Best and worst experiences ordering live chicks?

[Stephanie8806]

I have not personally ordered chicks, but I would also personally not hesitate to do so. Everyone else I know that has chickens (IRL) has had them shipped. Most people that I know online have had them shipped. The main potential issue with shipping is loss in the mail, but that is rare, and if you're extremely concerned about it, you can just order extra chicks (which, because many rare breeds only come straight run, you'd probably be doing anyway).

I am actually hoping to get 1-2 roosters, so I can incubate my own in future. And if I got “too many”, we also process chickens for meat anyways, so that just makes the choice easier

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Swedish flower hens, French Black copper marans, Cream legbars(although I would settle for a well bred Amerucana line), Salmon Faverolles, and Olive Eggers, because I’d like to not wait two plus years to cross my own.

I’m only looking to buy from small operations if they have proof of regular disease testing done on their flock or carry an NPIP(or equivalent) certification. If you don’t, I’m sure your birds are quite healthy, if you have sold in the past, but buying shipped birds come with enough risk as it is.

And I already got screwed trusting a certified long standing small farm for shipping eggs, and she closed up her farm and left a lot of people high and dry. No refunds or fulfilled orders. I had to open a dispute with my bank to get my money back.

I know IDEAL has olive eggers and marans and salmon faverolles, not sure about the others.

 

[Stephanie8806]

You will have no struggle finding those breeds at Cackle hatchery (best quality birds that I've seen) however, if you're looking to breed for show, I'd head to a breeder for each one separately. No matter how good hatchery birds are, they won't be able to compete with standard bred birds from a breeder that specializes in them.

Yeah that’s why I’m looking at a large hatchery. I have ZERO plans to sell or breed for show, I just want a highly diverse flock for my own entertainment. I highly enjoy the difference in feather patterns, body types, personality, and egg color.

 

[black_cat]

Yeah that’s why I’m looking at a large hatchery. I have ZERO plans to sell or breed for show, I just want a highly diverse flock for my own entertainment. I highly enjoy the difference in feather patterns, body types, personality, and egg color.

Then I'd have no qualms about ordering from a reputable hatchery like Cackle.

 

[Davethebirdman]

Oh yes.
All of those breeds are all the rage at the moment. I just sold one of my Swedish Flower Roosters last week.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

I know the struggle too trying to find certain breeds. I finally found bantam naked necks (ironically in a neighboring state) for sale. But I had searched for hatcheries or private breeders but no one that i could find was willing to ship as far as I was (most eastern states seem to not ship past the Mississippi river private breederwise) and obviously I can't drive across the country to just get some birds.

But these little guys were worth every dead end

 

[NatJ]

Im wondering, how much good(or bad) experience have you had ordering live chicks from hatcheries? Do some have better shipping practices than others? What percentage of live arrivals should you expect?

I've ordered from Ideal Poultry, McMurray Hatchery, and Cackle Hatchery.
I've done Cackle once, McMurray I think twice, and Ideal at least 4 times.
Order size ranged from 7 to 50.
I didn't lose any of the 7 from Ideal.
All of the other orders were 15 chicks or more, and DOA (dead on arrival) were between 0 and 3 birds per order.

I've had a number of birds that did not entirely meet breed standards, but not in ways that would hurt them. Examples:
--a Red Shouldered White Yokohama from McMurray that had a pea comb, instead of the walnut comb their description says
--a Spangled Russian Orloff from Ideal that did not have a muff/beard
--a Silver Spangled Appenzeller Spitzhauben from Cackle that had 2 toenails on one toe

Based on my own experiences, I would not hesitate to order by mail.

Of course have the brooder warm and ready, with warm water, and chick starter. I use paper towels on the floor of the brooder for at least the first day, and I sprinkle some chick starter on the paper towel, as well as having feeders. The chicks seem to notice little bits on the floor sooner than they notice the feeder.

Many people advise dipping the beak of each chick in water, but I no longer do that. I decided it's more important to get them all under the heat lamp quickly. Instead, I have glass marbles in the waterer, and put it close to the heat lamp. Many chicks try to peck the shiny marbles in the water, and then they taste the water and start drinking. Then the others copy them. (If I see a particular chick looking bad, I will first make sure it's warmed up, and then dip its beak in the water, just to make sure it knows what water is for. But that has been quite rare--averaging less than one chick per batch.)

 

[Davethebirdman]

Unfortunately, I never sell any of my birds for food, only pets to the most loving and expert bird raising people.
Swedish Flowers I highly recommend. I have a wait list for my Swedish flower chicks. In danger of extinction, but their sudden extreme popularity in California and on the West Coast will save them. Truly a chicken that has it all.
Swedish flowers one of my favorites. Can’t say enough about them. Great egg production too!

 

[TheAlrightyGina]

I've ordered from Murray McMurray several times (twice when I was a teenager, once as an adult several years ago) and had great success. My most recent order was with Meyer. None were DOA, but I did lose one within the week to pasty butt.

 

[ButtonHoarder]

Advise against ordering from these big commercial breeders. You dont know what you’re getting, some die in transit, and they ship so many there is low quality control.
I only by my rarest birds that are impossible to find through the mail. Always shop local suppliers in person. Also, as a beginner you should only be buying the most hardy, generic chickens, Sex Links, Leghorns, RR Reds etc etc

You get to pick. They won't just send you 50 birds.
Some people don't have access to the breeds they want, or possibly any breeds at all unless they order through mail.
Those are hardy breeds, but there are many more that would be fine for beginners if OP was.