Which is better? Picking your own Chicks or ordering them from a hatchery?

[ForeverAvian]

Thanks again nikkipar, that does help. ^^

 

[DelcoChix]

Go with a good, reputable hatchery! Unless you are planning on showing, a hatchery has a lot more benefits for folks who simply want nice, healthy, pretty pets that make your breakfast....the number one benefit is getting them sexed (although I know that's not 100% it's still pretty accurate), especially if you live in an area that is anti-rooster or aren't the type who wants to send the roos to freezer camp. They also have a great variety of breeds...it's fun to pick and choose, and they have a wonderful catalog to peruse.
My first chicks came from Meyer Hatchery, they are almost four years old, look great and are laying well. I have a couple of pricey Black Copper Marans I bought from a breeder on BYC---originally bought 8, straight run day old chicks, ended up with 3 cockerals, sold them with two pullets, so ended up with three pullets...I enjoy raising them but when you get breeder birds you have to buy extras to ensure you get the girls. It is a bit more work and of course, no guarantees.
And, in my opinion. Meyer is a really good place to work with--I have been able to drive up there to pick up our chicks for two years in a row (yeah...I went back...got hooked!)....people are great to work with, place is clean, chicks healthy. I have not lost a single one...at least, not as a chick! (fox..raccoons...that's another story
Good luck with whatever you decide!

 

[ForeverAvian]

Go with a good, reputable hatchery! Unless you are planning on showing, a hatchery has a lot more benefits for folks who simply want nice, healthy, pretty pets that make your breakfast....the number one benefit is getting them sexed (although I know that's not 100% it's still pretty accurate), especially if you live in an area that is anti-rooster or aren't the type who wants to send the roos to freezer camp. They also have a great variety of breeds...it's fun to pick and choose, and they have a wonderful catalog to peruse.
My first chicks came from Meyer Hatchery, they are almost four years old, look great and are laying well. I have a couple of pricey Black Copper Marans I bought from a breeder on BYC---originally bought 8, straight run day old chicks, ended up with 3 cockerals, sold them with two pullets, so ended up with three pullets...I enjoy raising them but when you get breeder birds you have to buy extras to ensure you get the girls. It is a bit more work and of course, no guarantees.
And, in my opinion. Meyer is a really good place to work with--I have been able to drive up there to pick up our chicks for two years in a row (yeah...I went back...got hooked!)....people are great to work with, place is clean, chicks healthy. I have not lost a single one...at least, not as a chick! (fox..raccoons...that's another story
Good luck with whatever you decide!

Thanks for your input DelcoChix. After hearing everyones opinion, I've decided to order my chicks from a hatchery, when the time comes that is.

Thanks again everyone! If you have any more advice, please let me know. ^^

 

[BlazeJester]

All of my chicks I have raised to adulthood (not this spring's though, they were the disappointment from TSC) are from MPC. They're more expensive than Meyer and drop ship/borrow birds/use space from Meyer's facilities, so I would recommend Meyer unless you plan to buy sexed bantams. Meyer is highly reputable. My MPC birds, however, have excellent personalities, are beautiful and very healthy.

 

[ForeverAvian]

All of my chicks I have raised to adulthood (not this spring's though, they were the disappointment from TSC) are from MPC. They're more expensive than Meyer and drop ship/borrow birds/use space from Meyer's facilities, so I would recommend Meyer unless you plan to buy sexed bantams. Meyer is highly reputable. My MPC birds, however, have excellent personalities, are beautiful and very healthy.

What does MPC stand for? I'd like to check them out too. Thanks Blaze.

Also, I read that it's cheaper to order from a hatchery closer to you, to cut down on shipping costs.. so that means that The Belt Hatchery would be the closest to me. Has anyone ordered from them or seen there facilities?

 

[Vamvakas]

Your better off just going to a local livestock auction or local breeder to get 4 chickens... I only say this cause if you did only want 4 chicks a hatchery will cost you a arm and leg for shipping such a low amount of chicks.

If you really want to order from a hatchery most min of chicks are 20+ I would just order the 4 egg layers you wanted and the rest meat birds to save some cash from the shipping.

 

[Nambroth]

Here are the pros and cons:

Hatchery (Meyer, My Pet Chicken, Cackle, etc etc):
Pros: You can order sexed chicks (usually 90% accuracy rate), you are very likely to get something close to the breed you order, most hatcheries are willing to vaccinate for Merek's disease if you pay for it and it's important to you, most hatcheries are tested regularly for disease, did I mention you can get sexed chicks?
Cons: You will probably end up paying more per chick for sexed chicks, shipping can be pricey, there is always some risk of loss of chicks during shipping (it's stressful), most chickens from hatcheries are not to standard and are unlikely to be 'show quality' if that is important to you, most hatcheries have a minimum order (though Meyer and My Pet Chicken have very low minimums)

Breeder/poultry show/auction:
Pros: If you are picky and careful who you buy from, you are likely to have gorgeous birds and possibly show quality birds, chickens that are carefully bred sometimes have better longevity and are less prone to problems such as internal laying, chicks are likely to be less expensive, and you can usually buy as few or as many as you want.
Cons: With exception to sex-linked breeds, most individuals do not offer sexing and so you run the risk of getting roosters. Ideally it's a 50% risk of a rooster for each chick.

I hope this helps you!

 

[AprilsFrizzles]

What does MPC stand for? I'd like to check them out too. Thanks Blaze.

Also, I read that it's cheaper to order from a hatchery closer to you, to cut down on shipping costs.. so that means that The Belt Hatchery would be the closest to me. Has anyone ordered from them or seen there facilities?

Like they said, I would go with a reputable hatcherey or a breeder where you can pick out your chickens and see the parents. I ordered from Murray McMurray and only lost one in shipment and they also give you the option to have them vaccinated, which I would recommend. Be weary of auctions because you never know where some of the chickens are coming from or what diseases they could have come into contact with or could be carrying themselves. Good luck finding some babies.

 

[ForeverAvian]

Like they said, I would go with a reputable hatcherey or a breeder where you can pick out your chickens and see the parents. I ordered from Murray McMurray and only lost one in shipment and they also give you the option to have them vaccinated, which I would recommend. Be weary of auctions because you never know where some of the chickens are coming from or what diseases they could have come into contact with or could be carrying themselves. Good luck finding some babies.

Thanks AprilsFrizzles,
I've contacted Belt Hatchery (by email) to see if they allow on site pick up (they are the closest hatchery to me). I probably won't hear back from them for a few days. If they don't allow it... which would be weird, I'll probably order from Meyer. I've heard a lot of good things about them.

 

[omegorchards]

Do some research into what breed(s) you want. Then find a breeder and order chicks. Many breeders will ship chicks. Its really that easy. What breed(s) are you thinking of getting?