With the exception of local purchases and swaps, where do ya'll choose to purchase day old chicks? Where have you had the best experiences and the the worst?
I wouldn't use a local swap or auction, and probably not a local individual, unless I knew them well and was certain there was no disease in their flock. I've bought all mine from a local feed store which orders them every spring from Ideal Poultry, a large hatchery in Texas. I've also mail ordered them directly from Ideal. There are some other major hatcheries, although several well known names are drop shippers. If there happens to be a quality breeder near you, you can get higher quality chicks, in the sense of more true to their breed and more like show birds -- but they all lay good eggs!