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TimestampName of Hatchery.Rate the hatchery.Shipping date.Date received.Average temperature around arival. Number of birds ordered.Number of birds shipped.Number of birds dead on arrival.Number of birds dead within 2 days.Number of birds dead within a week.Your customer review.Your B.Y.C. username.What State is the hatchery you ordered from?What State do you live in?
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12/10/2017 12:33:42murray mcmurray94/20152828000Perfect. Only 2 small areas to suggest improvement.

I was a first time chicken owner. I split the order with a friend. We couldn't identify the breeds of chicken so were unable to figure out whose birds were whose. MM tried to help except we ordered Whiting True Blues which have no common characteristics and they couldn't tell them apart after shipping. I suggested they mark the Whitings and other breeds with the same issue for future orders.

2. I accepted the 'free rare exotic chick, not thinking that it could be a boy. Luckily one of the 3 boys I ordered turned out to be a girl so it blanced out!		lisazahler@hotmail.comIAMichigan
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8/31/2017 20:19:40Crackle108/15/178/17/17801517000They called to confirm all info before shipping. Then sent instructions and in the box they came well packed. Slip proof floor in the box and thermometer to boot. No idea the quality of the birds but there healthy and bouncing around in the coop three weeks later.RyanfromPAMoPa
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8/31/2017 20:19:26Crackle108/15/178/17/17801517000They called to confirm all info before shipping. Then sent instructions and in the box they came well packed. Slip proof floor in the box and thermometer to boot. No idea the quality of the birds but there healthy and bouncing around in the coop three weeks later.RyanfromPAMoPa
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8/17/2017 3:34:09Cackle 38/09/178/11/178026290313Purchased 10 pearl grey guinea and 10 royal purple keets along with 6 poults. Received 1 extra of each. On 2nd day started experiencing birds dropping dead and emailed company with no response. Called Cackle after losing 1/3 of my keets and they said me keeping them on paper towels was killing them. After losing all but 1 pearl guinea I called again and they offered a refund but said it was coccidia and said to not use a coccidistat like amprol but instead use apple cider vinegar in the water. Unsure if they raise their own keets or bring in from elsewhere but they are still all failing to gain weight and half have pasty bums. The refund was nice but I would have preferred healthy animals. I expect to lose most if not all of my birds. PolarBerryMissouriOregon
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8/5/2017 15:41:28cackle808/02/201708/04/201764-93F1820011This was my first time ordering chickens, and everything went as expected. Two of the smallest bantams didn't handle shipping well; one recovered, one did not. Cackle prepared for this possibility by sending two extra birds; we're now one bird ahead.NatanyaMissouriWashington
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6/2/2017 12:14:03Murray McMurray1May 8th 2017May 10th 201760 F1515356NEVER ordering from here again. Now three weeks later and I am seeing blood in chick poop despite paying for them to be cocci vaccinated. I am not a novice and have never had trouble when raising chicks from local feed stores. Had I read all the negative reviews about them before, I would have stayed very far away! My chickens are family and this has made was is normally a very exciting time, a complete nightmare!!! :CPrancingGoatIowaMassachusetts
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3/17/2017 14:14:23Meyer 13.13.20173.17.2017311818181818I placed this order in January. Meyer shipped during a storm which was well publicized. Chicks were dead on arrival. Then they tried to blame me. They would not replace the order for 6 weeks, offered zero reparations and were unconcerned about the fact the poor chicks suffered. LaFleche12OhioNew Hampshire
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1/10/2017 11:50:52Hoovers9June 2016within 3-4 days901001025102I am very happy with hoovers hatchery. They include shipping with all orders. And they offer 100% money back gaurentee on all birds that die within 3 days after arrival. my #1 choice for ordering chickens. All their chickens also prove to be good stock and true to breed characteristics.PeaceRidgeFarmIAWV
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8/5/2016 14:15:10Murray McMurray 45/10/2016 5/11/201665118123025[B]Some things you should know about McMurray.[/B]

I ordered chicks from them this spring for the first time. I purchased 100 Cornish Cross, 15 New Hampshire Reds, and 2 Polish Laced. The birds all arrived in good health. They all have done well with only a few losses that I would not attribute to the hatchery. This, in my opinion is no different than any hatchery you order from. I have purchased some chicks locally and from another hatchery with equal results with regard to quality. My point here is they are nothing special and you can get the same quality bird just about anywhere.

But that is not really what you should know. When you order from McMurray DO NOT select that you will allow substitutions.

Early on I suspected that the New Hampshire Reds were not and were Rhode Island Reds instead. Ok, note to self, McMurray doesn't know the difference between the two chickens, don't order from them again. This I did not considered to be too severe, Rhode Island's are not my preference, I have had both Rhode Island and New Hampshire's in the past, I prefer the New Hampshire's, but not a catastrophe.

As time has progressed, the "Cornish Cross's" have not developed as expected, they are now 12 weeks old and are literally months away from butchering size, barely larger than my "New Hampshire Reds". I was out of state for all but 4 day the month of July. My neighbor and my wife and kids have been taking care of the chickens. When I return home last weekend, 7/31/2016,I expected to find chickens ready to butcher. Instead I find a pasture full of small unready birds. The next day I emailed McMurray to tell them I was very unhappy with their birds and would not be ordering from them ever again. They responded the next day inquiring about the food I gave them. I feed all chick starter, they do just fine on it plus my chickens range over 10 acres of pasture and consume all of the grass, clover, mulberries, insects and whatever else they desire. I told McMurray this and that I have experience raising these bird so I am not buying the food excuse. Then they reply in short: send us pictures so we can see what you actually received you selected to allow substitutions when you ordered. I never imagined, by the way they word their substitution statement, that my entire order would be substituted. Big mistake on my part. So, not only will McMurray substitute every chicken in your order, they will: 1) not tell you the substitution has taken place. 2) Have no idea what they substituted, hence the request for pictures to see what I actually received. 3) Substitute bases solely on color of the bird. White bird for white bird. Cornish X's are white, so are White Rocks, however, Cornish X's are meat birds White Rocks are not. White Rocks are combo birds, larger bodies than layer specific birds, but lay a fair amount of eggs compared to a meat chicken. Like all things designed for combo/multipurpose use they do both but neither one well. 4) McMurray will substitute a chick of lesser value for what you order, despite what their substitution policy is.

I made the allow substitutions selection when ordering because I did not want my entire order held up because they were 10 chicks short, not because I wanted to allow a complete order substitution. All 115 birds I ordered were substituted, the Cornish's were substituted with a lower value non-metal bird and the part I find the most unacceptable is you will not be told a substitution occurred and they do not record what they substituted with.

Why did I order from McMurray you ask yourself? Last winter I went looking for a hatchery closer to me and McMurray was and their shipping was cheaper. I saved 30 dollars in shipping and cost myself $500 in additional feed costs.

