NEVER ORDER FROM IDEAL POULTRY

[gameandmore]

Then why order in cold weather? Why not just wait till warmer weather?

I have ordered from ideal several times, none DOA, of course I always order when its warm out, kinda common sense since they need the heat.

 

[duckncover]

I have ordered from them multiple times. Almost always in the cold months. I make the minimum order (Usually 1-3 ducklings and some bantam chicks) and they send the "peanuts" to help keep everyone alive. I have in the 4 times I've ordered from them never gotten even one dead on arrival. And out of all the birds I ordered only one died within the time I had them and it was a packing peanut. However with the recent temperatures I'm hesitating to place my order for March. I'm hoping it warms up by then.

 

[duckluck]

My personal thought is that anybody ordering lives to be shipped should be well-versed with the seller's terms of service, the postal service's or airline's terms of service, the regulations of your state and also with the pending weather for the anticipated shipping date. This would be for adult birds as well as other species. Read the fine print and ask lots of questions, because the only stupid question is the one that never gets asked. If you think it is too cold or too hot, it probably is. I have had to delay incoming and outgoing shipments for animals' safety. Just had a friend have a seller delay a shipment of puppies coming in from Sweden because of the temperatures in the plane's hold. She had to also delay her trip up here to O'Hare from down south. These things are a part of the hobby.

 

[Finny]

Yes I realize now that it was wrong to blame this on Ideal Poultry. I was just so upset by what I saw when I opened that box I was not thinking straight. The only other farm I had ordered from was Metzers and their shipping conditions were terrific. They had the growgel and a heating pack. I guess i was just expecting Ideals shipping to be the same. I did not read the fine print

 

[toowoombapekins]

geez.... that's horrible
thankfully I had a very professional poultry breeder within an hours drive of my place so I could pick my ducks up in person.
They were extremely professional and all of the birds at their property were extremely well housed and looked after.

 

[Finny]

I wish there was a farm or breeder close to where I live

 

[Miss Lydia]

I wish there was a farm or breeder close to where I live

Finny have you checked your states thread and asked there? It's in the Where am i where are you

 

[Finny]

Ok thanks I will do that now

 

[duckluck]

Also check Poultry Show Central. Chances are they have a breeder listed, or if not, I am betting that if you contact the show secretary of any shows in your state they might be able to direct you. They'll know who brings in the show strings and sells out of the sale cages, because they take their entries and entry money!

And just to remind everyone, the 100th Anniversary of The American Bantam Association will be held at the Ohio National this year. Many other breed clubs will also be hosting their Nationals there as well. I have heard that they will be running two buildings and not just the Voinovich Center, and that they are hoping to have a record-breaking show. This also makes it highly likely that the sales area will be SWAMPED with purchase prospects as it has been the last several years I have attended. This last year there were a LOT of birds of every size, description and price bracket to choose from. If you are able to attend, I would encourage everyone to start thinking about this now! If want to show, buy, be a spectator, visit vendors or any combination of those, it will be the place to be this year in poultry.

 

[desertdarlene]

How sad! I would be upset, too. But, those chicks probably kept those 5 ducklings alive. It is a common practice to send baby roos when shipping fowl to increase the chance that they will alive. And, like someone said, it increases the chance that the roosters will get a home instead of dying by being ground alive. For anyone else reading this, if you get "packing peanuts" and you can't have them, do what someone else says and eat or sell them before they start crowing.

I think Ideal uses other hatcheries to ship their fowl, so it was probably not their fault. I'm glad you said something to them and let them known that the box was not insulated so that they can make a note about the hatchery you got them from. It's horrible that they didn't send them in an insulated box this time of year, but maybe the shipper knew this and that's why they put in so many roos.