Sand Hill Preservation Center

[FlashPointFarm]

Last year they donated some extra chicks to a 4H group in Iowa. I thought that was great. They seem to be very honest and detailed about their birds.

 

[Hecate]

I am sending in my order for assorted ducks today. I was hoping for their first ship date, but I saw on their website that they are sold out on the assortment until May 4.

I have been getting their catalog for years, but have only ordered seeds so far (always quality!), since I wasn't set up to get 25 chicks at one time. My son finally talked me into getting ducks, so I finally have my chance, and their prices on the ducks beat my usual hatchery, hands down, for what I hope will be better quality birds.

 

[NYREDS]

I have to say I'm not impressed with the pictures in this thread of birds that reportedly came from Sandhill. While it's difficult to evaluate a bird from a picture most of these appear to be poor examples of the breeds named.

 

[CityChicker]

Quote:
Unfortunately, that is extremely common. There are a lot of business that have absolutely zero online business skills (not saying that is the case with Sandhill, never ordered from them, but would love to). Anyway, about a year and a half ago I lost the ability to speak and have had to do a lot of communication via email. I have been shocked by the number of businesses that simply do not answer emails, even very simple brief ones. If a business doesn't want to answer emails, they shouldn't have an email address.

 

[NYREDS]

Sandhill doesn't communicate by email. They state that very clearly in their catalog.

 

[CityChicker]

Now, ask yourself, NYREDS, why would they even have an email address then? LOL, that is so illogical to me. I am not singling out Sandhill because honestly, I have been fairly impressed with some of the birds I have seen from them and would order from them without hesitation. I also understand that they are not a hatchery and do not operate under the same circumstances.

Why though would a business have an email address, but not use it? (again, in general terms, not directed at them particularly)..... One of the first things I learned in an e-business course I took when I sold real estate was that a customer will be more angered by you having an email address and not answering emails than if you had no email address at all. We also learned that if you ever are unable to answer emails, you should have your email address set with an auto-reply message. These are simply business skills 101. Anyway, you don't have to agree. Not answering emails would not keep me from ordering from them because it is all about the "big picture". I am not surprised at all though that some people may not be as understanding. As time goes on, businesses of all sorts are having to become more internet conscious. It is just a simple reality of the world we live in.

 

[Choctaw Valley Farm]

Quote:
Well, Since I don't and have never gotten a catalog from Sand Hill HOW would I know what it said?????, I just wanted to ask some questions before I bought from them ( it must have been about 7 yrs ago). I have an email address for both my websites and I do answer all my emails unless they go to spam ( so if you email me and I don't answer it, then it went to spam) so give me a call give I do answer my phone.

But that is a good question, why have an email address and phone # for your business if you don't answer ether one ????????????

Steve

 

[CityChicker]

I know, Cherokee Trail, it just seems so silly and nonsensical. "Here's our email address, but don't email us, we don't answer emails"! It is completely illogical. It only stands to reason that a fair amount of people are going to be irritated if they email a business and get no reply.

 

[Sweetfolly]

10 of the 15 ducks I currently own are from Sandhill and, overall, I had a great experience with them.

I was too picky on my order and didn't allow any substitutes, so while I had requested a hatch date between April and June, my ducklings arrived at the end of July. I lost 1 during shipping, and 1 died shortly after I got them home, but I e-mailed Sandhill (and yes, they answered it promptly) and they sent me a $10 credit for the little one that died.

Glenn and Linda are great people to work with, and, while I don't have any chickens from them, I've heard only good things about their birds. I will be ordering from them again the the future - both ducklings and chicks!

My ducks from them are Indian Runners, Dark Campbells, and Dutch Hookbills:

 

[EweSheep]

Quote:
I agree with this. I've ordered thru them three times and not all birds are that bad but not an good example of exhibition birds.

The Mahogany Faverolles and the Salmon Faverolles are not hardy, so weak and it was a struggle to keep them alive. I've never intercounter so much losses on these chicks like this one and everyone of them died before they reached laying age of 6 to 8 mos. Every ONE of them!Their Salmons got too much black flecks in their feathers and it is a DQ. The Mahoganies looks like they have been light chestnut instead of being a dark colored reddish brown in color with creme or white chests (as Dick Boulanger told me about the pullets). Looks like they did not cull heavily like show exhibitors are and they are not the best ones to get if you are going to show that color. Go elsewhere for Faverolles.

As for the common breeds, like the Orps, RIRs, American breeds and the Polish are okay. As for the Polish, they do have alot of colors but the type is rather strange, looks like someone played silly putty with them.

As for the emails, I was lucky to get the lady that worked there, lived in the same hometown as I was during the Xmas break. Very nice lady. In the last three years, no contact at all, even wanted to know where their Welsummers came from.

As the Spitzhauben breed, I got mixed reveiws as many of them do not know of the correct head feathers should be. Many of them have Polish mop feathers, instead of mohawks tipped forward. That would be DQ as well. They might just call them Silver Laced Polishs because of their incorrect mop heads on their flocks.

PS, word gets around, their Welsummers are not all crack up to be. They laid too light of a terra cotta color, almost washed out.

So, even they are preserving the breed but they are not culling hard like exhibition birds or any birds that needs to be the true example of their breeds. If it is eye candy you want, by all means go for it.