Has anyone ever got chicks from these hatcheries/farms?

[Myrshine]

I'm not the only one here on BYC that had AWFUL experience with Feather Lover Farms.. still well documented via email.

Understand that as a small time passionate HOBBY breeder, I FULLY comprehend ALL of the challenges faced with poultry keeping including parasites, disease, fertility, predation, wildfires, genetic challenges of melanistic breeds like Silkie/Cemani, etc. I do NOT think FLF is guilty of ALL the accusations made in the following links but it took threatening to contact my state attorney general before getting a response which they CLAIM to have refunded my $.. I haven't yet verified on my husbands CC statement.. but at ANY cost (not even keeping business local to California) I will NEVER do business with them and cannot recommend doing business with them..

https://www.backyardchickens.com/posts/20532012

https://www.backyardchickens.com/posts/23404232

https://www.backyardchickens.com/posts/18910227

Those are just a few quick thread that popped up by using the search in the upper right hand corner here on BYC and typing feather lover farms.. WISH I had tried that instead of goggle! You will get more return than what I copied and linked if you also.. oh wait, I can post the top link from my search.. but you get the idea..

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threadloom/search?keywords=feather+lover+farm&tab=0

RUN don't walk away..

If you want ALL those breeds.. get as many of them as you can from Greenfire farms.. or plan to order from more than one place. I've bought from GFF several times.. I'm not claiming their birds are perfect. But their business model is VERY acceptable, I would buy from them again, and have zero problem recommending them to a dear friend.. Importing birds isn't cheap.. MANY MANY smaller flocks ALL got their genetics from GFF. They always send one of not two extra chicks of each breed/variety ordered. They also sent anew year calendar and offer for % off next order if order placed by a specified date.. Chicks arrived in better condition than any other hatchery I've used thus far.

https://greenfirefarms.com/

Lav orps are a dime a dozen common. tried them, overrated but beautiful.

I haven't seen buff laced Wyandotte.. yet.. I'm breeding lav Wyandotte for eventual lavender laced cream.. not there yet, and haven't decided on a final variety name.. I also have Cemani.. Hope to get NPIP before long to ship legally.. but my state was dragging their feet last time I made contact.. This is a new year, YAY!

One smaller California place that MIGHT have some offerings your looking for, I have YET to see any cause for concern but also haven't yet patronized them...

https://www.alchemistfarm.com/

It's taken me sometimes YEARS to get the truly rare breeds I was looking for.. or varieties I was working with.. you might wanna a project of your own! Paint Silkies was a fun start into genetics adventures.

Also understand that when you start working with truly rare breeds.. the diversity of the pool is not yet there to give them a lot of resistance/vigor.. this is something we MUST work towards.

Best wishes finding the variety and breeds/quality that you're looking for!

Thank you so much for this information! I don’t know if it’s safe getting birds from CA since I live in the other side of the country. But I’ll still check them out. I was looking into GFF. Do you know if they are careful and take serious biosecurity of their breeding flocks?

 

[EggSighted4Life]

I was looking into GFF. Do you know if they are careful and take serious biosecurity of their breeding flocks?

Anyone with that much invested does take bio-security VERY seriously. They have to as it's their livelihood. They still face challenges like parasite and disease.. and very likely do have their breeding stock vaccinated against Marek's.. which to me just hides the disease.. but it's said by my state vet to be EVERY where and they don't claim to breed for resistance and DO suggest that patron order vaccinated chicks.. Which Marek's cannot be passed to the embryo/egg. My state vet also suggest ordering vaccinated chicks only. 5 out of 8 Lamona, succumb to Marek's at MY place, last year was a beast.. Might be worth getting the first costly round vaccinated if you KNOW you have it at your place.. Breeding for resistance is worth the cost to me, still!

I have seen some not so pleasant claims about GFF.. but none that I have personally been able to confirm.. and I totally sent in birds for necropsy BECAUSE of those accusations. Many, many accusations I see made are done from a complete place of ignorance.. regarding things like coccidiosis and often Marek's as well.

What I'm ultimately saying is that they are probably as safe as ANY other hatchery and MAYBE safer than SOME "smaller" breeders.. unless I try and WAY over think it, I can ALWAYS find something to contradict whatever I'm thinking/stating..

Overall, I have no concern for GFF bio-security.. and question that of folks who actually show birds.. and bring them back home for breeding.. how do they do it?? I WANT to show birds.. but bio-security concerns is what stops me.. so this question is sincere.