Cackle Hatchery reviews

[TheMallons]

I am puzzled about why you ordered straight run if you wanted pullets?

Below find an email and response from Cackle that I found rather rude. I have ordered Brown Leghorns from them several years back, and did not get just one pullet out of six birds. In fact, I have ordered six birds of several different breeds this year and this is the ONLY one I've had this problems with. I have ordered from Cackle, Ideal, Meyer, and Estes, who was particularly nice and sent me an extra chick of each type I ordered. I have ordered 25 birds per shipment, staggered every two weeks since the end of July. Of the 129 birds I received I've only lost two. One from Meyer died the day after receiving the shipment. One from Cackle developed an extremely crooked beak and die at about six weeks. Cackle did replace that one. I guess my point in all of this is that this ain't my first rodeo, and I was shocked and appalled at their response, even if what she said was correct. I've ordered over $150 worth of birds from them this year. I have always loved Cackle hatchery, gotten good service and healthy birds. I am wondering if I should take a chance and order from them again, complain some more, or do nothing and just take my business elsewhere. Thoughts?
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Cynthia Durham

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Sep 16

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to cacklehatchery

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To Whom It May Concern:

I ordered 6 Brown Leghorn chicks from you back in July. They were hatched on July 29 and I received them on July 31, 2015.

They were supposed to be straight run.

Near as I can tell, I have 5 cockerels and one pullet. I have the pullet's picture attached below (she's a very pretty young lady), as well as one of the cockerels. I can try to line them all up together, but that will be rather hard to do. They are rather fast, and I am old and slow.

I'd appreciate it very much if you would issue a credit on my account. I won't be ordering from you again until next spring.

Thanks in advance,

Cindy

P.S. I've attached some pics of the others. They've all done pretty well. The Rhode Island Whites are gorgeous!

[COLOR=407F00]Cynthia L. Durham
28 Dawson Lane [COLOR=407F00]Gordonsville, TN 38563[/COLOR] [COLOR=407F00][COLOR=1155CC]615-281-2361[/COLOR][/COLOR] [COLOR=407F00] [/COLOR] [COLOR=407F00]Choose this day who you will serve. As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.[/COLOR] [COLOR=407F00] [/COLOR] [COLOR=407F00] " We sleep safe in our beds because rough men stand ready in the night to visit violence on those who would do us harm. " -George Orwell "Government's first duty is to protect the people, not run their lives." Ronald Reagan [/COLOR]


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Cackle Hatchery

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Sep 16

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to me

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[COLOR=1F497D]Leghorn type birds usually run heavy on cockerels. You are just taking a chance when you order straight run especially as few as you ordered. Sorry that the numbers were not in your favor this time. Your order was put up out of a box of birds that just came out of the hatcher (not sexed) Sincerely,

Nancy Smith
Owner/Operator
Cackle Hatchery
PO Box 529
Lebanon, Missouri 65536
Office [COLOR=1155CC]417-532-4581[/COLOR]
[COLOR=1F497D]Fax [COLOR=1155CC]417-588-1918[/COLOR][/COLOR]
[COLOR=1F497D]Email: [COLOR=1155CC][email protected][/COLOR][/COLOR]
[COLOR=1F497D]
[COLOR=1155CC]www.cacklehatchery.com[/COLOR][/COLOR]
[COLOR=1F497D]Specialized in hatching and shipping day old pure bred poultry to your local post since "1936".

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This electronic message contains information generated by Cackle Hatchery solely for the intended recipients and is private and confidential. Any unauthorized use or disclosure of the information it contains may violate the law and subject the violator to civil or criminal penalties.
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[cindydintn1]

Below is the Brown Leghorn Description from Cackle Hatchery's website. I am not a chicken expert. I had no idea specific breeds hatch out more cockerels than pullets. In everything that I, the amateur, have read does not mention this trait of this particular breed, or indeed of Leghorns in general. This description of the breed does not mention a problem ordering straight run chickens, either.

I did not want only pullets. I would have been content with two pullets, instead three. I wanted a mix of cockerels and pullets in order to hopefully get two breeding pairs. My objection was getting one out of six.

This summer and fall I have ordered five groups of chickens from four different hatcheries for a total of 21 different breeds, 6 of each breed at a time. Of all those chickens that I can tell what's what so far, the 50 percent male/50 percent female seems to be the rule of nature as well. Now that I know this about the Leghorn breed I will be very interested to see how my other Leghorns from a different hatchery turn out.

As to why so many breeds I want to give my egg customers a nice mix of colors in their cartons.

