WARNING: Cackle Hatchery

[NIdahoChicks]

My one experience with Cackle was actually good. I live in north Idaho. Back around December of 2022, I wanted to get some White Chantecler chicks to raise, so I went on a waiting list at Cackle. They emailed me around February 2023 and said some were available to order. I ordered 8, and picked the first week of May for delivery. They were expedited, shipped Monday and arrived Wednesday. I had already spoken with my post office so I knew the procedure they followed. They called me Wednesday morning and I drove down and picked them up. All survived and are doing great! Apparently the post office is not as good this year, or maybe we just have really great people here. I'm sad that everyone's experiences were not as good as mine was. No animal should have to suffer the way those babies did.

My only (slight) complaint is that, even though Cackle only offers straight run on White Chanteclers, all mine turned out to be pullets! (I think Cackle doesn't want competition) A few months ago I was able to purchase 8 chicks from a man (who hatched some out) in Kalispell, MT that are now about 14 weeks old. They are all doing great and I have 4 beautiful cockerels!! I need to find homes for 2 of them, though. It's probably all for the best, because now I'll have more diversity in my flock with the ones from Montana.

 

[Myheartsezyes]

Hello everyone. Please learn from my horrendous experience and be very weary about ordering from Cackle or any hatchery for that matter.

I was hesitant to order any birds ever, but I saw forum after forum and many reviews stating that this hatchery was reputable. I decided to go against my better judgement and ordered 4 ducks and 4 buff orpingtons, thinking that because the hatchery was 4 hours away, I wouldn't need to worry. FALSE.

My birds shipped at 4:30pm on Monday. Tuesday morning they are received in Kansas City then go off into the ether. They sat in warehouses for FOUR DAYS before arriving Friday morning. There were three already dead (one of them was an extra buff) and the rest of the birds were on the edge of death.

The box was crushed. The birds WERE NOT GIVEN any kind of liquid or solid sustenance. I had been in contact with the hatchery every day since they shipped and they told me they had been having lots of issues with USPS. Yet they still shipped the birds with no food or water knowing full well the shipment would take a long time. They claimed they were not allowed to overnight ship. They paid a whopping $6.15 in shipping to my $27.

I lost another duck this morning. She was in horrible shape all day yesterday. She was in a state of extreme shock and nervous system overload. At least she was warm and fed when she passed, unlike her sisters.

I spoke to them about it and they claimed they will take this to the owner, meanwhile I hear in the background a conversation with another customer who lost all their birds. This is a common occurrence and they are wittingly shipping live animals through a failing system and not taking any precautions to prevent death of the animals. The animals are not given "live animal" labels and ARE NOT EXPEDITED. I was promised they would be, and that is not the case.

I am very shocked I live in Ocala Florida , and got my shipment today . The were born Wednesday, packed and shipped that night I’m sure or first thing the next morning and I got my shipment early this am they arrived at the post office at 730 am I got the call . Something went wrong very wrong They should correct it for you . It isn’t a good thing to experience . My question is did the post office have them and not call . Mine always calls I aske Cackle to put my number on the slip

 

[Myheartsezyes]

I'm fully aware USPS is an issue, and we have a lot to tackle in that department.

However, if like you said, the USPS shipping issue is long standing, then the hatcheries are 100% guilty for wittingly shipping out chicks without sustenance knowing they have a high likelihood of not arriving on time. If they can afford to feed the animals after they hatch, then they can afford to feed and water them in shipment. They also should not be allowing shipment during cold seasons. Again, they are abusing the situation just as much as USPS and as long as people keep passing the blame, it's going to keep happening.

There is something the put on top of the pad I think it is green that contains moisture . I swears I have never had an issue with any of them I have used . This was an ups screw up . Mine go to Kansas City to and I get them the Next day all the way in Florida .

 

[Miriam-Delerium]

My first batch of chicks, all 6, arrived at my local USPS, within 3 days of being shipped. Hatched and shipped on Monday. Received on Wednesday. All 6 poor little chicks were deceased. No apparent damage to the box. No overly cold temps and they had a heat pack. I would have had my spirits raised to have seen that the box was opened and someone tried to help. I did not order from Cackle but a reputable hatchery with good reviews.

It definitely made me very very anxious, nervous and questioning whether to order shipped chicks again. The hatchery I ordered from was great, replaced the entire order and the second set of 6 chicks arrived, healthy, active and thriving. Definitely made me question some of the handling while en route. That being said, the USPS employee at the pickup counter was the same gentleman for batch #1 and #2. He was truly invested and happy to give me a 'chirping' box the second time around.

Was it the fault of USPS while chicks were en route? It could have been, I wasn't there to witness it. Could they have been mishandled? Maybe by someone who didn't know better? I don't know, I wasn't there. Guess my point is, they are people too and make mistakes, but not the fault of the employee working the counter at my local USPS.

I definitely consider taking the day trip drive to pick up chicks for any future order. Save my nerves for the three day wait constantly checking a tracking number online!

This gives me hope! My first 6 chicks all arrived dead and I was really torn as to whether I should accept a replacement shipment. I am currently waiting for my chicks to arrive (hatched yesterday) and the stress is killing me. I'm hoping for the best but in the future I will only be getting chicks I can pick up straight from where they were hatched.

