Mt Healthy Hatchery

[RustyHen]

Quote:
I have a couple of pictures, but not of the brown and black barred. I'll try to remember to get some tomorrow. But here are pictures of an "Australorp" rooster and another of the white and yellow barred ones.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/uploads/86697_haystack_sm.jpg

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/uploads/86697_gold_barred_top_sm.jpg

Here is a close up of the barred one. This when they were younger before the sickle feathers started growing out. I ended up with four of them! They are kind of cool looking, but I guess they will be going to the freezer soon along with the other ten that look like the one in the first picture. Oh, and one of the brown and black barred rocks is a rooster too, so he will also be dinner fare before long.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/uploads/86697_gold_bar_close_sm.jpg

O boy, you have had some tough chicken luck this spring. I have seen you over on the sussex thread and I hope that project is going better for you. don't give up, it's all learning as we go. I think some of this is TSC workers carelessness. they just don't care if you get what you want, as long as they get gid of the chicks, and don't have to care for them any more.

 

[Orange Ribbon]

Quote:
I think you are right about TSC. After seeing so many posts from people who have good luck with Mt. Healthy, it must be that TSC got some stuff mixed up. Although it is a mystery to me how they would even get some chickens that are not even a "breed" from that hatchery. Heck, maybe they just threw some in there some farmer came by and gave them, I don't know. Anyway, thanks for the words of encouragement! I really enjoy fooling with chickens.

 

[KyBlue]

Quote:
I think you are right about TSC. After seeing so many posts from people who have good luck with Mt. Healthy, it must be that TSC got some stuff mixed up. Although it is a mystery to me how they would even get some chickens that are not even a "breed" from that hatchery. Heck, maybe they just threw some in there some farmer came by and gave them, I don't know. Anyway, thanks for the words of encouragement! I really enjoy fooling with chickens.

Yes, I tend to agree with RustyHen. Also, our local TSC had to put barriers up around the chicks this spring because kids (and probably some adults) were picking up the chicks and then putting them back into the wrong bins.

That yellow barred roo is a pretty striking cross though. I really like him!

 

[draye]

That is neat, I hatched one that color in June. He came from a White Rock rooster over Red Sexlink hens.
Wished I had a place to keep him when grown to see about making some red barred chickens, but not enough room to do that.

 

[Orange Ribbon]

Quote:
Well, that tells me that Mt. Healthy just sent a bunch of mixed up birds to our TSC. Probably didn't think anybody around here was smart enough or didn't care enough to pay any attention to it. Getting different breeds intermingling with each other whether on purpose or accident is one thing, but that doesn't account for the chicks that are mixed mutts. Unless putting them together makes them rub off on each other! HA! But this just isn't no TSC mix up involved when over 20 birds I have is all messed up. That is 1/4 of the chicks I got from them.

Now, I'm not trying to get anyone not to order from them, I'm just telling my side of things. I'd say if you order straight from them you will get what you ask for, but when they send them out to other stores to sell, I'm sure they got records of the places that have least negative feedback where the people don't know the difference so they send them a bunch of mutts. And around here, I have yet to meet anyone who knows anything about chickens much which includes me, but I'm learning. I am sure they are around, but they keep to themselves and are breeding their own stuff.

 

[KyBlue]

I wasn't suggesting that the intermingling of chicks was the cause of your crossbred chicks. Just a thought on why many times people end up with roos when they have picked chicks from the pullet bins. If I were to venture a guess about the crossbred chicks it would be that that your local TSC store sold some chicks from a local breeder. I highly doubt that Mt. Healthy would risk their reputation to get rid of a few mutts when they have to destroy surplus chicks anyway. Just my opinion.

 

[trottersrock]

Sussexgal,
I have used Mt. Healthy for about 10 years. I order only pullet layers and have excellent stock every time. They come healthy and I opt for the vaccine on every batch. I have only lost 2 during shipments over the 10 years. You will get great service along with excellent stock every time. Good luck

Trottersrock

 

[cbohn80]

i cant tell you that mt hatchery doesnt make mistakes but tractor supply definately does. i've seen birds mislabled there all the time. their asst ducks are always nothing but mallards and i've seen the wrong signs up all the time for chicks. personally i dont care what breed the bird is as long as its healthy and lays a good number of eggs, however if you are going to advertise what breed a chick is then you better be right.

 

[chickensinwasillaAK]

I'll throw in my two cents. Never ordered from Mt Healthy before but figured I'd give it a try this year. Ordered 150 pullets, every one arived alive. They hit those planes perfectly, got the box in two days. They were smart enough to tape over some of the holes knowing they were coming clear up to Alaska. My box from another hatchery had all the holes open, half the birds dead in the box. They did a great job labeling the box, I didn't ask them to but they put labels on each section telling me what each contained.
I know there are closer hatcheries but from now on, I'll order from Mt Healthy, they proved to me that they are top notch this year.

 

[Arjay-chicken]

I order my Jersey Giants (chicken). ! - rooster and 25 hens. I'm new to this as you can see. I order them on 14Th. sent the money, the same day for the order to be filed to go out on the 18Th. We got arrive on Monday the 19Th. 7:30a.m. in the morning.The box was marked with chick's had our name and told us the male has a blue mark on his belly (rooster). They look great & healthy . We had one the 1st. night get smashed,over night. And I was going to put it - out in the burn trash. But I could see in the --- heart was still moving. I -this point was crying . It just might live. I wrapped it and put it against me to make her warmer. kept her there all day and gave her wet food and water.( I did buy the starter pack and wet it the first days until gone). She came out of it, but she is smaller then the rest

Llano is her name. But 2ND.day one die. But in all they are big and healthy.
Not sure how big they will get. But they are quite large- they are 2X's ( 6-weeks on the 29). bigger than big stock 10 weeks old ( reds and black rock chicks).
By the way , we do not eat them. They are family pets. But we love the eggs. and the kids went them for 4-h. (maybe).
So far I think we got 4-roosters. I hope that i all. Let you no later.
I thank them for being so Nice and great to us. First time order.
And I will order from them again.