Which Hatchery

[I Love Layers]

I'm wondering what everyone else's opinions are on the different hatcheries.
I've gone through Murray McMurray 5 times and have always been very pleased, but I'm sure some of the other hatcheries are good too.


Looking for pros and cons on hatcheries you've went through, or experiences you've had with them.

 

[RooBeeC]

I'm from Wisconsin, but I used Abendroth. They are local but I think they ship. They were great to work with and the babies area all growing up happy and healthy.

 

[Weehopper]

I have used Murray McMurray and Purely Poultry, and like them both. I buy only started stock, so have no exp with little ones. So far, any I have gotten from either place have been very nice. Purely poultry sells started roosters also (when they have them on hand). I got a Black Copper Marans cockerel from them, and couldn't be more pleased. My hens love him so much they follow him all over the place, and if he is penned, the girls will dig into his pen to be with him. Have never seen hens do that. He's quite a guy.

 

[Donna R Raybon]

I'm wondering what everyone else's opinions are on the different hatcheries.
I've gone through Murray McMurray 5 times and have always been very pleased, but I'm sure some of the other hatcheries are good too.


Looking for pros and cons on hatcheries you've went through, or experiences you've had with them.

I ordered fifteen Black Copper Marans from Meyer at $15 a chick. This order was made through my local Farmers Coop and I was there when peeps unpacked. These were only black chick in shipment. Well, none had any feathers on feet. So, a few weeks later when three grew in pretty barring and shanks were yellow? I emailed Meyer and asked what lines were they from and let them know that something was not right with birds. Got a nice brush off letter back. Next sent pictures of birds and pointed out they were not BCM. This time I got letter blaming my Coop for giving me wrong birds. I was there when order unloaded and lady who does ordering is friend who knows her chickens.

So, I have three Barred Rock and rest are Austrolorps that I paid way more than I wish. All I asked Meyer to do was figure out what went wrong and double check from who they were getting eggs.

 

[I Love Layers]

@Donna R Raybon
That sucks!! The one time McMurray messed up my order and they didn't have enough black silkies so they ACTUALLY called me and asked if I would take 4 barred cochin bantam instead of 2 black silkies. I said yes just cause they were polite enough to call

 

[Donna R Raybon]

If they had at least shown some concern about how the order got messed up? Certainly I was not going to return the birds! I came to terms pretty quick that they were not BCM and hopefully pullets so at least egg layers. Now have thirteen that made it and they are very pretty and quite tame.

I ended up contacting Bev Davis who recommended Julie Akers and now have three Blue Copper and eleven Black Copper straight run peeps. I think the Blues are a too and two hens and Black look about half and half.

In years past I had always gotten birds from Meyer through the Coop and was always there when birds arrived and unpacked. But, all I had gotten had been Buff Orpington, Ameracauna, or silkies, regular run of the mill stuff. They had been good healthy, productive birds. I always got pullets of standard breeds and very rarely had a rooster. It seemed to me Meyer did a well abover average on sexing chicks.

 

[Folly's place]

I've ordered from MMcM many times, and they have been very good to deal with. Meyers once, and the chicks that survived were fine, but never had a higher death rate (10%) the week after delivery. Could have been issues with shipping, who knows? The last two years I've ordered from Cackle, because they have white Chanteclers. Wonderful! This year they sent 47 birds for my order of 40, in a very cold week in April, and all are healthy and thriving. All vaccinated for Marek's disease, including the bantams, which some hatcheries won't do. The year that MMcM sent bantam Brahmas rather than standards, they apologized and sent a full order of the standard birds that we wanted, no charge, no arguments, no problem. Incidently, loved those bantam Brahmas, not so much the standards. Mary

 

[realsis]

I live in California and ordered my birds from Meyer Hatchery this year. I had a excellent experience! I ordered early in the year, January. They had so many choices of breeds and sex. I picked my hatch date for April 11. Even though they are so far from me my chicks arrived next day in the afternoon! They NEVER use male birds for heat instead they use a heat pack and extra bedding. The pack was still warm when they arrived. I ordered 10 and received 10 beautiful healthy chicks! I felt so blessed. All 10 surived thank God and are just beautiful! I highly recommend Meyers hatchery! They have been wonderful! I added several times to my order without issue and even got to pick a free female! Suprise breed which ended up a sweet Buff orpington. So actually 11 birds all doing great! No shipping stress at all even though they traveled many states. They ship all far away orders express. Im enjoying all my girls! Beautiful healthy stock! Shipping may be a bit more than other hatcheries but its 100% worth it not to be packed with unwanted males and have sick birds. They made a life long customer with me!