We've recently received two orders.
1. Name of hatchery. McMurray
2. Shipping Date. unknown (not on paperwork)
3. Date arrived. May 5 2008
4. Average temperature arround arrival. 40-60 F (had snowed while in shipment)
5. Number of chickens, . 26
6. Number dead at arrival. 0
7. Number dead within 2 days. 1 (weak on arrival, drowned that evening)
8. Number dead within a week. 0
9. Your customer review. Rainbow Layers. Our outside temps were cold. It was difficult to keep the brooder a constant temp. One additional chick (barred rock) never grew, eventually it also drowned in the waterer (typical waterer, never had this problem before - I think when they get weak they fall over into the waterer and can't get up)
McMurray is my all time favorite. I've never had a problem with them in any of my orders. I rarely get any males, and never more than one an order (so he might be the 'exotic chick).
This rainbow assortment was great! NO sexlinks or RIRs!! (yippee!) I still haven't been able to figure out exactly what everyone is but it is so nice to have such a variety. Cochins, brahmas, EEs, Lakenvelders, Polish, Buttercups, Orps, Dark Cornish, wyandottes, silver leghorns, etc.
I'd hoped to have alot of duplicates to sell, now I feel like I'll end up keeping most of them.
One Rooster - a buttercup (but there is a buttercup female too so maybe we'll raise some chicks!)
1. Name of hatchery. Ideal
2. Shipping Date. June 4 2008 (called)
3. Date arrived. June 6 2008
4. Average temperature arround arrival. 40-60 F
5. Number of chickens. 25
6. Number dead at arrival. 0
7. Number dead within 2 days. 0
8. Number dead within a week. 0
9. Your customer review. I only order from Ideal when they have something McMurray doesn't. Last year I ordered 25 of their dark egg layer asst. I ended up with two roosters and 3 yellow legged Marans. The eggs are darker than the ones my regular brown egg layers produce but not much. This year I ordered Black Aust., ameraucanas, spangled Russian Orloffs, Red Chanteclers and ass't silkies.
Things I like about Ideal - they list how many of each they send (makes it easier to figure out what you have when you get ass'ts). They called to let me know they were sending them but also to ask if they could substitute a red chantecler roo for a partridge.
But I've never been happy since the Marans came with yellow legs and the other chicks, there were two roosters and that whole order still acts strange. I'm still wondering why my red chanteclers are white with orangey stripes on their wings (if anyone knows what one should look like - let me know, they aren't posted anywhere since it turns out the color isn't accepted.