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

[popsicle]

okay so i was contacted after i messaged cackle yesterday and they said the surprise boxes are already backed up till mid march. if i end up ordering the first of feb would i still be in the march area or more of april? also that would give me a bigger variety? im planning on the box and like 3 other assortments + 5 d'uccle bantams so for a total of 100 ish birds (assuming i get the full 60 in the surprise box

You need to ask Cackle about that. We have no idea what their booking is like.

Read through the comments. Almost everybody has gotten as good or better of a variety of breeds as any other assortment offered by any hatchery. However, if you don't want to entertain the possibility of getting a box of Sex Links, order an assortment that won't give you Sex Links or other production birds.

When i got my invoice with ship date on it, it didn't have my requests that i made in the comment section on my order. Should i be concerned? I really don't want meat birds as I'm not looking to butcher and i don't know enough about breed identification and I'm afraid if i get one or more meat birds, that it will end up developing major issues...

I usually don't write requests with this assortment, because it's such a good deal and I really don't want to make the offer annoying for the hatchery. I've never gotten meat birds despite never specifically requesting "no meat birds."

Again, I have always thought that if you can't accept the possibility of anything in this box, you should order an assortment that meets your needs. I also personally view (and I know it's a bit harsh) that if you're not looking to butcher, you shouldn't order such a large assortment of straight run chicks--unless you're going to turn around and sell them all as Straight Run chicks or you have a mess of people looking for cockerels. It's not unreasonable to think there will be 20 cockerels in this box.

Breed Identification tip: order a paper copy of the Cackle hatchery catalog. It's easier to page through all the breeds than scrolling around on the website, and has color pictures of the chicks. Usually, if you can figure out the comb and leg color, it's fairly easy to find a match in the catalog. Of course there will be some surprises and some you just can't know for a few weeks (Brown Leghorn or Welsummer? or which strain of Generic Red Bird?)

Another tip: within about two days you'll know which birds are broilers. If after a week you are saying to yourself, "hmm... I think that one is bigger, maybe it's a broiler" then no, it's probably not a broiler. Their growth rate is obscene compared to regular large fowl chicks. If you do have broiler chicks--they may be the easiest chicks to sell on Craigslist or feed store bulletin board...

 

[riversydefarms]

I usually don't write requests with this assortment, because it's such a good deal and I really don't want to make the offer annoying for the hatchery.  I've never gotten meat birds despite never specifically requesting "no meat birds."

Again, I have always thought that if you can't accept the possibility of anything in this box, you should order an assortment that meets your needs.  I also personally view (and I know it's a bit harsh) that if you're not looking to butcher, you shouldn't order such a large assortment of straight run chicks--unless you're going to turn around and sell them all as Straight Run chicks or you have a mess of people looking for cockerels.  It's not unreasonable to think there will be 20 cockerels in this box.

Breed Identification tip: order a paper copy of the Cackle hatchery catalog.  It's easier to page through all the breeds than scrolling around on the website, and has color pictures of the chicks.  Usually, if you can figure out the comb and leg color, it's fairly easy to find a match in the catalog.  Of course there will be some surprises and some you just can't know for a few weeks (Brown Leghorn or Welsummer? or which strain of Generic Red Bird?)

Another tip: within about two days you'll know which birds are broilers.  If after a week you are saying to yourself, "hmm... I think that one is bigger, maybe it's a broiler" then no, it's probably not a broiler.  Their growth rate is obscene compared to regular large fowl chicks.  If you do have broiler chicks--they may be the easiest chicks to sell on Craigslist or feed store bulletin board...

I saw that a great deal of people on this board made a couple requests so that's why i thought it would be ok. I understand it's a great deal and i would rather sell the cockerels that i don't want like many others do. I would like to have a couple around.

I appreciate the tips on id. I do hope to get a catalog next month and i guess i didn't think about the broilers growing so fast. That should have been obvious to me! Duh! Haha. I shouldn't write in as I'm falling asleep.

 

[popsicle]

I saw that a great deal of people on this board made a couple requests so that's why i thought it would be ok. I understand it's a great deal and i would rather sell the cockerels that i don't want like many others do. I would like to have a couple around.

I appreciate the tips on id. I do hope to get a catalog next month and i guess i didn't think about the broilers growing so fast. That should have been obvious to me! Duh! Haha. I shouldn't write in as I'm falling asleep.

