What are the best hatcheries?

[SandyRiverChick]

I have the same thought as you that if I'm doing good with one place, I stick with it. That said you might have gotten lucky with TSC and you'll read many, many unhappy threads of TSC experiences on here. But then also people who got lucky, it's a toss up, no place is perfect. I am not a fan of TSC or Hoovers (TSC sources only Hoovers.) I have a friend who works there and that story is just way to long.... And I can be wrong, this is just my local TSC, it's not good. SO I go to a family owned feed store much farther away than TSC where they source Privett and Jenks. I've never had a bad experience to date, many, many years. I've also ordered from Jenks and Ideal, got a cockerel when I ordered a started Pullet, and one with a respiratory infection but I still don't consider them bad.

 

[hunnyjoconnor]

When choosing a hatchery look for ones nearest to you. That often means a much shorter journey and less initial dead loss.

This is very important. You want the chicks to get to you as quickly as possible.

I 100% agree with this but then the hatchery I ordered from stated they were in Iowa and the chics ended up shipping out of Minnesota. So that doesn't always work.

 

[SandyRiverChick]

I 100% agree with this but then the hatchery I ordered from stated they were in Iowa and the chics ended up shipping out of Minnesota. So that doesn't always work.

Oh that's good information! Do you mind giving the name.... ?

 

[dekel18042]

Hello! I’m wondering what some good hatcheries are! I’ve gotten 10 of my chickens from tractor supply and they all lived. Since hatcheries have so many different breeds I was thinking of getting some chicks from there. So which hatcheries have you had good experiences with and which have you not? Or should I just stick with getting chicks from tractor supply since so far the chicks I’ve got from there have done well?

We've gotten many wonderful chicks, and bantams and ducklings, from TSC. Ours orders from Hoover's Hatchery and we have ordered from there and we've always been happy with what we've gotten.
But that said, if you are having chicks shipped, as others have stated, you might want to order from the hatchery closest to you so the chicks don't spend as long in transit.
When they are shipped to a store, they come in large numbers so there are plenty which helps hold the heat and it is safer than shipping a small number.

 

[hunnyjoconnor]

Oh that's good information! Do you mind giving the name.... ?

It was Hoover's. Mind you that's not to say I'm not happy with my chics they are healthy birds, just ended up being an issue due to the weather when they were delivered. One more edit for good measure, I'm in Texas so MN was a lot farther than I would have been comfortable with if I had known.

 

[SandyRiverChick]

It was Hoover's.

Shocker. Sorry.....

 

[friednotscrambled]

Gotta say I've been super impressed with my Cackle Hatchery birds.

 

[NagemTX]

I love Cackle! I'm in south Texas and order from them. Have not had what I consider a bad batch. I like there transparency about breed issues as well.

 

[Cheems]

I would highly warn against Hoovers, at least with my experience with them

I got my chicks in and more than half of them were dead and the rest dying, I was just about to make a post about it but I figured couldn’t hurt to say this here too

they moved what day they would ship the chicks twice by a full week, this caused me massive issues, and then when they did ship them, they included no heat, a tiny box with only a small amount of insulation, then 9/15 arrived dead, the rest incredibly weak

Really horrific experience opening that box and I’ve never had any issues or dead chicks with other hatcheries I’ve used, some better ones are cackle hatchery and I used to buy from purely poultry before the owner died

 

[TattooedMama]

Cackle is the best. I have ordered from them for years and always have a successful delivery with usually zero losses. I always get healthy, vigorous birds that are eating and running around within a short time of being placed in their new brooder. I actually had an order ship out today from them

Which hatchery is closest to you should not factor into your decision at all. A quality well-run hatchery will pack their babies well and have a fine-tuned shipping process to get your chicks to you safely. Mine go from MO to CA each year with no issues. Cackle will reschedule and risk disappointing you before they send birds out in bad weather that could be unsafe for chicks. It's happened to me only once.

Some of the other hatcheries practice dishonesty in their advertising. Some smaller ones steal pictures from others. Even some of the very biggest hatcheries mislabel birds. This includes my biggest pet peeve of all chicken pet peeves- selling people Easter Eggers and falsely claiming they are purebred Ameraucana. Or WORSE, claiming there is no such breed (they are APA recognized with a standard) and stating they are all just mixes. Bad business.