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| Meyer Hatchery Mailing Address:
626 State Route 89
Polk, Ohio 44866 (United States) Phone: 1-888-568-9755
Fax: (419) 945-9841
Catalog Order Page: Hyperlink
Paper Catalog Cost: Free » E-Mail them
» Visit their website
| Recent reviews:
| Past month | Past 6 Months | Past 12 Months |
 Positive | 0 | 3 | 6 |
 Neutral | 0 | 2 | 2 |
 Negative | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| This company specializes in: |
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| Feedback History and Summary |
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Comments:
| Rating | Author | Content |
| Negative | Gypsy1964
Brunswick, OH (Zone 6a)
(1 review)
May 8, 2013 | I ordered 3 started pullets in January 2013 (1 easter egger, 1 golden buff, 1 black australorp) . I live in Medina County Ohio about 40 miles away and drove to pick up the hens on April 27. I had them about 1 week and the golden buff started sneezing and shaking her head. About 2 days later the other 2 started doing the same thing. They all have a terrible "odor". Not anything I've smelled before. I called Meyer and talked with a customer service person. I asked her if anyone else had called with these symptoms and was told no. I asked her what she thought was wrong and she said its just a respiratory cold because the weather has been cold. Not true. Its been in the mid 70's around here. Perfect weather. She didn't seem to know anything about chickens and was on the "My Pet Chicken" website trying to answer my questions. Never once asked me if I wanted a refund. I'm thinking they have CRD (or Corzya, even worse) and went to TSC to get Duramycin-10. It's been 2 days and none of them are better yet. It's looking like I will have to "do away" with the 3 because CRD is easily spread and I don't want my flock exposed to this. It's treatable but is often reoccurring and the 3 will always be carriers. I'm glad I have not formally introduced the sick ones to my flock yet, but time will tell if my chickens will get sick from the 3 new ones. I will never purchase chickens of any age from Meyer Hatchery. Just be warned! |
| Positive | Keith77
Peebles, OH
(1 review)
March 17, 2013 | My experience with Meyer has been totally great. I received 2 orders this month on 3/5, and on 3/12. 15 chicks ordered for each date15 chicks arrived alive each date and all chicks still alive and doing well. Very strong, eating good, and no pasty butt. I did request a heat pack and it was still warm when the chicks arrived. I ordered 52 chicks and 17 ducks from another hatchery delivered 2/26. I lost 15 in the first 24 hours and 6 more within 48 hours. 6 ducks were DOA and 3 more died within 24 hours. To say the least, I was disappointed. I will definitely order from Meyers again. |
| Positive | flamerider68
Irvine, KY
(1 review)
February 13, 2013 | Posted on February 11, 2013, updated February 13, 2013
I ordered chicks on the 4th(Monday) and recieved them on the 7th(Thursday). It took them three days to get to me about 2-3 hours from the hatchery per mapquest. This was the first time that I had ever ordered from a hatchery and to say that I was excited to get my babies would be an understatement. I tracked my ordered and found that they had finally made it to my Post Office as I getting my youngest daughter ready for school. I called the Post Office and was told that I could meet them at the back door and actually pick my order up early before they opened...gotta love small towns!! :) Right away, I noticed 8 that were DOA. :( I called Meyer as soon as I got them home and informed them of the casualties and sadly,within a few hours there were more. The death toll was 11 out of 16 on the first day of arrival. They told me that they would replace the 11 but, that I had to order additional chicks to make an order of 15 because they no longer ship any less than that. I was fine with that but, they would not sell me the 4 chicks at the same price I had just bought just three days before in the same week.This is where I have a problem. Not only were my chicks dead and/or dying but, I had to order more and pay more! To me, this is bad business! My second gripe is that the shipping container was too large, not enough holes punched out, only one small heating pad that covered less than half of the box. The shipping costs are too high. I've since shopped around with other companies and their shipping is way less and most were on the other side of the US whereas, Meyer is just a few hours away. At this point, I'm not sure that I will be doing business with this company again. It'll depend on how fast the replacement chicks arrive and if they arrive alive this time and stay alive. I will keep everyone up to date as to what hapened after recieving them which should be within the next couple of days.
On February 13th, 2013, flamerider68 changed the rating from neutral to positive and added the following:
alright, I promised an update and here it is.lol My replacement chicks shipped out on the 11th(Monday) and I awoke to a phone call this morning from the Post Office informing me that my babies were there! They allowed me to pick them up early again! :) I arrived with chick saver(electrolites), water and some feed and a pair of sissors to open the box with. Based on last week's horrific sight, I really didn't expect to be greeted by healthy birds BUT, I was proven wrong!! I was greeted with 15(no extras) cute little faces!! There is one that may be a little iffy but, that's to be expected though.. However, I'm glad I brought the water and chick saver..they were thirsty!! Secondly, I want to update everyone about the company. Jess, a rep for Meyer Hatchery called me yesterday morning. She said that she had reviewed my case and found they had over charged me for the 4 additional chicks needed to meet the 15 min. She also credited me for the additional chicks that was lost in the first 48 hour period. So, currently I am a happy customer! I have changed my rating from a neutral to a postive based on these three things:
*excellent customer service
*faster shipping time
*Delivery of living Chicks |
| Neutral | SamA2
Lowell, MA
(1 review)
February 1, 2013 | Just a response to ambertx90:
You asked what makes shipping day-old chicks different from shipping newborn puppies or kittens, and here's the answer: As mammals, newborn puppies and kittens rely on their mother's milk from the time they're born, so shipping them before they're older and more independent would be a pretty bad idea. Chicks are different, though: for up to 72 hours after hatching, they are still ingesting their yolk sac, which means they really don't need food or water during that time. Those first couple days are actually the single BEST time you could ship a chick. They need to be sent in a group, though, so they can stay warm from each others' body heat.
