Hatchery vs. Local Feed Store

[mumofsix]

Monday TC had Cornish Rock and Straight Run Speckled Sussex . An Old-Timer said to the Sales girl " Those marked Speckled Sussex looks like Buttercups to me" . The girl was about 20 or so; Stared at the Guy and said "Sir I hate to tell You but We don't sell Buttercups. They might have those at Wal-mart." Everyone in the Store was laughing. Anyway I talked to a Manager and He said They were to get more Tuesday . I called everyday since and They tell Me that "They should be here anytime".

 

[Craftygirl]

I say DO NOT BUY FROM HATCHERY, A friend of mine bought and order if 25 when they arrived 13 of them were alive then over night (even with a heat lamp) 9 more died leaving 4 then within 5 min of each other two of the remaining 4 died then over night 1 died then the last died she lived the longest (2 days after we got her) I know this sounds like a sob story but there's a point even if they do survive it's sad to put them through this, all the travel, I have 10 birds from my feed store they are all healthy happy full grown and starting to lay eggs

I think the hatcheries get a lot of blame for what is likely mishandling by the shipping service. You can drop a box of chicks without denting the box and it sure would hurt poor little chicks.

 

[jengro65]

I've bought fom Meyers and my local feed store here in WV and all of my experiences have been good. Raising chickens have become so popular in my area, that our feed store (Southern States) is going to have over 30 different chicken breeds between now and Easter....not to mention, ducks, turkey and geese....I'm so excited!!!

 

[D'Angelo N Va.]

I have ordered from McMurray several times and will be again in another month. i have also gotten them from the feed store.I like the hatchery because they are all healthy when they arrive and I feel like a kid at Christmas when I get that call that my chicks have arrived... A 45 yr. Old kid. Lol..

 

[jb300zx]

In my opinion, shipping is the biggest issue here. This is a factor you could have with either option. My thought would be that a local supplier is the best option. Define local: someplace you could drive to and pick them up yourself. If you are simply wanting chickens for eggs, pets, etc., you can get production chicks on-site at the feed store. They've already been shipped and are likely days old. Want something more specific? Less hardy variety? Local hatchery would be my first pick. Either way, eliminating the potential of negligence on the carrier's behalf is always a good thing. Just my opinion.

 

[minnow]

Last year, I bought all of my pullets from the local feed store. This year, I tried my hand at ordering from McMurray Hatchery.

Their minimum order for this time of year is 25. I only wanted 7 or 8, so I decided to order a variety of pullets and simply sell the extras on Craigslist for a reasonable price. I didn't get rich or lose any money, and I got exactly what I wanted, in regards to breeds. If you care to know more, read on.

I ordered 6 cuckoo marans, 6 silver laced wyandottes, 6 Columbian wyandottes, and 7 araucanas. They sent 1 "exotic" chick of their choice (unsexed), which is typical of this hatchery. They also included 1 extra silver laced Wyandotte for free.

I got an email ahead of time, telling me when to expect my shipment (approximate window). Then I got another email, telling me that they shipped. I already had my makeshift brooder (a wooden crate with newsprint flooring) set up with a heat lamp, water, and some chick starter (feed), so when I got a call from my local post office around 7:00a Monday morning to tell me that I could come pick my chicks up right away, I came running!

I opened the box of chicks there at the post office and could see that all of the chicks arrived safe and sound. Keep in mind that they sent an email to me Saturday to tell me my chicks shipped, and then they arrived on Monday morning! They travelled from Iowa to Florida over two days, and were all alive and well.

I got them home and took time to dip their beaks in the water dish as I placed them in the brooder one by one. McMurray took the time to label the shipping box with the exact numbers of each breed of chick that was shipped with my order. The big downside of ordering a mix of 25 chicks from McMurray is that they don't segregate the chicks for shipping, so you get one box of 25 chicks, all mixed together, and you have to use pictures and videos on their website to determine which breed each chick is. Thankfully, all of the breeds I ordered looked distinctly different from one another.

That first day, I took some pics and posted an craigslist ad to list the extra chicks I wanted to sell. I also posted on the Facebook page of the local chicken swap group here in my area (Santa Rosa Chicken Swap). Within 5 days, I had sold all of the extra chicks. I sold the chicks for between $5 and $6 a piece. It seems that there were lots of people in my area who didn't want "typical" breeds sold by the local feed stores, or that they were, like me, only interested in getting a couple of each kind.

When all was said and done, I ended up paying $119 for the 27 chicks, including Mareck's vaccination and shipping. I sold 19 for $98. I only had one die (on day 3 with me).

What did I get out of all of this? Seven pullets for a net price of $21. That's not much less than I would have paid for 7 pullets from the feed store. However, I got the EXACT breeds and quantities I wanted. I got the satisfaction of seeing my two daughters completely melt as they watched and played with 27 baby chicks. And I got to meet a local sheriff's deputy, a farmer and his wife, a maintenance supervisor, and a banker--all fellow chicken herders!

Be encouraged. Sniff around on here and find out which hatcheries have great reputations for successfully mailing chicks, then decide if it's worth the adventure to order 25 chicks of your choosing, or if nabbing a smaller quantity from a local feed store is more your cup of tea.

 

[CindaLouWho]

I got mine from a local breeder/hatchery called Chickens Galore. I got laying hens, not babies. They are all fully vaccinated and healthy. I'd buy from them again for sure. We have one feed store in the area and it's a mom and pop type place; all they ever have are RIR chicks with no sexing guarantee. No thanks!

 

[FowlbulousFarms]

I received my order from Cackle Hatchery this afternoon and all the birds made the long trip to Alaska.5 Rhode Islands,7 Brown Leghorns,4 Black Sex-Links and 2 Rouen ducklings.And they were exactly what I was looking for.

 

[bravevline]

i prefer the hatchery because you can get the exact breed and many times gender you want; a much karher variety is available to you!!! however, itvlooks like i am going to have to hope i find my desired pilgrim at a local feedstore, since i cant make a minimum order of at least eight goslings!!!

 

[subhanalah]

i prefer the hatchery because you can get the exact breed and many times gender you want; a much karher variety is available to you!!! however, itvlooks like i am going to have to hope i find my desired pilgrim at a local feedstore, since i cant make a minimum order of at least eight goslings!!!

Metzers can ship fewer than 8 goslings, but pilgrims go fast and you may have to wait to get them.
Also, you can ask your local feed stores if they can order them for you from the hatchery.