Hatchery Hatch-a-long! : )

[GitaBooks]

I am so excited, I have 15 bantam chicks coming from McMurrays in just a few days! I can't contain my excitement, I want to talk about it to people who are equally excited. I just LOVE TALKING ABOUT POULTRY!

You don't have to have chicks coming to participate, this is all for fun, its all about chicks due to arrive from hatcheries. Its like a hatch-a-long except you don't get to see the eggs. Follow BYC rules and have LOTS OF FUN!!!

Questions:

Where are you getting them from?

How many are you getting?

What breed, hybrid or assortment are you getting?

Is this your first time shipping in chicks?

When are they estimated to arrive?

What preparations do you have before hand?

What is the method you find best for strengthening up shipped chicks?


Have you ever used other hatcheries and if so, what was your experience?



Best of luck to all with chicks on the way!

 

[GitaBooks]

Where are you getting them from?: McMurray Hatchery

How many are you getting?: 15, plus a free secret chick!

What breed, hybrid or assortment are you getting?: I'm getting bantams. I chose the breeds I wanted, which include a Mille Fleur, Silver Sebrights, a Buff Silkie, and Mottled Cochins.

Is this your first time shipping in chicks?: No. I've acquired chicks through the mail three other times.

When are they estimated to arrive?: July 29th

What preparations do you have before hand?: I have a brooder ready, but not quite set-up yet. It is a large plastic cupboard type thing that I lay on its back. It has shelves that can make the brooder smaller or larger and on which heat-lights can be hung. I also clean out the feeders and waterers and make sure I have a heat-light on hand.

What is the method you find best for strengthening up shipped chicks?: I tuck them all under my shirt so they can bond, rest, and warm up. One by one I take them out and dip their beaks in the water and sprinkle some food in front of them. Usually they are full of energy and run all around, exploring, rehydrating, ect.


Have you ever used other hatcheries and if so, what was your experience?: I have bought from McMurray two other times, getting a Rainbow Laying Assortment and a mix of rare breed chicks. These birds have all been wonderful, though I have lost one or two from them. I also bought from Cackle once. I only lost one chick and the rest were hardy and healthy. They were a mix of heritage meat birds. We kept two as breeders but after we hatched their chicks (an thus passed on their genes) we got rid of them.


My chicks on day one


Smaug, the New Hampshire from Cackle


Sasha, the one rooster (the rare extra chick) that came in the Rainbow Layers mix


My 17 (I bought 18 and one we had to euthanize) from McMurray. All healthy, friendly, and a ton of fun!

 

[GitaBooks]

My Rainbow assortment chicks from McMurray. I got my lovely Wild Thing, Eagle and Dusty from this clutch, along with my rooster Sasha (who was aggressive so we got rid of). We got 16 of them


My Cackle heritage meat breed mix. It included Ellesar (the Buff Orpington) and Smaug (the New Hampshire). We got 25 of them

 

[GitaBooks]

I decided to get my new chicks because I am working on a breeding project for "Dalmatian" Bantams. I only have three that are of proper coloration and then one more that is of proper shape. The cool thing is, the males and females seem to be different colors (males develop red and females black spotting). That would be really neat if I could create a sex-linked bantam completely by accident! We'll have to see next year with testing.

I needed some more Sebrights to prevent inbreeding and add back in some of their genes but I had to get 15 chicks. I'm adopting out 10 of them, so I purposefully got a variety so that some people could get some wonderful, free pet bantam chicks. I'm planning on keeping three or four sebrights and a Buff Silkie and perhaps my Mille Fleur.

Dastan, one of my Dalmatians. He did not mature with spotting or a crest, but he has the genes in there so I'm using him in the mix. He's a very handsome boy


Dove. She lacks the crest, muffs and spotting, but is a gorgeous girl, so I'm keeping her as well


Goldie, one of my original 4 Dalmatians (two boys and two girls. Both girls had black spots and both boys had red)


Rudy next to what I think is Dove (though I guess it could be Amber). He has red on him but no black

 

[GitaBooks]

I hope to some day buy the amazing rare breeds from Sand Hill Preservation. Has anyone had experience with them?

 

[GitaBooks]

I have been doing research on Hatcheries, looking up all the websites, breeds offered, and prices and writing them down. Small-time hatcheries can be just as good or better then the major ones, but I have found the best chicks are likely to come from websites that work hard on providing good information, high-quality pictures, and have a high-quality website.

These include:
McMurray
California
Green Fire Farm
Porter's Rare Breed Turkeys
Ideal
Purely Poultry
Sand Hill Preservation (lacks photos but I read the book written by the owners)
Meyer
Strombergs
Welp


These all had eye-appealing website with obvious price markers, photographs to show what the breed will look like (often as both adults, chicks, and sometimes as a rooster and hen. Some even show egg coloration). They care about their customer service or they would not make such good websites, as I have seen plenty of hatcheries with poor pictures and difficult to use websites that were not appealing at all.
They offer a variety of breeds and species and ship so often they must have an okay system and make their money back.