McMurray has made no offer to make things right, it is 3 months after the chicks arrived and they have their money. I would never recommend this hatchery to anyone. You can get quality chicks from other hatcheries or local feed stores. I guess I should be happy that I got the 2 Golden Laced Polish I ordered, right? 		Mtdrifter26 IowaNebraska
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7/7/2016 12:47:13Ideal Hatchery109/16/159/18/15851516000Great chicks for a great price, low shipping rates, best hatchery so far. I used many others but none are as good ideal. Great selection, and don't have a minimum chick order only a minimum 25$ orderHot ChickTexasGeorgia
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5/29/2016 22:05:38MMM84/28/20155/1/2015701616110I am very happy with my birds. They are hatchery quality. They did sex them properly. The refunded me for my dead chicks. H2orattIowaCa
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5/29/2015 16:18:36My Pet Chicken31518000I ordered chicks from My Pet Chicken twice. While I will say the staff was friendly and polite and the chicks arrived healthy, there were the following issues:

1- First year one of the Australorps was VERY undersized. She was healthy, but only about 1/3 the size she should have been. Her "sister" towered over her.
2 - Second year, I had the same issue with one of the Easter Eggers. My Australorps this year were rather "racy" in conformation and both produced what I refer to as "snake eggs". Their eggs were long and oval shaped - like a snake egg.

I've come to the conclusion that the birds are not bred with proper selection in mind. If all you want is a pet chicken this may be OK. If you are interested in productivity, egg size/shape, etc. I would NOT recommend them.		CharlcieCTTX
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5/4/2015 8:46:59Cackly14-29-155-1-1565303111016At the time of this review we have had the chicks for 3 days and 16 have been lost. I called Cackle Hatchery first thing this morning. She recommended trying sulmet but refused to replace the chicks because it's outside of their window for replacement. I pointed out that I received the birds Friday. Their office closed at 2 pm, Mountain time on Friday and I called immediately when they re-opened this morning. I wasn't happy about the loss of chicks but I am really dissatisfied with their customer service. We've used McMurray and Ideal in the past. We would have used Ideal again but they did not have chicks available when we needed them in order to meet the 4H date requirements. I will not be ordering from Cackle again.AnnBMOCO
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3/15/2015 11:40:20Cackle103/26/20143/28/2014602527001Excellent service, correct order, appropriately packaged. Healthy birds. Birds are now over 1 year old and are all much healthier than our previous birds. Previous birds were ordered from Murray McMurray (all McMurray birds were dead in just over a year from an illness passed on to them from their parents (according to Tennessee Tech)).TSSJIowaVirginia
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2/24/2015 19:51:44Cackle Hatchery1003/26/1403/28/14407074010This was my second order from Cackle. I ordered 25 Easter Eggers (rec'd 26) in 2013.
In 2014, I ordered a few different breeds (Silkies, Welsummers, Light Brahma, Buff Orpington) & the Cackle Surprise.
I HIGHLY recommend the Surprise. We received over 40 chicks with a TON of variety and less than 20% roosters.
I called and spoke with them several times. They have always been responsive and attentive. 		beckah1MOPA
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2/4/2015 21:25:01Meyer Hatchery82/3/1588044Meyer was extremely flexible in allowing me to order fewer than the minimum if I picked them up in the store. They gave me a courtesy call to let me know the chicks were ready, and the lady in the store was very nice when I picked the birds up. The next morning 4 of my birds were dead, so I called the hatchery and they immediately credited my account for the cost of the birds. EXCELLENT customer service. I look forward to working with them in the future.schwangerohioohio
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11/24/2014 10:06:36Cackle Hatchery917 Sep201419 Sep 20141819003I ordered Welsummers about a month in advance of projected hatch date, they were shipped on time and arrived a day early, all healthy, one extra. I could not get 2 of them to eat they died on the 4th and 5th day, I added Pine Shavings to the brooder at one week and the next morning one was dead with shavings in his throat. the remaining 16 birds are 9 weeks old and doing very well. I was very impressed with Cackle Hatchery, they provided the service requested when they said they would, , friendly, competent. I have no reason or desire to order from anyone else.RufusIIIMossouriFlorida
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9/17/2014 2:05:53My Pet Chicken109/8/20149/9/20149466000Arrived fast. Chicks healthy and exactly what I ordered. (females- we'll see!) I was worried some would be dehydrated or dead, but they acted like they hadn't been been shipped at all. They came in a perfect sized box for six chicks and without heat. Good call on their part. If there are at least 4 out of 6 females, I'll call it a complete success. (knock wood)10whiskersOhioFlorida
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8/30/2014 7:34:08Chicken Scratch Poultry28/19/20148/22/2014801518110Not very happy with the shipping of Chicken Scratch. Born on a Tuesday, shipped at 3pm, didn't receive until 11am Friday after HOURS on the phone with post office. The Hatchery said this happens all the time. Paid $38 for one-day guaranteed delivery. They won't even bother fighting the charges for me because they say the post office won't refund the money.
Like the breeds they carry. Like that they put opened GrowGel in the box. Don't like that I lost a Black Copper Maran on delivery (very recently dead, too) and an Olive Egger. Will not buy again due to cost and shipping problems. 		sarahandbrayIllinoisNY
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8/30/2014 7:28:39Murray McMurray98/18/20148/20/20142527000Had a great experience with McMurray!sarahandbrayIowaNY
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7/4/2014 9:45:00Murray McMurray1?6/30/20148817181410Never, ever again will I order from a hatchery that ships chicks on a weekend. Yes, the company refunded the purchase price immediately but that won't bring back the 15 chicks that died from being stuck in one place - a USPS sorting facility - on a Sunday!
I don't blame the USPS. A hatchery that has been in business for nearly 100 years should know better than to ship on a weekend.
IMHO, the temps. and the distance have nothing to do with it. I normally use Ideal (6 hours from my home), have had it take up to three days for the chicks to arrive and still got a box full of live, healthy chicks.
I put a ? mark by the date shipped because when I called to report how many had died I was told they had shipped on the 28th, yet the email I received from the company AND the shipping box both said the 27th. That's four days in transit and that is unacceptable.
gritsarOhioArkansas
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4/19/2014 1:14:40Cackle103/17/20143/19/2014COLD!2730013I ordered the Happy Cackle Special. All the birds arrived perky. One of the geese killed one of the chicks the first night. Then later 2 of the cochins died. They are 5 weeks now and doing great! The only thing that's disappointing is most of the straight run rare breeds appear to be cockerels. It's OK because I can sell them, but I would have like more pullets. I'm complaining though, because they WERE straight run. I will definitely order from them again! JayzandraMissouriArizona
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4/19/2014 1:04:09Murray McMurray14/1/201366000I ordered 1 Easter Egger cockerel, 2 Blue Laced Red Wyandotte pullets, 1 Salmon Faverolle pullet, 1 Silver Grey Dorking Pullet, 1 Cuckoo Marans pullet.
The 2 wyandottes were both cockerels and one of them had something wrong with it. It stayed small and ate constantly. We eventually had to cull him and he was nothing but skin and bones. The Salmon Faverolle was a cockerel as well. The Silver Grey Dorking and Cuckoo Marans were pullets are are doing fine. The Dorkings eggs are pretty small and the Marans eggs aren't very dark. The Easter Egger roosetr is awesome! I won't order from them again.		JayzandraIowaArizona
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1/11/2014 18:55:35Cackle Hatchery8Various dates for the past few yearsAll of which were on timeAnywhere from 15 to 45Always an extra Never had any DOANone6The only problem I have ever had with them is the Cornish Xs and the Turkeys. I had trouble keeping them, but I made a few mistakes and have better tuned my rearing in.

