I have to say, I like Ideal Hatchery better than Cackle Hatchery. I wish I had known about them the first time I ordered my chicks. I originalyl ordered 4 Bantam Buff Orpingtons and 3 Bantam Frizzles, one red, one white, and one black, and one Bantam Dark Brahma. Well, they not only got my order RIGHT, they included 2 extra BO's and 5 RIR cockerels! So in total I have 15 healthy chicks that are growing like weeds and are some of the absolute sweetest little things ever! I can't get over how gentle and docile the BO's already are. Even the RIR's. I go in and talk to them whenever I have the chance and I scoop one up to give it a scratch on the neck, etc, and they love it. One little RIR actually freezes and waits for my 9 yr old daughter to scoop him up and love him. And I can't believe how tiny the BO's were when they arrived! I think they might actually have been smaller than my Sebright roo Pip when I first brought him home! They are finally starting to grow now. They are quiet too. It's a big change because the first time I ordered chicks, I got Wyandottes, Silkies, and Bantam Cochins, and the Wyandottes were so LOUD! All the time they made noise. And they got REALLY loud when you walked in the room, and still louder when you picked them up. They are out in the coop now and they still like to talk to us, and when we pick one up they scream like they are being killed, but make no effort to run, and they usually stay in our laps once they are picked up. These babies are so tiny and quiet I sometimes forget they are even in there! And all 3 of the frizzles are frizzling! My kids are ecstatic! We named the white one Q-Tip, but my 10 year old daughter is still working on names for the other two. Some names they have thought up for the Orpingtons are: Haley and Hilary Buff, Buffy, and Willow. Of course, since we had to order straight run we don't know how many roos we have out of the 6. I don't want BO roos though. I am already have 6 roos (approximate, cause my OEGB might be a roo too, and our mystery chick from another BYC'er too), and I REALLY don't need any more roos, unless there is a market for Bantam BO chicks next year, in which case I might keep one roo for breeding purposes. Come next year I will have Bantam Splash cochin eggs and chicks, Bantam Barred Cochin eggs and chicks, SLW eggs and chicks, and White Silkie eggs and chicks, as well as some crossbreeds. And if I can get some Sebrights, I already have a wonderful little roo, and I'd like to have some of his kids, and then sell the extra eggs and chicks. He is the best little bird ever. I lucked out and I have some of the BEST birds ever. I am enjoying watching my little babies grow. I wish my camera wasn't broken or I'd be loading tons of pictures on here for everyone to see just how tiny my babies are. But money is more than tight right now, so more birds and even a camera are on hold for now. But I just wanted to share that my babies all lived and are thriving. I think I'll do business again with Ideal.