I know lots of people make requests, and it seems that Cackle generally tries to fulfill the requests.

No worries on not thinking about broiler growth rate. My husband and I have said that we will never purposefully bring them on our property again--it's hard to imagine how fast they grow until you've raised them. Lots of people like them, we thought they were gross and would rather raise and eat unwanted birds from assortments like this Cackle surprise.

 

[EZFarms]

You need to ask Cackle about that.  We have no idea what their booking is like.

Read through the comments.  Almost everybody has gotten as good or better of a variety of breeds as any other assortment offered by any hatchery.  However, if you don't want to entertain the possibility of getting a box of Sex Links, order an assortment that won't give you Sex Links or other production birds.

the only reason i say this is my bfs mother has a flock of sex links and they are aggressive to any bird that isnt a sex link. IF i do end up getting them i would either eat them or give them away since i already have an assorted flock

 

[colorme2]

U DONT NEED TO WORRY ABOUT GETTING A LARGE AMOUNT OF SEX LINKS.. I PURCHASED 4 OF THESE HATCHERY SURPRISE LAST YEAR..ONE IN APRIL- TWO IN JUNE AND ONE IN AUG....I REQUESTED NO BANTAMS AND GOT BROWN EGG LAYERS IN APRIL----DUCKS-TURKEYS-BROWN EGG LAYERS IN JUNE AND GUINEAS AND BROWN EGG LAYERS IN AUG...THE ASSORTMENT IS FANTASTIC....I ONLY HAD A FEW SEX LINKS OUT OF ALL FOUR BOXES. THEY SEND YOU A REALLY NICE MIXED BATCH OF CHICKS. IM SURE YOU WILL BE HAPPY AS LONG AS YOU DONT MIND A MIXED BATCH OF CHICKS..SOME OF THE CHICKS ARE RATHER RARE BREEDS..I HAD A FEW IN EACH BOX..IT WAS INTERESTING AS IVE NEVER SEEN SOME OF THESE BREEDS BEFORE..AND THE QUALITY OF THESE CHICKS ARE WONDERFUL..IVE HAD SO MANY PEOPLE STOP AND ASK ABOUT MY FLOCK WITH EACH BUYING A FEW THAT I ALMOST SOLD ALL OF MY HENS!! SO I NEED TO START ALL OVER THIS YEAR BUT IM GONNA BE GREEDY THIS TIME AND KEEP WHAT I GET!!! LOL !!
ENJOY YOUR "HATCHERY SURPRISE" YOU WONT REGRET THIS BOX..

 

[EZFarms]

well then this should be very fun. im getting that box and a crested and long tail assortment

 

[tennboy1]

The only requests I make are no ducks and geese. I don't have a pond for them and heard it's not healthy to have ducks and geese with chickens. I did get two blue slates with my box and they were both beautiful but one died unexpectedly the other day for no reason after six months. I was devastated. Is it ok to mix turkey's and chickens ?

 

[popsicle]

The only requests I make are no ducks and geese. I don't have a pond for them and heard it's not healthy to have ducks and geese with chickens. I did get two blue slates with my box and they were both beautiful but one died unexpectedly the other day for no reason after six months. I was devastated. Is it ok to mix turkey's and chickens ?

It really depends on where you live. Blackhead is a parasite carried harmlessly-enough in chickens, but is deadly for turkeys. It's worse in some areas. I've kept turkeys with my chickens with no issues--but that doesn't mean it would forever not be an issue on my property.

Turkeys are also not known for their sound life choices.

ETA: also, for turkey poults to really thrive, they should be fed turkey starter (something like 26% protein I think--regardless, much more protein than chick starter) and shouldn't have softened water. Not saying tennboy1 did not feed the birds well, just generally for others getting the box and getting excited for turkey poults.

 

[EZFarms]

i have an 8 month old turkey tom who lived with chooks before i got him and free ranges with my flock

 

[littlekatzz]

I still have one of my broad breasted turkeys from last yrs surprise... It lives with my chickens. Didn't get around to butchering her last fall then she molted and well.... The one I did butcher was laying eggs at six months old. Everyday rain or shine I was really surprised. But since they were both white and both hens, I wasn't sure who was laying when I grabbed one for thanksgiving. Go figure I grabbed the one who layed lol.