I was wondering though, has anyone had bad experiences with these hatcheries?

 

[GitaBooks]

My list of hatcheries (not necessarily great, hatcheries, so search out reviews if you are unsure):


California Hatchery (California)
Belt Hatchery (Fresno, CA)
Cedar Creek Hatchery (Twin Lake, MI)
Cackle Hatchery (Lebanon, MO)
Estes Hatchery (Springfield, MO)
Meyer Hatchery (Polk, OH)
Mt. Healthy Hatchery (Cincinnati, OH)
Green Fire Farm (New Marshfield, OH)
Murray McMurray Hatchery (Webster City, IA)
Purely Poultry (Fremont, WI)
Welp Hatchery (Bancroft, IA)
Valley Hatchery (Unknown)
Jordon Farm Rare Breed Poultry (Cairo, GA)
Akers Hatchery (Salem, Indiana)
Southern Farm Hatchery (Perkinston, MS)
Hoover’s Hatchery (Rudd, IA)
Hardin Poultry (Glendale, KY)
Hoffman Hatchery (Gratz, PA)
Sand Hill Preservation Center (Calamus, IA)
Heritage Turkey Hatchery (Waupaca, WI)
Summer Rose Farm and Hatchery (Strasburg, CO)
Ideal Poultry (Cameron, Texas)
Country Hatchery (Wewoka, OK)
Privett Hatchery (Portales, NM)
Dunlap Hatchery (Caldwell, ID)
My Pet Chicken
Bergs Hatchery
Ridgeway Hatchery (Russell, MB R0J 1W0, Canada)
Strombergs Chickens (Pine River, MN)
Decorah hatchery (Decorah, IA)
Schlechet Hatchery (Miles, IA)
Abendroth’s Waterfowl Hatchery (Waterloo, WI)
B and D Game (Harrah, OK)
Bear Bayou Quail Farm (Channelview, Texas)
Central Hatchery (Madison, NE)
Chukar Creek Hatchery (Templeton, Pensslyvania)
Clearview Stock Farm Hatchery CM Game Birds (Lykens, PA)
Dirt Willy (Edmonton, Alberta)
Double-R Discout Supply
Double T Farm (North Carolina)
Eagle Nest Poultry (Oceola, OH)
Guinea Farm (New Vienna, Iowa)
Hall Brothers Hatchery (Norwich, Connecticut)
Harper’s Game Farm (Booker, Texas)
Holderread’s Waterfowl Farm (Philomath, OR)
Howell’s Exotic Waterfowl (Muldrow, Oklahoma)
Johnson’s Waterfowl (Middle River, Minnesota)
Kaibic’s Hatchery Lake Caumberland Game Bird Farm
Larry’s Poultry (For Morgan, CO)
Mason Hatchery (Walters, OK)
McFarlane Pheasants (Janesville, WI)
Metzer Farms (Gonzales, CA)
Moyer’s Chick, Inc (Quakertown, PA)
Noll’s Poultry Farm (Kleinfeltersville, PA)
Northwest Gamebirds (Kennewick, WA)
Oakwood Game Birds (Princeton, MN)
Prickeree Pine Gamebird Farm (Lowell, MI)
Reich Poultry Farms (Marietta, PA)
Ridgeway Hatcheries, Inc (La Rue, OH)
Rochester Hatchery (Westlock, AB T7P 2R4, Canada)
Shook Poultry (Claremont, NC)
Sunnyside Hatchery (Beaver Dam, WI)
Sun Ray Chicks Hatchery (Hazleton, IA)
Townline Hatchery (Zeeland, MI)
Urch/Turnland Poultry
Valentine Hatchery (Old Town, Florida)
Walters Hatchery (Stilwell, Oklahoma)
Witt Farms
X-treme Game Birds and Poultry (Elgin, Texas)



While I don't want to drag anyone's name through the mud, just thought I would put together a list of some of the hatcheries people say aren't as good (may be due to long shipping distance or other reasons):
Heartland Hatchery
Fairview Hatchery
Lazy 54 Farm
Mt. Healthy
Ideal
X-treme Poultry

 

[GitaBooks]

My bantam chick set-up for when they arrive:

I have a large plastic "cabinet" (actually I have two) that belong in the barn. I am dividing one with one of the shelves and using it for my four 1 week old bantam chicks and the other side for my 15 day-old bantam chicks. I use paper towels, towels or old sheets/pillow cases as a liner and provide some branches or bricks for early perching practice (to prevent boredom and build balance) as well as a feed dish and small waterer.

My brooder with a heat light, divider, waterers, a branch, feed dish, and a wire and wood cover

 

[GitaBooks]

I just got the call that they are being shipped! I'm so excited! I'm not sure if they are coming tomorrow or the day after, but I hope they don't suffer in the heat wave that just hit us. Thankfully, the warmth will keep the little guys warm.

I can't wait!

 

[GitaBooks]

They are coming tomorrow, probably in the morning. I can't wait!