Christy K.
1/5
Iâve debated writing this review for a while, but my experience has left me no choice. This is not a legitimate hatcheryâitâs a backyard breeder.
I was initially excited to find a local hatchery where I could pick up chicks in person. However, from the start, communication was unclear. I couldnât get a straight answer on availability but was assured they had a few of the breeds I wanted. After driving 45 minutes, I expected to see the chicks and choose them myself. Instead, the seller brought out a box with pre-selected birds, many of which looked identical.
I specifically wanted colored egg layers, so I left with the following:
2 Cuckoo Marans
1 Ameraucana
1 Sapphire Olive Egger
1 Sicilian Buttercup
1 prized Ayam Cemani
The total cost was confusing. I initially paid $137, then was told I owed an additional $85, plus the original $15 for the Ayam Cemani. This pricing was significantly higher than vaccinated, sexed chicks from Ace Hardware (which were around $6), plus an extra fee because I didnât purchase a dozenâfine, I accepted that.
Shortly after bringing them home, nearly all the chicks had pasty butt, despite being fed the food provided by the seller. I had to treat them and ultimately switched to a better-quality feed. Unfortunately, one chick died after just a few daysâdisappointing, but I chalked it up to bad luck.
After a couple of months, I realized my supposed Ayam Cemani was not an Ayam Cemani at all. When I contacted the seller, they claimed they had no invoice on file and couldnât issue a refund without one. The problem? They never provided an invoice in the first place.
Even after sending proof of my Zelle payment, they said that my supposed $100 Ayam Cemani was actually an Aquila chickenâa breed worth around $6 elsewhere. Instead of acknowledging their mistake, they told me how âbeautifulâ the bird was. They did offer to take it back, but after raising her for three months, that wasnât an option. All I asked for was a refund of the extra $85 cost, but they refused repeatedly. I eventually settled for a $60 store credit that I will never use.
As my chicks matured, I discovered more misidentified birds and that forced me to finally write this review.
The Cuckoo Marans I was sold turned out to be a Plymouth Rockâmeaning no dark maroon eggs, which was the main reason I bought them.
The Ameraucana was not an Ameraucana but just a lighter-colored version of the Sapphire Olive Egger. Both of these laid brown eggs, not olive.
When 4 out of 6 birds are not what they were advertised as, this is not a reputable hatcheryâitâs a backyard breeder misleading customers.
I live in town and have limited space for chickens, so now Iâm stuck with all brown egg layers for the next few years. I am beyond disappointed. A real local hatchery that knows what theyâre doing and would have been an amazing resource.
UPDATE: I would have gladly placed an online order had they told me to when I emailed them, but instead, they invited me to come out that day. They now claim they donât remember me, even though it sounds like they were being nice in letting me come there so most people don't. While they offered to take the bird back, they wouldnât have refunded me the full amount weithout my "invoice" (despite zelle payment proof).
For the record, I take excellent care of my chickensâI even have a 4.5-year-old crossbeak that I hand-trim every two weeks and feed a special diet. My birds are pets, not disposable.
And finallyâwhy is there no response to the fact that four of the birds sold to me were not the breeds I paid for? Kindness is important, but it doesnât excuse incompetence. Warning others is the kind thing to do as well.
They haven't offered any explanation for my issues, which is what I expereinced when I contacted them to start. Instead they call me "Karen", because I am leaving an honest review.
