Ideal poultry is it any good

[Mattsiewrt94]

I'm about to order a new flock from ideal poultry if you can are they any good?? And are these breeds good layers or good mothers let me know thank you

 

[Hardemans]

I have made three orders from Ideal. They performed perfectly. That said, I am only 100 miles away so the Post Office gets them the next day. All birds delivered healthy.

Looks like your battery is low....

The Hardemans

 

[KincadeKorner]

I ordered 15 assorted wyandotte chicks from ideal in February this year. Only one was DOA. This was impressive since it was snowing here that day and quite cold. I did have 3 more die within a few days, but I was told that this was due to the fact that they were supposed to have added some *bonus* males in the box for added warmth and didn't do so. The added cod and stress was too much for some weaker chicks. When I called they sincerely apologized for not properly added extra chicks. They were very kind on the phone and refunded me for all 4 dead chicks. My surviving Wyandottes are all beautiful and thriving. One laid her first egg yesterday at 22 weeks!

 

[dealfinder500]

My order came this morning - my 5th for the year from Ideal. 40 silkies, 30 feather legged bantams, and then I called last minute Tuesday night and they added 25 meat birds. Although now I realized if I had added 30 meat birds instead of 25, I would have completely avoided the small box fee, but oh well.

All the chicks arrived safe and sound - even the 1 extra of each kind they sent.

I had put a note in the comments requesting more multiples (3-5 of each) rather than lots of variety. It seemed they honored it.

 

[Michael OShay]

I've ordered from Ideal Poultry on several occasions (from as far away as the big island of Hawaii) and have been satisfied with their service and birds. I've lost a chick or two in shipping on occasion, but they always put 2 or 3 extra in the boxes, so I got what I paid for.
As far as the breeds on your list, the answer to your question, "Are these breeds good?" depends on your purpose in getting chickens.
If you are getting them primarily for eggs, the best layers on the list are the Black Sex Link and Golden Sex Link pullets (I personally prefer the Blacks slightly as mine were friendlier than my Golds and laid slightly better in cold, winter weather). The Sex Link hens are all laying machines. The Black Australorps are also excellent layers; the best of the standard brown egg laying breeds (Sex Links are hybrids and won't breed true).
If you're wanting birds with good temperaments, the Buff Orpingtons and Black Australorps will likely have the best temperaments. They have earned a reputation for being calm, friendly, and gentle. I've never had an aggressive bird from either of these two breeds (my children, and now my granddaughter, made pets of them).
If you're ordering your chickens for beauty, that will depend on personal opinion and you will have to decide which breeds you think are the prettiest.
If you are wanting to show your birds, you should find a breeder instead of ordering from a hatchery like ideal. Their breeds are all good serviceable birds, but they will not likely win any ribbons at a show.
Hope this helps and good luck in ordering your flock.

 

[gritsar]

I'm about to order a new flock from ideal poultry if you can are they any good?? And are these breeds good layers or good mothers let me know thank you

I will be placing my 4th order with Ideal in the fall or spring. They are out of the breeds I want right now and the weather conditions aren't right. I think I've had a total of 3 losses in the 3 orders over the years (got my first birds from Ideal in 2008). I carefully time my orders so that it's not going to be too hot or too cold when they are shipped. It's too hot here right now so I wouldn't order, even if they did have the breeds I want.

Of the breeds you've ordered the only ones I've had experience with are the sex links. I have four of them I obtained locally. Those four girls are out of here when they reach two years old. I like big, snuggle bug chickens and the sex links are much too flighty for my liking. Egg laying machines, sure, but I prefer less eggs, more cuddling.

I have four of my original Ideal brahma girls left (lost quite a few to predators a few years back). Six years old, still laying. When I do place my next Ideal order it will be for more brahmas and another favorite, cochins.

It's like Michael OShay stated - it depends on what you are wanting from your chickens, snuggles, eggs or a combination of the two.

 

[msheets]

I was just about to make the same thread, anyone know about their d'Uccle quality? I've ordered from Ideal for years & am VERY satisfied with their customer service, very few losses & they always replace them. Now, however, I'm more interested in the quality in their bantams rather than the dual purpose breeds I've ordered in the past, if that makes sense...

 

[RareDuck]

Ideal has a special on assorted D.Uccles for this coming week July 30th. They are only $1.05 each if you order 25. They also have specials on assorted silkies, assorted cochins, assorted feather legged, & assorted clean legged all at $1.05 each and hatchery choice at 99 cents each. They have specials on full size birds also like Production Red, Black Sex Link, Barred Rock, Ameraucana, and surprise pullets + surprise straight run, black broilers, crested top hat straight run and assorted ducklings.

 

[Michael OShay]

I was just about to make the same thread, anyone know about their d'Uccle quality? I've ordered from Ideal for years & am VERY satisfied with their customer service, very few losses & they always replace them. Now, however, I'm more interested in the quality in their bantams rather than the dual purpose breeds I've ordered in the past, if that makes sense...

I ordered a few bantams a couple of decades or so ago from Ideal Poultry and they weren't going to win any shows, but they didn't have any major flaws that I could see. It's unlikely that any hatchery birds will be show quality, although amazingly enough, I had a pair of Mille Fleur d'Uccles (a rooster and hen) from a Murray McMurray Hatchery order that won best of show, beating out several hundred chickens, in the Hunt County fair back in the late 1970s. No one was more surprised than I was, so it just goes to prove that you never can tell for sure with hatchery birds.