Question about ordering from hatchery??

Hatcheries ship two different kind of "packing peanuts". One is if the weather is cold and they think the chicks need extra chicks with them to stay warm, they will put in extra chicks. These are likely to be roosters and will probably not be of the same breed you ordered. It is a good way for them to get rid of extra roosters that they would just kill otherwise. Some people don't like it but I don't think it is all that bad a practice.

The other type of "packing peanut" is that they will often stick in an extra one or two in case one dies. It's easier for them to stick in an extra chick that to process a claim for one or two dead chicks. These are usually the same thing you ordered.

For example, in May of last year I ordered 27 chicks of four different breeds from Cackle and they shipped me 28 chicks total. The extra was a Buff Orpington. I had ordered 6 straight run Buff Orps and received 7. All 7 were female although I ordered straight run. The odds of that happening was less than 1%. So I am convinced the extra Buff Orp was just grabbed out of the straigth run bin and added to my order in case one died. All 28 lived.

I cannot tell you what Cackle will do in your case, just what they did in mine. Good luck!

 

I didn't get any packing peanuts with my order from Ideal Poultry two weeks ago. Of course, I had 26 chicks coming, and the weather is nice and toasty here right now.

My mom went to Cackle a few weeks ago to get some SLW, and they gave her an extra chick or two when she went in.

Of course, that may have been because she told them when she bought 5 Delaware pullets in early June, she actually got 4 Delawares and 1 Royal Palm turkey. My mom kept thinking it was an Ugly Chickling, but then it dawned on her it wasn't a chick after all. She googled it and figured out it was turkey not a chicken. When she told the folks at Cackle they told her she got a really good deal because those turkeys usually cost a lot more than Delaware pullets.

Rachel

 

Every time I have ordered from Cackle, the extras were the same breed and sex that I ordered.

I have had great dealings with Cackle.

Jean

 

McMurray throws in an "exotic" chick which, in my experience, is usually a rooster. As I got to the point where I was brooding my own line of chicks I didn't want this so I now ask them not to include the exotic and the last time I order Black Stars they added an extra one of these. Since they require a minimum order of 25 chicks this is usually sufficient to get them to you alive except in extreme weather conditions or lousy USPS "service".

 

I also got my birds from McMurray and they sent 2 extra hens one of each breed. Our exotic was a buff cochin which mixed well with the Buff Rocks so he isn't picked on for being a complete odd ball. He is a roo. We also get our orders in March when it is cold.

 

I've received an extra or two before in ordering from Ideal, they were the breed I ordered too. Well in most cases I had a few different breeds in the order and it was one of the breeds I'd ordered. There's only been one time they sent me peanuts, and that was with a very small order of cochin chicks. Very cute arrivals too when those little bantam cochin chicks were tucked under those big roo chicks.

 

I ordered from mcmurray and they sent 11 extra free chicks. 1 free extra BR to match the other BRs I ordered. 9 Red Star roos (which someone bought for $20, eventhough I was giving them away) and 1 exotic chick (partridge cochin). I was excited to get the extras. My husband, however, was a little bit "surprised"

 

I use Cackle, & in warm weather, you don't need "packing peanuts" so I believe you'll get 1 or 2 extra Seabright & 1or 2 extra Japanese of the same breed. I get 2 or 3 extra on orders of 25.