mail order chicks vs feed store chicks

[yomama]

I have never purchased baby chicks before, but plan to soo. Other than probably being able to select a larger variety of breeds and possibly sex, is there any reason why I should go with mail order over feed store chicks, or vice versa?

Thanks

 

[Chickie'sMoma]

at our feed store they come from Ideal. so most feed stores are usually buying from mail order/hatcheries anyway. the only difference is the you won't be the one directly seeing any dead chicks on arrival, the feed store employees will be the ones to handle that.

 

[Mahonri]

We have one feed store here who buys from local people here. The others all get them from the big hatcheries.

 

[baldie]

not always though. i am hatching some breeds for my feed store! so i would ask them.

 

[Bullwinkle]

I prefer getting mine Mail order. Some of the reasons include:

1. Better selection
2. Potentially healthier (I picked mine up the last 2 years at the PO Distribution Center so less time in transit). Chicks in a feed store are also exposed to a larger potential number of infections and disease (i.e. there may be dozens or hundreds of potential 'carriers' touching or checking them out).
3. Ability to get chicks vaccinated for Mareks and Coccidisiosis (Feed store chicks generally are not vaccinated).
4. Chicks may be better taken care (While some in Feed stores do a great job taking care of chicks, others have no idea how warm they are supposed to be, etc.)
5. Better 'start': I am able to devote several hours to the new chicks when they first arrive. In feed stores the workers have many other things to do and the chicks may not have as good a start (i.e. dipping their beaks, watching their behavior, ensuring they begin eating and drinking quickly).
6. I'm able to get what I want. How is that different than selection? With mail order I can deliberate, change my mind several times, and end up with exactly what I want. I am too weak for the feed store: If I go into buy one kind of chick... I very likely may be weak and end up getting varieties that may not be my first choice just because they look so cute! (Thats not really the feed stores fault... I just have little self control when looking at little fluffy butts!)

Edit: The feed stores around me (there are only two of them) order all of their chicks from hatcheries. If they have chicks though from a local breeder (and you don't mind straight run) I would really consider the local feed store to help support the local breeders (plus less stress on the chicks being mailed, etc.)

 

[yomama]

Are the mail order companies better at sexing than feed stores? Or do they come to the feed store already sexed? Just don't want any roosters

 

[Bullwinkle]

Quote:
Feed stores do not sex the chicks themselves. Some feed stores order pullets or order some of their chicks already sexed though. The feed stores here usually label the tub the chicks are in as either straight run or pullets. Local breeders (unless they have sex-linked chicks, or chicks that can be sexed by their wings) almost always are not able to vent sex chicks.

 

[All about the EGG]

We only wanted a couple, so we could pick them out, and it was cheaper.

 

[FortWorthChicks]

I mail ordered. Too many!

I got a little eggcited looking through the website. So today I sold 8 chicks and I sold 3 on Saturday. All from craigslist.

I would look there, if I was concerned about chicks being exposed to too much at the feed store.

 

[yomama]

I found a site, My Pet Chicken, where I can order as few as 5, which is about the amount I want. I will find out if the chicks come vaccinated at the feed store. I do worry about what they go through before they get there.