Hoover hatchery? Any good?

[chickensinwasillaAK]

Farmgirl;

If you want egg production, the white leghorns give me about 6 a week from each one I have. The RIR do close to the same. I just got Gold Star & Black Sex, we'll see how they do. The EE that I have lay shades of green but they're not great layers like the leghorn or RIR but then again, you're getting a different color egg so it's worth it.

You also have to think about the area you live in, the breeds you get can thrive or decline on conditions. We heat our coop in the winter when it gets really cold so the leghorns can take it but if they go outside in the deep cold, the combs and waddles can freeze. If you have that sort of temps, you want birds with small combs and waddles so they don't get too cold.

Good luck with your new chicks!

 

[nhuhong]

I live in California and bought 25 chicks from them last week. They arrived the day after the ship out date. Out of the 27 that they sent only 1 died (two days later). They even color-marked the chicks and included a page explaining which chick is what color so you can identify the different breeds! Really great hatchery and will definitely purchase from them again!

 

[eddiesurf]

I had bad luck with them.. Order 70 chicks and only 67 in the box 3 DOA! Next day 11 dies! Tomorrow will be my second days and we see what happen..

 

[Lapama18]

I have not gotten chicks from them until this year, because they were much less than other hatcheries. 150 broilers and 50 layers. They sent 6 extra broilers and 4 extra layers. One broiler was dead on arrival. Not a bad thing. Within 36 hours I am down an additional 22 broilers. Not that I think I don't do anything wrong but I been raising chickens for 20 years and never experienced such a great loss this early in the game with no idea why. They are not cold, or crowded, gave them some powdered antibiotic/electrolytes in the water., just like I normally do. They didn't all die at once, but every time I check on them there are a few more dead. They look totally fine, active, eatting drinking, them boom, dead the next time. I am contacting them tonight to see if they are having any other problems with their broilers. The layers are totally fine so I figure it can't be a feed or water or situation problem, unless broilers are that sensitive.

 

[eddiesurf]

@lapama18 sorry for your lost.. I had the same problem! I'm still waiting for them to credit me back.. It's been almost a month now!

 

[RavenStorm1977]

I didn't have a lot of luck...ordered a mix of layers last year, they changed their shipping price when they actually shipped, I called and told them it wasn't what I was quoted and customer service was...not very nice. Basically too bad - but I didn't know until the chicks came it was about $14 more for shipping than quoted. Also had quite a few die off, and the sexing wasn't great. They guarantee about 90% accuracy - don't expect any better except on sex links.

 

[btjnark]

I'm also having a terrible time with my broilers from Hoover this year. I've never had any bird ever arrive dead, until this year. They had included 3 over the 75 I ordered, but 3 were dead on arrival. Since I got them (5 days) I have 1 or 2 dead every day - except for the one day I had 6. They all see healthy and strong and I'm using the exact same conditions I've always used. I plan on getting another 50 in a few weeks, but I'll be paying the 20 cents extra per bird to get them from someplace else!

 

[Baybrio]

Wow, this is not sounding good.

Did you folks that are losing the broiler chicks let the hatchery know? Sounds like their source for the broiler eggs might be at fault.

As for the poor customer service - I think other hatcheries have good customer service.

 

[whitmore]

Out of 2 RIR and 4 of their Americana aka EE variety one Americana has a deformed wing and another has cross beak or scissor beak. Sent them and e-mail and they never responded. I am not sure the scissor beak one will live long. At two weeks she is keeping up, but I am feeding her a mash of chick starter and water three times a day. It is a severe case that gets worse by the day. If she stops gaining I'll have to have someone cull her. I just can't do it myself. In my limited experience I would stay away from their cross breed Americanas.

 

[crad82]

I am a disabled veteran of the Afghanistan and Iraq war and I contacted Hoovers hatchery about some eastern wild turkey poults bc I did not have the space for twenty turkeys if I could just order 5. Not only did I get an email back right away. They told me they could send me 10 turkey chicks and would do it at no charge and thanked me for my service. Thank god for patriotic people like them. They will always have my vote.