Opinions on ordering chicks online ?

[Lovin Our chickens]

I have been thinking about ordering some chicks online for the first time . My chicks I have now are from local co ops but you can only get whatever breeds they have available there , so was thinking of ordering some online for the very first time . Can anyone give me some pointers about it , some dos and Donts? What are, in you guys experience the best places to order from and or the worst? Good and bad experience stories welcome . I think this will help lots of newbies with the same questions. Since chicks are like lays potato chips "you can't just have one " lol .

 

[The Phantom]

Purely Poultry or Mypetchicken.com
have a very good breed variety.
I only have ordered from Mypet.....
The reason I ordered from them is because they have female bantams. I ordered five and all five are girls. They are $13 a chick for female. Male and st.run are cheaper. I originally ordered my older hens from Meyer hatchery. I have had no problems with these. I have not ordered from Purely poultry. Hope this helps!

 

[The Phantom]

 

[SIMZ]

I've ordered several times directly from hatcheries. You do have to deal directly with any losses during shipping (and there can be!) since you are the one opening the box. That can be difficult. There are often order minimums that can make things difficult if you just want a few. The upside is you can order what you want all at the same time.

We have a local feed store that has "chick days" and we're able to order small amounts of all kinds of breeds and have them arrive on those certain days. You may want to check for something like that.

If you do go with a hatchery, try to choose one on closest to you - or at least on the same side of the country. I've had good experiences with Murray McMurray and Meyer Hatchery. (Meyer has smaller minimums.)

 

[debid]

You've gotten some terrific advice already. I just wanted to second exploring your options before deciding. I managed to find a small hatchery that's local so I don't have to deal with shipping stress. The selection isn't nearly as big as somewhere like Meyers but they have enough for my needs and the chicks I've gotten there have all been healthy and great producers.

 

[drumstick diva]

I have no experience with hatcheries or feed stores. Once you have 20 posts you can participate in the BYC Buy,sell, trade forum. My friend has gotten some gorgeous silkies that way.

 

[Lovin Our chickens]

Thanks everyone for such great advice , I think I will wait for spring before ordering and that gives me plenty of time to decide which route I will go. I want variety but tbh their health is my main concern so that will be my top priority over everything else.

 

[Birdinhand]

I avoided mail order chicks early on, then I found that shipping the eggs is even more problematic. now I get about 70 chicks a year via mail order, all meat birds. definitely order from the closest hatchery and ask them before you order if they fill orders remotely... sometimes they are close to you but if they are out of something they will fill the order from another hatchery far away. Ideally you want the chicks to get to you within a day or two, not three. the closer it is, the less potential exposure and trauma, the better the survivability. spring and fall are the best times for mailing, not to hot, not too cold. by now, it's getting pretty cold.

 

[lazy gardener]

I'm at the "end of the line". Both in distance from any large hatcheries, and in terms of postal service. My recommendations:

Order from the hatchery that is closest to you. Read reviews about all hatcheries you are considering.

Realize that that "must have" breed might: be everything you thought it was going to be, and maybe even more! Or... it may be a disappointment in viability, adherence to SOP, productivity, behavior, or overall performance in your particular situation. To that end, be open to changes, and "try new breeds". Sometimes the "tried and true" breeds are popular, simply b/c they perform well, and folks like them. I am finding that to be the case with PBR. On a whim, I ordered Colombian Wyandottes. They looked dumpy in the catalog. But, these girls are massive, and they are beautiful. They have yet to start laying, even though they are over 6 months old. So... at this point, that is a bit disappointing. Their performance after they start laying will determine if they are worthy of repeat.

If getting chicks, place your order at a time of year that will give them the best possible chance of surviving the trip.

Realize that those fluff balls at the feed store are also shipped! The main difference being that the feed store absorbs the risk of early loss from shipping stress.

I've had bad experiences dealing with feed store chicks. First was a group of special order chicks that were added onto a feed store shipment. Those chicks did ok, but 3 of the auto sexing pullets I ordered were cockerels. The hatchery worked with me for a satisfactory solution. Following year, I went to pick up my replacement pullets to find that there had been a change of management. The employee had absolutely no idea how to manage chicks. I arrived to find a single heat lamp suspended about 3' above 4 bins of chicks. Some chicks, including one of my replacement pullets were comatose from being cold, the rest were standing on their tip toes, and screaming loudly, trying desperately to get near the weak circle of heat. The manager told me that once my chicks left the front door, there was no guarantee for viability. If I had ordered directly from the hatchery, they'd have gone immediately into my care and avoided the incompetence they were exposed to. And most hatcheries give at least a 48 HOUR viability guarantee.

Poultry Nutri-Drench is IMO the most important product to have on hand for starting ALL chicks. Skip the electrolytes. If you feel that you need them, you can make your own from baking soda, sugar, and salt. (flavoring optional)

 

[Lovin Our chickens]

Great thanks, see I learn something knew everyday. Love this community !!