Anyone else had trouble with Cedar Creek Hatchery

[twinelm]

I ordered chicks back in April from them, 10 black copper pullets and 5 dark brahmas straight run. The owner Joe agreed to throw in a couple of black copper roosters as there was no option for two. With shipping, the order totalled $240 but i was late getting my order in for black coppers so I was willing to pay it. August rolls around, I call several times and finally am told the chicks were shipped that day.
The box arrives at the Post Office reeking of death, though it was presumably only in transit two days. Only two of the chicks had died, but one was so badly decomposed I had no other recourse than to assume it was already dead when placed in the box.
And they in no way resembled what I ordered. There were 19 in the box, I lost an additional 4 of them as they were not particularly healthy, and now, a month later, have an assortment of white, blue, brown, spotted and a few black chicks, even one cuckoo or barred...
Multiple calls to the hatchery were unanswered. Emails bounced back and at one time in late August the website was even offline.
Oh and many more are showing as roosters than I ordered and NONE are brahmas, dark or otherwise.
I began a Better Business Bureau claim as I discovered online other people were having problems. Just received the reply back from the hatchery that was inaccurate in what they say they sent, even though they admitted they sent black and blue marans and five bluebell pullets (whatever those are). Anyway, I am curious if I should even insist on a reshipment of the black copper pullets at this point or just chalk it up to a lesson learned. I have no use for assorted odd marans, really, other than to add those which are pullets to my layer flock. I had intended on beginning a breeding program to produce highly desired dark eggs for the local farmers market.
Sigh.

 

[chooks4life]

Well... Personally I wouldn't place total blame on them until I know what happened and whether or not they're willing to make amends; a single shoddy employee could have caused this fiasco, quite often does, and especially when it's a family-based or friends-only enterprise they can be unable to reprimand the one responsible, so all bear the brunt and lose reputation as punishment for employing someone unfit for the job 'just because' they're family or a friend. Some of the worst teams I've ever been in included friends, to be honest.

Sounds to me like perhaps an employee either at the hatchery or the post office made mistakes with the orders. Don't always believe the PO when they're reassuring you they can't alter this and it's all on that person's end and they have no jurisdiction and blah blah blah... They alter and fiddle with plenty.

Right now I'm dealing with a PO that firmly tells me I have to label my address as belonging to one town and postcode even though some of their employees, not all, re-label all my mail as belonging to another town and postcode, lol. It gets to the same address either way, but there's some kind of a bureaucratic confuddlement about it. Internal confusions. Whenever I try to sort it out I get apparently knowledgeable individuals guaranteeing me empty nothings; they're the ones relabeling everything LOL!

Anyway, your hatchery is the one with the most to lose (a whole business). It'd be a wise move on their part to ensure you're happy with them. If they are going to chalk you off as a loss, I'd chalk them off too, irrespective of whose fault it may be. You and the other customers deserve an explanation and recompense.

Best wishes.

 

[learycow]

I would ask them for a refund since you in no way got what you ordered and paid for. Send them pics too if you have to just to show them you aren't making it up.

Unfortunately there are TONS of small farms and breeders that are scamming people this year and walking away with the $. It so disgusting and sounds like you may have been an unlucky victim of this especially if you are finding online proof that it happened to others this year as well.

 

[DelcoChix]

I'm afraid you have just joined the ever-growing "been taken advantage of by CCH Club." Do a search with their name and you'll find that you are not alone. What you do from here obviously is up to you but there are quite a few of us who have been taken advantage of. I think the worst part is the total lack of communication once the money is received combined with not getting what was ordered--a bad combination. A "Bluebell" is a hybrid of sorts...I've read a combo of Rhode Island Red and some sort of Marans. Good egg layer but no rhyme or reason to what they will look like. I ended up with one Bluebell hen from them--very small blue splash bird.
I personally would never give them my business again--"fool me once, shame on you...fool me twice, shame on me."
There are too many other decent folks out there both small farms and larger hatcheries I'd rather give my business to.
Good luck.