Best Quality Breeds from Ideal?

[Lacrymosa]

I want to know what Ideal's best quaility breeds are because I am planning to get quite a few as we are buying some land out in Weatherford, Texas. The hatchery is only about two hours away, so we MUST order from Ideal because we will be picking them up in person due to not wanting them shipped. Also, this will cut down on the time it takes for them to get to our property.
We will not show. I just want something pretty to look at and not something ragged looking.
I've heard their cochins are good, but their silkies look like vultures? Is this true?
What breeds would you recommend getting?
There is also a local breeder with all of the types of standard Polish and bearded silkies, who we will be visiting soon, and most are show quaility. So silkies and Polish are already on the list, but not from Ideal. We WILL be showing them.
I also may get some geese and hopefully some ducks from Ideal if I cannot find a breeder near us. So the same question about the waterfowl: What breeds are the best stock they have?

If anyone could help, I would be delighted!
Like I said, I just don't want something that looks ragged and ugly around the yard.

Thanks to everyone who can help!

 

[houndit]

My guess would be none. I do not like their birds. Really, if you order from a hatchery there will be few or no quality birds.

 

[Illia]

In general, none. Hatcheries do not breed for quality.

But, if you really don't want to get some from a good breeder - There have been some good feedback on their Cochins, but only when showing at small fairs and 4H's.

Their Silkies are indeed exceedingly ugly.

 

[Ga Chicken Mom]

I have had RIRs, Buff Orps, BPRs and Wyandotes from Ideal. We had 16 chickens and lost 2 in 2 years from genetic diseases. The peeps were purchased from a farm and feed store in GA so they had travelled from Texas and were in good shape when we purchased them. We followed the excellent advice on BYC, feed and watered them well and had great chickens and wonderful eggs. Of course they weren't show quality but they were certainly pretty and great egg layers. I will email some pictures of my flock if you would like. All the girls were very friendly because we had handled them daily after bringing them home.

 

[Choctaw Valley Farm]

If you just want something to run around the yard and do not plan on showing them, A few years ago I bought some Buff Brahmas, Barred Rocks and Black Australorps from them, they were good looking birds to free range the yard but they were not show quality, we got our eggs from them and if the coyotes or Bobcats got them it was no big loss because we didn't have much money tied up in them as you would in show birds.

Steve

 

[IwannaBEaMERMAID]

You can look through this thread here for an idea on there quality https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=278186

 

[jojo@rolling acres farm]

I've ordered from them several times over the past 4 years. I've always rec'd what I ordered and didn't suffer any losses during shipping or once they arrived. The Buff Brahmas (Bantams) were fairly nice and they did well, I enjoyed having them around the farm and my son used a hen for 4-H she placed 2nd.

The silkies that I ordered from Ideal are indeed the worst, ugliest silkies I've ever seen. Ever! I don't show them. Didn't expect to show them - so I don't care. Just going on the record and telling it like it is. The combs are all wrong. Huge, red, mis-shaped. Their feathers are awful...don't even get me started on the feet. But, they are barn yard chickens and so it really doesn't matter - does it???? Five or Six of them are going to a new home Sunday...they truly are a study in what silkies never should be. Someone else can now marvel over how pathetic they are.

On the other hand, last year I ordered 6 BLRW/straight run From Murray McMurry. I ended up with 5 hens and one rooster. I was lucky. They were pretty nice looking birds with nice markings and they were very sweet. My luck ran out when something got into my chicken run and killed every single one of them. Very depressing.

I ordered 25 EE's from Sandhills Preservation last year too. They sent me a big variety of birds...some had muffs/beards and some were really neaty marked and were very pretty. They were fairly nice birds laying all kinds of cool looking eggs. Some of them were killed at the same time my BLRW were.

I've also ordered Geese from Ideal, Metzer Farms, Sandhills and Holdereads but I'll save all those details for another time.

Good Luck with Ideal - enjoy your new chickens.


Almost forgot: I also rec'd some Bantam Cochins from Ideal THAT WERE AWESOME! And, they are very sweet!

 

[Yessur Ebob]

I got some speckled sussex's(?) from Ideal year in 2008. they were beautiful birds, though probably not show quality, and between my six hens they were laying four to six eggs a day. I really liked those birds. we didn't lose a single bird from them and we plan on buying all our other birds from them too.

 

[Vanessabuffsnsilkies]

My barred rocks, welsummers and salmon favorelles are pretty nice looking birds. The welsummers lay beautiful dark brown speckled eggs. I have one silkie (partridge)from them who is pretty but her beak is crooked. The favorelles and BR lay nice eggs as well. I have one EE who hasn't started laying yet. They are all 30 weeks old now.

 

[corancher]

If you are just looking for poultry to have around then by all means order what you like from Ideal. The birds likely will not be show quality but they will be a good representation of the breed. If you are not looking for those show quality birds or breeding stock and want a several different breeds then it may be a good way to go. If you plan on breeding to sell then you it would be worth the time and money to get good stock from the beginning.