Differences between your hatch and mailed chicks.

[Orange Ribbon]

Hey everybody, I was wondering: Do you notice a difference in the chicks you hatch yourself vs. chicks you get mailed from a hatchery? No, I'm not talking about the SOP or anything like that. I have received several orders from hatcheries and they all came healthy and pert. I would never have thought any could be any better. But I just hatched a new batch of my own eggs and am very surprised at the difference. They just seem much calmer, friendlier, and even somewhat more exuberant. I don't know if that is just a coincidence or if that is common. So what do you think? Have you ever thought your own hatches differed in some way, good or bad?

 

[speedy2020]

Self hatched chicks are much more healthier. Have you seen the video how much stress the chicks from hatchery got toss around? I order some in the past, but now I hatched my own.

 

[gryeyes]

Chicks I've hatched have never had pasty butt. Ever. Some Feed store chicks (which are obviously hatchery chicks) and some of those I've ordered from hatcheries have had pasty butt problems. Also, chicks hatched at home are calmer, in that they don't peep as much but are just as active.

I attribute this to there being little or no stress at being carried by loving hands from the incubator to the brooder. Smaller hatches at a time, no being stuffed into boxes and shipped who knows how far away. Quieter environment, not hundreds of other peeping chicks all around. Then, if they go to a feed store, they're usually in big bins, competing for food and water, handled by lots of folks, then traveling again in a box on a car seat....

 

[stephanie1992]

chicks i orderd has always had pasty butts and a few died from it, i cleaned there butts and stuff but some didnt make it, and ones from home never ever have that problem. Ones at home are soo much calmer and heaithyer and seem to grow better and look better than the ones from hatcherys

 

[SIMZ]

I'm brand new at hatching and my babies are just a day old, so I'm probably not qualified........although I have ordered and bought quite a few batches of chicks now. One thing I've noticed is that these hatched babies are friendly! All of my hatchery chicks are usually panicked until they're older and understand that I have treats!

They perk up and start eating as soon as they hear my voice. Adorable!!

 

[Americana]

Hi, I have heard that the shipped chicks are not as calm, because by the time a chick it 3 days old it has developed a sense of fear.


So the home hatched chicks have been around you and heard your voice (or the mother's clucks and the other chickens around- if they are incubated under a broody)

So that makes sense to me, because by the time the shipped chicks arrive they are 3 or more days old.

 

[Americana]

I've always hatched my own eggs or shipped eggs and my chicks have always been friendly

 

[bikerchic]

I also had a problem with pasty butt on my hatchery chicks, never with my own.

 

[Grog]

This is my first hatch vs buying chicks..... First I diddnt get a box of dead chicks(1st order ever) then 2 more mostly dead replacement orders.

Second: as mentioned before no pasty butt so far.

Third: the chicks are way quieter and much more friendly.

They do seem much healthier as well.

I will never buy CHICKS from a hatchery again. Mabey Juveniels(<--sp) but probably not. The fair here has great birds so when new genes are needed I can get them there

 

[ChickieBooBoo]

I found my hatchery chicks to be more active, maybe because they needed to be strong right away when hatched in a hatchery. I prefere hatchery chicks over home hatched chicks