I've ordered from both Meyer and Ideal, and have never lost a chick during shipping. All of my chicks from both hatcheries grew up healthy and looked nice. While Meyer is more expensive, it does give the option of placing a very small order, as they will include a heat pack in the shipping box to keep the chicks warm. Ideal doesn't do this. Instead, Ideal includes "extra males for warmth", which is exactly what it sounds like. When I placed an order with Ideal for 7 pullets, I ALSO received 8 Rhode Island Red cockerels. It's really a pain to re-home males!