And why day-old chicks instead of eggs? The embryo inside a fertilized egg is actually quite a bit more fragile than a day-old chick. When you ship fertile eggs, the success rate is 75-80%, and it's not unusual to lose more than half of them because of rough handling during shipping (you may not know it until later, when they don't hatch). Meanwhile, when you ship day old chicks, the standard rate of survival is about 99%. Which one of those sounds more humane? |
| Neutral | ambertx90
CLINTON TOWNSHIP, MI
(1 review)
January 24, 2013 | I'm surprised this is still legal. Honestly, the people who are paying to have these defenseless LIVE animals shipped within a day of birth in a cardboard box to be days without care are just as greedy as the people who run this company. This is a sickening practice and no one would think to do it to a newborn dog or cat, but somehow think it's ok to do to birds?! What makes it different? Just buy fertile eggs and an incubator, atleast there is not developed, feeling, breathing life that you're gambling with. |
| Positive | GardenRiot
Ashville, OH
(4 reviews)
January 14, 2013 | We order many chicks every year, and have ordered from several different hatcheries, among them Murray McMurray, Mt. Healthy, and Meyer.
I've had no problems with any hatchery, and different varieties from different hatcheries perform differently. For instance, my MMM Easter Eggers outperform Meyer Easter Eggers in terms of laying ability, by I prefer Meyer's red sex links to MMM's.
Although I have received chicks through the mail from Meyer, we have started driving to pick them up to save shipping costs when we buy started pullets. Meyer has such a great price on started pullets--we can't start them ourselves for that price, so buying the started pullets saves us money and effort. I was concerned that pullets started at the hatchery would be afraid of people, but the red sex link pullets we get from them are the friendliest chickens I have, and were from the start. I don't know how they keep them so friendly, since clearly they aren't getting individual attention and there are many birds in one pen, but even when we picked them up the hatchery worker just walked into the pen (they're floor raised) and picked the hens up for us--the hens didn't run away. They also lay extremely well. We are in our third year with some of our Meyer RSL hens, and they are still laying 5-7 off-the-charts super jumbo eggs a week. No health problems, no behavior problems, just great hens.
I do wish they had an option to not have the beaks clipped on their started pullets. We don't need it done, and it looks gross. I will say that they free range just as well as the rest of the flock even with the clipped beak, which was something I worried about.
My experiences with Meyer have all been positive. The customer service has been pleasant and has resolved any small problems I've had quickly and nicely. I'm an experienced chicken raiser and have ordered several hundred chicks through the mail and Meyer is as consistent as any other hatchery, with good prices. |
| Positive | thepondlady
Lexington, KY
(1 review)
September 13, 2012 | WHAT A GREAT COMPANY~! We have a small farm and were looking to add ducks. This company had a very nice selection of ducklings, so my children put together our FIRST online poultry order ever. A little scared to buy living things to be mailed, we decided to add to the order with a couple more items. No problem with Meyer. Then added some health items the day before hatch date, again Meyer said no problem. I even called on the hatch date , asking how my babies were? Meyer said great, they were going out later that day. recieved an email saying they were coming, and sure enough (after letting my post office know) got the call that I had a chirping box. My son drove into to town with me, and to our DELIGHT, the box was smartly constructed for our live animals, and all were happily chirping. We have BEAUTIFUL HEALTHY ALERT fabulous ducklings. I would reccomend this company as a truely good source for poultry. Customer Sevice A+. Would buy again. And as my ducklings grow up, I will be thankful that the mother stock at Meyer was obviously good stock. |
| Negative | tamra1223
Carnesville, GA
(1 review)
August 27, 2012 | My first experience with my was with my first order I ordered 39 chicks and only got 37 not only did I receive 37 chicks I also received someone else's box of 50 now my chicks were supposed to have been vaccinated against Marek's but I am for sure that the 50 were not I called Meyer and they sent me the chick that we could not identify as our own not only that we sent them pictures of all the chicks, now you would think that someone that is in the business of hatching chicks could identify them...guess again...the next box I received 3 dead sultans and 3 dead lakenvelders now Meyer has closed my account...which is probably a good thing...Back to the 50 misc. box it had what looked to be like 6 Welsummers in it 3m and 3f now here it is 2 mos. later and I have a female Welsummer acting like it has Marek's I have segregated her from the rest of my flock but Doc says its to late they have already been exposed, that means all my chicks I have hatched or bought from a private dealer have been exposed too....WILL NEVER RECOMMEND BUYING FROM MEYER...WONDER IF THEY WILL PAY TO REPLACE MY FLOCK IF THEY ALL DIE...NOT |
| Positive | ChickSter99
Chester, GA
(2 reviews)
June 21, 2012 | I ordered my chicks from a different hatchery but bought supplies from Meyer because they were priced more reasonably. My supplies were delivered in a very timely manner. I was very pleased with the packaging of the supplies-nothing was broken, smashed, or missing. There was also good communication via email from customer service about products that I had questions about. |
| Positive | petset77
Fort Garland, CO (Zone 4b)
(1 review)
June 6, 2012 | We placed a small order of six chicks, based on their detailed website listing availability and hatch dates. We got two each of Rhode Island Red, White Leghorn, and Columbian Wyandotte. Hatch date was June 3, and ship date June 4. They arrived at the post office June 6, all healthy and active. The phone personnel were helpful and knowledgeable. The website has photos and info on many breeds, along with availability of each for months upcoming, making the choice of one's purchase simple. I originally went to the site to buy a breed that would not be hatching for a month, so I chose the ones I did based on availability. I will be doing business with them again. |
| Positive | mustlovespam
Gardiner, ME
(1 review)
May 5, 2012 | Posted on May 3, 2012, updated May 5, 2012
Posted on May 3, 2012, updated May 3, 2012
Where, oh where, shall I begin? You know the saying, “Don’t count your chicks until they hatch”, well “I put all my eggs in one basket” and now I’m sitting here with an empty brooder. To say I’m disappointed would be a mild understatement.
