Privett hatchery? Any good or bad reviews?

[ChickPeas]

I tried to find out the health onfo of Orviett chicks and couldn't find anything. Are they vaccinated or health checked at all?

Thansk!

 

[Crazy4Chicks]

I live in clovis nm - which is about an hour away from Privett - so just about all the local feed stores/ TS get thier chicks/ducks etc from privett. I got 20 chicks from them last year - they sent one little extra fellow ( later lost it ) other than a mistake in sexing my 5 bantys ( 4 roos 1 hen oops ) I am very happy with them. they are all adults now and healthy , laying great , friendly - my ducks also came from privett and they are also healthy happy birds - so this year I plan on getting a few more chicks from privett ( through local feed stores).

I am very happy with the website also - very easy to find what you are looking for - great pics of the birds as babies and adults.


Julie

 

[P0U1TRYP3RS0N]

My local feedstore orders from Privett and they have VERY healthy birds. I have bought hundreds of birds from the feedstore (and therefore Privett) over the last five years and have NEVER lost a privett chick on the first day. Very healthy chicks.

 

[dirtdoctor]

We are making our second order from Privett hatchery, I have been really satisfied with the service. Their birds are great, healthy, the only weak link is their sexing capabilities, But i would rather have the right breed, and the healthy chicks, we had NO mortalities, no curlie toes or cross beak. The birds are doing great. We are ordering another 50 birds today.
we are in California, they ship and arrive on schedule.
Jack

 

[A.T. Hagan]

Their website really needs help, but I've like all of the birds I've ordered from them.

....Alan.

 

[MrsFarmerJen]

I purchased 6 Ameraucanas (yes, mutt E/E'ers) last year from my local feed store that got them from Privett. I had problems with four of them having a vitamin deficiency and 1 having a cross beak. The little cross-beak made it to about 16 weeks old before she succumbed to complications. I did my best blending up a mash of food/hard boiled eggs for her that she could get down twice a day that really helped for a while but it wasn't enough in the end. As far as the others with what turned out to be a B vitamin deficiency... I can't say it was the hatchery's fault - perhaps someone more experienced could offer an opinion about that. Despite having them on a complete chick starter (organic at that!), at about 2 weeks old the chicks started having problems walking and standing and seemed to "sit back on their haunches" (looked like their little legs were becoming paralyzed). I did tons of research on the internet, talked to my contact at the feed store and even called Privett Hatchery to ask them about it. The Privett rep kept insisting the condition was some contagious disease and that I needed to get the chicks on antibiotics even though the symptoms of what they were saying it was (can't remember now) and the chicks' actual symptoms didn't match. The feed store person told me she had seen this a couple times and that it was probably a B vitamin deficiency (B6 or 12 I think it was, I'll have to check back) and recommended giving them crushed up B complex pills (tiny bit) in their water until the Poult Pack vitamins were back in stock the next day. That did the trick and within 24 hours there was improvement, though slight, in the worst chick. After 4 days on the B vitamins/Poult Pack all chicks were back to normal. What bothered me was the lack of knowledge on Privett's part. My feeling from the contact with them is that they are very big traditionally run hatchery (obviously) and didn't really care about my couple of chicks. In all fairness, I visit the chicks in the feed store every time I go and they always seem healthy and alert and others seem to be satisfied so take my experience for what you will! I can't say for sure that I would or wouldn't buy chicks again that I know come from Privett... would have to really give it some consideration.

 

[houndit]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=269351

 

[dirtdoctor]

Mrs Farmerjen,
Im sorry to hear about your chicks, I would put my money on the issues coming from the feed lot where you bought your chicks, not the originator, ImHO I have seen some "ranch and garden" outfits that have very little knowledge about the proper care and raising of chicks, I have witnessed deplorable conditions in the chick "pen" and figured that if they dont really care just want to SELL A CHICK, then i would be careful about buying a chick or two from them, illness, lack of proper sanitation, and lack of vitamins, and nutrition is a big issue to health and wellness of chickens. I prefer buying direct from a hatchery, that way if there is a issue, they will take care of it. But a second hand bird... is a risk. in my book anyway.

 

[SoCalChick]

I got some of my Orps and cochins from them - very healthy - very beautiful birds!

 

[MrsFarmerJen]

Quote:
Thanks Dirt Doctor, I appreciate the input! I purchased my chicks the day they arrived from the hatchery and I regularly visit the feed store I purchased them from. The chicks and other animals at the store have always been well-looked after and are clean/healthy looking. Also, the people at the feed were the only ones that had enough knowledge and experience to be able to correctly diagnose/fix the vitamin deficiency, not Privett Hatchery... And I wouldn't ever purchase any live animals from anywhere that doesn't really care about their stock. My experience was probably just one of the more rare occurrences and may have nothing to do with anything other than just bad luck! It seems that others have had good success with Privett...