Hatchery's out of stock

[grizleyguy]

I looked on a couple popular hatchery's and u can't get straight run or pullets for at least a month. Still can get roosters lol. I hope this plays out because I hope to sell baby chicks and ducklings in 3 to 4 months. Shouldn't be hard to sell chicks if people can't get em through hatchery. Does anyone know if it's a high demand issue or a disease issue at the hatcheries

 

[NatJ]

Does anyone know if it's a high demand issue or a disease issue at the hatcheries

I think it's pretty normal.
Demand is always highest in the spring.

Between Covid and Avian Influenze, it's been a bit worse the past few years, but for as long as I can remember the prime chick-raising times have sold out fairly fast.

Some of the hatcheries will add more chicks as the hatch dates get closer. They plan to get a certain number of eggs, and have a certain number of those eggs actually hatch. But if they get extra eggs (maybe the breeding hens are laying extra well), they can pre-sell a few more chicks. And then they candle the eggs during incubation, so they may be able to sell more chicks a few days before they hatch, if a better-than-expected number are developing well.

The hatcheries want to have every chick sold before the hatch day arrives, so they can ship them immediately. But of course that sometimes means they run short, or customers have to wait for another week.

 

[Iluveggers]

A lot of hatcheries canceled shipments this week because of the frigid temps. Meyer was selling their female chicks from those batches for $2 each, pickup only, because the flights they usually use were canceled.

 

[BlueBaby]

It also might have an effect because a 2 story chicken egg layer barn just burned up over in New Jersey. They will maybe need to replace their hen's too by buying big order's of laying hen chick's from the hatcheries?

I have a shipment of Bielefelder hatching egg's that just shipped out today from Omega Hills Hatchery over in Mississippi. They sell chick's there too, but I prefer to hatch them myself.

 

[WallyG74]

It also might have an effect because a 2 story chicken egg layer bard just burned up over in New Jersey. They will maybe need to replace their hen's too by buying big order's of laying hen chick's from the hatcheries?

I have a shipment of Bielefelder hatching egg's that just shipped out today from Omega Hills Hatchery over in Mississippi. They sell chick's there too, but I prefer to hatch them myself.

Wow! That’s a long way! They are about an hour and a half from me. They deal in the less common breeds so I’ve never bought any. I guess I’m a more common breed kinda guy. Let us know how it goes.

 

[Iluveggers]

Try some other hatcheries. Ideal, Mt Healthy, Meyer, McMurray…even if they don’t have all of the breeds you want, if they have some order double, or try some breeds you weren’t thinking of originally.

 

[springvalley123]

FYI, don't count on buying from the feed stores---they've been repeatedly sold out here (Arizona) in recent years. Their chick page for Cal-ranch even says something like "your best chance of getting chicks is to show up on Thursday or friday.....

Best chance, of getting any chicks at all.... And in recent years, TSC has often been sold out, except for a few white/yellow babies in the red sex link bins (obvious residual males) etc.

Maybe it's better in some other areas of the country but I think this will be a worse year to try to get chicks---also, there's been a lot of news stories in AZ urging lay people go start back yard egg laying flocks. All means greater demand.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

I looked on a couple popular hatchery's and u can't get straight run or pullets for at least a month. Still can get roosters lol. I hope this plays out because I hope to sell baby chicks and ducklings in 3 to 4 months. Shouldn't be hard to sell chicks if people can't get em through hatchery. Does anyone know if it's a high demand issue or a disease issue at the hatcheries

High demand

 

[LVB]

Mega-high demand - this morn I placed an order to be delivered the end of June. If you know what you want, then there's no other option but to wait.

 

[nuthatched]

Most people order, including me, as soon as preordering becomes available, in November- December.
Breeds sell out quickly, so it's really risky to wait.

can't get straight run or pullets for at least a month.

That's not a wait at all, that's actually pretty good for midway in the ordering season. It takes 21 days for them to hatch.