Hatchery Poll

[SoJoChickens]

I have ordered from Welp Hatchery multiple times and have never had any issues. Not even one dead chick. Their service was also very good when I placed my orders. I have also had good results from Hoover hatchery.

 

[Acre4Me]

While this is true, and I agree that some young people can't cope with things, my school is not one of those places. I teach in a place with high gang activity and at least 50% of my kids hear gunshots at least once a week. My students have seen relatives gunned down before their eyes (the most traumatic in recent history was a student of mine who's cousin was shot at his birthday party, in front of relatives and his own children). Believe me, they know death is something they have no control over.

The school garden/flock is a place for them to get away from this--I want it to be as positive an experience as I can make it. This should be a time for them to get to nurture and help things live!

Wow! Sorry to hear this! But, glad they are able to experience things, such as the garden and chickens, because it can open their eyes to seek out more positive things, or think beyond the not-positive in their current situations.

A field trip to the hatchery could work out well - they would go somewhere they would not likely on their own, to experience something they would not typically seek out, due to time or distance constraints. I hope that works out well for you and your class!

 

[Kacey Elle]

@Acre4Me Yeah...I live only 20 minutes away but it's like a whole different planet, sometimes. Kids are more used to seeing homeless people wandering around and yelling obscenities, gangsters and drug dealers working the streets, and graffiti and vandalism than they are to seeing flowers grow. Just one of the many reasons why I started the garden at school a couple of years ago.

Unfortunately, it looks like no field trip. I guess they do have programs/field trip opportunities in the summer/fall but not right now. Still, I suppose that it makes sense that they want to focus on their big money maker!

 

[Flickster5]

I started raising chickens again for the first time since I was a young kid last spring. Since then, I've bought from local TSC and Atwoods, both of whose chicks came from Ideal, and had chicks shipped from Mypetchicken.com.

Of 5 Cubalayas, 2 died within a few days from Atwoods/Ideal, but I also had a heat lamp go out during the day and it's unclear exactly how long they were without the lamp. I've since heard that Ideal is great in general, but has a poor track record with that particular breed, even apparently healthy chickens dying without warning a couple of years in with enough frequency to be worth noting. The remaining 3 are doing well but are still a few months shy of a year old.
Of the 5 SL Wyandottes, one was clearly suffering some kind of issue from early on at half the size, a very slight scizor beak, and different colored legs. She was incredibly sweet and cuddly but died just before reaching laying age. Another girl died not long after with no obvious cause, though I've wondered if she was egg-bound (another family member found and buried her after she had been missing a couple of days, but she was buried before I got home to examine her). The others are lovely, lively, and excellent layers, though again, too young to comment on long term longevity.

Next were a mixed batch from mypetchicken. I wanted to play with several breeds in a mixed flock for now and see those I liked best, so I ordered 8 different breeds, single chick each. They arrived either 1 or 2 day shipping, can't remember which but it was as promised, at the post office. Picked them up very cozy in a box with a heat pack under some nesting material. Healthy, lively, and extremely personable, in some cases a bit more than I'd have expected for their breed (golden campine and Ancona I expected to be a lot less willing to take treats and be held than they actually are. Ever bit as smart as expected though). They're all now laying eggs themselves and until a few days ago, no issues. My speckled Sussex has started limping and I've spent from Monday until now checking her for everything under the sun to no avail, but she's improving steadily so I'm thinking that was more an injury of some kind. She has always been one of the most adventuresome and inquisitive hens so it would be just like the brat to get into trouble

I thought I was done for the year until I saw some "assorted" pullet chicks on sale at Atwoods in early October. I recognized many of them as probable easter Eggers which was perfect as the one easter Egger I got from mypetchicken is apparently either not laying or lays a pink tinted brown egg (haven't definitely caught her right after laying yet). I wanted more colored eggs so I succumbed to chicken math and brought home 3 of the chicks. They're about 20-21 weeks old now and have done very well. Two are very friendly, one thinks she is too good for me or the others and is most certainly the head hen of their separate group (in the process of building a new coop at which point they'll all be integrated together fully).