I started my search for hatcheries this winter when I came across the “All Pullet Rainbow Pack” at Meyer Hatchery that boasted “We will make every effort to include as many different breeds as possible, but guarantee a minimum of 5.” Perfect!! That’s what I want! So I read some reviews, some positive, some negative, but decided that I’d give them the benefit of the doubt anyhow. This was in February.
Strike 1: (should have listened to the warning bells going off in my head)
March 21st, I called to place my order. When it was completed, she said “You should receive those between the 4th and 6th of May” “May?” I asked, “According to the website, they’re available is the first weeks in April?” To which I was told, “the website is a little misleading!” Really? You think? If you’re going to have a very clear and concise weekly calendar with availability dates listed on it, it should be accurate!!!
Strike 2: (I don’t have a good feeling about this)
May 3rd, a month and a half later, having yet to see an update on my order status, I call Meyer and get a very pleasant lady looks my order up and says ”Hmmm…I’ve never seen this before, there are no line items on your order. I see that you placed an order on March 21st, that you were charged $71 on April 19th, but nothing was shipped out. I’ll have to check into this, and I’ll call you back”
Strike 3: (Really? You call that customer service?)
I receive a call back from Meyer within 15 minutes explaining that there was a “glitch” in the computer and that they were sorry, but my order was not shipped out because there was no order to ship. And that all they could do was to place another order and that I would receive it at the end of May? Another month?? Unacceptable!!! No offer to discount my order. No “we’ll add some chickens to your order for your trouble”. Not even a mention to deduct the shipping charge. Just a sorry, better luck next time.
I live in Maine; production tips off in October as it is. They wouldn’t lay until the end of November at that rate, if at all, until the following spring. I can’t even begin to tell you how dissatisfied and disappointed I am!
So now I’m left scrambling to find a hatchery or a person or a neighbor that might possibly have some chicks that I can purchase as I’ve already missed out on the orders from the local feed stores because I put my faith in Meyer! I’m not the type that makes mistakes twice, so I will NOT be doing business with them again, and being human, the story of my dissatisfaction will be told again and again and again…
On May 3rd, 2012, mustlovespam changed the rating from negative to positive and added the following:
UPDATE: Posted the review you see above on Meyer's website and received a call from them less than an hour after hitting send. The woman was friendly and apologetic that my order was handled. We worked out an alternate shipping date, and she added a vit-a-pack (vitamin supplement to put in their water once a week) to my order. She apologized again and told me she'd keep in touch until my order shipped.
Then after she got off the phone, she noticed that I was also charged the wrong amount and called me right back to let me know that she'd be crediting my account the difference.
My confidence has been renewed in human kind. Let's hope all goes well :)
On May 5th, 2012, mustlovespam added the following:
I guess there's something to be said about not sending an email when you're upset. It's one thing to write it, but completely another to send it.
I've had such a fast and positive response from Meyer, that I am now feeling guilty about posting something so negative. I'm now singing their praises. I got a personally written card from Jess @ Meyer apologizing once again and wishing me all the best once my chicks arrive this coming week.
{does anyone know how to delete a post?} |
| Negative | LaysEggs
Blue Ridge, VA
(1 review)
April 12, 2012 | My original order was for 27 chicks including their "meal maker" offer. The first chick death was likely caused by poor handling by the USPS, arriving to me dead in the Meyer container. Their customer service was good even offering to let me wait the full 48 hours of their guarantee period to report any other deaths/problems. By the end of that period I had lost another and a credit was added to my account.
Since then (the chicks are 10 days old today) I have lost six chicks total, despite the new brooder, new coop, no other chickens on the property to pass disease and constant monitoring of food, water and temperature status. I require my children to wash their hands before and after handling food and water containers AND the brooder has been placed inside our house for constant monitoring.
For clarification, this is not my first time with chicks. I have started and grown six flocks of chickens of various breeds over the last twelve years. This has never happened to me before, not even the first time when I was 'green' and probably just got lucky, raising 24 of 24 hatched out and given to me by my neighbor.
This time I have had to watch my eleven year old daughter run away from the brooder crying after finding one of her "babies" lying dead. Not only that but just yesterday I learned a local farm supply store ordered 1500 chicks from Mt. Healthy hatchery and only lost three (3!).
