Work at a feed store, looking for a hatchery to order stock from next spring

[blondiebee181]

Hello chicken world!

I live in Boise, Idaho and work at a local feed store. Every year we order chicks to re-sell to customers and I am in the market for a new hatchery to try. We have used Dunlap in the past and they are okay, but their selection isn't always great. We used Privett for a while, but I was very dissatisfied with them last Spring for a number of reasons, which I can bore you with later....long story short, I would like suggestions on who to order from next spring! I would like a hatchery that is Oregon/Washington/Utah/Montana based...possibly North Cal...preferably a larger breed selection, good service, reputable, knowledgeable and sells clean, healthy stock. Suggestions? Thanks!

 

[MeepBeep]

This is by no way a comprehensive list, there are many many more but these are the bigger players in the market and they do supply a lot of feed stores across the US...

https://www.cacklehatchery.com
https://www.meyerhatchery.com
https://www.mcmurrayhatchery.com
http://www.idealpoultry.com

 

[kajira]

This is by no way a comprehensive list, there are many many more but these are the bigger players in the market and they do supply a lot of feed stores across the US...

https://www.cacklehatchery.com
https://www.meyerhatchery.com
https://www.mcmurrayhatchery.com
http://www.idealpoultry.com

I've personally ordered from Cackle and mypetchicken - I loved cackle's responsiveness, their selection, fast shipping and health of the birds when I got them.

However, for a wide selection, you do need to put in special orders in advance, or they may not have what you want.

Mypetchicken was the only website that had silkie females in stock (but at a much HIGHER price then 3-4 a chick, I paid 12, per female) to get them so late in the game, because silkies go fast.

 

[MeepBeep]

My Pet Chicken is not a hatchery, they are a third party retail broker that sells birds they obtain from hatcheries... They are primarily a reseller for Meyer Hatchery, but have now begun to work with some other breeders to expand their offerings beyond Meyer's...

 

[blondiebee181]

Thanks you guys!

 

[blondiebee181]

All of those hatcheries are awfully far from Idaho...I would prefer to order from somewhere PacNW......any suggestions?

 

[MeepBeep]

All of those hatcheries are awfully far from Idaho...I would prefer to order from somewhere PacNW......any suggestions?

Ironically sometimes farther (within reason) is better...

Reason being, if you order locally they will go by ground, so the birds might spend their entire 2 or 3 days of transit bouncing around the back of a non-climate controlled truck going down the highway... On the other hand if they are just that little bit further they very well could spend 1 or 2 days of that 2-3 transit in the belly of a climate controlled plane or in a climate controlled loading dock at the airport(s) and only one day bouncing down the road...

 

[RareDuck]

Birds are shipped 2 day priority. I have had birds shipped across the country from the west coast to Virginia and all arrived within 2 days. For chicks I recommend Ideal Poultry. You can sign up for their email and be notified of all their specials. They have some really great deals especially in the summer. I have had 3 orders from them with no problems.

 

[DGandC]

I have ordered from Meyer Hatchery in Ohio, McMurray Hatchery in IA and Ideal Hatchery in TX. I live in south GA. I have had little problems with any of them. The governing factor for me are the breeds I want to buy. They each have different specialties.
For my ducks and geese, I ordered from Ideal because they had the best choices of the breeds I wanted. Distance does not seem to be a major factor in getting them timely.

 

[blondiebee181]

Oh yeah, I didn't think about that! Good suggestions, thanks guys!