Meyer Hatchery vs. McMurray Hatchery

[WalkingOnSunshine]

I use Meyer and MMM almost exclusively. I've actually found Meyer to win the customer service battle in the past--they've been amazingly nice.

I do think MMM has better birds. I wasn't at all happy with how my sex-links from Meyer laid this past year, and I know for sure that MMM Easter Eggers lay better. Also, Meyer's Barred Rocks have clearly been crossed with something to increase egg production, as I've never seen such light-bodied Rocks before. They were practically sex-links, they were so slight. Not so good for girls that I bought to breed some table birds.

All said and done, I liked the people at Meyer a lot, but won't order birds from them again.

 

[SlipsWife]

I was surprised to receive a private message from Meyer regarding this review.


My thoughts of Meyer is currently being reevaluated. To go out of their way and reply to a post online with a promise to fix the problem is very impressive, and was more along the lines of what I expected originally. This tells me Meyer is big enough to correct something that should not have happened, so maybe I just ended up with the exception to the rule.

We still have other areas to review. More to come.

I think it says a lot that not only did they send you a message but a PRIVATE message. They could have responded in a public way so everyone could see. There would be nothing wrong with a public response BUT IMHO it was very professional of them to respond privately not knowing if you would share the response.

 

[JFreeman]

I use Meyer and MMM almost exclusively. I've actually found Meyer to win the customer service battle in the past--they've been amazingly nice.

I do think MMM has better birds. I wasn't at all happy with how my sex-links from Meyer laid this past year, and I know for sure that MMM Easter Eggers lay better. Also, Meyer's Barred Rocks have clearly been crossed with something to increase egg production, as I've never seen such light-bodied Rocks before. They were practically sex-links, they were so slight. Not so good for girls that I bought to breed some table birds.

All said and done, I liked the people at Meyer a lot, but won't order birds from them again.

For me, this time was completely opposite. One of my friends going on the order had ordered 10 Speckled Sussex. 7 of them died in the first 36 hours of arrival. Since then, we have had no more fatalities, thank heaven, and our Meyer order had no casualties. I can't say on how they will look because mine are still babies, but I can see how some one expecting a BR purebred to get something that is suspected not to be completely purebred. Then again, do you think that could just be the stock? The genetics of their birds that cause them to be more slender, or are they most definitely crosses?

 

[WalkingOnSunshine]

For me, this time was completely opposite. One of my friends going on the order had ordered 10 Speckled Sussex. 7 of them died in the first 36 hours of arrival. Since then, we have had no more fatalities, thank heaven, and our Meyer order had no casualties. I can't say on how they will look because mine are still babies, but I can see how some one expecting a BR purebred to get something that is suspected not to be completely purebred. Then again, do you think that could just be the stock? The genetics of their birds that cause them to be more slender, or are they most definitely crosses?

Can I ask how many chicks you've ordered, total? My experiences are over hundreds of birds going back five years. Any hatchery can have fatalities, and I've had a couple here or there. I'm talking about the performance of the birds as egg layers, only. I don't have any real differences on mortality between the two hatcheries.

It's fairly common to cross in a good laying breed to increase egg production for hatchery stock. I can't know for sure, but I've had Rocks from MMM and Rocks from Meyer, and I'd say the MMM Rocks outweighed the Meyer Rocks by a pound and a half.

 

[JFreeman]

Fatalities can occur, I agree, but stating I would rather buy MMM chicks in warmer weather because MMM doesn't include a heat pack. That doesn't have anything to do with how many chicks have been ordered over how many years. Regardless if I had ordered 300 chicks over several years or 100 in two or 15 in one.

 

[MNKris]

You couldn't pay me $5000 to get birds from McMurray ever again. After using them for a few years because they were a close hatchery, I literally would prefer to not have chickens over getting chickens from them. As far as rating MM stock, they are worse as far as health concerns. Many die in-transit, and when they had a hen to egg born illness, they didn't accept liability until the University of MN turn them in to the Board of Animal Health for me because it was a reportable disease. Then, all I got was a refund for dead chicks (200 total). Nothing for the 4 weeks I fed them, or the cost of the heat lamps, etc. I know their policy says "replacement value only" now, but I lost big on MM and will never use them again - EVER. This illness was proven to be 100% on their shoulders. I did nothing wrong, but it cost me in the end. So, in return, I give them all the free advertising I can.

I have had a few chicks from Meyer that were fine layers. Cackle has been my best experience by far, though I didn't like their Blue OEGBs. They were quite large and mean. The wheaten OEGB and BBRs were fine. And other breeds I have received a re far better than average with minimal loss if any.

 

[Michael Apple]

You couldn't pay me $5000 to get birds from McMurray ever again. After using them for a few years because they were a close hatchery, I literally would prefer to not have chickens over getting chickens from them. As far as rating MM stock, they are worse as far as health concerns.

I had a very bad experience with them as well. Some birds had kinky back, some showed leg and wing paralysis even though they were all supposed to be vaccinated for Marek's. 5 surviving out of 25 is not a good ratio.

 

[celonecoop]

I just ordered for the first time ever and I went with McMurray only because I received an email from them about a sale on their Rainbow layers so I figured what the heck I would give it a try I placed the order on a Friday afternoon and received confirmation of shipping on sun and Monday morning at 7:30am got a call from the post office that they were in picked them up right away and was please when I opened the box and saw the different birds. Still trying to figure breeds out I wish they would at least tell you what breeds are in the box so it cuts down on guessing. I ordered 25 got a free rare breed (gold lace polish) and that one looks as if it wasn't gonna make it but I nursed it with a little sugar water and it perked up and is eating fine and drinking and running with the rest of them now. So all are healthy or appear to be as on now well see! And there was an extra i guess in case of doa's.

 

[jonsccm]

Received my Meyer order today right in the middle of the snow storm. Out of 47 6 were DOA. 1 died right after I got home. 2 not looking good. But it was a 2 day trip. In weather that was not helpfull. The smallest of them all were 3 mottled cochin bantams, all 3 alive and some of the most active of all of them.

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[jonsccm]

Also Meyer scores tons of points for being incredibly helpful and has some of the best costumer service I have ever seen!