Ideal Hatchery

[gryeyes]

I have only nice things to say about Ideal Poultry - after two orders. The first was an order a friend and I went in on together, 25 chicks for her, 5 chicks for me. They sent one extra of the breed she requested, and it was DOA. Another died (one of mine) solely due to stupid chick tricks a day later. The rest are thriving.

The second order was solely mine: a sexed pair of goslings, and they arrived alive and healthy with 12 packing peanuts (mostly the same breed I'd ordered in the FIRST order, and probably all cockerels, but that's okay).

Excellent customer service, shipping took less than 24 hours from Cameron TX to California.

Up until now, I've either purchased chicks from a local feed store I really like (but which doesn't carry the breeds I ordered from Ideal), or I've incubated and hatched shipped eggs. I love incubating, but I was really, really impressed with Ideal Poultry regarding these two orders. I will order from Ideal again.

 

[Oregon Blues]

I've received ducks from Ideal with no problems.

No hatchery has any control over what the post office does with boxes of live birds.

My ducklings from Ideal are healthy and growing like weeds. Just be aware that they are a very long way from show quality. But if you want pet ducks, you could do worse.

I've also received ducklings from Holderread this year. There is no comparison. If you can afford the higher price, then Holderread is an excellent place to purchase ducklings. My more costly ducklings arrived fatter, calmer, and definitely better looking. Be aware that there is some lag time on orders because it is a very small hatchery and communication is slower. If you are expecting it, it won't freak you out so badly.

One thing about Ideal is the excellent quality of their customer service and virtually instant response time.

 

[Horsefly]

If you want anything with any quality don't order from them. I got 2 cayuga ducks from my feed store who ordered them from Ideal so I can't talk about the shipping or anything. I am incredibly dissapointed in the quality. One of them is okay but has a small white patch of feathers on her chest. The other is black with a large white spot on her chest and all along her face and neck she has brown mallard type feathers. Quite obviously very very very low quality or a mutt duck. I special ordered these from the feed store so they were specially marked for me and couldn't of been mixed up with another breed. My neighbor also ordered a couple cayugas from them and their quality isn't much better.

 

[KansasKid]

Quote:

bought a cayuga couple years ago from feed store that was from ideal that matches your description. Thing i look for now when i ever (i rarely do) go and look at ducklings at feed stores is the breast, if the cayuga ducklings or khaki ducklings have yellow breasts i avoid them.

 

[ducks_rcool329]

I FREAKING LOVE IDEAL! I have around 5 orders from them, and out of all 5, only 1 ( yes only ONE) dead one. all of mine have arrived with the correct number, breed, and sex ( though I did once get a crested pekin instead of a regular one). I would recommend them !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ( and they are all still alive today)

 

[thekid]

Quote:

 

[animalpro24]

Thanks for all the replies guys. Now I have better feelings about Ideal.

 

[Kat's Silly Chickens]

Didn't order ducks, but wouldn't order from them again.
We were new at chicks and had 2 different chick orders messed up. We even went to pick up the chicks cause I didn't trust that they'd make it alive thru the mail. The 2nd time we got a strange chick for a silkie and tho they refunded the cost of the chick, the person wasn't happy about it.
We e-mailed a pic of the chick to them, thinking they knew what the chicks they sell would look like, to try and get an idea of what it was and the guy that replyed not only had no clue but was rude about it.
I'll keep hatching my own for now on.

 

[Pinx]

I ordered 3 ducklings and 39 chicks from ideal 2 ducklings died... one DOA and the other died before I could even get it home and in the brooder. I lost 8 (I think, i would have to go back and look up how many I lost) chicks out of the first batch, all the survivors are doing fine now. They sent me replacements with another order I had that they couldn't fill when they sent the first batch. I forgot to call them and update them that I had lost more chicks so they sent me 3 chicks and 2 ducklings as replacements, as that was what was DOA. In the second batch the PO drowned 1 chick and another was DOA, out of those 9 chicks... the 3 that made it past the 24 hour mark are doing great (1 was the Post Offices fault) the 2 replacement ducklings are fine.

I did check the box for them to add males for heat if needed but I didn't get any sooo.... I guess I didn't need them.

This was my first experience with hatchery chicks straight from the hatchery and I don't think I will be venturing in that direction again. The ladies in the office at Ideal were very nice but chicks were dropping like flies and I just couldn't handle it.

I haven't really thought that Ideal was bad, as it could have just been my horrible luck... but to be safe if I ever do order from another hatchery I will look at different options.

 

[melinda342]

I ordered my 8 silkies from them. they arrived along with 8 barred rock roos. they are doing great now at 7 weeks. I have heard they can be bad about sending you roosters but i have to wait to find out.