Cackle Hatchery reviews

[Amelia Egghart]

Sorry, I'm on a phone so I'm not good at editing the text box!

The Speckled Sussex and Salmon Faverolle breeds are both very docile. I haven't had a mixed flock with bantams and LF, but I'd imagine you could get those as LF and they'd get along swimmingly with the bantams. Maybe you could ask on breed specific forums? Also, the Welsummer from Cackle isn't that big, although she lays medium to large dark speckled eggs. Here she is getting scritches during a luxurious dirt bath:

 

[samantha LW]

I ordered 15 chickens with a friend who also ordered 15 in April of this year. We got two extras. All but one arrived happy and chirping, the one was a polish and it died two days later despite my best effort. I assume it was stress from shipping. I mean we are putting babies in the mail I imagine that it is not unusual. Of my five straight run polish (minus the one that died) three were male and only one female. I do not blame the hatchery for this as I read that there are no guarantees on sex, hence straight run. But the rest of my chickens are happy, healthy, and laying eggs like crazy (except my polish hen, she has not started yet). The customer service was really helpful because they arrived unmarked and it was our first chicken experience we had to call to try to separate out the different breeds we ordered. They were very patient and in the end we only got two birds confused (Cinnamon Queen and Golden Comet) so now we both have some of each. Overall it was a very pleasant experience and I would not hesitate to order from them again.

 

[Amelia Egghart]

I ordered 15 chickens with a friend who also ordered 15 in April of this year. We got two extras. All but one arrived happy and chirping, the one was a polish and it died two days later despite my best effort. I assume it was stress from shipping. I mean we are putting babies in the mail I imagine that it is not unusual. Of my five straight run polish (minus the one that died) three were male and only one female. I do not blame the hatchery for this as I read that there are no guarantees on sex, hence straight run. But the rest of my chickens are happy, healthy, and laying eggs like crazy (except my polish hen, she has not started yet). The customer service was really helpful because they arrived unmarked and it was our first chicken experience we had to call to try to separate out the different breeds we ordered. They were very patient and in the end we only got two birds confused (Cinnamon Queen and Golden Comet) so now we both have some of each. Overall it was a very pleasant experience and I would not hesitate to order from them again.

Aww, poor little Polish but good thing there packed two extra! Were the extras female, by chance?

And that's exactly the thing with Straight Run. Each individual chick has a 50/50 chance of being a pullet, NOT the total order. With my luck, I'm likely to get 100% cockerels! Lol, no thanks. I don't have enough land for that many boys!

 

[samantha LW]

Aww, poor little Polish

but good thing there packed two extra! Were the extras female, by chance?

And that's exactly the thing with Straight Run. Each individual chick has a 50/50 chance of being a pullet, NOT the total order. With my luck, I'm likely to get 100% cockerels! Lol, no thanks. I don't have enough land for that many boys!

Yeah, the dead one has a grave in my yard that my daughter made. Head stone says "RIP sickly chicken" the other breeds were sexed and they were 100 % correct. I only ended up with one polish hen and kept one of the roosters. The others I rehomed but I would have to really want the breed to order straight run again rehoming roosters is very hard if you care what they are going to do with them.

 

[Eggsakly]

Hi, Amelia. I have seen the sexed pullet bantam special. It is a good deal if you want a variety of chickens. I'm not sure I do want a single chicken of several breeds. I want especially sweet, friendly chickens that lay well and maybe I want them to have chicks, so I might be open to a rooster or two, depending on my breeds, which is why my number one choices are the SS and salmon faverolles. They are quite beautiful birds, too.

Among the heritage breeds that are more common, based on what people say, the buff orpingtons and the barred rocks are both very popular as pet chickens and for children, due to their friendly temperaments. Bantams are so thrifty, and I don't want chickens for "dual purpose" (a big factor in the large fowl development), and the bantams are so cute!

Decisions must be made soon. I don't mind a mixed flock, but I cannot order both LF and bantam chicks together from a hatchery. Part of my issue is that I'm in Alaska, and if I don't order at least several birds (or just a few at an exorbitant price), my options for finding SS or faverolles available locally are slim to zero. I've seen SS chicks available from one person on craigslist one time in the past 18 months, and I've never seen the faverolles available.

Maybe I'll just have to order some pullets in the spring and sell them myself! On the LF, the difference in price between ordering straight run chicks and ordering the number of pullets and/or roos that you want is negligible. In the bantams, not so much! Yikes - at $10 a pullet.

 

[Amelia Egghart]

My friendliest is my Barred Rock. She pigs out and then jumps into my lap for a snooze, squishing up against me. Big time cuddles!

 

[Eggsakly]

My friendliest is my Barred Rock. She pigs out and then jumps into my lap for a snooze, squishing up against me. Big time cuddles!

That's great to know. A lot of people like the barred rocks, which is why they are high on my list. Dick Horstman says that of all the birds he has raised over the decades the barred rocks are a breed he keeps returning to, in both sizes! I love the idea that you can identify their gender at hatching, too. And they are readily available in bantam size from lots of hatcheries.

Locally the most common bantams that I've seen available have been cochins and silkies. There are plenty of those from time to time on craigslist, at farm swap meets, etc. I've seen a few ads for seramas, and I think my little easter egger is part serama, she's so tiny. Otherwise, not much.

I'm sure I can't go wrong with some barred rock and/or buff orpington bantams. I love the looks of the SS and faverolles, but looks aren't really my priority. I like to have as harmonious relations with my animals as possible, and if I live with a chicken for a few or many years, I'd like it to be a good experience for both of us.

 

[TheMallons]

My friendliest is my Barred Rock. She pigs out and then jumps into my lap for a snooze, squishing up against me. Big time cuddles!

We have five Barred Rock, four New Hampshire Red and three Speckled Sussex from Cackle. We had ordered 30 to split with a friend ... All have been incredibly healthy, good layers and good tempered birds. One of the SS (We call her Lav-Lav, short for Lavender, Potter fans might get the reference) is just HUGE and clearly the alpha hen of our flock. She is nosy and curious and enjoys attention. The BR are also really friendly. These birds are FAR healthier than the feed store chicks we had purchased previously. I will recommend you pay the $10 for the Marek's immunization, well worth it.

 

[Amelia Egghart]

Ooh! How red are your New Hampshires? Can you post some pictures? Speckled Sussex and NH are two breeds I really want from them but I'm afraid of getting any roosters. How was sexing? And Ms Lavender Brown as a Speckled Sussex... Perfect!

 

[TheMallons]

Ooh! How red are your New Hampshires? Can you post some pictures? Speckled Sussex and NH are two breeds I really want from them but I'm afraid of getting any roosters. How was sexing? And Ms Lavender Brown as a Speckled Sussex... Perfect!

Their sexing was perfect; ordered 30 pullets, got 30 pullets. Big concern for us, too, as our town doesn't allow roos.

Funny you should ask about the Reds. Most are the standard reddish brown color, but one girl has some paler feathers mixed in. We named her "Ghost." And she started laying regularly at 13 weeks, which is just unprecedented in my experience. She's also a character, very adventurous.

I would love to post pix but don't seem to be able to do that.

Glad you got the reference! Most folks sort of just look confused about it, lol.