Best hatchery to order from with a minimum 3 chick order?

[NorthTexasWink]

Where are you located flipflops? Anywhere near Dallas-Fort Worth?My card just got charged by Ideal today, my chicks are scheduled to ship the 28th. I ordered 25, split between 6 breeds of standard layer pullets. Black Australorp, gold sex linked, Ameraucanas, Cuckoo Marans, Delawares, and their Rhode Island x Barred egg production hybrids. I'm only planning on keeping a max of 10 hens into the winter. I thought I'd sell my excess around POL ( point of laying or approximately 20 weeks), but if you are close I would consider selling a few as chicks. You should know, I opted to have them all vaccinated at the hatchery. I understand some folks prefer not to have vaccinated chicks. If you are interested, let me know and we'll see if we can work something out.

 

[Frazzemrat1]

I also posted a picture of a mystery chick on their facebook, and they ID'd it for me which was helpful.

So cool that they'd do that! I hadn't thought of that before!

 

[flipflops]

Thank you I appreciate that offer but I'm in VA. why would you not want them vaccinated?

 

[NorthTexasWink]

flipflops, VA certainly isn't close by, not even by Texas standards! Darn.
I do not know. Some folks don't vaccinate their kids either. I've heard people talking about their feelings that eating meat, eggs, dairy from vaccinated stock is bad, not to mention antibiotics and hormones and GMO feed. I'm not meaning to hijack this thread by getting into THAT discussion. I just wanted to offer up the information as it seems important to some people. To each their own.

I'm sorry we aren't closer. I hope you find the pets you are looking for.

 

[ckelley]

I've only ordered twice, both times from Meyers. I will say that the Blue Ameraucana's I got were not "blue", but will end up being "Splash" or something. It's fine, I'm going for egg color and I am not overly upset about it not being standard, but for $20 a chick...

Their customer service has always been top notch.

 

[flipflops]

I really had wanted a Faverolle, but the only place that has them is Strombergs. I had wanted a Faverolle, Brahma, and maybe an Australorp or an EE/Ameraucana. I am so torn. What would be a really excellent combo of 3 that would be great girls for pets and also a distant 2nd for eggs?

 

[NorthTexasWink]

This time of year your selection of breeds gets limited at the big hatcheries. They are big businesses and need to rotate their efforts among their stock for efficiency. Makes sense. Finding the specific breeds you want in stock now, you might have to pay a premium to the hatchery for a special hatch, if offered. Or pay higher prices to a small specialty or local breeder. Or wait till next year.

If I wanted just pets, I'd probably look at the ornamental breeds like silkies or showgirls, something like that. My understanding is that they get especially docile when handled from chicks. But I've only had one pet chicken in my life. He was a white leghorn rooster raised from an Easter chick when I was 5. He hated most men, walked on a leash in a cat harness. Spurs must have been a solid 4 inches long, and he knew how to use them! Mean as a snake and twice as quick. Would not recommend as a pet.

 

[abbydmac]

I'm new to this, but we have had 2 rounds of chicks this spring and our Rocks are turning out to be great sweet birds. Round 1 we got a barred rock that is by far my favorite chicken, and round 2 a partridge rock is the friendliest and easiest to handle of the group. From my very limited experience they are great chickens to choose if you want a pet.

 

[John Sanders]

I had Red Stars and they were great. I would go out to feed them and let them roam every morning and evening. I would sit in a chair under a pine tree and they climbed all over me trying to get into my lap.

 

[driver]

I just got 5 chicks sent from MyPetChicken to MD on May 12th. Five different breeds. All arrived in great shape, and are now about 7 weeks old and doing well. None of them are super friendly yet, but will come running over for treats. They're hard to catch, though. Of the five, the Golden Comet (Red Star) is the boldest and first to come to me, and almost tolerates being touched. Next would be the Cuckoo Maran and Black Australorp. The most skittish so far are the Easter Egger and Golden Laced Wyandote. I'm hoping they all get more friendly with time and handling, but that's where we are so far.