Your go-to online hatchery...

[Beccazon]

Ok. I have one local farm store I like for chicks but they of course carry only in spring for a short while.
I would like to order some in the year other than during spring for one month lol.

I have heard many hatchery names here on the site. I would like to know who you use and why. And where they are located if you would please.

I am in Michigan if that makes a difference for shipping purposes.

Also, do you order chicks? Do you prefer fertilized eggs and incubate yourself?

 

[Brahma Chicken5000]

I like to use MyPetChicken. They have a large variety of large fowl and Bantam chicks to choose from. They also have a small minimum order of 3 chicks. Their customer service is the best in my opinion. I had to cancel my order last year due to finding out my flock is a respiratory disease carrier and the employee I spoke to waives the $5 dollar cancelation fee after I told him why I was cancelling my order.

 

[TwoChicksChix]

I agree, my pet chicken is great. The minimum order depends on where you’re located, so it might be 3 but my minimum was 7.

When they ran out of what I wanted during my hatch they called me and offered another breed instead.

Great customer service and many breeds to choose from.

 

[Mybackyardpeepers]

I'm also in Michigan, I used Meyer hatchery because they were close. Only probably we had is one pullet turned out to be a Cockerel. They offered to make it right.

 

[slippednfell]

My local farm store uses Cackle Hatchery in MO, so that is what I now use. Their minimum is 15 chicks. I order chicks, not eggs. My first shipment of chicks is doing fantastic. I have one runt and no losses. Their selection of chickens is good, but the selection of ducks leaves a lot to be desired.

 

[TwoShepherds]

I had a good experience with Meyer's this May. I ordered extras because I was afraid some wouldn't survive shipping, but all 13 arrived alive and well in 24 hours, and are still going strong. Meyer's did a good job with the sexing, and they even added a chick to my order the morning before shipment when a breed that I had been eyeing suddenly became available. The birds I received may not be as pretty or flashy as show quality pullets from a breeder, but they look good enough to me. They haven't started laying yet, so I can't comment on that.

I have nothing positive to say about our local USPS, however. The only thing that makes me hesitate to order from Meyer's (or any mail-order hatchery) again is how little faith I have in our local post office.

 

[jolenesdad]

My pet chicken works with Meyer on a lot of their breeds anyway, so either of those if they’re close is probably a great option.

However, as of note, most of my chickens from My Pet Chicken have been very small, and also lay smaller eggs. Like smaller than any other hatchery birds I have. I don’t know if that’s just my experience, but I’m putting it out there for you.

Most hatcheries will talk to you about their breeds, and which may be that hatcheries best. Call around and ask questions, based on what you are looking for, especially if you’re building a small flock.

To be honest, shipping is shipping, so I personally order from whatever hatchery has what I want when I want it.

Incubating eggs or purchasing from a breeder will get you larger birds and typically birds with much more consistent personalities because of breeder management versus huge flock breeding management at a hatchery. You likely won’t get vaccinated birds, they will almost ALWAYS be straight run, and you’re limited by what’s close to you, or shipping from breeders is much more expensive than a hatchery on live chicks.

Hope any of this helps and doesn’t confuse you!

 

[springvalley123]

I've used Privetts in New Mexico and Hoover's in Ohio, both with perfect or near-perfect results. 1 dead bird out of 25 from Privetts, all alive from Hoover's. The Privetts order was late July, the Hoover's order was November during a freak cold spell. I live north of Phoenix, and in both cases the birds arrived within 48 hours after hatching (hatch Wednesday, be in the post office at 5 am Friday morning). THe Hoover's appeared to overnight near their point of origin, or in flight, and arrived at Phx the following morning (24 hrs old), then camped in Phx for that day and arrived at my post office the next morning. I'd use either again. Privetts had a 25 bird minimum, so you could order meat birds, dual purpose straight run, or something if you only wanted a certain number of layers. Hoovers had a 15 bird minimum. Both included shipping in the price, but Privetts had a small box charge and a charge for each breed fewer than 25 birds. All the birds from both were healthy.

**adding: both hatcheries addressed my questions as to whether their version of the leghorns had single combs, as some have variation, and the origins of the sapphire gems and amberlinks, for example. Hoovers was also easy to deal with for this in-progress order, I pulled in the hatch date a week. I like that they give you texts showing the progress of the shipment, so you can contact the post office for instructions on contacting the distribution center if your birds appear to get "stuck" for too long to suit you.
*** one more thing, no cockerels from either of these, total of 52 birds (pullets) between the two hatcheries.

 

[FredsGobblers]

I have always ordered from Murray McMurray. Never had any problems with health of chicks and so far after 9 yrs no cockerels. I will be trying cackle next year when I order my replacement flock.

 

[imneva]

I love meyers. I have ordered from them a couple of different times. I prefer picking mine up as I do not trust the Usps in chick delivery. Soo I make the drive.