Cackle hatchery's Hatchery Surprise- Anybody got this before?

[CGinJCMO]

Quote: We bought a silkie that was a few months older than a bunch of week old bantams and she snuggled with them on the car ride home and for the time I brooded/quarantined them. If she had survived till adult hood, I am sure she would have made a great mother because she was a great "big sister".

CG

 

[SlipsWife]

SlipsWife and scorpian5: Have you spoken to the hatchery? Is this an outbreak of something?

They told me that they generally guarantee 40 live birds for the surprise, shortly after that is when they updated their website. We had 39, I didn't make an issue out of it but I expected more than an 'Ok, thanks for the contact, have a good day'. I personally feel that there's something going on and I hope they become aware of it and fix it.

We had an order that hatched 2-12-14 from Cackle this year of EE and NN and they all came in as healthy as can be and are doing great. Our surprise from last year was amazing. We will probably order from them again next year and give it another shot. We might stick to ordering certain breeds or specials with more of a guaranteed number of chicks so we can get reimbursed for losses. I started with the surprise because I didn't know what breeds I wanted and it really helped to see what different breeds have to offer and we ended up loving the NN, which we never would have ordered on their own. I'd be interested to know if people that ordered some of the breeds that we had more losses in also had issues.

 

[SlipsWife]

I guess I'm not too sore about the whole ordeal. I will order from Cackle again, but I might not go with the Hatchery Surprise. I usually count on selling the breeds I don't want, and this time I was VERY hesitant to sell any of these chicks. All the breeds I specifically ordered were in much better condition--larger, healthier, no losses, etc.

Did you get any standard size Cochin? I didn't get any last year so I don't have much to compare it to but these guys are huge! They've been the healthiest of the group by far.


There's another one but I don't have a picture of him.

 

[Bullitt]

We got our chicks this past Friday and 7 did where dead in the box and as of today noon we are up to 16 dead. We have never lost this many chicks in an order. the rest of the surprise chicks seem to be doing alright

So how many lived?

Do you know how many days they were in transit?

Cackle says they guarantee 40 chicks. So if fewer than 40 lived, Cackle will send more chicks to you.

 

[popsicle]

Did you get any standard size Cochin? I didn't get any last year so I don't have much to compare it to but these guys are huge! They've been the healthiest of the group by far.


There's another one but I don't have a picture of him.

I got one partridge Cochin and he wasn't huge (he went to a friend, so I can't say beyond what he was when he left). Last year I got 4 black Cochins--none were as big as they maybe should be but were nice sized birds, especially the cockerel. I only have one hen left (I gave two to a friend as chicks, and I ate the cockerel). My black Cochin hen lays the ugliest eggs.

The biggest and healthiest this year from my Surprise are the White Rocks and Delaware.

 

[SquareInchFarm]

I got one partridge Cochin and he wasn't huge (he went to a friend, so I can't say beyond what he was when he left). Last year I got 4 black Cochins--none were as big as they maybe should be but were nice sized birds, especially the cockerel. I only have one hen left (I gave two to a friend as chicks, and I ate the cockerel). My black Cochin hen lays the ugliest eggs.

The biggest and healthiest this year from my Surprise are the White Rocks and Delaware.

oops
"ugly" as in what sense?
=)

 

[akashia26]

well my surprise shipped. 6 lbs. be interesting to see what we get.

 

[KuroKitsune]

well my surprise shipped. 6 lbs. be interesting to see what we get.

hope you get a good assortment and all the fuzzbutts arrive alive and healthy

 

[SlipsWife]

well my surprise shipped. 6 lbs. be interesting to see what we get.

Keep us posted!

 

[almachick]

We had a lot of issues with our surprise order.  Do you thinking it was shipping stress?  We lost at least a chick a day, one day 3, for an entire week.  We've never has losses past 24/48 hrs, other than predators. All of ours arrived alive though.  About half the order seemed spunky so it made it look like they were all moving around like crazy.  Most of our losses were houdans/silkies/polish.  

I had several losses with mine as well, and they too were mainly the same type of chicks as well. They arrived overnight so I strongly doubt shipping stress.