Ideal hatchery Stock

[Lil' Roo]

All hatchery chicks I have ever had have been from Ideal. I love them. They are great layers and good birds. We don't "take our birds to town" and have had no genetic problems with our chickens. Our orps are really big and pretty. We have been happy, repeat customers for Ideal.

 

[Cowgirl71]

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Thanks Cowgirl71. That is helpful. Same breed birds from different places can have different lay rates. It is intersting how they rate their own birds. I noticed that the Buff orph. were rated as "good" and not "excellent". I wonder what the difference between the two would be?

That was my very first question when I read it too, LOL! Every chicken breed website I've looked at rates BOs as "good" layers too. But I've found that my BOs (from McMurray and Cackle) lay just as well as my RIRs fall, winter, and spring. But they're awful summer layers because they are constantly trying to hatch everyone else's eggs, LOL! That's why I think they get the "good" rating, because they're excellent fall, winter, and spring layers, but awful summer layers.

 

[Smiles-N-Sunshine]

This is Ideal's Goldie, one of our bantam Brahmas who won Best Feather-legged Bantam Hen at our county fair. She beat out silkies and cochins. So, while Ideal says their birds aren't necessarily show quality, they're not necessarily NOT show quality either!

I've had nothing but success with Ideal, and I've received guineas and ducks from them as well as chickens. They will probably always be my first choice for hatchery-quality birds.

Bryan

 

[Mag16]

I don't have any of the breeds mentioned but my sister has some of their Buff Orpingtons and her mother-in-law has RIRs. Both are very happy with their hens. They are all good layers and docile. I have had 2 orders from Ideal. 1st order was February of this year - 10 BO pullets (sister's chicks), 10 RIRs pullets(sister's MIL's),10 Dominiques, and 2 White Cochins (1 turned out to be a very beautiful Rooster) and 3 Blue Andulsians. In May I received 10 Cochins and they added 7 EE packing peanuts - 6 roosters and 1 hen. I have been very happy with both orders - all birds arrived alive healthy and I did not have any die.

 

[silkieluver_07]

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I have the black australorps, buff orpingtons, red sexlink, and gold sexlinks from Ideal. They are healthy and great layers. Id reccommend getting either red/gold sexlinks over the RIR.They look almost the same but the gold/red have much better personalities.

 

[Alabama ee]

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She is pretty!

 

[Alabama ee]

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I have the black australorps, buff orpingtons, red sexlink, and gold sexlinks from Ideal. They are healthy and great layers. Id reccommend getting either red/gold sexlinks over the RIR.They look almost the same but the gold/red have much better personalities.

Thanks silkieluver_07 . Since these will also be pets-.personality is important too. I will keep that in mind.

 

[Alabama ee]

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Thanks mag16. I really want the "good layer part" this time around. Pretty birds BTW!

 

[Mag16]

The only ones that are not good layers from both orders are the Cochins but I knew this when I bought them.Priscella is the only Cochin laying right now and she averages 2-3 eggs a week.

All of the other breeds (including sister's and her MIL's hens) average 5-6 egg a week each.

 

[oldchickenlady]

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Hi jarodw45, do you have any pics of your SLW's? I am wanting some and really wanted some from Pauls Poultry or Foley's but just cant afford them (2 boys in college). I am having a hard time deciding if I want to wait until I can afford them, or just get some hatchery quality now. Pros to waiting is I could sell fertile eggs and get a good price if they were SQ from either of the 2 previously mentioned breeders or I could get hatchery quality now and still have (hopefully) pretty hens in my yard and not sell fertile eggs.