Re: MPC: Honestly, it almost sounds to me like MPC actually may get their chickens from Meyer. I don't think MPC is a hatchery and their shipping/ordering process sounds pretty similar to Meyer. Hmmmmm. It's possible.
I may not be much help, since I haven't even ordered my chicks yet. You can order from MyPetChicken.com (as few as 3), and you might call Meyer and see what might be possible in terms of ordering just 5. I was planning to order 6 from them, which won't get me up to the $20 minimum either. I...