The ideal poultry thread!

[JacinLarkwell]

No it isn't. Not as common as what happened with you. That is really sketchy.

I have a flock of 23. 6 were hatched on my own, the rest were from hatcheries both directly and indirectly. 16 were directly from a hatchery and we picked up a few from people who were moving. Out of a flock of 23 none have cross beak.

6/6 that I hatched also do not have it. Either I was extremely lucky, or it is not very common.

It's not super common. There are 2 types, hereditary and nonhereditary from what I know. The nonhereditary is from injuries or bad incubator settings. But usually you can't tell if it's hereditary or not so you just don't breed any with crossbeak

 

[CaptainClucksalot]

I had assumed there was some quality control or step that prevents you from receiving poultry that is on an inexorable path towards death, but apparently not so.

 

[alwaystj9]

I used Ideal for 2 groups of chicks this year. The first group was easy, arrived a day early, lost 3 in the first 3 days: money refunded.
The second group had post office issues, on the third transit day I had to make multiple calls to find them and then to be allowed access to the sorting facility they were stuck at. Ideal was very helpful and, once the individual postal people knew what my problem was, they were all very helpful...I had to make a frantic trip to pick them up at a main facility because we didn't think they would make it to my local post office in time. One chick was dead and trompled in the box, all others a bit dehydrated but fine a few hours after.
Ideal refunded for the one.
All were nice chicks but I never got an extra.
I ill use them again but very afraid of the post office in the future.

 

[EmmaRainboe]

Thank you for this thread! I wish there was one for all the big hatcheries. I am deciding between Ideal, Murray McMurray, and Meyer for the spring. Maybe I’ll start a thread for generic hatchery experiences!

Cackle is my #1.

Meyers I have mixed feelings about. They're quaility isn't teribble.

McMurray and Ideal's quality is erm... how to say... less than ideal.
But they seem to make up for it in customer service. So if you just want some chicks for pets/eggs then they would be just fine.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Cackle is my #1.

Meyers I have mixed feelings about. They're quaility isn't teribble.

McMurray and Ideal's quality is erm... how to say... less than ideal.
But they seem to make up for it in customer service. So if you just want some chicks for pets/eggs then they would be just fine.

My birds I got from ideal this year are either very nice, or pet quality

 

[Iluveggers]

I soooo wish cackle would’ve get rid of the 3 bird per breed requirement! They sound like they have great chickens!

 

[JacinLarkwell]

I soooo wish cackle would’ve get rid of the 3 bird per breed requirement! They sound like they have great chickens!

3 isnt bad. Hoovers for a while last year had a 15 per breed. Amd even now its 5 per breed of one sex. So unless you want to rist 5 st run all being males, but want some males, you meed to order 5 male amd 5 female or 5 female amd 5 st run minimum

 

[3KillerBs]

3 isnt bad. Hoovers for a while last year had a 15 per breed. Amd even now its 5 per breed of one sex. So unless you want to rist 5 st run all being males, but want some males, you meed to order 5 male amd 5 female or 5 female amd 5 st run minimum

Yeah. Welp is 5 per breed per sex (or an extra charge for individual males). I'm pretty sure that all my SR Blue Australorps are male.

 

[Iluveggers]

I have an Ideal order that shipped this evening! Ordered:
2 Blue Cuckoo Marans
2 Blue Star
2 Production Red
1 Brown Star
1 Delaware
1 Olive Egger
1 Ideal 236
Looking to add some strong egg layers, and 3 fun breeds (Delaware, Olive Egger & Blue Cuckoo). Will update when the arrive to share how long it took and hopefully that they all arrived safely.

 

[McChooky]

I have an Ideal order that shipped this evening! Ordered:
2 Blue Cuckoo Marans
2 Blue Star
2 Production Red
1 Brown Star
1 Delaware
1 Olive Egger
1 Ideal 236
Looking to add some strong egg layers, and 3 fun breeds (Delaware, Olive Egger & Blue Cuckoo). Will update when the arrive to share how long it took and hopefully that they all arrived safely.

Nice order!