# Does anybody ever order from Ideal Hatchery?



## CadesLilFarm (Mar 4, 2014)

I am going to be ordering 24 chicks this September so I can have eggs by Spring. Ideal Hatchery has all four breeds I am looking for. Good or bad reviews on it?


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

They've been around a long time, can't have a bad rep and continue in business. Especially with other poultry people having such easy access to each other through forums to relate their experiences.

But, something to think about, bird flu. Most of the movement of chickens has been cancelled until further notice until this thing is under control. Most poultry shows, swaps/sales have been cancelled from the mid-west all the way to the Carolinas. The date I'm seeing is until Jan 2015.


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## chickens4me (Jun 28, 2015)

I have ordered from Ideal several times. Their birds are not show quality, but they are okay . Like was just mentioned though, Bird flu is not something to think it wont come to you. Last month someone in La. ordered some hatching eggs from a farm in Iowa, and 8 days later that farm tested pos. for avian flu. So now because they shipped out eggs as well as chicks to 37 states, the CDC is having to contact everyone that bought from them. The people in La. actually tested pos in the eggs they were incubating, so they have lost all their birds and hatching eggs. They have not only lost their birds, but they have now introduced the flu into previously clean places ,putting us all at risk. Please wait until it is safe to get chicks, or if you must have them, there are people like me hatching out our own eggs, so you may be able to get some if not all of the chicks you want locally.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

I looked to see if the virus can be transmitted in to the egg, they have found it in the egg but said the probability of the embryo hatching was near zero. So, as long as the egg is intact the likelihood that the virus could be spread is zero. It also said that the virus would only appear in the egg when the bird laying the egg was actively sick. And the breeder would see it because of the drainage from the eyes and nares.

I'm trying to relieve you of some stress here about the situation there. If you don't know first hand this happened then take it with a grain of salt. Talk to your state vet, ask him/her whether this story is true.

But the holding back or going local is the best advice of all. If I was still breeding there is no way in heck I would be bringing birds in to my flock from out of my area now.


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## CadesLilFarm (Mar 4, 2014)

How long should I wait before ordering chicks from a non-local hatchery?


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

The reason other states have put January as the date to the end of the state wide quarantine is the hope the virus has gone dormant with the cold and the migratory birds being gone from the area. Thing is, they can not, should not give out any guarantees even then.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Cade, another member just posted about being able to order. Check out the post here: http://www.chickenforum.com/f12/avian-influenza-2015-buying-poultry-9438/
It looks like orders can happen as long as they are not being processed through known flu outbreak POs.


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## WeeLittleChicken (Aug 31, 2012)

We ordered 100 Brabanters (they threw in one extra) from Ideal and had them delivered last February. This was after they had a SOLD OUT until 2016 sign out. So we vouched to be put on their waiting list, thinking it wouldn't be until next Spring we could get them, and a week or two later they called us and said they could have a shipment ready for us in three days! So there was some rushing about but we got everyone happy, healthy, and alive. I got probably around 30 birds that ended up actually looking like they were supposed to, kinda, with head crest and beards and whatnot, but I guess Brabanters are extreme in their lack of consistency in the US, so I can't totally blame this on the fact they're a large hatchery. Having ordered from them in February I wouldn't mind doing it again if I had to. In fact it's probably better if you want a variety, just so you know they won't be sold out of one or more! Most people wait until the warmer months which means supply doesn't always meat demand at that time. Better to wait until the winter months, less likely for that damn flu to follow them. Good luck!


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