Ideal Poultry?

[EChicky]

Hello! I am looking to buy a few new chicks this spring and am considering ideal poultry as the hatchery to get them from. I was looking into getting the following:
Turkens (naked necks) - 1
Frizzle Cochin Bantam - 2
Blue laced red Wyandotte - 1
Barred rock - 1
Lavender Orpington - 1
Easter egger - 1

We are hoping for all pullets (with the exception of the straight run bantams) and a healthy flock. Does ideal do this? Do you recommend them?

Thanks

 

[Debbie292d]

If you search here in BYC, you will find a lot of posts/threads about them, mostly good, with lots of great comments.

What I would do is go to each breed you want on their website, select the options available, add them to your cart, and go to the next breed.

 

[Dreamers Nook]

I've bought several orders of chickens and even ducks from Ideal, I've had some losses but Ideal is quick to respond with replacements or refund. I'd recommend them. I prefer Hoover's, as I have had very few loses with them at all, and same, wonderful response.

 

[Dreamers Nook]

Ideal are definitely better with a large mixed variety, I got like 7 colors/breeds in my first order.

 

[Cinnamon Roll]

I have ordered from Ideal and I was happy with my chicks. A big consideration is how far you are from their hatchery or if they offer Express Priority shipping. It's been a long time since I ordered from them and I can't tell from the website if they offer Express shipping or not. The past 2 years I can say that my orders of just Priority shipping have been delayed and that resulted in dead chicks. Now I always pay the extra money for Express shipping.

Your breeds are pretty varied, what is your climate like? I raise Naked Necks and they do very well in hot weather, less well in cold weather. Frizzle cochin bantams are small and frizzle feathers can't insulate well, they may do poorly in cold weather. Orpingtons, Wyandottes, and EE will struggle in hot weather and do better in a cool climate. You may have provide extra care for some of these breeds depending on your climate.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Ideal is one of the established hatcheries that we have used for a lot of years. I've gotten chicks from Ideal and was happy with what I got.

Bantams are generally not sexed but the established hatcheries have professional vent sexers to sex breeds you are looking at. None of those chickens are sex linked so vent sexing is all you have. Vent sexing is about 90% correct. That means each chick you get has a 90% chance of being the sex you ordered. Odds are odds, not guarantees. You are getting 5 sexed chicks. You have about a 50% chance of getting 1 male or no male. You could wind up with more than 1 male. That's just the way odds work. Over the years from different hatcheries I've found those odds to be pretty close.

 

[WarWagon]

I got my Barred Rock chickens and Blue Slate turkeys from Ideal Poultry in 2022. It was a very good experience!

 

[WingItRanch]

Anyone have Black Copper Marans or Blue Olive Eggers from Ideal? If so, would you be willing to share egg color pictures?

 

[Iluveggers]

Anyone have Black Copper Marans or Blue Olive Eggers from Ideal? If so, would you be willing to share egg color pictures?

I have a regular olive egger from them, she is a few years old and still lays pretty well for being one of our seniors! A deep speckled olive. The blue olive eggers are new this year from what i understand. We love Ideal Poultry! Got my Naked Neck from them as well and she’s one of my favorite hens of all time!

 

[WingItRanch]

I have a regular olive egger from them, she is a few years old and still lays pretty well for being one of our seniors! A deep speckled olive. The blue olive eggers are new this year from what i understand. We love Ideal Poultry! Got my Naked Neck from them as well and she’s one of my favorite hens of all time!

Great! Does your olive egger look like a Welsummer mix?

I got 2 of their regular olive eggers and I actually for 4 of their brand new "Mystic Olive Eggers." They're 5 weeks old now. Mostly black, feathered feet, and a couple are developing crests so my guess is BCM mixed with CCL.