Has anyone purchased chicks from Hilltop Farms in California? *Do not buy from Hilltop Farms! Negative experiences are in the thread!!!*

[MotherofCluckers3]

Which website or phone number did you reported? :0

I was reported this one https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ourfocus/animalwelfare/complaint-form . If you have other one, i would love to report other one!

1-866-922-2473 PLEASE do! The illness is no one's fault, but selling sick chicks is!

 

[greylee]

The vaccine prevents most chickens from developing symptoms and dying from mareks disease but since it’s a leaky vaccine, it doesn’t prevent the chickens from actually contracting mareks and infecting other chickens. So if you bring home a chicken that’s vaccinated for mareks but carrying the disease, if you have a flock with unvaccinated birds and introduce that vaccinated bird carrying the disease, they’ll spread it to the unvaccinated birds and they’ll get sick and show symptoms meanwhile that one vaccinated chicken won’t due to the vaccine preventing symptoms from showing. That vaccinated bird with mareks disease is now spreading the disease all over the property and will spread it to any new chickens, vaccinated or not. I do see that they have strict bio security measures with their hatchlings that they sell, and you can prevent them from contracting the disease from the main flock with a strict bio security regime, but I honestly would not risk purchasing from them because I wouldn’t want the chicks that had a bio security breach like some of the reviewers, and end up with mareks on my property that won’t go away for years in the soil. By that point you might as well get ducks for a few years since they do not get mareks disease!

Here’s the review where the owner told her some of the hatchlings were exposed to the disease that’s in her main breeding flock.
View attachment 3534132

I did quite a bit of research on this because my first hens had already been adults when I received them and I didn't know their vaccination status.
It's true that Mareks doesn't prevent chickens from getting the disease but does prevent symptoms. But Mareks is everywhere. The chances of a chicken not being exposed to Mareks at some point is nearly impossible. That's why chicks are vaccinated when they hatch. Waiting till they're older makes it pointless because they'll have been exposed to Mareks already, making the vaccine redundant.

I did a quick again because I didn't want anyone to think I was talking nonsense.


http://extension.msstate.edu/publications/marek’s-disease-backyard-chickens

It is possible to vaccinate older birds, but the vaccine will probably not be effective because the birds have likely already been exposed to a natural Marek’s challenge by then. Again, Marek’s is one of the most common poultry diseases in the world. Always practice good biosecurity, and keep young birds and older birds separated to reduce the threat of disease transmission.

 

[MotherofCluckers3]

Is anyone close to Orange? I ordered Corid for my babies and there is a shipping delay...ugh. I'm guessing the package is lost since it was in ontario yesterday. I have about 1/2 G water to get me through. I just need 1/2 tsp to make another g of water.

 

[BurbMum]

Is anyone close to Orange? I ordered Corid for my babies and there is a shipping delay...ugh. I'm guessing the package is lost since it was in ontario yesterday. I have about 1/2 G water to get me through. I just need 1/2 tsp to make another g of water.

Sorry, I just saw this. Were you able to get some?

 

[MotherofCluckers3]

Sorry, I just saw this. Were you able to get some?

I got some from a local breeder, but mine seems to be lost in the mail. I have about 1/4 gallon left so I'm hoping it's enough until mine comes.

 

[MotherofCluckers3]

Definitely not you! I’m very experienced in raising chicks and lost 5/8 baby chicks in a matter of a week (one was a $50 lavender Ameraucana). Lost over $100 overall and spent an additional $50 in medicine for the remaining 3. I got day old chicks last year, shipped all the way from Ohio to California and only had 1 death, and that chick was doa. The rest of those chicks thrived and are all 1 year old healthy laying hens! Just hatched out 6 chicks 2 weeks ago, all are the picture of health and thriving. There’s seriously something wrong with hilltop farms chicks and their website and reviews are very deceiving! Thankfully my remaining 3 chicks from hilltop farms are fine now, and they’ve had contact with the rest of the flock for 2 months now, and no contagious diseases have been seen in anyone. I will never ever buy from hilltop farms again. I think their birds must be very inbred or something resulting in very weak chicks.

So, I finally got an email from the elusive Patrick. I wish I knew how to post images, but basically he said that my chicks died because I use a brooder plate instead of a heat lamp! He said that "they are used to heat lamp and don't know how to use it so pass for getting too cold." Then he went on to say "Which is why we don't cover losses from customer who use a plates verse a heat lamp." (I know the spelling is awful but that's exactly what he wrote.) First of all, Nowhere does their website state one must use a heat lamp which could burn the house down.
Secondly, this doesn;t explain the bloody stools or how the remaining two birds are doing ok, although I'm afraid I may lose another, after 5 days on medicated food and Corid. In addition I found both birds under the plate they mysteriously don't know how to use...dead! What a crock of %$&*! They were under there way too much and that's because they were ill, sir! Honestly, I wouldn't take anything but my money from him at this point, but I'm considering filing a complaint just so it's formal and out there. He thinks taking down bad reviews and telling people ridiculous things all the while selling sick chicks that could destroy an entire flock is ok. It's unethical and wrong.