I always have had good luck with them. Good hens, and good meaties. The geese are good too. They always ship on time, and communicate well. I recomend them to anyone.		BarredBuffMissouriKentucky
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11/24/2013 15:32:41My Pet Chicken96/1/20136/3/20137033000Overall, I was pleased with My Pet Chicken. I was able to get the breeds, number of chicks and the shipment date that I desired. I ordered an Australorp, a Silver-Laced Wyandotte, and an Easter Egger all sexed to be female. They were packed well with straw and a heating pack. The Australorp and SLW basically jumped out of the box and were very healthy from the beginning. My Easter Egger arrived with splay leg and was quite dehydrated. I'm going to give them the benefit of the doubt and say she developed it during shipment. I did some quick research on here and called My Pet Chicken. They were very helpful on the phone but I probably ended up with more information from here. Then bandaged her legs together and then fed her with a dropper every 1-2 hours for the first week. After that I took the bandage off and she's great! They are now almost 6 months old, all pullets (yippee!) and very healthy and friendly. No eggs yet though! I would purchase from them again.EMcKenzieCT, but I don't think they shipped from thereKentucky
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10/15/2013 11:59:52Ideal Poultry1010/8/201310/10/201365 F.1010000Great experience. I received an e-mail the day they shipped, and the chicks arrived when expected. All were healthy and active, and remain so. I ordered 1 or 2 chicks from six different breeds, for a total of 10 chicks. I was very pleased that I was able to place such a small order, and that so many different types of birds were available at this time of year (fall). Many other hatcheries had limited/no availability for any of the breeds I had been looking for. As a bonus: Ideal's fees were VERY reasonable. I will absolutely order from them again.2lilchknsTexasVirginia
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8/15/2013 12:28:33Cackle108/7/20138/9/2013probably 95 or so55000 I only wanted 3-5 pullets and most hatcheries offered a 15-25 minimum. the few that had Easter Eggers had dates a bit later than I wanted. Cackle offered the date I wanted along with a small batch order. The chicks were well packed and appeared to have gel food in with them. I dipped their beaks in the water and they took to it right away. I put the feed on the paper towel and they ignored it but went straight for the chick feeder. They really weren't too stressed at all:) Cackle gave me a really good variety of colors and they all seem to be really healthy, they have pretty much doubled in size in the past week and have just begun to fly. I would order from them again in a heartbeat :)fused1013MissouriMichigan
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8/8/2013 10:04:03My Pet Chicken97/29/20137/31/20133034126 I would order from them again, even with the losses. The ones we lost were poor the day they artived and declined even with round the clock care. The others are thriving. KelsiNSohiotexas
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7/23/2013 15:48:08Valley Hatchery3NANANA60000I ordered 6 chicks on June fourth. I was informed they would hatch about June 25. I paid when I placed my order. On June 14th I received a call. Due to the storms on our area a power outage and a faulty generator the hatch will be delayed. I could expect my chicks mid July. If I choose to cancel my order I will incur a ten dollar fee. So I hear nothing else till I call the hatchery July 15. At this time they tell me someone will call me back with a hatch date by Friday(19th). I called again on July twenty third and have received no response. I don't know why is going on and I am willing to be patient and understanding but the complete lack of customer service is appalling.Rainbowbrite1207OhioOhio
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5/17/2013 13:10:27My Pet Chicken44/8/13 & 5/6/134/10/13 & 5/7/13maybe ~65F5 & 55 & 52 & 01 & 10 & 0I wanted to tell my story, for the record, related to My Pet Chicken (mypetchicken.com, MPC). I have two buff brahma bantams who are 5.5 weeks old, and three easter egger bantams and a black frizzle cochin bantam who are 1.5 weeks old, all from MPC.

I chose to order from MPC because I live in an urban area, and don’t have much yard space. In fact, my run, although over 30 feet long, is only 2 feet wide, because it’s in the landscape planter. This meant I couldn’t have very many chickens, and figured bantams would feel less crowded when they went to stretch their wings. MPC has a small minimum order (in my area, SF Bay, 3 standards or 5 bantams). They also sex bantams.

Originally, I had placed an order in December for assorted female bantams, because I couldn’t decide what to get. The first available ship date was in May. I realized in January that was a difficult week for me to be receiving chicks, since I’d be out of town shortly afterwards. So I decided to change my order to my birthday week in April (babies for my birthday!), and specify breeds… of those available that week, I chose three easter egger bantams and two buff brahma bantams. I paid the change fee and the difference in cost for the chicks. The transaction was well within their change order policy, and proceeded quite smoothly.

My order of five bantams shipped Monday, April 8, from Ohio. Here’s the USPS shipment tracking activity:
Electronic Shipping Info Received, 04/08/13
Processed through USPS Sort Facility, Mansfield OH 44901, 04/08/13 @ 2:40PM
Processed through USPS Sort Facility, San Francisco CA 94125, 04/09/13 @ 7:57AM
Depart USPS Sort Facility, San Francisco CA 94125, 04/09/13
Processed through USPS Sort Facility, San Francisco CA 94125, 04/10/13 @ 12:46AM
Arrival at Post Office, Sunnyvale CA 94086, 04/10/13 @ 6:31AM
Delivered, Sunnyvale, CA 94086, 04/10/13 @ 7:57AM

I’m not sure what happened in SF, but it seems the post office had some trouble getting our chick boxes the 45 miles down the road. There was one other shipment of chicks arriving at the same time… the Sunnyvale post office was getting calls from both of us all day Tuesday, and they had to double check which box was mine when I went to pick them up after they called me on Wednesday.

When I got home from the post office, two of my chicks were dead. :( I sent an e-mail and picture to MPC to report the loss. I also sent a question about how to take care of one of the others who was weak. They responded the next day with their condolences and reminded me of their live arrival guarantee policy of reporting within 48 hours, with a website link. They also let me know that chicks properly cared for but lost during the 48 hours would be covered as well, and sent information on how to care for the weak chick.

Alas, after all I did for her, my weak chick died in my hands on Thursday. :’( I was pretty heartbroken, and admit I cried over her as I buried her next to her sisters. I wrote to MPC again, to tell them of her death, and I followed their links to read the refund policy. They say they only have about a 1% loss rate, but here I had an order with a 60% loss rate. Maybe it was because it was so far away, maybe it was because they were so tiny (bantams, after all), maybe it was because there were so few of them, maybe it was the delay in SF, maybe it was a weak hatch, maybe… In any case, their policy is normally just to refund chick cost, but said that if more than half the order was lost, they will offer a replacement order and cover the cost of shipping.