Meyer tells me I have a credit on my account. I will never use it. I would strongly recommend anyone not yet supplied with chicks avoid Meyer hatchery; any savings on their "cheap chicks" is lost to chick demise. These birds are not healthy. |
| Positive | ottobb
Rapid City, MI
(3 reviews)
February 12, 2012 | We ordered a batch of 32 chicks. They all arrived alive, and after 2 days we had 29 left (out of an original count of 34, 32 plus 2 "free"). I called the company and they issued credit very willingly. The mortality rate was a little higher than we have experienced with McMurray or Cackle, but overall not bad. We ordered these May of 2011, and they have developed into a nice flock. My one issue would be that we ordered 4 white Cochins, and I'm pretty sure that we didn't receive 4 Cochins. Pretty decent place. We placed another order for April, so I'll update then. |
| Positive | buck108
Ocean City, PA
(2 reviews)
January 30, 2012 | This is a good company to order from! Wonderful birds! The kids did great at 4 H last year. I will definetly order from you guys again. Our welsummer hens lay the most beutiful eggs I've ever seen. |
| Positive | ChickenRick
Athens, AL
(1 review)
January 5, 2012 | I ordered from Meyer based on chick availability, I wanted them in early Jan 2012. I received a shipping notification on email, and my chicks arrived just over 24 hours after the email. I have ordered from several different hatcheries and must say Meyer is only the 2nd hatchery that ALL of my chicks arrived live and well. They are vibrant, and just waiting to see how they grow. Other hatcheries (which I won't name) I've ordered from and the last 2 years and a late February delivery produced bad luck. Each time when the box was opened it looked like a mass grave. Not with Meyer, and so far I'm 100% satisfied. Thank you Meyer and I will look forward to my next order real soon. |
| Positive | cujo1101
Hollis, OK
(1 review)
November 22, 2011 | almost 2 years ago i ordered 25 chicks, 13 buff orpingtons (1 rooster and 11pullets) and 12 dominique (1 rooster and 10 pullets) ana received 1 extra. lost only 2 within 2 weeks the rest survived now i only have 7 buff orpington hens,1 buff orpington rooster and 3 dominique hens, the others have been killed by my son's dog. i am getting anywhere from 8 to 10 eggs a day from my hens in october one hen set on 6 eggs and 5 hatched they are about six weeks old. ihave planned to order more from meyer hatchery this coming year probably another 25 or so from them again. |
| Negative | fabric
Jonesboro, AR
(1 review)
November 19, 2011 | Posted on November 13, 2011, updated November 19, 2011
we ordered from Meyer Hatchery,,25 pullets & 2 male orpingtons, recieved them just fine, when we got them home we realized one was going to die, in 48 hours we lost 4 or 5, & we have continued to loose chicks up to now.
we have raised chickens for 10 years, & also hatched our own chicks from the flock we had.
we wanted to introduce new blood line, but not sure that will happen, we have 6 chicks left.
not sure at this time if any will survive. we have 3 or 4 that can stand up & walk.
we will not buy from the meyer hatchery again.
On November 19th, 2011, fabric added the following:
out of the six chicks we had left, only one has survived.
we had to put a stuffed animal & a mirror in with the chick so it would not be lonely. we wait to see if this one will live.
we have never had such horrible experience with a hatchery chicks before. again they will never get our business again. |
| Neutral | Holyhatty
North Branford, CT
(2 reviews)
October 22, 2011 | Got my 28 chicks alittle over a week ago and I have mix feelings about Meyer's, (first time ordering from them). I love the fact that you can have small orders, not that I care cause I usally buy 20+ chicks per order, but it's nice if you want a random breed that your not sure about and try it out. Anyways, my 28 chicks arrived pretty healthy when I opened the box. After around 2 days old many had pasty butt, I used high protein chick stater for them, the pasty butt wasnt really an issue. After day 3, I see one of my chicks was smaller then others and was weak, 2 days later she dies. Then a day later I see another chick weak/sick then she dies 2 days later. So far the rest look strong and healthy and hoping no more will die... I expected Meyer's to be the best hatchery but I'm 2nd guessing that.. Not saying there bad, but it just seems after the 48 hour guarantee from Meyers, that's when the chicks start to die and you can't do anything about it.... |
| Negative | Ladypilot48
Champion, MI
(1 review)
May 27, 2011 | Posted on May 26, 2011, updated May 27, 2011
Hi everyone!
This is my 1st post so I'm not sure if I'm doing this right, but I want to give it a try !
I'm also new to the World of Chickendom , but I think I'm doing great as far as taking care of my Babies.
Here's the deal.
I orderderd from other hatcheries and haven't had Any fatalities , however , about 1 month ago, I ordered 1 Salmon Favorelle Rooster and 1 SF hen along with 2 Partridge Cochin hens from Meyer Hatchery.
2 weeks ago, they sent me my Tracking number.
I live in Upper Michigan and they were coming from Ohio
I tracked the shipment and on the 1st day, I saw that my babies travelled from their hatchery , to Detroit ( which was perfect because the next stop would be home at my post office ) , BUT then BACK to their hatchery!!
The hatchery said " we dont know Why that happened , but maybe you'll get them in a day or 2 more "!!!
1 1/2 days later at the post office, I opened the box and the first thing I was greeted with was a SF with SPRADDLE LEGS who never opened his/ her eyes !
ALL of the babies had Pasty Butt , however I caught that in time , cured the remaining Cochin , but I Battled it for Several days with my SF until I learned that maybe lowering the brooder heat and offering Plain Greek Yogurt, might help.
Greek because of the higher protein in it.
Got them home and IMMEDIATELY called them to report it .
I put a Bandaid around the baby's legs , but the poor thing was NEVER able to stand and open eyes and he/she didn't make it thru the night ALONG with a SUDDEN loss of a Cochin !
They did honor their 48 hr guarantee for in store credit or money back on my card but since I will NEVER order from them again, why order more babies just to have them sent Again in Horribly poor packaging ( too much room in box and just 1 hole for breathing )!
Being new to the World of Chickens, I have further discovered, that my surviving " Cochin" is actually a Partridge Rock, and a Roo at that ..
I have lost a total of 2 Hens of the 4.
Also, you will read on their website, that they send " 20 percent more chicks with order in case of fatalities "..
I did NOT receive my 20 per cent , and when I mentioned that to them, they THEN, informed me that " they only do that IF they have extras"..
Now, I totally understand that, however, maybe they should ADD that statement right after the original ..I dont know, maybe its me, but that makes sense.
