San Diego area breeders/hatcheries

[susansrour]

I live in San Diego, and I'm looking for some good suggestions for San Diego area breeders/hatcheries. I'm looking to get my first few baby chicks and I want to make sure I'm doing this right! I do not want to order them through the mail, because I've heard horror stories about the babies dying and whatnot.

Anyone have any good suggestions?

Sorry if I'm doing this incorrectly by posting a new topic. Never done this before!
Susan

 

[lolis1984]

I live in san diego and there's not too many places to get chicks. some pet stores have chicks. In lakeside, they have a lot of feedstores that usually have some chicks. i ordered mine from ideal poultry and they came fine through the mail.

 

[dancesWchickens]

I got some nice banty Ameraucanas from Kahoots in Ramona, but they had been shipped. The chicks were supposedly all female, but turned out to be straight run. >:-/ Dave's feed in Lemon Grove get chicks from local farmers, but they do not guarantee healthy animals and many look sick to me. I bought 2 ducklings from them: one was ill and died within a week; the other grew up with a deformed tail. Shipping may not be so bad as it sounds - I got some lovely standard Ameraucanas from cackle hatchery: http://www.cacklehatchery.com/. Their minimum is 15 chicks. I ordered in August and got them delivered two weeks later - all healthy and happy peeping away in a nice box. They have grown up to be absolutely stunning, robustly healthy hens. If I need more peeps, I will order from them preferentially.

 

[susansrour]

Thank you for your help! We only wanted three, so ordering was out of the question. It's our first time raising chickens, so we didn't want to over-do it. who knows? Maybe we'll be addicted and have a large flock one day!

We ended up getting three chicks from Ranch Feed and Supply in Spring Valley/Jamul area. Do they have a good reputation? They told me they are ameraucanas, but i'm not expecting them to be true breeds. I'm expecting they will turn out to be easter eggers, which is fine by me.

What is the difference between all female and straight run?

 

[andehens]

A straight run is a mixture of male and female and have not been sexed yet. I bet your easter eggers are just darling! enjoy!

 

[crazy huhn]

Females are pullets/hens, straight run means that it can be either sex.
I got some of my baby chicks in Lakeside from Carters, Double S or JC Feed. They usually are extremely helpful, if you tell them that you want a specific breed, they will try to get it for you in any numbers you need.
For only 3 baby chicks "My Pet Chicken" is supposed to be very good, too, but I have not tried it.

 

[susansrour]

thanks for all your help! i love chicken folks!

 

[Wildsky]

There is a feed store in lakeside, on Palm Row drive, they're called Carters Hay and Grain.
I've seen chicks there before (used to live there a few years ago)

call them, they're SUPER nice folks.

 

[Zute]

I'm curious if anyone have found ducklings in San Diego? I'd like to get a few for egg laying purposes.

 

[crazy huhn]

Quote:

I have seen little baby ducklings at Carters in Lakeside and at East County Feed Store in Santee.
If I can convince my husband, maybe I can even hatch you some eggs, but I thought that I was done hatching for this year....