Since I only had two chicks left, I really did want more. I lost three, but I still wanted bantams, so with any replacement shipment, I assumed I would have to order two more chicks. I was ok with that, so I called them that week to talk about my refund/replacement. They made a note that I wanted replacement rather than refund, and that I was willing to purchase two more chicks, but they said someone would call me the next week to arrange.

A week passes… I wondered what happened with scheduling a replacement shipment, since there were certain weeks that would work best for me. I also wanted to be able to pick the two extra chicks, and assumed they needed my credit card number to pay for them. I called them, and after some effort, they tell me three chicks are scheduled to ship the next week, one buff brahma bantam and two easter egger bantams. What?!?! I am frustrated… not only is that the one week I couldn’t pick up chicks at the post office, but three bantams is below their “safe minimum” shipment. They made such a big deal about caring for their chickens, and making sure you were available to pick them up, and requiring a minimum order for warmth… and yet they make an order that violates both of these things and don’t even tell me it’s coming!

After much hassle, I manage to get them to change the ship date, and specify which two additional chicks I want. I also explain that I lost three easter egger bantams, and would like the replacement order to be three easter egger bantams. They tried to charge me a change fee, before I pointed out quite clearly that my last e-mail reporting the losses specified the remaining live chicks were buff brahma bantams, so the lost chicks had to be easter egger bantams (per my order). I give them my credit card number for the two additional chicks, and they say I’ll get a confirmation soon.

The next week, I get a call from MPC saying I need to pay for the extra chicks. I’m at a loss, because I already gave them my credit card number. I realize I didn’t get a confirmation, so maybe something happened. I call them, but their system doesn’t seem to know anything about me previously giving my credit card number. I try to confirm all the details of my order, because now I’m worried they are still shipping the wrong chicks, on the wrong date. They take a great deal of time figuring out what is shipping and when, and finally confirm my order is correct. Then they have to contact the accounting department about how much they are actually going to charge my credit card.

Meanwhile, as I’m waiting on hold for the accounting department, I get a confirmation e-mail saying they charged my credit card (the one I gave them the week previous), for a reshipment the week I can’t receive the chicks. When the customer service person comes back on the line, she’s also figured out she doesn’t need to charge me, and confirms that the order will really ship the week I want, not what it says in the e-mail. So after much pain, we are in the same place we were the week before, with an order of five bantams arriving early May.

Monday, May 6 comes around, and I anxiously await an e-mail from MPC with my tracking number, since that’s what happened last time. I worry about the chicks, and the trauma of getting more dead babies in the mail. The day comes and goes with no acknowledgement of shipping or tracking from MPC. So I write to them requesting status of the order. I also call the post office Tuesday morning, just to check. No cheeping packages, but they’ll call me as soon as they arrive. Lunchtime Tuesday, the post office calls, saying they have arrived; meanwhile, no response from MPC. But it doesn’t really matter anymore, since I have my chicks and got the tracking number off the box. Eventually, MPC responded with a tracking number. Out of curiosity, I typed it into USPS, to get this shipment activity:
Electronic Shipping Info Received, May 6, 2013
Accepted at USPS Origin Sort Facility, POLK, OH 44866, May 6, 2013 1:25 pm
Processed at USPS Origin Sort Facility, MANSFIELD, OH 44901, May 6, 2013 2:40 pm
Shipment Accepted, MANSFIELD, OH 44901, May 6, 2013 3:48 pm
Processed at USPS Origin Sort Facility, CLEVELAND, OH 44101, May 6, 2013 3:59 pm
Depart USPS Sort Facility, CLEVELAND, OH 44101, May 6, 2013
Processed through USPS Sort Facility, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94125, May 7, 2013 8:27 am
Arrival at Post Office, SUNNYVALE, CA 94086, May 7, 2013 11:50 am
Available for Pickup, SUNNYVALE, CA 94086, May 7, 2013 11:53 am
Delivered, SUNNYVALE, CA 94086, May 7, 2013 11:56 am

This shipment fared better in transit. All alive when box opened, checked for pasty butt, showed them water, put them in a warm spot. But by the next day, one was definitely weak, minor pasting up, not moving much. We tried giving her sugar water, yogurt, egg, but she wasn’t eating or drinking. By Thursday she had died. :( I reported the loss, and they acknowledged I would receive a refund. A week later, they wrote to ask for my credit card number to refund, and when I called they were reasonably prompt in getting it processed and sending a confirmation.

In the end, I have six bantams, presumably all female. But the loss rate was 40%. It was traumatic, and although the “normal process” customer service was fine, the organization and tracking when something was out of the ordinary was lacking. I don’t think I would order from them again, because I can only assume the high loss rate (so different from their published 1%) is because they are tiny chicks going across country in a minimum order. Yes, I know that chicks from a local feed store also shipped and might have had losses, but they probably came in a larger order, from a closer hatchery, and probably went through less stress.