So, needless to say, I WILL NOT use Meyer Hatchery again.
On May 27th, 2011, Ladypilot48 added the following:
Hello again everyone.
I wanted to give you all an update since yesterday's post.
After sending Meyer Hatchery an email regarding my 4 baby chicks I ordered..( my fatalities , lack of " extra chicks " I was supposed to get, and NOW, them sending me the WRONG species regarding the COCHIN, and the sex of my last SALMON FAVORELLE ), below is the " conversation " I had with their " customer service"..
*************************************************
On Thu, 26 May 2011 05:18:50 -0400, Dd Claud wrote:
> AS you have noted, I Did lose a Favorelle and 1 of 2 what were
> supposed to be female PARTRIDGE COCHINS
>
> Being new to chickening, I've been waiting , Since my order received
> , for my last " FEMALE PARTRIDGE COCHIN" to Sprout leg feathers!
>
> Well , here we are , 3 weeks later, and NO leg feathers!
> Besides that , I believe it is a ROOSTER!
>
> I've Had several professional breeders look at her/him , and it's
> believed I might have a Partridge Rock instead !
>
> He/she is an Extremely sweet chicken( they are pets ), however , but
> now I have 2 roosters now.
>
> I would appreciate ANOTHER refund for the Wrong species AND sex.
>
> I Will be calling too, to make sure this is done
>
> Thanks
> Deirdre Claud
**************************************************
Dear Deirdre,
Our policy on roosters is: you can report those at 10-18 weeks of age. That is when you would know for sure if you got a rooster. So please let us know.
As far as the cochin, I am not sure when they develop their leg feathers. Would it be possible to send us a picture? Cochins are rather large birds, so it may take them longer.
I cannot issue a credit "for the wrong species" until we see a picture. And again, as far as the sex, we do have to wait til 10-18 weeks.
Thank you for choosing Meyer Hatchery.
Laura
**************************************************
Wait a moment...
Now, we have to " wait 10-18 weeks " to see if THEY sent me the sex I ordered ??
Where is THAT statement in their brochure?
And if that is the case,
WHY would they have OPTIONS to order MALE, FEMALE or STRAIGHT RUN , instead of offering ONLY STRAIGHT RUN ONLY for the species I wanted??
As far as their customer service person unsure " when COCHINS " start to get their " leg feathers ", WHY doesnt she know, is she Not a representative of their company?
Ive sent pics of my " COCHIN" to 5 breeders who ALL say that Cochins have leg feathering " at hatch".
1 MAIN thing I did learn about ordering from hatcheries, that Veteran buyers have mentioned several times, is DO YOUR RESEARCH..( which i did ), also, be somewhat leary of hatcheries that DO NOT show actual pictures of their chickens, but only Drawings.
I have done extensive research on chickensforbackyards.com, and have an order being sent out June 6.
I chose them because they not only take small orders, BUT, they offer videos of their chicks, AND actual owners of the chicks bought from them.
Well,
just wanted to be fair and post Their response for Potential buyers at Meyer Hatchery, so they can make a somewhat, educated decision.
My final statistics:
out of 4 babies ordered...
1 Salmon Favorelle Rooster
1 SF hen
2 Partridge Cochin Hens
All 4 had Pasty Butt noticed at the Post Office where I opened the box, BUT was immediately dealt with every few hours once I got them home,
1 had Spraddle Leg and Never Opened his/her eyes and despite placing Hobbles on the legs, and Trying to get the baby to eat,
she/he passed away the next day,
The next day ALSO had a Sudden death of a Cochin hen, despite dealing with her Pasty Butt,
Now, I learn that not only is the hatchery unsure if they sent me a rooster and hen, SF,
but my 2 " Cochins ", ARE NOT Cochins afterall...
Im not sure what my remaining one is, however, she is super sweet and a "lap chicken" tho..
Take care all..
|
| Positive | equineplanner
La Grange, KY
(2 reviews)
May 13, 2011 | Great experience! Ordered email special which shipped within hours of placing the order online. Ordered 100 and received 104 healthy and vibrant chicks. |
| Positive | lou63
Bridgeton, NJ
(1 review)
April 13, 2011 | we had ordered a varity of chickens, they shipped them out monday they ened up an hour away but the post office was nice to call so we got them a day earliar rather then us waiting for them to come to the postal service near me. they shipped us 4 extra and one mystery bird. out of 105 chicks only one was dead. they all seem healthy and a couple of chicks have cones on their head which are very cute. i would order from them again i was very pleased with what i got. thank you |
| Positive | artathart
Hagerstown, MD
(2 reviews)
March 24, 2011 | So far, So good. I had a horrible expierence with MurrayMcMurray Hatchery so I placed a order with Meyer. ordered 17 chicks. All my chicks arrived safe and sound. Not one loss. 3 days later, no losses. They all seem healthy and happy. Every order from the other hatchery I lost at least HALF of my baby chicks. I will make any edits to this over the next few weeks if I lose any more but as of right now, I am very satisfied. They were very nice and helpful over the phone as well. Another great thing? You dont have to order 25 chicks and they place a heating pad in the shipping box which I think made a world of differene. They have no pasty bottoms either, Other hatchery....All had pasty bottoms. They were very reasonably priced and I received a lot of help and guidence over the phone when placing my order. This will be my go to online hatchery from now on. |
| Positive | tedgrowsit
Reading, PA
(1 review)
March 8, 2011 | I have ordered from this hatchery for several years now. I have always been very satisfied with their service and quality. My latest order included 25+1 of their best brown egg layers, all pullets. They arrived a day earlier than I expected, all lively, all healthy. I appreciate affordable poultry, which they definitely provide. I certainly would not hesitate to order from this company, and would recommend them to others. |