 

[Watolf]

So, I finally got an email from the elusive Patrick. I wish I knew how to post images, but basically he said that my chicks died because I use a brooder plate instead of a heat lamp! He said that "they are used to heat lamp and don't know how to use it so pass for getting too cold." Then he went on to say "Which is why we don't cover losses from customer who use a plates verse a heat lamp." (I know the spelling is awful but that's exactly what he wrote.) First of all, Nowhere does their website state one must use a heat lamp which could burn the house down.
Secondly, this doesn;t explain the bloody stools or how the remaining two birds are doing ok, although I'm afraid I may lose another, after 5 days on medicated food and Corid. In addition I found both birds under the plate they mysteriously don't know how to use...dead! What a crock of %$&*! They were under there way too much and that's because they were ill, sir! Honestly, I wouldn't take anything but my money from him at this point, but I'm considering filing a complaint just so it's formal and out there. He thinks taking down bad reviews and telling people ridiculous things all the while selling sick chicks that could destroy an entire flock is ok. It's unethical and wrong.

I got reply last night too but i went sleep. He said that my shipping was 3 days late, he can help me with file claim to usps that was denied. But i was confused, three days late????

 

[MotherofCluckers3]

I got reply last night too but i went sleep. He said that my shipping was 3 days late, he can help me with file claim to usps that was denied. But i was confused, three days late????

Sure he will...I think he's just saying things now hoping someone will believe him. It's very sad, indeed. He could at least say "Hey we've got a coccidiosis issue here and we are doing the best we can I can send you home with what you need or i can cancel your order," but my guess is, from the looks of the place, he's already spent our money.

 

[CaliforniaMountainChicks]

So, I finally got an email from the elusive Patrick. I wish I knew how to post images, but basically he said that my chicks died because I use a brooder plate instead of a heat lamp! He said that "they are used to heat lamp and don't know how to use it so pass for getting too cold." Then he went on to say "Which is why we don't cover losses from customer who use a plates verse a heat lamp." (I know the spelling is awful but that's exactly what he wrote.) First of all, Nowhere does their website state one must use a heat lamp which could burn the house down.
Secondly, this doesn;t explain the bloody stools or how the remaining two birds are doing ok, although I'm afraid I may lose another, after 5 days on medicated food and Corid. In addition I found both birds under the plate they mysteriously don't know how to use...dead! What a crock of %$&*! They were under there way too much and that's because they were ill, sir! Honestly, I wouldn't take anything but my money from him at this point, but I'm considering filing a complaint just so it's formal and out there. He thinks taking down bad reviews and telling people ridiculous things all the while selling sick chicks that could destroy an entire flock is ok. It's unethical and wrong.

Ugh I hate how he’s blaming the heating plate for this! If that was the case then everyone who gets chicks from feed stores would have all of them die in mass numbers going from a lamp to a plate, but is that happening? No! Mine took to the heat plate and settled right down and relaxed, but they just died one by one until there was 3 left! Chicks are coming to people with stunted growth and bloody poo already, not due to a heat plate? I can’t believe they’re actually NPIP!! They need to get back out there and test their birds.

 

[CaliforniaMountainChicks]

So, I finally got an email from the elusive Patrick. I wish I knew how to post images, but basically he said that my chicks died because I use a brooder plate instead of a heat lamp! He said that "they are used to heat lamp and don't know how to use it so pass for getting too cold." Then he went on to say "Which is why we don't cover losses from customer who use a plates verse a heat lamp." (I know the spelling is awful but that's exactly what he wrote.) First of all, Nowhere does their website state one must use a heat lamp which could burn the house down.
Secondly, this doesn;t explain the bloody stools or how the remaining two birds are doing ok, although I'm afraid I may lose another, after 5 days on medicated food and Corid. In addition I found both birds under the plate they mysteriously don't know how to use...dead! What a crock of %$&*! They were under there way too much and that's because they were ill, sir! Honestly, I wouldn't take anything but my money from him at this point, but I'm considering filing a complaint just so it's formal and out there. He thinks taking down bad reviews and telling people ridiculous things all the while selling sick chicks that could destroy an entire flock is ok. It's unethical and wrong.

Btw!! If one of your chicks isn’t getting better after corid I highly recommend these sulfa antibiotics from Jedds! https://jedds.com/products/trimethoprin-sulfa-medpet?_pos=1&_sid=2a1b289b6&_ss=r
A bad case of coccidiosis can cause a bacterial infection that only these can treat. My chicks had to be treated with it! Idk if you live near Jedds to get them in person to get them faster? They’re in Anaheim, or you can order online like I did!