Anyway, here’s hoping the rest do fine, and are really all female. 		AlpineButterflyOHCA
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5/7/2013 21:37:44Whitmore Farms103/24/20133/26/2013502526000Very robust, lively chicks. Best looking chicks I have gotten in the mail. All now 5 weeks old. Lovely coloring.
The website could be a bit more friendly and I didnt get any warning when they shipped. Just got the phone call from the PO.
But these chicks are so healthy, I cant complain. I highly recommend them, and will order again.		mpguayMarylandGeorgia
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5/3/2013 15:34:15Murray McMurray9March 2nd 2013March 4th 201330s-40s3031I believe one3 including the doa1 more, owner errorThis is the second time I have ordered chicks through the mail, the first was privett hatchery in NM. This was not a perfect experience but that is not the fault of mcmurray. I had ordered my brown layer special for delivery on February 25th, unfortunately we had a blizzard the weekend of shipping and the highways were closed and the chicks were delayed a full day, combine that with low temperatures (mid-teens) and none of the chicks survived. When I called customer service they were very helpful and sympathetic, they were happy to ship the next week, and told me I could change my order date at anytime if the weather change. Neither of us wanted more dead chicks. I am pleased with the variety and quality of my birds. Their sexing was 100% accurate on my orderDon't Yet have oneIowaNew Mexico
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4/28/2013 16:06:14Meyer Hatchery104/6/20134/8/20131010022Although two birds did die, replacements were quickly sent. I found them to be to be much higher quality birds than those from Mcmurray. The order was for ducks. I'll be sending in a review of the chick order from them in June. :)crazyaboutchickensOhioNew York
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4/28/2013 15:56:33Meyers54/22/20134/25/201360F151569ALLI've ordered from several different hatcheries before and I've never had any DOA or lost more than one per batch before they reached adulthood. However, I've also never had an order take 4 days to get here, so the PO may be the culprit. The chicks that arrived alive were weak and kept flopping on their backs. I did everything I could think of to save them, all to no avail. The hatchery was great and offered me a refund or credit on a future order but since the breeds I ordered were sold out this year, I chose a refund. Honestly, I think this one experience has ruined me on hatcheries. Thankfully, I was able to find a nearby breeder who has a great line of the breed I wanted, so I was able to get my chosen breed after all. CriskinOhioArkansas
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4/12/2013 18:00:14Valley Hatchery10April 9thApril 10th55 degrees outside.3540000Very satisfied one of the best orders, I have ever placed with any hatchery... SUPER Satisfied! sjd1221OhioOhio
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4/11/2013 11:54:11My Pet Chicken94/1/20134/3/2013451518000Overall I have been happy with My Pet Chicken. The only disappointment I had was the 3 Marans chicks I had ordered did not hatch. MPC contacted me the morning of the hatch (April 1) to inform me of this and asked if I would take substitution, which I reluctantly did. The chicks arrived in the morning (April 3) and all were healthy and alert. To my surprise, I had not 15 chicks as originally ordered, but 18! The 3 extra appear to be Australorps, but I guess I will find out for certain in a few weeks. All chicks should be pullets, but at this early date, it is too early to tell if this is the case.CharlcieCTTX
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4/9/2013 17:29:45Cackle94/1/20134/3/201345F?surprise42022A silkie was trampled, and a BBW turkey apparently didn't understand feeding/drinking lessons (I assume)--otherwise all chicks have done very well.popsicleMOMT
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4/7/2013 12:40:04Metzer104/1/20134/3/20135088000All 8 ducklings ( 8 Welsh Harlequins, 2 Pekins) and 2 goslings arrived alive and healthy. They were shipped with grow gel and it was gone when they arrived. So far they are all thriving. I couldn't be happier with them! CriskinCaliforniaArkansas
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3/18/2013 15:42:25Efowl101516000We had a wonderful experience with Efowl, our chicks were all lovely and healthy and they even gave us an extra, we were very happy. Chick15ColoradoNew Jersey
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2/24/2013 11:45:15Meyer42526000We live close enough to Meyer to pick up so no shipping data. Staff was pleasant to work with. In addition to the 25 Welsummer chicks I got a Buckeye cockrel chick that I needed. The chicks were healthy and grew well. We hatched eggs from this Wellsummer flock the first year. My problem with this stock is that the Welsummers rooters that we kept developed crooked toes and a gait that eventually affected them to the point that we had to put them down. About half the pullets I hatched from these roos (before the problems became apparent) have crooked toes that does not affect the gait. We put those hens in our mixed laying flock. The young rooster I saved from this hatch is now developing the same gait problems. The Buckeye cockel chick developed white feathers and was sent to freezer camp. I do not show but raise heritage breeds for home use and as a preservation effort. As such I try to breed to the standard. I probably will not order from Meyers again because of the above problems.OhioanOhioOhio
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2/23/2013 17:27:28Ideal poultry92/19/20132/21/201330-40 degrees5 ducklings5 ducklings + 9 chicks00They are 4 days old and everyone is happy and healthy so far. I ordered my ducklings online and in my haste put in a couple of wrong numbers. The hatchery called the next day to clarify because the numbers for my zip code didn't match up and I didn't change the expiration year for my card so it showed that my card was expired. They were very nice and fixed the problem in less than a minute. I appreciated the call because they could have easily cancelled my order because of the wrong info. But instead they took the time to be helpful. I reviewed an email saying that my order would ship 2/20. I did not receive the shipping confirmation email. I planned to call 2/21 when they opened but I got a call from my post office at 8am saying they had my ducklings. Turns out they were shipped on 2/19, not 2/20. They were in a small box (which was the perfect size) and it had all the holes tapped up except one. It's cold here so they did a good job keeping the babies warm. All were alive and have done great since. Ideal is a great hatchery (from my experience). I would definitely order from them again. The only issues I have is that I did not receive a shipping confirmation email and I got chicks as packing peanuts. I assumed my peanuts would be ducklings. I was not prepared for chicks and don't want them. I ended up finding them a home the next day but... That's just something to think about. rubberduckies TexasKentucky
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12/17/2012 20:15:12McMurray1010/21/201210/23/2012852527000Wonderful customer service! Operator I talked to was very knowledgeable & helpful. Chicks were shipped when promised. I ordered an assortment of Bantams & got a good variety. Happybooker1IowaTexas
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12/16/2012 20:45:28Murry McMurry910/9/201210/12/2012722830001I've used Murry McMurry for years and have never had a dead bird on delivery. Most of my birds are very strong and have great survival rates. My only loss this last one was a pasty butt chick that I caught too late.

I have heritage breed turkeys being sent in spring of 2013 and probably going to ad some ducklings at same time!		ShelshanamIowaOregon
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12/16/2012 20:25:48Meyer912/10/201212/12/201228˚F2527133Meyer has a beautiful website and okay prices on their poultry and for shipping. They usually send 1 or 2 extra chicks with an order so that when you have loses, you still have the number of birds you originally ordered. The staff on the phone were very polite and gave me a credit on my account for my chicks that died, plus the cost to ship them. So far the remaining chicks are active and healthy.mysunwolfOhio [OH]Virginia [VA]
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12/7/2012 15:20:49McMurray110/21/201210/23/20128040430513Clearly we are not happy with over a 25% loss. The birds showed up weak, with diarrhea and some were gasping. I got them on corrid and called the company first thing Monday. In response to my report that it was mainly the Austrolorps and Cornish X that were dying, the customer service agent nonchalantly said, "It's just shipping stress, you can expect to lose a few. They gave us no suggestions to try, no help, no offer of replacement." Shopping for a new source; preferably one within 200 miles of Tucson so I can pick chicks up.HummingbirdHillIowaAZ
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9/24/2012 11:20:50Healthy Chicks and More104/15/20114/17/2012551112000Very please with ability to place small order of a wide variety of breeds. All chicks arrived healthy and grew to adulthood healthy. songofjoyOhioPennsylvania
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8/28/2012 20:27:25My Pet Chicken98/27/20128/28/2012Probably low 90s660hasn't been 2 days yethasn't been 2 days yetI was quite pleased with MPC! Always friendly service, very fast shipping, very healthy birds! My GLP has a very nice large helmet