| Positive | Cuckoo2
Highland, IN
(1 review)
December 4, 2010 | The phone staff was extremely friendly when I placed my order. My 9 chicks were born November 8 (and 9) 2010. When they did not arrive at the post office on the 9th I called. They said that there were a few late bloomers, and now they were ready to go. At the post office on the 10th there were 3 people in front of me in line. They were all looking around for the source on that peeping noise. The Araucana peeped non-stop until I got the box home. Four weeks later all the chicks are happy and healthy. I highly recommend Meyer Hatchery. They have a great selection and you can order as few as 3 chicks. |
| Positive | berniedoran
Centerburg, OH
(1 review)
November 22, 2010 | Posted on October 28, 2010, updated November 22, 2010
ordered 12 black jersey giants, hatched 3AM Oct. 25. had them vac. and picked them up at 3 PM Oct. 25. home at 4 PM, 110 mi round trip. several started eating immediately. by AM Oct 26. all eating and drinking. All going strong today, Oct 28, doubled in size. They will chase a string like a cat!!! very active, unless asleep, even try to catch flies. I can not imagine what else Meyer could do, staff was friendly, etc. I wonder if the people reporting problems received them in the mail. believe me, I am one of the first to bitch if there is a problem, sure do not see one here. Centerburg, Ohio
On November 22nd, 2010, berniedoran added the following:
today, Nov 22, the chicks are four weeks old. still all twelve growing like, well chicks, they look big already, legs are huge, very active. what more to say? Bernie |
| Positive | howdydoody
Springfield, KY
(1 review)
October 16, 2010 | I have ordered from Meyer on numerous occasions over the last 3-4 years. I have ordered over 100 chicks (some small orders), and some ducklings from this supplier of poultry and supplies. I have nothing but good things to say about this company that not only saved me alot of money but delivered my chicks and ducklings in excellent condition. The ducklings order was 12, 6 males and 6 females. All are alive and well in the pond and they are beautiful rouens. I have raised Meyer broilers, laying hens (black austrolorps, blackstars, buffs, barred rocks, white leghorns, wyandottes), and ducklings and ordered supplies also. Their prices are very reasonable and my son showed 3 of the laying chickens at the state fair and won 3 ribbons. When ordering chicks, take into account the weather they will be arriving in and have sugar water ready for them (warm if necessary), plenty of food (place a shiny coin in the feed), a draft free place to put them and plenty of warmth from a brooder light. We will be ordering from Meyer again soon as I am a very satisfied customer. |
| Negative | yogalise
Bellingham
United States
(1 review)
July 28, 2010 | My first experience was early spring, 2010. I called re. an advertised special, and they denied the order- and not too friendly about doing so- said I was past the deadline, by my clock I still had another day.
In early June 2010 I called re. the same advertised special- 25 chicks for $25. The order was successfully placed- with $21 added for shipping.
That order arrived 100% fatality. I did not blame the hatchery- I blamed the USPS... $21 shipping???
Meyer did send 25 replacement chicks- 24 arrived alive.... within 24 hours 1 more died (I did call hatchery- and they wanted to give me credit... since I won't be ordering from them again, that will be useless). Within 48 hours another 2 had died.
Now the chicks are fairly feathered- 2 have beak deformities, others have had continual deaths classified as "failure to thrive". All have a rather ratty look about them. At present, out of 25, there are 10 remaining.... 7 weeks old.
I've raised chickens for 45 years. I've never had this poor experience before. Prior to this, I've only had maybe 1 or 2 deaths per year.... until the chickens are aged.
I have another batch from another hatchery alongside- they are thriving. 100% success with the other batch.
The two emails I've sent have not been responded to.
Simply put- I'm done with this hatchery- this has been my only business transaction with them. |
| Neutral | albatross30
Frankfort, IN
(1 review)
July 20, 2010 | Ordered 25 pullets for week of 6/28/10. I called Saturday 6/26 wanting to switch my order, but the breeds I was wanting were not available. They told me to call back Monday morning, 6/28, to see if there any extra chicks that hatched that day of the breeds I wanted and I could switch. I called at 10am, 1 hr after they opened, to see if I could change my order. They told me it would be impossible to find my order since it was already sent out to be filled. I recieved a call on tuesday 6/29 saying that the 6 australorps I ordered did not hatch and they were replacing them with columbian wyndottes, which I already orderd 3. The australorps were for a young family not far from my house. They raise chickens to cut grocery costs and their flock is getting old and production was way down this year. For me, it would have been more acceptable to give me sex links or R.I Reds that have a higher production than a Wyndotte.
The chicks did arrive all alive. 1 died of crusty butt at 72 hrs, which I do not blame Meyer. I think Meyer needs to ask the customer what type chickens they would want to replace if they could not fulfill the order or ask the customer if they are willing to wait the next week to properly fill the order. I would have been willing to wait a couple of weeks. |
| Neutral | farmfamily2
(2 reviews)
June 14, 2010 | I'm wanting to order several different chicken breeds and Meyer Hatchery appears to be the only source for small batches of the breeds I want. I was concerned after reading feedback here so I considered giving them a call anyway but looked them up with the Better Business Bureau first and I'm glad I did. Better Business Bureau says they're aka "Falling Star Farms" and ranks them as an F. I'd rather do without than be frustrated and regretful.