 

[El Padre eGGers]

This gives me hope! My first 6 chicks all arrived dead and I was really torn as to whether I should accept a replacement shipment. I am currently waiting for my chicks to arrive (hatched yesterday) and the stress is killing me. I'm hoping for the best but in the future I will only be getting chicks I can pick up straight from where they were hatched.

I'm sorry your first 6 chicks didn't make it. I can honestly say I understand how you feel and the anxiety that comes with a replacement order. I hope you receive heathly, active and thriving chicks this time. I'll be thinking of you, sending positive thoughts and prayers for a good experience this time.

 

[Coffetym]

That's not actually tue, and has veered far farther into politics than I want to engage on this AM before my second cup of coffee. Moreover, BYC isn't the place for such.

If you mean that Congress mandated that the USPS use the same generally accepted accounting principles regarded unfunded liabilities as other publicly traded corporations, then yes. The Pensions of existing workers (and obligations of existing retirees) are included - those not yet born are not.

U_Storm, I wholeheartedly agree with you, BYC is no place to discuss politics, or for that matter, anything offensive. However, I have read multiple comments about city ordinances concerning raising poultry within certain areas.
I believe that would constitute as political! I don’t think it’s politics as a whole but only certain things that the ruling powers find as offensive. I myself have noticed individual forums that I disagree with & even find offensive but I am adult enough to know that me trying to stop it means nothing. I will only appear to be a whiner & oppressive. Wow, wouldn’t it be nice if we could all voice our opinions & not need Prozac afterwards because someone disagrees with me?
Sorry if this offends & I know it’s a bit off topic but I really feel like someone has needed to voice this.
I’ll stand for my lashes now.

 

[emyancey]

Hello everyone. Please learn from my horrendous experience and be very weary about ordering from Cackle or any hatchery for that matter.

I was hesitant to order any birds ever, but I saw forum after forum and many reviews stating that this hatchery was reputable. I decided to go against my better judgement and ordered 4 ducks and 4 buff orpingtons, thinking that because the hatchery was 4 hours away, I wouldn't need to worry. FALSE.

My birds shipped at 4:30pm on Monday. Tuesday morning they are received in Kansas City then go off into the ether. They sat in warehouses for FOUR DAYS before arriving Friday morning. There were three already dead (one of them was an extra buff) and the rest of the birds were on the edge of death.

The box was crushed. The birds WERE NOT GIVEN any kind of liquid or solid sustenance. I had been in contact with the hatchery every day since they shipped and they told me they had been having lots of issues with USPS. Yet they still shipped the birds with no food or water knowing full well the shipment would take a long time. They claimed they were not allowed to overnight ship. They paid a whopping $6.15 in shipping to my $27.

I lost another duck this morning. She was in horrible shape all day yesterday. She was in a state of extreme shock and nervous system overload. At least she was warm and fed when she passed, unlike her sisters.

I spoke to them about it and they claimed they will take this to the owner, meanwhile I hear in the background a conversation with another customer who lost all their birds. This is a common occurrence and they are wittingly shipping live animals through a failing system and not taking any precautions to prevent death of the animals. The animals are not given "live animal" labels and ARE NOT EXPEDITED. I was promised they would be, and that is not the case.

I am so sorry! I ordered mine from Mt. Healthy Hatcheries and they were air mailed next day. I had them the morning after they hatched and my USPS was wonderful. This is so awful and I am truly so sorry.

 

[emyancey]

How would that be done?

Some hatcheries ship chicks with sustenance.

 

[Ponyiqandhens2]

Actually they do but

Something I wish USPS would do - as it is, and I could be wrong so someone correct me if I am, there doesn't seem to be any standard operating procedure for dealing with chicks that are stuck too long in the mail. At the lab the techs had action plans for hypothetical emergencies. In the case of an inability for people to be able to care for the animals, procedures were set up so that everything could be euthanized and nothing had to suffer unduly. I think something like that as a last resort should be set up. A  last resort, mind you. Before that, I feel effort should be made to offer the chicks to anyone in the local community, but only if the chicks won't get to the destination within the acceptable time window. There is no excuse for anything to be opened within that window, unless it's the owner opening their own package.

As far as hatcheries go, it doesn't feel right when they get blamed for deaths obviously caused by transit delays. Ordering chicks by mail is just one of those things where you need to be aware of the risks.

Whether is followed or not is another story

My postmaster pointed out the regs,after 72 hours by law they are supposed to contact animal co trol,a rescue or a farmer- etc to take them

 

[Akgmrw62]

She opens other people's mail?

I ordered from Hoovers and lucked out got them the following day and box in good shape. All lived. They are shipped in very obvious holed boxes and I could hear my chicks as soon as I came in the post office. Our rural carrier can't deliver, we have to come into the local post office to pick them up. Me personally, if I knew my order had gotten lost, and was several days late, and the postal people lifted up the separate top (just held on with a piece of tape on each of the 4 folded edged sides) and given my chicks a bit of water I def would have thanked them and tried to tip them. My label had an obvious ship date. So it they saw the date and when called me to let me know they were in, I wouldn't be surprised if they'd ask if it was on to set little plastic cup/bowl/lid of water and id have said yes please.