Cackle hatchery's Hatchery Surprise- Anybody got this before?

[Leelanau]

A few more... Any ideas of breeds??

The first maybe a female jungle fowl?
I tried doing a better job on showing the different combs on the white chickens. I love the all grey, light grey one. A very friendly bird! The reddish ones are mean as heck.. I'm thinking it must be a roo.... But what kind?? Any insights welcome!

 

[WildWestChick]

These are my guesses...sorry for reposting all these pics, it was the easiest way to give all my guesses.

 

[kbarnes]

Wow, that's really a good mix!  Maybe I shouldn't have made any special requests, re: no meat birds, since they don't seem to be sending out meat birds/broilers in the Cackle Surprise mix.  Did you get any bantams?  I think a few people have gotten no bantams, but some people have had half their chicks be bantams.  Do you know the male/female ratio of your chicks yet (or probably still a bit early to be sure)?  I would like to know since 50 roosters may be a bit loud haha. 


What day are your silkies shipping?  (I want to make sure there will be some silkies left over for me haha).  Sending you good assortment vibes!  Keep us updated!

I got one bantum but I think the bigger chickens crushed him as I found him dead one morning at a week old. I also have an idea that I may have about 15 roos but only confermed 2 right now. My mix has some good dual purpose breeds so I'm keeping 2 roos and a neighbour wants one I will butcher the rest.

 

[snuvy]

I ordered by second Special of the year --- my first one was awesome. I listed a few things I really want (Brahmas, cochins, pekins, heavy pullets) and it ships 7/7/14.

That's the same day mine is shipping! Did they write your preferences on your invoice? (On your first order, what did you request and what did you get?). We will have to get in touch after our Surprises arrive and compare what we got!

Mini Update: I went back and found your post about what you got in your first 3/31 surprise. That was an amazingly good assortment! I would literally want the same exact thing (but maybe with a Cochin thrown in). You got such a great assortment and only wrote "preferred laying hens" in the comments? That's pretty darn sweet. Please, send me good assortment vibes! XD

I got one bantum but I think the bigger chickens crushed him as I found him dead one morning at a week old. I also have an idea that I may have about 15 roos but only confermed 2 right now. My mix has some good dual purpose breeds so I'm keeping 2 roos and a neighbour wants one I will butcher the rest.

Oh poor banty! If I get a good amount of bantys I'll try to put them in their own brooder. Wow that is a lot of roos, and unless they're some ornamental pretty roo (that doesn't make a lot of noise and aren't aggressive) I would have no idea what to do with them! I think I would be scared to butcher them, I think I'll release them at Costco and see what happens. Haha.

 

[kbarnes]

If you think about it 15 out of 46 is better than 50/50 odds. You could always put the extra roos up for sale and recoup some of the costs for the surprise.

 

[snuvy]

My chicks are shipping from MO to CA, and I think (hope) that they will arrive on Wednesday. I don't know if this is an average trip length or if most people get them next day.

In any case, I was wondering if you guys had any tips to help with transitioning them from living in a shipping container to becoming healthy, happy chicks. (I have all the basics ready for them, chick starter, water, bedding, heat lamps). I was wondering more along the lines of putting sugar in their water, using supplements (Sav-A-Chick), or using Grow Gel Plus B or HydroAid Cups.

If any one has used and recommends (or doesn't recommend) these products (or just have some tips from your own experience) please share! Thank you in advance!

(Maybe I'm just being worried for no reason, I'm just concerned because I've never gotten chickens through the mail before).

 

[snuvy]

If you think about it 15 out of 46 is better than 50/50 odds. You could always put the extra roos up for sale and recoup some of the costs for the surprise.

Haha very true. I keep forgetting (purposely?) that I'm getting a ton of baby chicks and 15 really isn't that many. I don't know how many people will want to buy chicks in my neighborhood. Maybe I'll get lucky and all the roos will be sweet and quiet. I'll keep dreaming.

 

[dealfinder500]

My chicks are shipping from MO to CA, and I think (hope) that they will arrive on Wednesday. I don't know if this is an average trip length or if most people get them next day.

