Barred Rock gender

[Peepsi]

I want to try My Pet Chicken. Heard great things and they do have a 100% gender quarantine. Doesn't mean they don't make mistakes, but that they try and they refund the full price when you don't get what you ordered. Problem, though, 7 bird minimum order.

If you order in the summer when it is hot, the minimum bird amount goes down to 3 (at least it does for my shipping location).

 

[Frazzemrat1]

I did not mark it; they just sent it. In fact there wasn`t an option to check; I think at that time the were just sending them. I'm guessing I'm not the only one that told them I was pi $$ed about it. No where in the process did it tell me there would be an extra chick. I opened the shipping confirmation about 2 hours before they arrived and saw it on that. I even mentioned in a phone call with them that morning that I couldn't wait a week for shipment because I only wanted 3 chicks and the minimum order went up the next week...she said nothing about an extra chick.

It depends on the state minimum where you live, and what they feel is the minimum they can ship. I ordered 5 from Meyers a couple years back, and they sent me 6. My state minimum is 6...

 

[Coturnix Quail]

I want to try My Pet Chicken. Heard great things and they do have a 100% gender quarantine. Doesn't mean they don't make mistakes, but that they try and they refund the full price when you don't get what you ordered. Problem, though, 7 bird minimum order.

Sorry I was creeping on this thread and I had to interfere. I ordered 6 day old female chicks from MPC, and they all grew up to be just that. From the straight run I got 3 hens and 2 roos. I think MPC is great, although the minimum (depending on where you live) can be a bit higher than you'd want. My minimum was 6 during April. My girls will be 3 years old this year. Good luck with your BR.

 

[Frazzemrat1]

I want to try My Pet Chicken. Heard great things and they do have a 100% gender quarantine. Doesn't mean they don't make mistakes, but that they try and they refund the full price when you don't get what you ordered. Problem, though, 7 bird minimum order.

Keep in mind, they are a go between, not a hatchery. They order from Meyers and Cackle and Hoover. Maybe a couple others. MPC can only guarantee what the hatcheries they order from guarantee.

 

[Leo1]

It depends on the state minimum where you live, and what they feel is the minimum they can ship. I ordered 5 from Meyers a couple years back, and they sent me 6. My state minimum is 6...

They said the minimum was 3. Seems like if they were going to insist on shipping 4, I should at the very least have gotten to pick the breed of what they had available or had the option to cancel. When I called about it, they said it was the meyer meal maker; didn't say anything about needing an extra chick for shipping.
I'm confused on MPC. If they don't hatch their own, how do they ship day olds? Hmm.

 

[HeatherKellyB]

My 2 BR pullets are looking at the camera here. You can see comb development and they're right at 2 weeks old. I hope this might help some. I'm searching for pictures of my BR cockerel but he is in a Bachelor Flock that is a month older than the group pictured. One of the Buff Orpington's ended up being a cockerel, but the other 5 are pullets that are now laying

 

[Frazzemrat1]

They said the minimum was 3. Seems like if they were going to insist on shipping 4, I should at the very least have gotten to pick the breed of what they had available or had the option to cancel. When I called about it, they said it was the meyer meal maker; didn't say anything about needing an extra chick for shipping.
I'm confused on MPC. If they don't hatch their own, how do they ship day olds? Hmm.

Meal maker just means that they'll send something along the same lines as what you order. You buy all egg layers, they'll send another egg layer. You buy all meat birds, they'll send an extra meat bird.


ETA:: As for MPC... You order from them and they immediately send it to (I assume) the closest hatchery, or the one most able to cover your complete order. They ship during their next shipping time from the hatchery straight to you.

 

[HeatherKellyB]

This is my Barred Rock Cockerel at 3 weeks and 6 days old (so almost 4 weeks old). His comb is getting large already. You can also see his legs and the lighter stripes, almost a Grey color (we learned from previous posters that this is not necessarily a determining factor, it is a tip shared with me on BYC when I was new and trying to figure BR's out). I hope this might be helpful to you.

 

[HeatherKellyB]

Lastly, I ordered 3 pullets from Cackle Hatchery back in June and received 6 chicks (ended up with 5 pullets and 1 Cockerel). From what I've read and experienced, the hatcheries tend to put extra chick/s in the shipments to cover for any possible losses. I understand your frustration, but I was thrilled to get extra chicks. It'd be great if they could offer extra and off an option to only receive the amount ordered. If customers end up with 100% survival, folks living areas that have restrictions on the number of birds allowed, will end up needing to find homes for the birds they're not allowed to have. There has to be a way. I'm sorry you've had such an awful experience.

 

[Frazzemrat1]

View attachment 1975026
This is my Barred Rock Cockerel at 3 weeks and 6 days old (so almost 4 weeks old). His comb is getting large already. You can also see his legs and the lighter stripes, almost a Grey color (we learned from previous posters that this is not necessarily a determining factor, it is a tip shared with me on BYC when I was new and trying to figure BR's out). I hope this might be helpful to you.

At four weeks, all of their combs are big.