What is your favorite hatchery?

[audy5000g]

I have ordered from several. Just curious what your fav is and why?

 

[Hotelclepto]

Cackle Hatchery is wonderful!! Family owned and operated since 1936. Had first experience with them. Our chicks arrived happy and healthy today. Cackles customer service is really great too.

 

[Hotelclepto]

Also they always ship out on Mondays and Wednesdays to make sure u get your chicks during the week when post office is open and on time. The chicks are hatched the same day they are shipped. I was worried a few might not make it because it is soooo cold here now but they arrived safe and warm and NOT screaming. They were chirping happily

 

[gmabry75]

I've only had experience with one hatchery. First time chick " daddy". Ordered 25 BR from Ideal. Shipped last Tuesday and got call from PO at 6 am Thursday. All alive and quietly chirping. Received 26 and have only lost one sun night. Not sure what happened. All seemed fine.

 

[critterwhisper]

I got my chicks today from cackle.very pleased so far.very patient and friendly customer support. I ordered 15,they adde a peanut.lost one a few hours after i picked them up,but i believe that is due to her being smothered by her sisters in the box.so i have 6 black sexlinks,and a combo of 9 rhode island reds & redsexlinks ( i cant tell the difference in the two lol) but them seem to be doing good.very active.i would def. Order again from cackle. Best of luck to you

 

[jessaba]

This is our second year ordering from Cackle. We are very pleased with their birds and customer service, plus they have decent prices!

 

[McRooster]

Cackle, Customer service was great couldnt have been any better. Picked up 12 on Tuesday and they are all doing great and growing like a weed!

 

[yinepu]

Cackle
They have always sent me very healthy chicks.

I know a lot of people love Ideal.. but even though I live in Texas I still prefer Cackle.
Last year i had an order placed with each.. the chicks arrived within a few days of each other. Cackle's chicks grew better and seemed to be stronger birds overall.. Ideal's chicks just seemed weak and of poorer quality even though they spent less time in transit. Cackle's chicks also grew up to be nicer birds (personality wise) and better egg layers. Many of the birds I got from Ideal had to be culled because of their personalities within the flocks and towards me and my husband. Plus they just haven't been able to keep up with the Cackle birds for laying eggs even though they are the same breed and age.

I have recently placed an order with Welp Hatchery to be delivered in May and will be placing a second one for bantams. i have heard lots of good things about the health of their birds. I can not attest to that yet myself. However their customer service was great when I called to ask a few questions. They also include the price of shipping in the cost of the chicks. So their chicks work out to be a little bit cheaper than a lot of the other hatcheries.

 

[KatieBugg]

I have done business with several hatcheries over the years:

McMurray
Inman-no longer around
Mt Healthy
Meyer
Cackle
Small farm hatcheries.
Feed store chicks

Cackle is my favorite for healthy vigorous chicks, the birds are more true to type, they are not runted wanna be's . I have not gotten a malformed or weakling chick from them yet. I might note I do pick my chicks up and they are only in transit to home for an hour, so they are not subjected to the shipping stress.

 

[Eggcessive]

I have ordered chicks twice from Meyer Hatchery in Ohio with very good results. They are 4-5 hours from me so that the chicks arrive the next day and aren't stressed. I would recommend getting them from the nearest hatchery in the more mild months--not too hot in summer and not too early in spring (march 1st and after.)