In any case, I was wondering if you guys had any tips to help with transitioning them from living in a shipping container to becoming healthy, happy chicks. (I have all the basics ready for them, chick starter, water, bedding, heat lamps). I was wondering more along the lines of putting sugar in their water, using supplements (Sav-A-Chick), or using Grow Gel Plus B or HydroAid Cups.

If any one has used and recommends (or doesn't recommend) these products (or just have some tips from your own experience) please share! Thank you in advance!

(Maybe I'm just being worried for no reason, I'm just concerned because I've never gotten chickens through the mail before).

You probably don't have to worry about it because it's so warm out, but if you got them when it's cold out, you'll want to have the brooder all set up and ready to go beforehand (including heat lamp on). And now, I would only use one of those 250 watt heat lamps for maybe the first day or two. Mine are upstairs and it's real warm up there, probably about 85 without the lamp on. My last batch of bantams came stressed, so I used the heat lamp for a day, but then I used a 75 watt bulb for another day or two, but since it's so warm up there I just use now the 13 watt bulb in the ceiling!

Use the supplements if you want (I rarely do), but I'd only use one.

Make sure you keep them out of drafts, especially when you first open the box - I usually have to open mine in the car, I can't wait until I get home.

Don't worry about your tracking number - it doesn't update until you already got them, and it's usually one day off for me - it always says they will come Thursday, but they come Wednesday.

Don't worry if you have a chick or two that doesn't make it - it happens. When you take them out of the box, dip their beak into their water, one by one. Do that as you take them out of the box, so that you get each one (that's also a good time to count them). If you get ducks, they will be fine with the chickens for a week or so, but they start to get bigger fast, and eventually they can end up trampling a chick, plus they will make a mess fast!

Do make sure you get medicated chick starter. I got cheap once and didn't, and about 2 months down the road I lost almost all of them, meanwhile all the others that did have medicated chick starter were fine.

 

[kbarnes]

Snuvy, you also have to be prepared for the difference in breeds. I originally got 49 chicks and other than the bantam I lost 2 spitzhaubens. I never had this breed before and did not know they have a genetic thing that some don't survive. I don't know what it is as I'm not schooled in this breed but I lost 2 and had 2 survive. I also used medicated chick starter for the first month and now they are on regular starter.

 

[jc12551]

Snuvy-you have to be prepared with a least one other brooder (or the ability to set up soon).

I prefer to separate my bantams from my large fowl. If you get any non-chickens you will need to eventually separate them out.

Turkeys can stay with chicks for a while; they are kind of dumb and the chicks show them what to do. I still have two turkeys with my chicks from 4/21 but I am letting them out for the day to forage with Tom so he can teach them. I always raise my turkeys with chicks.

Ducks (and geese too, I think) need water deep enough to submerge their nostrils after the first couple of days (I can't remember exactly). They also need a different temperature. And they are NASTY. I have been cleaning the duck tote two and three times a day. I booted them out to an outside brooder with a wire floor yesterday because I couldn't take it any more. At a month old they are the size of some of my hens! Do not medicate the water.

Pea chicks are like turkeys and need chicks to show them what to do in the beginning. They also benefit from a little food coloring in their food and water. Or so I have read.

Guineas and game fowl need higher temperatures and drown-proof waterers.

Turkeys, guineas, and game fowl will need different feed for the first six weeks than the chickens. For ease you can do like I do and start everyone on game bird starter. If you end up with only chickens it won't hurt them and the next bag you buy can be regular starter. Or you can just buy regular starter and if you get turkeys you can go out and buy a bag of game bird starter in the first few days. The game bird starter is more expensive. I start all my chicks, both shipped and broody hatched, out on game bird starter (non-medicated). I can't find medicated game bird feed where I live so I practice good bio security (gloves, special shoes, special routine that has me cleaning/feeding/watering from youngest to oldest) and medicate water if I do see cocci.

Ducks and geese can use the chick starter just like the chicks.