Cackle Hatchery issues (I do not suggest using them)

[Cecisflock]

Can you post a picture?

If the chick was supposed to be a female, and it grew female-colored feathers, then maybe it was a female that just happened to have odd-colored down when it was young.

I think that may be it- I will post photos. I forgot!

 

[Cecisflock]

@NatJ

 

[RoostersAreAwesome]

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@NatJ

That’s a red sex link pullet. Was she entirely white as a chick?

 

[Cecisflock]

That’s a red sex link pullet. Was she entirely white as a chick?

Yes except for one very thin brown line. Everyone else had 2 thick racing stripes.

 

[NatJ]

That color sure looks right for a sexlink female now!

Yes except for one very thin brown line. Everyone else had 2 thick racing stripes.

Sexlinks do have some color variation from one to another, so it was just one of the lighter ones.

Since it looks like Cackle DID sex all your chicks right, points 4 & 5 in your first post are not accurate. Cackle did not send you a male, and of course they did not owe you a refund when there was no error.

I wonder if you are able to update the first post? Accurate reviews about hatcheries are very helpful, but I wouldn't want Cackle getting a bad reputation based on mistaken information.

 

[RoostersAreAwesome]

Yes except for one very thin brown line. Everyone else had 2 thick racing stripes.

The cockerels don’t have a brown stripe at all.

 

[LadiesAndJane]

My 2 cents: I ordered from Cackle for the first time recently (have used MurrayMcMurray in the past, also a good hatchery). I had more losses than I have ever experienced, BUT I do not blame Cackle for this, it was the USPS shipping issues that caused the birds to take almost 4 days to get to me. The heat pack was still warm when it arrived. I ordered 4 breeds and received one extra of each breed (the extras were sexed pullets, too). I called Cackle 2 days after the birds arrived and reported the losses. They refunded me the full amount for the birds that died, no questions asked. Their cutomer service was excellent in my opinion.

 

[Tonyroo]

I could never order from a hatchery. I like to avoid issues that are beyond my control.

 

[CHlCKEN]

Everyone’s experience differs, and realize that the four leg thing was entirely not in their control. They did not intend to develop one like that and since you stated previously that it WAS an extra chick (which by the way they never actually give out!) then it was more of them trying to give this chick a home rather than putting it in the grinder. I don’t see any of this to be bad at all, and of course we all know how much you love Clover.

Customer service is not going to be great anywhere, and you shouldn’t be upset that there was nothing they could do, because there WASNT.

Sex linking is really not great especially in hatcheries so give it time

Over all your experience wasn’t great bat first glance but in looking into it you can see that really these were all simple mistakes or issues that really shouldn’t drive you away from a hatchery as great as them. They DO actually have a great reputation and I’ve ordered from them 4 times with maybe over 20 birds in those orders. All healthy, alive, correctly sexed, and beautiful. I would give them another go before turning away.

 

[Cecisflock]

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@NatJ

Do you think the chick with the raised hackle feathers in the back is a boy?