MCMURRAY

[augiedranch]

i ordered jersey giants. ordered 25. ended up with 28. two free male jersey giants and a free salmon favorell. however u spell it.

of course the salmon fav was a rooster.
they are all healthy and pretty. no complaints on that.. However, one of my jersey giant roosters are getting white all over his wings... not sopose to do that... sopose to be all black.. so i dont know.. i thought they were sopose to be show quality... but they are healthy.. only two months old though so i dont know much more yet...

 

[Mahonri]

The first of March I ordered their rainbow layers. Ordered 25, they sent 26. 11 died the first week. Probably not their fault but I think one of them was sick. They sent mostly Barred Rocks. Supposed to get at least five varieties.. lets see... I got a white rock, a Black Sex link, 3 RIR, 2 Partridge Rocks, 7 barred rocks.... so I guess there is my variety... I also got a Delaware/Wyandotte mix roo. The blue andalusion (rare chick) was one of the first ones to die.

When my current layers stop laying, I will order specific breeds from McMurray again. I'd like more variety so I'm going to order some very rare pullets and pay extra... and I'll do it the end of January/first of February so that they'll arrive in March. I'd like to have them mostly grown before it gets hotter than hades here.

 

[farm_mom]

I've ordered from McMurray for years. My only truly horrible experience has been this spring, as I was one of the unlucky recipients of birds with the AE virus. (Which McM has acknowledged and reimbursed many for.) Out of 31 birds, only 13 birds survived the original illness, with more developing risidual effects like blindness and leg issues as they aged.

I have noticed a lack of quality in my last few orders from them. Blind, deformed, crippled chicks. Higher death rates. Things I had never gotten from them in years past. But, I have gotten into rarer breeds, so maybe they're only experiencing issues with those breeds. I've since started ordering from a more local source and I've been happy with them. The less shipping stress the better, really.

 

[EllyMae]

Have any of you ordered Sumatras from them? I REALLY want to get some of these but they are kinda hard to find locally.

 

[MNKris]

I used to only order from MM, and had for over 30 year, but after this year I will never, and I mean NEVER, order from them again. They have quality and biosecurity issues that they do not acknowledge. You would be much better served to go through a breeder or small hatchery.

 

[Nemo]

Our one order went well... We ordered 25 straight run Cornish X Rocks and 15 female Buff Orpingtons last spring. They arrived in early May, with a couple extra, plus our bonus. One didn't survive the first day. It had gotten a foot stuck under the box divider and had been trampled. Later, a second died at a few weeks old. Don't know why. We butchered 25 Corks at eight weeks old, and have 15 BOs not-quite ready to lay eggs, plus Oddball, a Sicilian Buttercup cockerel. I wouldn't have any second thoughts about ordering from them, again.

 

[TT]

I have ordered from them twice. The first time I ordered 25 All heavies, I got 23 live and 1 dead. When I placed my 2nd order I told them and asked if the could send my replacement chicks with the 2nd order. I order 26 and I received 34. I have lost 3 between both orders from unknown illness, but the rest are growing and healthy, happy birds. I like McMurray.

 

[Florida chick]

I will never use MM I had 3 YES 3 RIR chicks with 3 LEGS! Not kidding. They couldn't poop and needed to be culled. But any hatchery is going to have its issues. Hence the reason I bought great eggs from breeders and got into hatching and growing out all of our own birds. Get a bator!

 

[bhadrika]

Wow, that last posting... you'd think they'd at least count the legs before shipping...

We've ordered twice, and been generally pleased. Last year, ordered 26 (5 plymouth rock, 10 dk cornish, 7 americauna, one buttercup, 2 cuckoo maran, one free mystery), got 27, three died in the first week, the rest were fine. all pullets were female, one roo was also female (and whoever said dk cornishes lay one small egg/wk never saw the effect of watching her breed-mates go the freezer -- she's dutifully popped out 3-4 large/wk).

This year we ordered 26 (10 cornish rock crosses, 15 various fancy birds), got 27, all survived (perhaps due to the regional PO calling and giving me the option of driving to pick them there rather than waiting another day for them to reach the local PO), all lovely birds, except...

Many of the coolest breeds are only available straight run. I'd cheerfully pay to get a cuckoo maran hen, but they don't offer it. (Though actually I'd avoid their marans -- not only have 3 out of 3 straight run been male, but 2 of the three have had crooked toes and/or bent legs -- validating to see a previous poster notice the same issue.). Of the only four fancy available sexed, one pullet was male. The eleven straight run... I think 7 pullets, so not bad.

And there are some odd bits in appearance, from a few white feathers on otherwise black birds to a Black Langshan that looks rumpless, like an Aurucana. And the Silkie has true feathers on the wings instead of fluff (just as well, since it insists on trying to fly...) But as I said, no major complaints if you aren't a stickler for show quality. I just wish they'd offer sexing on more of the rare breeds -- why is that? And when they don't sell sexed pullets, why are all the straight-run Marans males with twisted toes?

bhadrika

 

[Mrs MIA]

I agree that most of the birds are not intended for show. I ordered black australorps and light brahmas from them, and the BAs have too much white, and the LBs too much black. They're beautiful healthy birds, just not anything you could expect to win a ribbon with.