Ideal help!

[WooingWyandotte]

Ok, we are going to buy some chicks from the feed store this fall. I phoned the feed store to see where they get their chicks from....she said Ideal. Do you guys know more about this hatchery? How nice are their birds? Im not looking for anyhting show quality, if I was I'd be going to a breeder. I want these ones for eggs and setting. The feed store will have silkies in, I want to pick a couple up. I know hatchery silkies are ug-mug, but then again I'd be ashamed to arrive at a show even with a show quality one! Any help with Ideal Poultry would be great.

Thanks, WW

 

[Cuban Longtails]

They have fine birds for folks looking to have a backyard flock and get eggs. They will set eggs and brood chicks too.

Personally, I like their silkies because they can survive out on the yard. They don't have the overly developed beards and crests of the show stock, so they aren't visually impared. Most of the ones I've had were still pretty tame.

At one time or another I've had the following breeds from Ideal:

Std. & Bantam cornish
Rhode Island Reds
Barred Rocks
Dominiques
Red Sex-Links
Black Sex-Links
Bantam Old English Game
Cubalaya
Japanese Bantams
Std. & Bantam Cochin
Easter Eggers (Ideal labels them as Ameracauna)
Turken
Polish
Sultan
Std. & Bantam Brahma
Malay
Madagascar Game
Saipan Jungle Fowl
Leghorn
Ancona
Phoenix
Yokohama
d'Uccle
Sebright
Silkie
Langshan

 

[WooingWyandotte]

Thanks! But how un-show quality are the Ideal birds? Because every spring I'd want to hatch a couple just for fun. But if the birds are really bad I don't think I'd want too....ah! I've gotten really breed sensitive since I've played VHR....

 

[KDailey]

Most of the time all you hear is that they're no where near being close to what the breed should look like. Most of the time it's breeders telling you this. (no offense to anybody. just stating facts). Myself, I think they do look like the breeds they are supposed to be. They'll just have little color faults or maybe their back is too long, etc and breeders can have this exact same thing happen, they just consider them culls and don't breed from them but they are still that breed. Just not a very a good representation.

Occasionally you will hear about someone placing or even winning in a small county fair or 4-h show with a hatchery bird. But most likely you won't win any of the big American Poultry Association shows.

ETA: I get birds from Ideal. The first batch I got some bantam cochins. A few of them did look pretty good (they had nice "buns" for tails) but then a few from the same batch didn't have as good tails. It's really luck of the draw.

Hatcheries are better for someone looking for some chickens as pets to look cute and lay some eggs or grow for meat. You're usually not gonna show them unless you get super lucky.

 

[Cuban Longtails]

The only ones I got that didn't look like a representation of the breed were the oriental game fowl, Malay - Saipan - Madagascar game, etc... and Cornish. Hatchery stock has faults, like the previous poster mentioned, but they are chickens and they do what chickens do. My main gripe, I suppose you could call it, is size. The std size fowl tend to be smaller and the bantams seem to be a little on the big side. They are still pretty fowl, and if you never had any exposure to exhibition fowl, you'd never realize the difference.

 

[Boggy Bottom Bantams]

Quote:
I've ordered from them over several years to get stuff for color projects. As to a correct answer from mine and many other post I have seen. They are extremely off on "SHOW QUALITY"

I got 50 or so silkies at one time, they werent blind thats for sure. No crest at all, no beards, many had normal hard feathers, 4 toes instead of 5, yellow or pink legs and skin (not black), single combs, wattles, etc.... This is as far OFF show quality as you can get with a bird.
I've gotten decent old english games, but many no where near the color they should have been and as Cuban said, some are 4 pounds when they should be 24 onces or so.

If you are wanting breeding stock, this is not the place to go. If you just want chickens for fun, they are great.

Dont go into this with them, or any hatchery and be expecting to get breeders out of it. Pet quality is all you will get, on a very rare occation some will be breeder quality, virtually never show quality.

Yes I am a breeder, but this is just the truth when talking quality and hatcheries. Yes breeders have this too, BUT the difference is, they are the exception and culled, most will at least be breeder quality with a few culls scattered in.

So the overall honest answer to how far off show quality to expect...is not even close to show quality. Most will some what reflect the breed, some are totally off all together.

 

[WooingWyandotte]

I'm not looking for show quality as I said in my last post.

Or else I'd be going to a breeder. Just want them for eggs, setting, and hatching out some fun crosses. A couple years ago, they had a 'disease' going around in their hatchery, is this true?

 

[Boggy Bottom Bantams]

ah, was just answering the main part of the question though. But yes just for backyard fun, they are perfectly fine.

Havent heard of a disease issue at Ideal, Mt Healthy (ironically enough name wise) did get stopped this year for selling salmonella infested chicks.

 

[chisNchickens]

Anyone know where Orchlyn(sp) gets their birds? I have a silkie from there and I have to trim the feathers on her head and face or she can't see a thing. Wow what beautiful big eyes! I can't catch her now though....
Anyway, my point is she is much, much prettier than I ever expected from a hatchery bird...OP mentioned silkies and Ideal.

Also...you can get chicks in the fall?? From TSC, etc.?? I thought it was spring only....

 

[stoopid]

I've used Ideal a number of times. VERY happy with them, would recommend them to everyone.