http://www.akron.bbb.org/newsearch2.asp?ComID=02720013181970... |
| Negative | cprokop
Austinburg, OH
(1 review)
June 8, 2010 | Ordered chickens back in April. Policy states that all orders ship with up to 4% more polutry...BUT THATS ONLY IF THEY HAVE THEM IN STOCK! Ordered Turkeys in June. Order was to ship on June 7 and receive them the next day...called June 8 order shipped on that day. Turkey's will arrive anywhere from June 9 - 11! How do they expect newbornes to surrive THAT LONG????? Meyer hatchery WILL NOT CANCEL ORDER! Company DOES NOT CARE ABOUT CUSTOMERS OR LIVESTOCK! ALL THEY WANT IS YOUR MONEY! POLICYS CHANGE DAILY AND THEY DO NOT TELL THE TRUTH WHEN YOU PLACE YOUR ORDER. YOU WILL NOT RECEIVE YOUR ORDER ON TIME!!! |
| Negative | DawnSterling
Concord, NH
(1 review)
May 26, 2010 | I ordered 25 chicks from Meyers. Upon arrival 5 were dead and then another 6 died within 48hr. I called and told them they had too much room in the box and that it only had 1/2 of the holes punched out - they suffocated and were trampled. They sent out a replacement shipment which I received this morning. Out of the 11 shipped, only 3 were alive and one does not look like it is going to make it. I called and talked with Cindy. I asked to speak to a supervisor (this is almost 9am) and she said there were none there. She said that she was told she could handle it. I asked for an owner's name and extension. She gave me Ben. He is not an owner. He is a line supervisor. This replacement shipment had only 2 holes punched out on one side and 5 holes on top. The chicks suffocated. It was over 90 degrees yesterday and approaching that today.
Ben had every excuse in the book. He said that they had shipped them correctly. I had ordered from other places in the with virtually no loss of chicks. Do not order from them. The chicks suffocated in transit. A total of 7 air holes is not sufficient to keep them alive for 2 days in 90+ weather.
There were other chicks at the post office this morning from other hatcheries and they were just fine!
I live in NH. |
| Negative | Riverabarnes
Scranton, PA
(1 review)
May 11, 2010 | Do not do business with this company. They do not care about the customer, they are simply greedy individuals. |
| Positive | AnnieBBB
(Zone 5b)
(5 reviews)
March 25, 2010 | I picked up my chick order on 3/15. They were all healthy and Meyer even included extra chicks which was a surprise since they weren't shipped. All are doing great. Staff was helpful and friendly, their store was well stocked with supplies, reasonably priced. Will absolutely order from them again! |
| Negative | SerenaBeth
Valles Mines, MO
(2 reviews)
March 24, 2009 | This was my second year ordering from Meyer Hatchery. In 2008 I ordered about 25 chicks. I had quite a few dead on arrival and I went through the process of getting replacements sent out. The process was over all time consuming and by the end of last year ALL the chicks I had ordered had died, including the replacements. We had during that time also purchased a number of chicks by a variety of means and from a number of different locations. I try never to judge based on one experience, BUT.... forgetting that all of last years stock died, I was once again lured in by the catalog that was sent to me and the prices listed for the different breeds. I made an order of 33 chicks the second week of February. The first available ship date was expected to be on March 16th. I also noticed that my Visa was charged that very same day and not on the 16th of March as I had been told on the phone.
I was waiting at the post office the morning of the 18th and was very surprised that my chicks were not there. I called and was told that they had in fact shipped a day late. Well that was Okay as long as they were not in transit. It would have been nice to get a phone call or an email but I guess they assume that we would just wait for the postmaster to call to know our chicks are ready for pick up.
On Thursday morning I went to the post office to claim my chicks that I had been waiting a month for. When I arrived home I discovered 6 dead chicks in the box. They had sent ONE extra.
I also discovered that the chicks were all different ages. We hatched over 200 eggs last year that we purchased off eggbid.com and I would have to say that I know at least enough to know that we were talking about a week difference or more in the ages. The first day was rough and we lost 5 more through out the day. The next day I was gathering my documents to call Meyer when my husband brought in 2 more dead chicks and asked that I wait a little longer to see what our total number of dead was at the 48 hours. Since the 48 hours landed on a Saturday I expected to call on Monday after calling and receiving a machine.
By Monday morning we had a total of 17 dead chicks!
I called customer service and was told that I would get no refund, credit or anything since they only allow a 48 hour window to claim.
I actually understand that but I could not get through to anyone on SATURDAY to make my claim. I decided not to fight it. Of our remaining chicks we have three that have pasty butts and two we are watching closely. I will not be ordering from Meyer again and in fact I did call again to ask to be taken off the mailing list.
Instead I have found a really good hatchery with even better prices and a great reputation- Cackle Hatchery. I will be ordering all my "replacement" chicks from them.