As far as sexing goes, the Cubalayas from Ideal/Atwoods were straight run. Of the three survivors, two roos and a pullet. The Easter Eggers are all pullets as advertised. The Wyandottes from Ideal/TSC were all pullets and correctly sized, as were the pullets from mypetchicken. I love all of my chickens but overall, the customer service from mypetchicken was great and the chicks seemed infinitely happier upon arrival than those I brought home from Atwoods and TSC. I'll probably buy from local breeders next time, as I've discovered quite a few I didn't know about before, but if I was to order from a hatchery I'd probably go with MPC again.

(Sorry for the long rambling post...Somehow I'm incapable of being concise)

 

[OFChickens]

I've only ordered pullets in the past and am thinking seriously about ordering chicks. I would love input on what hatcheries you've used--specifically, I'm looking for short AND long-term health results and accuracy of sexing. Most research seems like people only discuss short-term livability of chicks; while that definitely matters, I also want to know what happened years down the road!

I don't care about show quality at all. It'll be an order of 20 pullets, mixed breeds. The goal is to get birds for eggs/garden assistants/pets.

We used My Pet Chicken for a mix of bantam and standard sized chickens. All arrived alive, and 11 of the 13 lived beyond the first 2 days. Those 11 are now 9 months old, healthy, and half have started laying despite short WI cold(!!!) days and only natural light. 12 of the 13 were sexed correctly as females (incorrectly sexed is an EE). They are all beautiful and very sweet. We are very happy with our nice little flock and would use this hatchery again. The staff was very helpful through all (we had a lot of questions! )

 

[N F C]

Tagging people who mentioned buying from hatcheries--please weigh in with short and long term health of chicks that you've gotten!

@ChooksNQuilts @WhoDatChick @Farmgirl1878 @paintedChix @DobieLover @N F C @HuffleClaw

The only hatchery I've used was Murray McMurray and had good results with them. I got the breeds I wanted (RSL, BR, BA, SS) and they were all healthy. My shipment came when it was scheduled and I thought their customer service was good.

One tiny downside (and it was tiny), was the free chick they put with my order was a Polish boy. That poor little guy with the top knot did not fare well with the other, bigger dual purpose girls and I ended up having to keep him separate from the flock.

Overall, I would use MM again.

 

[Kacey Elle]

@Flickster5 Not rambling at all! That was an extremely informative and helpful post. It is very useful to know that you've tried many different places in order to get chicks but you would go back to MPC out of all of them. The more I hear, the more I like about MPC. The experience you had with the personalities being friendly is also interesting. Sweet birds would be a definite plus for me!

@OFChickens Thanks! I've narrowed it down to either MPC or a hatchery close enough to drive to. MPC has more breed options and I've heard the customer service isn't all that great at the drivable location but it's still a toss up. I appreciate your input!

 

[OFChickens]

@Flickster5 Not rambling at all! That was an extremely informative and helpful post. It is very useful to know that you've tried many different places in order to get chicks but you would go back to MPC out of all of them. The more I hear, the more I like about MPC. The experience you had with the personalities being friendly is also interesting. Sweet birds would be a definite plus for me!

@OFChickens Thanks! I've narrowed it down to either MPC or a hatchery close enough to drive to. MPC has more breed options and I've heard the customer service isn't all that great at the drivable location but it's still a toss up. I appreciate your input!

Good luck with all! It’s so much fun to research and choose a hatchery or breeder and types of chickens! I believe you said in an earlier post that they were for a classroom so I’m asssuming you’re a teacher? Me too! Enjoy your chicken adventure!

 

[Kacey Elle]

@OFChickens I know--it's been so fun sharing all these comments with the kids. It's actually been quite the teaching moment about how to pick a quality "product" instead of going with one that is hyped the most or cheapest (which the kids usually pick!). What do you teach? I teach high school. If you're interested in following my school's garden project, subscribe to our YouTube channel! Shameless plug...but we only started the channel on Friday and the kids want to get 250 followers by the end of the year. Gulp!

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7zOlHocbzji5S9waOUZ56g

 

[Acre4Me]

@OFChickens I know--it's been so fun sharing all these comments with the kids. It's actually been quite the teaching moment about how to pick a quality "product" instead of going with one that is hyped the most or cheapest (which the kids usually pick!).

LOL! very true with kids! But, good lesson to learn, some products earn their good reputations and aim to keep the good reputation. Others skate by on their good reputation, but end up not being such a good or long enough lasting product (as one discovers after buying that product). I'm glad that this has been a good opportunity for the class to learn about purchasing chickens.

You are now obligated to satisfy our curiosity and post pics of the chickens when you get them!