Sand Hill Preservation

[gmtarsw]

Has anyone ever ordered the super assorted chicken pack from Sand Hill Preservation? Do they actually tell you which breeds they send? and can you tell which is which right away or do you have to wait till they have grown to figure out which breed is which?

 

[Kelsie2290]

I've ordered various assortments and specific breeds from them. They have always sent along a packing list of what was in the box. If you can tell them apart depends on what you get. Some breeds look alike as chicks. I have never asked them to mark breeds or anything since I would be growing them out anyhow, I do not know if they would do it like some hatcheries will.

 

[gmtarsw]

can i ask what you have gotten when you ordered assortments?
whats the most surprising chick you have received from them? as in breed...

 

[Kelsie2290]

Let me see, I've ordered the Light Breed Asst and the Mediterranean Asst and got Andalusians, Buff & Black Minorca, Black, Brown and White Leghorn, Buttercups, Egyptian Fayoumi, Red Pyle and White Cubalaya, Gold and Silver Penciled Hamburgs, Lakenvelders and Golden Lakenvelders...
For the Crested Assortment I got Crevecoers and I think at least six different colors of Polish.
I think the strangest thing I have gotten from them that I did not order specifically but came as fillers in a box was Auburn Sumatra, I had ordered Black Frizzle Sumatra before so figured that is why they put the Auburns in.

 

[gmtarsw]

thank for the info, how did the chicks fair? are you happy with them?

 

[Kelsie2290]

The health / quality of the chicks has been fine, very few problems with adult birds or chicks, just the occasional odd thing cropping up. I have lost very few chicks, but, a disclaimer on the shipping. Thanks to the vagaries of the USPS, even though I am 500+ miles away, I usually get chicks Express from them in about 18 hours, your losses are going to be higher if they are in transit longer. They have always sent at least a few extras, sometimes lots (last order I got 135 chicks on a 100 chick order). The chickens as adults are generally all a step above the big commercial hatchery birds so far as appearance and size goes for the same breed.
A couple of things I should mention. Read the website about their process, and believe them when they say they are NOT big on communication. If you want to talk to them, call during the times listed on the website. ime they will answer emails with very specific questions. I generally place my orders for specific breeds early (like right now for next year) and I have pretty much any shipping date as acceptable, and I will allow substitutions. I like variety and tend to order 5-15 of a breed, and 50 chick orders for 2+ ship dates at a time. They actually have sent me every breed I have ever ordered (even if I allowed substitutions), but some of them have taken quite a long time to fill (2 years), and I have multiple orders a year, so what they can't get for one order they have put in the next. If you are only going to have one order, you are going to be better off to allow substitutions on some of them at least, have the breeds you really want below their limit for the hatch date or write on the order that XYZ is what you really want and will allow substitutions if a few short, and give them a WIDE range of acceptable hatch dates.
In short, I have been very happy with them and the chicks I have gotten from them, but their method of operation drives some people crazy.