The only thing is, is that my Sumatra has curled toes, but that's no biggie; easy fix!		ChickenrandomnessConnecticut Louisiana
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8/22/2012 0:05:19Murray McMurray84/22/20124/23/2012453133000As far as health all the chicks were superb. Customer service was great I even changed my order twice. They sent one extra Blue Cochin and my extra rare chick was a Dominique roo. All survived I have only lost one but that was to a predator. My only disappointment is in the feathers. I ordered 5 Araucanas and was expecting all different colors but got all the same color, they said next time to request that they all be different. Also I was not overall impressed with the Blue Laced Red Wyandottes, not even 1 out of the 10 I got was even close to what the breed should look like, I know it is a difficult color so I do not blame them I just have a little less faith in their genetics. Also my Salmon Faverolle seems quite small but then she is still only 18 wks and compared to Wyandottes and Cochins anyone would look small I guess. I would still buy from McMurray.wife2abirdmanIowaMe
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7/31/2012 5:33:29Strombergs76/20/20126/22/2012702529001Good customer service and fast shipping. I lost one mottled java the first week and 1 of my salmon faverolles has cross beak. I ordered 5 welsummer pullets...3 are cockerels. I ordered mottled javas, salmon faverolles, light brahmas, welsummers, and red jungle fowl. 2 of my javas are of really bad quality and the faverolles are all really unattractive...they look like mixed breeds. However I am very pleased with the quality of the other 3 breeds and the remaining java. I would order from them again...just not faverolles. I would also get straight run...instead of wasting the extra money on "pullets"snowpetalsMNME
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6/18/2012 19:30:54Chickensforbackyards.com106/6/20126/8/20128033000Excellent customer service! Great phone manners as well. I asked A LOT of questions and the gentleman was patient, informative and supportive. The chicks were shipped very, very nicely and the heating pack was still quite warm. Their website is wonderful and they even have informative videos so you can view different bird breeds. I like their Facebook page as well. Very happy with this service. I just added 3 chicks from a local lady (10 days old) that she purchased from Privet. Just got them today, so I'll see how it goes. Unfortunately, I wanted to take ALL the chicks because her broodering and existing hen environments were less that comfortable, in my opinion.
oliveroblongTexasArizona
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6/18/2012 18:50:50Chickensforbackyards.com106/6/20126/8/20128033000Excellent customer service! Great phone manners as well. I asked A LOT of questions and the gentleman was patient, informative and supportive. The chicks were shipped very, very nicely and the heating pack was still quite warm. Their website is wonderful and they even have informative videos so you can view different bird breeds. I like their Facebook page as well. Very happy with this service. I just added 3 chicks from a local lady (10 days old) that she purchased from Privet. Just got them today, so I'll see how it goes. Unfortunately, I wanted to take ALL the chicks because her broodering and existing hen environments were less that comfortable, in my opinion.
oliveroblongTexasArizona
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6/17/2012 13:28:20My Pet Chicken95/21/20125/22/20128044000I ordered 3 pullets of several breeds from MPC. They called the morning of hatch to let me know that they didn't have enough blue laced red wyandottes hatch. I was disappointed, but they were very helpful and had a number of alternate breeds for substitution. The woman on the phone was very nice and offered suggestions and information on the breeds. I live in Colorado, so a long way from MPC. My chicks shipped at lunch on Monday and were at my door by 11 am on Tuesday!! All four girls were bright-eyed, energetic and super healthy. They are growing like weeds and I would order from MPC again without hesitation.Birdnerd1019Ohio?Colorado
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6/14/2012 14:46:07Country Hatchery11010000Country Hatchery is super nice to work with. My rare assortment of 10 muscovies are so pretty and so varied in markings. All are healthy with no signs of dehydration or weakeness. Dennis called me when they shipped and the birds arrived at the PO the next day. They even put in growgel. I would order from them again. belOKCA
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6/14/2012 14:45:49Country Hatchery101010000Country Hatchery is super nice to work with. My rare assortment of 10 muscovies are so pretty and so varied in markings. All are healthy with no signs of dehydration or weakeness. Dennis called me when they shipped and the birds arrived at the PO the next day. They even put in growgel. I would order from them again. belOKCA
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4/26/2012 19:48:33Meyer Hatchery34/23/20124/24/2012643334045I am not new to raising chicks. Feel pretty sure something was wrong with chicks.
When I called to try for replacements, even for just a few, they could not send any for a month out, which would not work for me. Quite disappointing!		GrammygailOhioIndiana
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3/11/2012 14:39:03Mt Healthy8May2020003I bought 20 Wyandottes from them (10 silver laced, 10 golden laced) and ended up losing 3 total, but they were small and weak from the beginning. Overall I was happy! I think that the difference was that the first time that I ordered my feed store (who orders from Mt Healthy) let me pick and I chose lively chicks, and the second time they just grabbed 20 chicks out of the container and put them in my box. Next time I will ask to choose my own again and see if that makes a difference.My Chooks ChickOhioMaine
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3/11/2012 14:34:33Mt Healthy10Not sureJune2525000Bought 25 Golden Comets (sex-links) from them a couple of years ago, never lost one! Very good prices, and service! No complaints!My Chooks ChickOhioMaine
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2/28/2012 11:54:15Meyer62/22/20122/24/20124025251741I think the postal service and the cold are probably to blame for my experience. I have suspicions that these chicks may have been at the hatchery a little too long before being shipping though. Meyer's customer service was great and they refunded my money with no questions asked. However, it was just sad and not about the money. Kannah43OhioColorado
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11/13/2011 21:02:54McMurray78/11/20118/13/20113032310This is first time ordering chicks, so I'm not sure what to compare it to. I ordered feather footed bantam assortment. I did get some very beautiful birds from this. I also ordered 5 Easter Eggers (Aracaunas) that were supposed to be all females. I got 6 Easter Eggers, two of which were roosters. williamsl77IANH
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11/13/2011 11:51:07cackle105/2/20115/4/2011453536000Healthy lively chicks.ozarl_chickiesMOAR
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11/13/2011 11:47:29cackle109/16/20119/18/2011933435000Healthy lively chicksozark_chickiesMoAr
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11/10/2011 18:02:59Meyer (via My Pet Chicken)78/7/20118/8/20119078000One of the chicks was sickly-looking on arrival. The extra chick was of the same breed, so I assumed it was added in case of loss of the lethargic chick. Given electrolytes and food, the chick perked up in no time and has been healthy ever since. Overall I am satisfied with this flock, but will not order from this hatchery again. BlazeJesterOhioSouth Carolina
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11/10/2011 17:58:54Meyer (via My Pet Chicken)93/30/20093/31/20096077000This was our first hatchery order and it couldn't have gone more smoothly. Chicks were shipped with gro-gel (we did not ask for it) and I believe also had a heating packet (also not asked/paid for). All were active and healthy and we had no problems with them. Overall a beautiful flock of hatchery quality barred rocks!BlazeJesterOhioGeorgia
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11/8/2011 9:42:26Murray McMurray9May 21, 20115/22/20112627001One chick just didn't eat, and another chick had a deformed leg and was euthanized. The hatchery credited my account for them when I called. I was very satisfied.Folly'splaceIowasouthern Michigan
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11/6/2011 18:22:27Healthy Chicks and More8Sept 7-2011Sept 8 -201170's1114000I'm very happy with the fast shipping and the way they were packaged. They were also very healthy aside from a few cases of mild pasty butt. What I didn't like was their lack of communication and that they added three chicks(probably roosters that I have to feed and can't keep). I also believe I received more roosters with the pullet order than the 10% possibility. I'll have to update this when I know for sure.JoieDOhioOhio
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10/30/2011 18:55:52Welp53/20113/11/2011455050000This was my 1 st & last time I will order from Welp. I ordered 25 Cornish x & 25 layers. The meaties were ok, didn't put on the weight I was expecting (I've ordered from ideal) & 2 breeds out of the 5, had crooked toes. Now the cold weather has hit, they're laying has slowed much more than ideal's layers. Augustmomx2Minnesota/NMIndiana
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9/2/2011 10:15:51Nature Berry10Picked up 8/29/20118377700Real nice, clean small scale hatchery in Macedon, NY. Jim is knowledgeable, friendly, and lets you pick out what chicks you want. I picked out 5 Americauna and 2 barred rock.sparrkerNew YorkNew York
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8/29/2011 10:34:47Murray McMurray Hatchery48/10/20118/12/20119026260161These chicks all arrived alive and seemed extremely healthy. They ate and drank like crazy for awhile. Then they stopped eating and drinking and started dying. I kept thinking I was doing something wrong but I had no idea what. I follow the temperature and food/water recommendations to a T. I think they had shipping stress. The one chick that died later than the rest seemed to have neurological problems. I ordered some Red Stars and thought one of them looked to be yellow. Sure enough. They sent me a rooster out of the easiest chicks there are to sex. They did refund my money for the ones that died without question or hassle.driehuisIowaColorado
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8/29/2011 10:28:00Murray McMurray Hatchery62/12/20112/14/2011453335252I ordered a mix (rainbow layers) and some of these were small and very weak. Most of the chicks that died were of this breed which I believe were brown leghorns.driehuisIowaColorado
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8/19/2011 8:00:26Privett108/10/20118/12/201160 F3031001I called my order in and they were nice and friendly to me, I was concerned with the lengthy trip but they said they will be there in 2 days. They arrived early friday and were in great condition. I figured alot of Hatcheries get them from Privett so I would Knock out the middle man.sparrkerNew Mexiconew york
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8/15/2011 1:27:12Meyer16/27/20116/29/20111002627011I also had to euthanize one chick at the vets office. She was 1 month old and had a neurological disorder (wry neck). The rest are doing fine.Jack SparrowOhioNew Mexico
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8/8/2011 14:29:59Belt Hatchery427260412I was excited to find a hatchery only about 300 miles away from us. Upon looking at their website, I discovered their home page does not show up. So, you have to click on the price list and navigate from there. I wasn't too concerned, and I emailed my order and payed by mail 3 weeks in advance. We called the day before they were scheduled to chip only to find out they had delayed our shipment without notifying us until the next week. She was very nice on the phone, and said she would ship them the following day. She never mentioned anything about our payment. The next evening, the post office called and stated that the chicks had arrived. We drove down only to find that the post man would not hand over the birds until I paid $60 for the second time. I could not leave the birds to die there, so we paid twice. Finally, we got hold of Belt and asked them to cancel one of the checks, and they did.
As I unpacked the chicks, I noticed they left out my red star with no substitute, and my buff orp. hen ended up being a red star rooster. After a few hours, the birds began looking ill. We ended up losing over half of the chicks. It was terrible to watch. In the end, I was not satisfied, and ended up having to buy more chicks from the feed store, all of them lived. I will not be ordering from them again. 		BockCACA
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8/5/2011 14:54:05Efowl10July 6thJuly 8th85 F1718000Everything was completely satisfactory. The chicks were all alive and healthy, with one extra, and I couldn't have been happier. Thank you efowl!jumpstartMissouriAlabama
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7/12/2011 13:45:16Meyer107/5/20117/7/20119055000These were our first chicks, and our first foray into keeping chickens, ever. So far, we're very pleased! The chicks arrived very much alive and spunky and ready to get out of their box (which was well ventilated and lined - very nice packaging). They began eating and drinking immediately, and have done a whole lot of it without pause or problem. We got five different breeds and all are doing amazing so far. We're very pleased!RedDrgnOHVA
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6/29/2011 13:22:30Metzer95/23/20115/25/2011daytime 701011001My ducklings are great! They were healthy looking and active on arrival. I split the order with a friend and one of hers died--I don't know why. Of my 6 one was killed by a dog and the 5 remaining are cute, healthy, and generally delightful. Of my 4 pekins 3 had pink bills, I don't know if that is normal--I expected orange.NissCAPA
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6/14/2011 7:55:57Murray McMurray Hatchery92/25/20113/15/2011303639040Very easy to deal with, good quality birds,great customer service. I had 4 that looked weak when they arrived and died the next day. Called the hatchery and got a quick refund for the loses. This is the third time I have dealt with them and they are great everytime.Fireman FarmerIowaVirginia
78
6/13/2011 14:20:54My Pet Chicken26/6/20116/8/20118288233My reason for ordering from My Pet Chicken was because I wanted to get Silkie and Polish hens. There website claims to sex within a 10% Accuracy. They also claim that they have a DOA loss rate of less than 1%. This Hatchery seemed to be what I needed. I ordered 5 Polish Hens and 3 Silkie Hens. First off, you will not received a shipping confirmation when they ship. This is not good since I did not know if they shipped or when to expect them. When I picked up the package shortly after USPS opened I immediately peeked inside and saw 2 of the chicks dead. When I got home I opened the box and found that two of the silkie hens where indeed dead and 1 of the polish chicks was week and almost dead. I immediately called up MPC and was credited for the 2 DOA chicks and was told to call back if the other one dies. It Did die that night. I tried a sugar water solution and it seemed to perk the chick up bit but it did not make it through the night. I called MPC back and was told I could not get a credit back for that chick only a free chick on my next order. So In the end I got 5 healthy chicks for 68 bucks. This comes out to $13.60 per chick - OUCH!. Needless to say, I will not do business with MPC again. I have ordered from Ideal 2 times in the past and have always had 100% Alive and healthy birds.Eastern_Shore_VACTVA
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6/8/2011 22:34:12Dunlap106/7/20116/8/201145 degrees3857022 totalPlaced an order for 15 gold Sebrights, 15 silver Sebrights, 3 black Silkies and 5 Buff Orpingtons. 38 total
Received 20, 20, 4, and 13 for 57 total		TedJan92_in_IdahoIdahosame
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6/5/2011 23:47:35Ideal105/23/20115/27/201198515000I have always bought my birds from Ideal. Chicks, ducks and geese, and have no problems. Happy healthy beautiful birds.. Will continue to buy from there, also..SwbudaTexasTexas
81
6/5/2011 18:19:32Ideal Poultry803/30/2011-05/0/20102 days after shipped853747none32I am really pleased with their customer service all shipment on time with min doa's the one that die they will rplace or refund money. the quality and health in the birds i recieved are very good. I just ordered 15 more from them 06/05/2011boss400Texasalabama
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6/3/2011 13:50:39Ideal Hatchery105/18/20115/20/201160313000I ordered 3 brown African geese from Ideal. They arrived here in Virginia in good health with 10 little rooster chicks to give warmth. It has been about 3 weeks now, and they are doing great. I have called Ideal several times: before the order to get info, I called to order, and I called a couple times afterward. Each time I called the person was very friendly and was able to tell me what I wanted to know. Good folks down there in Texas. Orange RibbonTexasVirginia
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6/3/2011 13:49:20Ideal Hatchery97/20097/2009921518001Ordered Spitz chicks. Order was cancelled three months prior to shipping and I called them to let them know I cancelled it, sent Terri proof of emails and cancellation orders. They refunded total and told me to give them good homes. One chick died later in the week due to momma hen squashed it. I am very pleased with their services! Will order again! EweSheepTXIL
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6/1/2011 20:33:57ideal73/28/20113/30/2011501022nonenonenoneThis is our 3rd order in past 4 years,ducks and chics.Out of 50 birds only lost one to pasty butt in second order a couple years ago.

