What is your favorite hatchery?

[yinepu]

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.)

Lol.. i would rather buy healthy chicks from a good hatchery than to just deal with whatever is closer


I have gotten chicks shipped during the heat of the summer and also with freezing temps in the winter. If the hatchery knows how to pack them and they are healthy they should make it fine.
I have had packages here in Texas get lost when they should have been here within a day.. so just because a hatchery is close doesn't mean the post office won't lose them or leave them in a too hot or too cold location.

Like I said before the chicks from Ideal got to me a lot faster than the ones from Cackle did.. but the chicks from Cackle were much healthier chicks (those shipments were the same week and during the heat of the summer.. so the results SHOULD have been the other way round).


Another comment on the postal service.
A guy in New York sent me a package via Priority Mail on the 4th of this month.. it got to me on the 6th (needless to say I was in shock)

yet a package shipped from San Antonio (also shipped via Priority mail) on the 4th STILL has not shown up... so it doesn't matter where a package is being shipped from.. the postal service can lose them regardless...
Another was sent form California on the 2nd.. it is lost in transit somewhere in California... no idea if they will ever update tracking.... *sighs*

 

[audy5000g]

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.

wow, wish i would have know all this before i ordered 4 geese, 20 turkeys and 10 ducks form ideal. ugghhh. Well you live and learn. guess i will just extra supplement these babies.

 

[audy5000g]

Another comment on the postal service.
A guy in New York sent me a package via Priority Mail on the 4th of this month.. it got to me on the 6th (needless to say I was in shock)

yet a package shipped from San Antonio (also shipped via Priority mail) on the 4th STILL has not shown up... so it doesn't matter where a package is being shipped from.. the postal service can lose them regardless...
Another was sent form California on the 2nd.. it is lost in transit somewhere in California... no idea if they will ever update tracking.... *sighs*

Ha, my MIL worked for years at the post office and she would not even send things thru there unless they were certified. She says they lose stuff all the time. Yikes.

I have purchased from the following and I will give some ratings too. lol

http://www.mcmurrayhatchery.com/index.html I have bought a mix of chicks from them and was very happy with them. They were speciality chicks. I also have bought feeders, waters and an incubator that only lasted one time through and died. grrrr Also have purchased Red Star and Isa from them.

http://www.ideal-poultry.com/ I bought my geese from them last year and even though I bought 4 Emden, I ended up getting 2 Emden, 1 Toulouse and 1 Sabestapool. Had no clue till we got to the fair. I bought Geese, Ducks and Turkeys this year, we shall see how they do.

http://www.schlechthatchery.com/ I bought my turkeys last year from them. 10 died in one day as they took 3 days to get to me. So they sent me 10 to make up for it and then sent another 25 because they got mixed up. So I had 40 turkeys. They apologized. And I made lots of turkey sausage.

http://www.townlinehatchery.com/ I buy all my meat bird from here. They are in MI and they seem fine. If you know a better place let me know.

http://www.esteshatchery.com/ I bought our ducks from here lst year. All went well.

I go with whoever will get me my birds the closest to the age I need for the fair. But I may try this Cackle out. I heard bad reviews from them. But maybe I will try them.

 

[yinepu]

wow, wish i would have know all this before i ordered 4 geese, 20 turkeys and 10 ducks form ideal. ugghhh. Well you live and learn. guess i will just extra supplement these babies.

Some people like their Ideal hatchery birds.. but having gotten them from them a couple of times (plus our feed store also gets chicks from Ideal) and comparing them to birds from Cackle .. well.. there is a BIG difference.

 

[jeannem]

A friend of mine works at a small post office, she told me they still will deliver packages on Saturdays. I'm not sure what they are saving, because someone still has to go to the post office on Saturday. Maybe someone that works for the USPS can explain it better.

 

[yinepu]

A friend of mine works at a small post office, she told me they still will deliver packages on Saturdays. I'm not sure what they are saving, because someone still has to go to the post office on Saturday. Maybe someone that works for the USPS can explain it better.

they are cutting back on office staff

I had to go to the post office last saturday.. instead of having 4 people working the counter they had 1 at opening.. plus they have cut the hours back a bit.

 

[BJonTHEborder]

I had ordered from Murry McMurry about 20 years ago & was very pleased with them. Last year I ordered from them & had shipping problems as they ship on Fri or Sat. my post office had no one to recieve on Sun so lost over half of 83 chicks.

They replaced the whole order & it did much better but shipping on a weekend is not very smart for the co., customer or the poor little chicks! As the different breeds grew up I have had several that are deformed (i.e. cross beaks, deformed feet, etc.), & some that don't look pure. I can see the quality from them has really gone down hill.
I get from my local Orshlen Farm & Home who orders from Estes Hatchery. I hand pick them of course & all has been good there. They just don't have a lot of exotics.

Just placed my first orders with Privit (Tractor Supply), Cackle & Ideal. Will start coming in next week through the end of April so will let you know how it goes there.

I like a lot of what Meyer offers but wow! The prices are out of line!!!

 

[KBG204]

I hope this doesn't happen with my shipment with McMurray. I not going to be to happy...next time I will deff order with Cackle.

 

[yinepu]

I had ordered from Murry McMurry about 20 years ago & was very pleased with them. Last year I ordered from them & had shipping problems as they ship on Fri or Sat. my post office had no one to recieve on Sun so lost over half of 83 chicks.

They replaced the whole order & it did much better but shipping on a weekend is not very smart for the co., customer or the poor little chicks! As the different breeds grew up I have had several that are deformed (i.e. cross beaks, deformed feet, etc.), & some that don't look pure. I can see the quality from them has really gone down hill.
I get from my local Orshlen Farm & Home who orders from Estes Hatchery. I hand pick them of course & all has been good there. They just don't have a lot of exotics.

Just placed my first orders with Privit (Tractor Supply), Cackle & Ideal. Will start coming in next week through the end of April so will let you know how it goes there.

I like a lot of what Meyer offers but wow! The prices are out of line!!!

Privit (New Mexico) is also Welp (Iowa)
When I called Welp they verified that many of their birds do ship out of Privet

 

[heronz]

I love the variety from Ideal and find the staff friendly and helpful.Most arrived alive.o.k. sexing
Stromberg-every single bird arrived alive and liked the quality of the birds.Nice people.Got too many roosters though.
Estes-Most were alive but not a big variety.Great job sexing.
McMurray- healthy,alive,great job sexing.
Mt. healthy-Not the greatest variety but healthy and good job sexing.
Looks like we should try cackle.
Pretty popular here.