How are the Mt Healthy birds?

[BarredBuff]

Instead of McMurray we went with the feedstore who orders from Mt Healthy and we got Australorps for the 8 by 8 coop and Buff Orpingtons for the future 4 by 8, how are they goodlayers, eyepleasing??

 

[mstricer]

I got my BO from Mt. Healthy and I dont have any complaints. They all lay med to large light brown eggs. I also get chicks from Meyers Hatchery

 

[KyBlue]

I picked up a few chicks from my local TSC, who ordered from Mt. Healthy, last March. My chicks came from a bin labeled "Reds" and I ended up with 3 pullets and some roos. They are either RIR or Production Reds (I think Production Reds). They began laying in August and have barely slowed down since. They have been great!

Then back in July, I ordered a pullet assortment from Mt. Healthy and recieved BO, BR, RIR, SS, EE and Golden Comets. The Comets matured much earlier than the other breeds and began laying in December. They are now laying an XL to Jumbo egg, 4 or 5 times a week. As an added bonus, a couple of them lay a very dark "almost Marans-like" egg. The EEs and BRs began laying about 3 weeks ago- the SSs started about a week ago. The RIRs and BOs have not layed yet and the BOs don't look like they will right away. They have been a little slower to mature than the others, so I can't comment on their egg production yet. However, the BOs are probably the gentlest and most laid back of the group. They are also one of the largest (EE, BO, BR) and have pretty good color for hatchery stock.

I think you will probably be happy with your choice. I have been extremely pleased with Mt. Healthy and will definitely order from them again.

 

[houndit]

I was very pleased with them! They were much better than Ideal's.

 

[cybercat]

Our feed store only deals with My Healthy. My flock is from them and I am very please with the quality. I know of a few top breeders that recomend them over every other hatchery to get good chickens. They have a small selection but quality is there.

 

[ghulst]

Most hatchery stock is the same on breeds that they sell sexed. Most if not all are feathered sexed. They all get their breeding stock from the same source.

 

[sms1225]

I ordered my first batch of 25 2 years ago from Mt Healthy, RIR's & EE & Silver laced Wyandottes. They were all very healthy, no crooked toes, etc. The only complaint I had was that my EE's did not lay colored eggs!! That's why I bought them for the novelty of it!!

I ordered my 2nd bath of 25 1 year ago from Murray McMurray, they gave me an extra chick which ended up being a rooster, so I had an extra rooster, Would have been better to be a pullet, because I ordered all pullets and 1 rooster. Also had 1 chick I had to put down, because toes/feet were so crooked the poor thing couldn't walk. I noticed others from that group that have defects in certain toes, so not real happy with the genetic makeup of the Murray McMurray birds.

My Mt Healthy chicks are almost 2 years old and very healthy and still laying well. They free range all day on 4 acres and are happy birds!!

I will order from Mt Healthy probably this spring, if I decide to get more chicks.

 

[AHappychick]

ordered last year was very pleased with them

 

[Brunty_Farms]

Quote:
If your talking about commercial breeds such as the sex links, production types, and broilers than yes they are feather sexed. But the majority of them are not, at least from the hatcheries here in Ohio. I would say almost all of the heavy breeds are vent sexed.... such as the RIR, Austrolorp, Orpintons, Rocks, ect.

Their breeding stock isn't coming from one source either... there isn't a giant hatchery out there that just distributes breeding stock. That is somewhat true for broilers and commercial layers.... but not for the standard heavies like I mentioned before. Many hatcheries very greatly in quality in the heavy breeds.... I must admit Mt. Healthy is one of the better ones out there.

However the broilers and commercial layers all pretty much the same....

 

[OSUman]

I got all of my birds from TSC who got them from there and they are all great birds. The Partridge Rocks look really nice and so do their Comets.

But BEWARE of their Mallards they are REALLY wild.