Anyone order from Ideal Hatchery?

[gritsar]

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NPIP/USDA will not allow its certified hatcheries to allow tours. Standard at all hatcheries and most breeders. Just health safety.

Agreed. Policy at all reputable hatcheries. Frankly, I would be more concerned by a hatchery that did allow tours.
I also agree with everything Katy said. My second flock of birds from Ideal is scheduled to be shipped in May and I only live six hours from Ideal. I'm not willing to risk my baby chicks by getting them any sooner. Springtime is the right time for chicks. Why do you think Mother Nature does it that way?

 

[Katy]

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NPIP/USDA will not allow its certified hatcheries to allow tours. Standard at all hatcheries and most breeders. Just health safety.

I don't allow people in my pens either.....especially if they also have chickens. Instead of a red flag, that is a good sign.

 

[Tuffoldhen]

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NPIP/USDA will not allow its certified hatcheries to allow tours. Standard at all hatcheries and most breeders. Just health safety.

I don't allow people in my pens either.....especially if they also have chickens. Instead of a red flag, that is a good sign.

Neither do I. Just good biosecurity measures.

 

[faykokoWV]

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I did the surprise pullet special for my first order from Ideal, I ordered 15 and got 7 different varieties. Here's my biggest tip on breed identification from the special, Watch for their earlobe color. I had 2 buff minorca's that I thought were BO's until their ears ended up being white and i had a production black that looked just like a BR until the ears again.

Also, difficult to tell the fayoumi's from the campines. I have chick pictures of all of the ones I got and eventually identified if you need to compare just pm me

 

[CountryMom]

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I did the surprise pullet special for my first order from Ideal, I ordered 15 and got 7 different varieties. Here's my biggest tip on breed identification from the special, Watch for their earlobe color. I had 2 buff minorca's that I thought were BO's until their ears ended up being white and i had a production black that looked just like a BR until the ears again.

Also, difficult to tell the fayoumi's from the campines. I have chick pictures of all of the ones I got and eventually identified if you need to compare just pm me

Thanks! I may be doing that.

I wondered if they would include any of the broilers also since they listed it as ANY Standard Chick. Did you get any in your order?

 

[CountryMom]

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Considering I have ducks hatching out ducklings and wild flowers already starting to bloom in my yard, I think we are a bit closer to spring down here than most parts of the country. If I was up where it was still snowing I may hold off myself also. I am just 2 hours south of Cameron where Ideal is located.

EDITED to add that all the chicks I ordered just arrived safe and sound. No DOA and all warm and snuggly in their straw padded box. They do generate a fair amount of their own heat in that box. Ideal did a great job.