So far I have dealt with Cackles and McMurray's . All of my original birds I bought at my local feed store. They do all of their business with Cackles. The Cornish X's were great ! One of my first surprises that I had when getting into this endeavor was that chicks can be delivered from anywhere. I had always thought that hatcheries had to be local. I have my first mail order coming in on Friday from Cackles. I did a phone order with them and the lady was great. I did an internet order from McMurrays and will have Cornish X's coming in from them in late September. I guess that I have to wait until November to see if there is any true difference in the quality and/or quantity of the meat. Q1. Any recommendations or nonrecommendations on any particular hatcheries? I'm raising mostly broilers but will be raising layers too. I also will be raising the occasional fancy bird for outdoor pets and decor. Q2. Are there any "year-round" hatcheries? I have not found any. I live in the California Central Valley. The weather is relatively mild compared to other places in the US. I worry more about the heat in the summer than the cold in the winter. Maybe ther might be some individuals on the forum that I could do some "chicken trading" with. I realize that broilers are pretty specialized so maybe I'll take advantage of the winters to grooming my laying flock.
