Best and worst experiences ordering live chicks?

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[Cinnamon Roll]

My chicks from Meyers Hatchery came today and all 16 are alive and well! The heating pad in the box was still warm when I picked them up.

I am really happy with the postal service, with all the slow deliveries, etc. I was pretty worried but even though we had historic snows and close highways until this morning, the chicks made it through and are doing well!

 

[JacinLarkwell]

My chicks from Meyers Hatchery came today and all 16 are alive and well! The heating pad in the box was still warm when I picked them up.

I am really happy with the postal service, with all the slow deliveries, etc. I was pretty worried but even though we had historic snows and close highways until this morning, the chicks made it through and are doing well!View attachment 2574213

What are the two closest to the camera?

 

[arwoon]

We have ordered chicks from Murray McMurray Hatchery, they are the best! The chicks were shipped from Ohio to AL, and only one doesn't make it. That was much better that we expected. I was honestly afraid to look in the box. Thankfully, they all except the one were healthy!! I would recommend it to anyone wanting more variety and distance.

 

[TheAlrightyGina]

What are the two closest to the camera?

This might help assuage your curiosity until they get back to you: Meyer Day Old Chick ID

 

[Cinnamon Roll]

What are the two closest to the camera?

I have no idea. I think they are some of the Frypan Bargain males so they could be any of the dual purpose breeds. They kind of look like Rhode Island Red chicks but not exactly. They are really pretty.

 

[gimmie birdies]

Last June I ordered 25 rare breeds from Meyers. I got, Green queen, splash polish, golden polish, black polish, bantam EE, steel egger, blue orpington, splash orpington, LO, OE, Lakeshore egger, cream legbar, jersey giant, SS, welsummer, silver penciled rock, spitzenhauben, Exchequer leghorn, blue cochin.

 

[INchiclady]

First time ordering from a hatchery (mail order) and can honestly say it will likely be my last. Ordered 15 rare breed -colored eggers- from Hoover’s Hatchery. They shipped the 9th from MN (to Indiana).. I didn’t receive them for 6 long days (they went to VA for some stupid reason before finally heading back to IN). Of course when I received them they were all DOA
My local PO said normally hatcheries send them over night. So sad.

 

[Ladyderks]

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.

Sorry if this is answered later in the thread, but where are you located? I’m thinking of getting chicks shipped from Sugar Feather Farm in VT. Check them out - I’m impressed by everything I read about them. They have Swedish Flower Hens, and other rare breeds. Only problem is, I’m in GA. Vermont to Georgia seems really far, but I can’t find anything local.

 

[L0rraine]

I haven’t checked the Washington thread here specifically, but have searched the rest of the internet thoroughly. Almost all smaller farms are on the western side of the state(4ish hours one way from me). The closest one I could find in my region is almost 2 hours away and I already contacted her. The breeds I was looking for, she wasn’t able to supply this year, due to some rooster deaths and raccoon predation.

I will check on that thread also.

I live in Western Washington as well and have struggled to get birds I’m looking for. I have travelled fairly good distances by car, but this year broke down and mail ordered for the first time ever. I had been looking for English Orpingtons and was getting frustrated. I ordered from Papas Poultry and 16 chicks arrived all alive and surprisingly healthy. It could have been a disaster because he shipped earlier than he thought he could and my notification email went into junk mail even though I have them listed as primary contacts. I got a surprise phone call at 5:30 am yesterday morning and I was totally unprepared. Had to wait for the feed store to open to get chick feed. The surprising thing was that every single one took to the water and chick crumbles immediately and I almost always have one or two that take a bit of coaxing. It’s too early to tell about their ultimate quality, but so far they appear promising. I got mixed colors and I think there will be some nice variety.