Only problem we had was with 2nd order where leghorns were smaller than usual,maybe bantam.But Ideals owner sent us 10 new ones.		MeerkatTx.Fl.
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5/30/2011 6:31:58Cackle92/21/20112/23/2011403537036I am very satisfied with this order. I wanted to get my chicks early and took a chance on the cooler weather. I feel that cackle did a great job shipping my birds and sexing them, only had 1 wrong. I ordered easter eggers and salmon faverolles. Hamilton3475MissouriAlabama
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5/29/2011 23:01:43cackle10I picked them up3/1/20114855000They are just a few blocks away. I was able to walk in and pick out my Birds. Super friendly people.BigDaddyMMMissouriMissouri
87
5/29/2011 20:46:53Cackle85/11/20115/13/2011504044330This box of chicks and poults was routed to my PO by mistake and I took them to care for. For mishandling a box of chicks, Cackle loses points. The 18 bantams had been put in with 5 standard chicks per the order's request. Three bantams had been crushed. Two more died the next day as did the extra poult. Otherwise, the chicks and poults are healthy and I am enjoying my free box of poultry!jc12551MOTN
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5/29/2011 20:40:51Cackley85/16/20115/18/2011655052000I would give Cackle a 10, but they lost my order and my birds were delayed 2 months. Their customer service was excellent and they worked hard to make it up to me.jc12551MOTN
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5/29/2011 3:49:40Ideal Hatchery104/6/20114/8/2011801018000Birds came in excellent condtion and we are very pleased with them in both orders we have placed. Have never lost a Ideal chick.ottercreekranchTexasTexas
90
5/12/2011 22:20:35CM Estes10March 7th 2011March 8th 2011402628000Great communication per e-mail fromJudy. They accidentally sent a straight run of Speckled Sussexes instead of the 1 rooster and 12 pullets I ordered, I sent them pics just to be sure, then they more than made up for the error by shipping replacement pullets when the weather was warmer- standing by their 90% sexing guarantee- allowing either a credit or replacements. The favorelles were also in great shape, and I sold them to another to concentrate on my sussex chicks. TeddilizaMissouriMissouri
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4/15/2011 11:08:06Welp94/13/20114/15/20115020200UnkownUnknownThis was a reshipment from Welp and they have been fantastic about customer service. This time all 20 made it and are happily peeping away in the brooder! JerseyHenIowaNew Jersey
92
4/13/2011 13:02:24DarkEggs34/16/20114/8/201140F3030022This drop ship hatchery was apparently bought by a woman just this year who was unprepared and atempting to do the entire operation by herself. This does not work in a heavily seasonal business. You have to hire extra labor for the busy season.

