hatchery for small orders?

I don't know how you define 'small' but I just ordered 13 pullets from Ideal. They did include 8 male 'packing peanuts' but I didn't have to order a minimum, irrc. Very happy with how eveything went--good customer service, all the chicks look great, etc.
 
mypetchicken has awesome customer service and they are just an amzing place to get your chickens. I know you were looking for other options but i would recommend mypetchicken without a doubt.
 
Mypetchicken is not a hatchery.

At the right time of year - spring and summer - several hatcheries offer the small order option. For instance, you can get a small order from Ideal, specify that you don't want males added for warmth and pay a small shipping insurance charge; but that's only a viable option if it's not too cold out.
 
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But they do sell chicks and in small quantities and they are a good company to deal with.
 
it made me feel better dealing with Meyer only because the distance was shorter than a East Coast Company for me. You may consider where you live might be important to you. Less distance, less stress, less freight, shorter handling time roughing up the kids. It would be a consideration anyway.
 
I am wanting to buy aprox 4-6 in the spring (Trying to narrow down which breeds). And I need to order pullets only. From everything Im reading, the best way to ensure no diseases are brought into my current flock is to purchase day 1 babies from a company. (incubating isnt an option due to too many roo's already).

Has anyone purcahsed Day 1's from TSC? They said they have Day 1's and occassionaly sexed/pullets. Again, my concern with this would be-if everyone with chickens goes in and handles them-now are we are back to the quarintine/disease issue? Any thoughts?
 
We ordered 15 chicks from Cackle Hatchery, Plymouth Barred Rocks and Black Australorps. I think there was some weirdness about how many males you had to take, and how many of each breed, but I don't remember because my husband did the ordering. They sent 16 chicks, one died in the first month, and one died at about 6-8 weeks, don't remember exactly. The first just seemed to fail to thrive, but could have been coccidosis, she was just real tiny, lethargic, and would fall asleep eating and drinking, she lingered about 10 days with me giving her medicine, vitamins, etc. The second one was sick about 2 days, but acted similar. We had just been given sick turkeys when the first one was struggling (oh thank you so much for that prezzie, and for putting them in with my healthy birds!!!), and they stayed rather sickly for a long time. In other words, even though the first one was sick before we got the turkeys, I don't blame Cackle for the deaths. Mopey (the first one) seemed to be getting better, bigger, healthier, when the turkeys decided she was their mom, and those snotty faced nasty turkeys would not leave her alone, so they all went into isolation, where one turkey died. The second hen to die might have been saved if I had noticed symptoms earlier, but there was too much going on right then and they were living in a tent so it was hard to see them all.

I feel very satisfied with Cackle Hatchery, and wonder how other hatcheries survival rates are? Good luck
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