... A lot of the hatcheries are already sold out for the season or have limited availability...

 

[realsis]

when I ordered from Meyer hatchery for a April hatch and ship date I ordered in January.They had over 100 breeds to choose from with females available for them all. I was able to choose my &arch and ship date. you can order as few as 3 birds for a April ship.I was able to get a couple of Genuine rare breeds and females too. now is a bit late for hatcheries as most have male only available. I know Meyer does have some breeds with available females for later hatches. I believe you can still get female Barred Rocks for may and June hatch. I'd order right away because they are being taken fast. you should check out their website and see what's available.they have excellent customer service. and will answer any questions you may have.they also offer the Mareks vaccine at a very low price.the more you purchase the less cost for vaccine. I paid .50 cents per vaccine for my small order. just for the future it's always best to pre order. latest would be january. hope this helps

 

[jaj121159]

I have had good success with Welp, Ideal, and Meyer. I don't personally like Murray McMurry, because they ship on Thursday or Friday. I live close enough (Nebraska) the birds are shipped ground and I get them after they have been in the Postal system over the weekend.

I like Welp because the shipping is included in the price of the chick so there is no surprise at checkout, Welp is associated with Privett Hatchery and birds from Privett are shipped by air. Welp also has a great selection and I have gotten real good birds from them.

I have ordered a lot of birds from Ideal and have good success. I order a lot of rare and endangered birds and they have a great selection. They must have had problems, because most of the rare and endangered are not available this year.

I really like Myer, but their shipping charges seem real high for shipping to Nebraska from Ohio.

My experiences with Cackle have been mixed. I ordered some birds from them two years ago and everything went real well. Last year I ordered and my experience wasn't good. The birds came with a lot of shipping shock and didn't recover. When I called they put me through 69 questions like they didn't believe my claims. This year I haven't ordered from them, but considered it. Their shipping charges seem to have gone way up.