Cedar Creek Hatchery in Twin Lake, MI

[thenestingbox]

Beware of Cedar Creek Hatchery they are not on my good list anymore. I run a poultry farm business here in NC so I know my chickens and work with customers everyday. Anyways we are always growing each year and wanted to add 5 new breeds to our already 9 breeds we have.
Their website looks good and birds look good quality.......well I ordered over 100 chicks to start back in 5/1/13 then 100 more(to make up for all the loses) some straight run and all pullet orders well my hatch date was June 4th then got moved to the 12th(claiming incubator trouble, again I'm a poultry farm too so this can had).
Well 1st never arrived go lost in mail, 2nd order lots of DEAD chicks, 3rd & 4th more dead + never received anymore after months of waiting. Called & called and called some more after 3 months of this and get no where I done with them they never answer the phone or return emails.
So in the end I have maybe 40 chicks that didn't die oldest being 3 months old and younger. I wanted all my chicks within same age range NOPE not from them. I ended up with almost all Roosters an few wrong breeds(how you do that) my customers would be mad if they got a different breed than ordered....and she told me on the phone she sexed them 90% acc. ummmmm I got screwed.
I will look elsewhere and NEVER refer them to anyone. BEWARE. I hope this helps the next person trying to raise up chicks whether for pets or a business like us.

 

[ladycat]

Well, my chicks are over a week old now, and still healthy. But I'm still not happy I didn't get quite what I ordered. Time will tell whether I got too many roosters.

This is upsetting because I wanted Silver Cuckoos, and now I will have to track down somewhere else to order them. And since the minimum order is generally 10 or 15 chicks, I can't afford any more right now anyhow. It will be months before I can order more chicks at those kind of prices. UGH.

I will never again order from this so-called hatchery, nor will I recommend them.

 

[thenestingbox]

I'm with you on that I have only 3 rir left in my batch i can't even start a new line with them, never receive my lavenders which are expensive. She sent too many subs. I don't want subs. I order certain breeds for a reason. My cuckoos are a few different one and barred rock got lots of roosters in all my batches. Her website might look good but customer service is awful and her husband is so rude. It took 3 months for me to get what I received including a few WRONG breeds, lots of roosters, and PO calling me each week to pick up a stinky box. I lost alot of mine throughout spend around $500 only have around 40 birds. I have raised chickens all my life always had them around and run a poultry buss. these last few years so I know chickens, I have ordered chicken from many different places hatcheries, small farms, breeders and never had this outcome. The mortality rate is so high with CCH. Anyways lesson learned for me I will never order from them again or recommend either. Going back to who I know is NPIP certified and companys that sends you the right breeds. With this many complaints of bad buss. they will go under fast. First they shouldn't have hatchery in the name because they are a "small working farm" that's what she states....there is a differences. I believe they are trying to be bigger than they are and can't keep up with all the orders.

 

[Sandypfl]

I ordered 10 blue slate turkey poults from Cedar Creek (MI). They were not very healthy. But the worst part is that seven of the poults are definately NOT blue slates. When I emailed them I got a very rude reply that I didn't know what I was talking about and a host of lies about what blue slates look like. Well, if there is one thing I know, it is that blue slates are not white with red feathers. Research shows many complaints about them on the web and three Better Business Bureau complaints last year. Most of the complaints were about ordering and paying for one thing and getting another. Caveat emptor!

 

[ladycat]

If I had read this topic before I ordered from these people, I might not have ordered! I received chicks from them yesterday, and my experience was mixed.

Here's what I ordered:

10 Black-tailed Buff Marans (with sports)
5 Silver Cuckoo Marans

When the box arrived, this was noted on the box:

13 BTB
3 Silver/Gold Cuckoos

The chicks are VERY healthy and vigorous, but I'm not sure what I got! I'm going to start a new thread with pics for identification, but what I seem to have is 1 silver cuckoo, 1 gold cuckoo, 2 black "somethings", and 12 that I think are mostly BTB but some have a suspicious resemblance to wheatons.

Due to the unauthorized substitutions, I won't order from these people again. Too bad, because the chicks certainly do seem healthy.

Update! My chicks are well feathered out now, and some of the black-tailed buffs are definitely wheatons.

I still don't know what the black chicks are.

 

[ladycat]

Well, if there is one thing I know, it is that blue slates are not white with red feathers.

White with red feathers are not blue slates, no way no how.

These people could have a good thing going if they were honest, but they are going to slowly go out of business because they aren't going to have repeat customers.

 

[thenestingbox]

Update on my chicks: Well we figured out that some of our Barred Rocks Roosters that look different are California Greys I didn't order/want that breed at all some Marans not feather legged. I spent well over $500 to start 5 new breed to our farm program and got alot of breeds not wanted so for us it was a waste of time and money. I ordered way back in May got dead birds all of June believe me the P.O. was not happy & either was I. They still owe us for about 25 chicks including Lavender Orpingtons which was expensive but I probably won't get any and they cancelled the last 50 after I was calling everyday and emailing for weeks.
This many complaints is just crazy, this is bad business indeed. Some folks might not care if they receive the wrong breed or sub chick but for us breeders who do it is unacceptable in a large amount and receive lots of roosters when you pay for pullets. I just want what few chicks I have left (all others were either dead at P.O. or have died) to survive I have alot of time bring them to good health and money invested in those few breeds. They hurt our business too I was adding 5 new breeds to our Poultry Farm for 2014 and with the few I have left we can't start anything now.

 

[ladycat]

This many complaints is just crazy, this is bad business indeed.

I googled for complaints, found the BBB complaints, and this one at Google+

http://plus.google.com/105248939162912712458/about

I will make sure my poultry friends know to NEVER order from that so-called hatchery.

 

[thenestingbox]

I agree word of mouth is everything... I also believe you can't satisfied every customer you have in any business but you should try to resolve any issues if possible. HONESTY would be nice. Somewhere down the line these folks at CCH stopped caring about their #1, the customers. Customers are the ones who can make you or break you with just a simple comment whether it be positive or neg. and news travels fast on computers so many blogs, facebook, etc. again word of mouth is everything. Once you start screwing folks (like all of us, so so many of us I mean the pages go on and on), it's unbelievable CCH is still in business.

 

[Bill Matthews]

TO Ladycat, nesting box, strawberry, delco etc,etc.......This really sounds crazy to me ...Especially the posts from people who received a bunch of junk and then ordered again and kept on dealing with these people...I am a little confused about this whole mess....Someone needs to file a complaint with the Michigan Attorney General's Office since this seems to be more than a few isolated incidents that are clearly not of the "he said, she said"variety....The person who lives only 8 miles down the road should go there in person and see what the place is really like; who cares what they think?......There are many good mail order hatcheries such as McMurray, Cackle, Meyer, Mt Healthy, Privett, Estes, and many more......Take care...