# What hatchery to purchase day old chicks from?



## RANDAL (Feb 15, 2013)

IM in IOWA. Ihavnt purchased any chicks yet. I am looking for brown egg layers. Must have good disposition, high production, be good foragers, tolerate both heat and cold. (Its Iowa wait 5 minutes and the weather will change).

My list of breeds: Gold Star/Red Sex Link, Black Austalop, Barred Rock, Rhode Island red,Buff Orpington, and finally Silver Laced Wyandotte. 

For broilers, if I do broilers: Red Rangers.

My sons might even show some birds at the county fair so I might need a line of showy birds.

The list of Iowa hatcheries Ive narrowed down to: McMurry, Hoovers, and WELPS. Price wise and vaccinations Im leaning towards Hoovers. Are there better or other hatcheris I should/could at? 

Im only looking for a total of 25-30 chicks if I do both layers and broilers. Less if Im doing only layers, 25 layers would produce a lot of eggs.


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## Apyl (Jun 20, 2012)

I've never delt with Hoovers. So far I have had good results from Ideal in Texas and received my chicks in 2 days to Wisconsin, all chicks survived. Meyer, sorry bad experience with them so wont do that again. This year I've order the Happy Cackle special from Cackle in Missouri. I will be getting 10 pullets , 1 rooster, 10 mixed rare breeds, 2 geese, 2 ducks, and 2 turkeys. I contemplated McMurray but was having issues with finding breeds that were all available at the same time.


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## Nate (Feb 9, 2013)

I've ordered 30 chicks year and 25 last year from murrary mcmurrary hatchery! There awesome! And willing to work with you! I had 2 chicago die a few days ago and they already refunded me my money! I ordered buff orphingtons which to me is the best all around chickens!! Barred rocks! And Black australorps which is a record laying breed!!!!!


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## Nate (Feb 9, 2013)

Mcmurrary also had a minimum of 25 chics or if u wait until April they will sent 15!!


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## eqstrnathlete (Dec 9, 2012)

Meyer hatchery has no minimum. They just send free packing peanuts (males) to keep them warm.


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## Nate (Feb 9, 2013)

Sounds good! Do they ship guineas with no minimum!? I need a few more !?


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## realsis (Jan 13, 2013)

I never used a hatchery because they are all so far from me. But I found a breeder that was a NPIP (national poultry improvement plan)breeder about three hours from my home. I used them because it's less of a trip for the chicks and because it was a NPIP flock. I looked at the hatchery but they had such large minimum numbers of chicks I couldn't do it. So I had to go the route of a breeder. I'd just love to have a large flock but in my urban area it's not possible. Four is all I can have.


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## WeeLittleChicken (Aug 31, 2012)

I ordered my first chicks from McMurray. They arrived fine... I ordered 25 and they threw in extras. I only lost four chicks but I did have a runt that died recently at seven months old. I got two accidental roosters but I suppose that's just a risk you take with any hatchery. My girls are egg laying machines and have lots of personality. They won't be winning any shows though - they don't take on the perfection of breed standard in any way shape or form. I don't care about this but at the same time iI will be getting future chickens off small breeders who I feel have more attention to detail... I feel there's more chances of good health and consistency. However I do not regret my purchase at McMurray. It was a good starting point for a newbie....


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