"Brown Leghorn Chicken Breed Information:

Admitted to the American Standard of Perfection in 1874 and originations from Italy, Denmark, and England. The Leghorn breed of chicken is very athletic, mature early, are hardy, non-sitters and lay very nice large/Xlarge white eggs. Leghorns are good layers of white eggs, laying an average of 280 per year and sometimes reaching 300–320. They have a good feed-to-egg conversion ratio, needing around 125 grams per day of feed. This chicken breed is great for free range chicken farming or organic free range chicken eggs. Leghorns rarely exhibit broodiness and are thus well suited for uninterrupted egg laying. The Leghorn is a light breed that matures quickly and is not considered a viable meat producer. Leghorns are active and efficient foragers and are one of the best for free range chickens that can avoid predators. They typically avoid human contact and tend to be nervous and flighty. The brown leghorn chicken breed is one of many great heritage chicken breeds for sale online at Cackle Hatchery

"

 

[cindydintn1]

It was the snippy attitude of the email that I found objectionable. That I, a rank amateur, should know this fact about this breed seemed to stretch the bounds of polite business transactions a bit far.

 

[dekel18042]

Quo.

 

[brickabracker]

I personally wouldn't order from anyone who quotes Reagan, but thats just me

 

[cindydintn1]

Umm, my email is the one which has the Reagan quote on it, NOT Cackle. I just copied the whole thing verbatim. Reagan was a great orator. I guess I'm the conservative in the world who didn't think he was that great a president.

 

[Amelia Egghart]

My review of Cackle Hatchery is from a first time chicken buyer, and I purchased indirectly from them via a feed store.

1) sexing wasn't great. 30% error rate. So if you got 10 pullets, you likely got 3 cockerels, but that's breed dependant. Easter Eggers had a higher rate of error than other breeds.

2) All have great vibrancy and vigor.

3) great color variability, huge muffs/beards, and slate legs on Easter Eggers.

4) dark speckled eggs from Welsummers

5) great personality all around, especially Barred Rocks.

6) turquoise eggs from Easter Eggers

7) at 8 months, I lost a white Jersey Giant roo to a tumor in his trachea. Very strange, but Cackle was very responsive.

8) lovely customer service. I wasn't asking for anything but got several condolences for the loss of my rooster.

Overall, at this point I will buy from them again and keep them updated if I find any potential issues with their stock. They want a good product they can take pride in and return customers and everyone I've spoken to has been friendly.

As far as sexing goes, I heard 2015 was a crazy rushed year for all hatcheries, so I'll be lenient and hope for better in 2016.

 

[Eggsakly]

I thought Cindy quoted Reagan, but I could be wrong. But I feel the same way - I wouldn't care if they had the best chicken deal in the world; if Cackle quoted Reagan I most certainly would settle for lesser chickens. At this point in my life, probably if they quoted any politician I would think twice about interacting with them at all.

I appreciate the many comments here regarding Cackle! I have been reading several sites for over a year and a half now, and I like Cackle best overall. I like their variety of bantams, and I like their videos and photos. I like the photos of their birds that get shown, too.

Sadly for me, the breeds I want are hard, no impossible, to find in bantam size. I want speckled Sussex or salmon faverolles bantams. So, now I am torn. Do I obtain buff orpington or barred rock bantams, or do I go for the big girls and have fewer chickens? I sure do like smaller chickens. I think I'm intimidated by the big ones.

I purchased bantam easter egger chicks (seen in my avatar - totally cute) from a local woman and I ended up with four roos and a pullet. It happens. It could go the other way easily.

 

[Amelia Egghart]

I purchased bantam easter egger chicks (seen in my avatar - totally cute) from a local woman and I ended up with four roos and a pullet.   It happens.   It could go the other way easily. 

Did you see they have a bantam pullet special? Looks like breeds that are feather sexable, so you aren't getting much variety, but it's 80% girls and 100% bantam! Shipping is included with a 5 or 10 pullet deal. If I didn't need more LF to keep my amorous rooster busy, I'd go that route.

 

[Amelia Egghart]

Just a heads up though, a lot of the original pictures they posted are NOT of their stock, but of their goal. However, they've been working on the website and on the mobile version you see customer photos of Cackle stock as well. Also, All the videos are of their stock so you can get a good idea from that.

I like all of my Cackle birds, much better than what I see from Ideal and MMM. From Privett I've only seen adult seramas, which were totally adorbs and I wanted all of them, but I don't know what their other stock is like.

The only hesitation I have is from that one Jersey Giant who had a lethal tumor. The chances of the one JG I get being the one that's got an issue is the same as winning the lottery. It's possible, but not probable. He was stunning, though, so they've done right by the breed, as long that tumor wasn't anything genetic.