She made a typo on the date she gave me for the arrival of my chicks so they came in ten days ahead of schedule when I was not expecting them and was not immediately checking messages from the Post Office. I also did not have the brooder ready. This resulted in my having to drop everything else and run over to the PO after the birds had already been there several hours, and get the brooder cleaned and fired up. I lost two birds probably as a result.

She did not offer to do anything for my loss or inconvenience and it took several email exchanges and a phone call before she would admit she had made the error.

I realize that in a bad economy people may try to start up businesses without adequate capitalization. Usually the result of this is that they develop a bad rep and the business dies in it's infancy. It is better to bite the bullet and make sure you have the necessary resources before you try to start something. It will pay for itself in the long run.


She seems like a nice person and undoubtedly means well and I hope she can get it together before next year.

Big PeepSC? Illinois
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4/12/2011 20:13:26Chickensforbackyards.com83/7/20113/9/201130's/40's44000Chicks were very well-packed - double-boxed with lots of insulation and one heating pad that was still warm when they arrived. Two of the chicks were feisty and healthy, two a bit runty but one came around well. The other died at 5 weeks - parrot-beaked and seemed to have other health issues. I also ordered some chicken supplies and was pleased with the quality, price and shipping speed. I would order from them again.EggyErinTexasGeorgia
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4/12/2011 20:05:01Meyer43/28/20113/30/201140's55300These chicks were not packed well - single box, two heating pads that were cold. Maybe they assumed since the chicks were going to Georgia that it was warm, but we're in the mountains and it wasn't! In my opinion they should have been double-boxed anyway. When I called about replacements, they didn't have any and wouldn't have any of what I ordered for two months. They wouldn't have any others ready until mid-May and I wanted to be done with wee peeps before then. However, the woman on the phone was extremely patient and helpful trying to find a breed that could ship out quickly, which I appreciated.EggyErinOhioGeorgia
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4/12/2011 19:26:45Mt Healthy10June 17th-ish?June 18thNot sure...2525000I absolutely love this hatchery! All the chicks arrived happy and healthy! I didn't lose any at all! I ordered Golden Comets (golden sex links)... I was so happy with the quality that I got, I just ordered 20 Wyandottes to come from them!MychookschickOhioMaine
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4/8/2011 9:32:04Welp64/6/20114/8/201139252516unknownunknownThe customer service has been great. They will be replacing the birds. The birds were likely victims of unpredictable weather. This hatchery is in Iowa so I thought the birds would make it to NJ sooner, but apparently they ship from a "supplier" in New Mexico. Had I known that I would have gone with a closer hatchery that does not use other, unknown, suppliers. Looks like we might lose at least one or two more. The others look very healthy despite the rough travel. JerseyHenIowaNew Jersey
97
4/7/2011 21:11:39Cackle103/31/20114/1/2011401519000Another great order from cackle. We did have to wait a month from placing our order to shipping however we ordered E.E and they are in high demand, and it is their busy season. I'll be ordering again next year.shchinchillasmopa
98
4/7/2011 21:10:14Cackle10August 20102 days after shipment702529021Overall I was very happy with cackle. The 3 chicks we lost 2 were banties and the third was a sumatra that was just smaller then the rest. We figured on a small loss anyway. They did sub. part of our order as they had a bad hatch. I'd order from cackle again in a heart beatshchinchillasMOPA
99
4/7/2011 16:26:48Meyer13/28/20113/31/20114015151500Great customer service but lousy shipping. Birds hatched Monday..not shipped till Tuesday morning. All dead upon arrival and when called to get a refund, only would refund the cost of the birds and not the shipping because (and I quote) "well they got there didn't they?" Never again!!specklesOhioAlaska
100
4/7/2011 13:26:43Ideal Poultry106/2/20106/4/2010741223000great service very friendly always willing to help..incase or problem they call to try to solve it with very good service..have ordered from them for 3 years now and always great to order again..great prices,always very livly and energetic chicks..never had a dead one arrive nor had one die on me..will continue to purchase from Ideal..Doodle_DooTexasTexas