I' ve had maybe 8 or 9 bantam chick orders from Ideal Poultry in the last five years. The last time I ordered was Aug. 2013, but just got another order yesterday. I could not be happier.
Since it was pretty warm all across the Southwest from TX to SoCal, i was able to safely order just 13 bantams with no packing peanuts this time. Normally I do 25-30 for warmth and split the assortments with other local chicken keepers. I placed the order the week before, after checking the weather forecast. Everybody arrived safe and perky.
My order was for 6 buff brahma bantams and 7 assorted silkies. I really didn't need any of the Silkies, but I was concerned 6 or 7 bantams was too few to make it safely the 1500 miles. I didn't want any LF packing peanuts, so for about $25 I figured the extra silkies would be my insurance and they should be easy to find homes for, well, at least easier than a bunch of day old LF cockerels in an urban area, and still much cheaper than ordering small orders from other hatcheries.
The brahma chicks are super cute. I hope to get 2 pullets out of the five brahmas I still have. Someone else picked out one brahma when they bought 3 silkies yesterday. The silkie assortment included white, black, partridge, and blue. One has a vaulted skull, everybody had ten toes, feathered feet, black skin, and three are bearded. We were happy with what they sent.
I am not interested in showing chickens. Productivity, disposition, and pretty are my priorities, in that order, with backyard chickens. Ideal has been superb in providing that for our family and flock. I love their cochin bantams and have raised almost all their varieties except barred cochin and mottled. I have one bantam brahma hen right now from Ideal, from 2013 and she's raising these babies. She's an excellent chicken...Good disposition, quiet, gentle, a good layer, and not as finicky as cochins about bugs and table scraps. She'd gone broody 3 times in 2 years. Just the right amount. I am trying a few more of the variety. If any of the babies are like her, Buff brahma bantam will be my new favorite variety.
If anyone is looking for productive bantams that are great backyard pets, cute and friendly, I recommend cochins or brahmas bantams from Ideal. I'll let you know next year about how our silkies turn out. I still have to find homes for three more silkies. We will probably just keep one.