I am sorry Meyer but you failed me twice! |
| Positive | bivensul
Partlow, VA
(1 review)
September 11, 2008 | I’m very pleased with my experience with Meyer Hatchery. I only wanted a few female chicks, not 25, so I tried Meyer’s small order program. I ordered 2 Barred Rocks, 1 Rhode Island Red, and 1 Black Star. There was a minor issue at first. I requested a 2 Sep 08 delivery date, but when the chicks didn’t show up by 4 Sep I called to find out where the chicks were. The Customer Service person was very nice and apologized. She said they didn’t know what happened, but the chicks didn’t ship. She reentered the order to be delivered on 9 Sep. Sure enough the chicks showed up on the 9th. I was impressed with the packaging. The box was very sturdy and lined with soft material with a little heat pack. All 4 chicks are very healthy and full of energy. I would buy from them again because they have this option for people that can only accommodate a small number of chickens. |
| Neutral | Newleaf
Metchosin
Canada
(1 review)
August 15, 2008 | I have ordered for many years from Murray McMurray and been very pleased with their birds and their service. This year I decided to place a second poultry order and McM was sold out so I decide to try Meyer. I live in Canada and require health papers. I also have to pick up in the US, which requires a 4 am wake up , a long drive, a ferry ride to Pt. Angeles, WA and then another ferry back and another drive home: all told about 15-18 hours. So it's a coordinated event to get birds. On the last day the Meyer order was supposed to arrive [they give you a 3 day window] (and the last day I had arranged to have someone work my shift for me at my job if necessary), someone called me from Meyer to say they had pushed my order to the next week because they didn't have all the birds I wanted. I had of course already paid for the birds and the health papers. But Meyer had forgotten to actually get the health papers so if the birds HAD been shipped, I wouldn't have been able to bring them into Canada. We went back and forth trying to find dates when I could get both the health papers and the birds I ordered and finally found one a month or so later. When the birds arrived they seemed quite lively except for a couple croakers in the box. There were another 3 dead by the time we were on the ferry. And another 6 or so by the time I got home. I have never had that many lost with McM. And I lost a fair amount more. I also had guinea fowl and they kept dying. And dying . And dying. Of the 72 guineas I ordered I have ended up with 42. I finally got someone at Meyer who admitted that they had a lot of trouble with the guineas this year- but , like the person above noted, they only guarantee for 48 hours and since I kept losing them for two weeks, I only got credit for a few of them. Of the other birds, some others have just died at 6-8 weeks for no apparent reason. Some of these I had already sold to other experienced chicken people and some were mine.
There also was another episode where they charged a friend's birds on my credit card on her say so, without ever checking with me. She paid me, but I don't think they should be charging on my credit card without my okay.
My comment is neutral because I will probably try Meyer once more next year. I know McM is very expensive, but for me , their service and birds have been great. With Meyer, I have lost a lot and the entire ordering was a mess. |
| Positive | Ravyn74
Fordland, MO
(2 reviews)
July 9, 2008 | I am a very satisfied customer. I ordered 100 Buff Orpington pullets and 12 Buff Orpington males. Meyer Hatchery delivered on the date as promised. ALL of my chicks arrived alive and healthy. They began to eat and drink as soon as I put them in the brooder. 5 hours later they were running around flapping their wings. They are 9 days old now and I still haven't lost a one of them. They are healthy, lively and very friendly little birds. BTW - I recieved 3 extra males and 4 extra females with my order.
I ordered from McMurray last year and ended up with chicks that I know are cross bred. After phone calls and e-mails and pictures sent. Still no response from them. I will NEVER order from McMurray again. I was not even asking them for a refund or anything. I just wanted to know what my chickens were a cross of or for them to say " hey, we are sorry our breeding stock stinks." Still no response. Not to mention how over priced the chicks they sell are. 100 buff orpington pullets from McMurray were $100 MORE than what I paid at Meyer.
So, I have found a new hatchery with Meyer Hatchery. I WILL order from them next time. VERY VERY Pleased with Meyer and they were very friendly and the chicks are wonderful. :) |
| Negative | greenhouse_gal
Southern NJ
United States (Zone 7a)
(4 reviews)
July 7, 2008 | We had always gotten our poultry from Murray McMurray in the past and been very satisfied, but this time we wanted only a few Toulouse geese rather than the minimum order of 10 that MMcM requires. Meyer had gotten good reviews as well as offering poultry in limited quantities. So we ordered eight Toulouse geese from them.
They arrived in the beginning of June and looked fine. However, a couple of weeks later one of them became sick and died, and then a second one. When the third began to fail we brought it in and after doing some research decided it was coccidiosis and fed it with chick starter, which contains the antibiotic Amprolium. It slowly recovered and is now back with the flock, but meanwhile another became weak. We treated that as well, and added Terramycin to the water for the others, and that one is also on the road to recovery. However, we have raised poultry for many years, have a flock of 50 or so healthy chickens, four healthy adult geese, and about fifteen geese that we put in the freezer last fall, all without the need for medication or other intervention.
When I called Meyer this morning the customer service woman was very polite but told us that they don't assume responsibility for losses beyond 48 hours. I can understand that, but in view of our long history with poultry I have to assume that the loss of goslings had to have something to do with the quality of their stock. Needless to say I won't order from them again. |
| Negative | TheQuailRanch
Concord, NC
(1 review)
April 16, 2008 | I ordered 2 different breeds of chicks (26 total) on 3/25. I was told my Visa would be charged on the day of shipment, about a month later. On 4,14, the day they were to ship, I was informed that 1 of the breeds was going to be short 6 females (of the11 ordered). Customer service stated that they would have that particular breed available the next week. She then said if I wanted the 6 missing females shipped the next week, I would have to pay an additional 32.50 in shipping charges. I told her no way, and to just credit my Visa for the missing chicks and send the others. Approximately 30 minutes later after having time to apply a logical solution to the problem, I called Meyer Customer service to ask them to just hold my order until they could fill it correctly, even if it would take another month. You guessed it, no humans were available, had to leave a message. After waiting 2 hours, I called again. This time I pushed all the necessary buttons to get to a human. I explained the situation to Customer Service. She said that there should be no additional charges for shipping the extra chicks, since they were not able to fill my order. After checking on the order, she said holding my order until they were "all" available was not an option since my shorted order had already shipped. She then transfered me to another department, so that I could ask them to please send me the additional 6 female chick order, and recharge my Visa for the 6 females. You guessed it, had to leave another voice mail. After waiting another 2 hours, I called Meyer Customer Service again and explained the complete saga to yet another Customer Service person. She in turn placed me on hold while she consulted a manager. When she returned, she began by appoligizing for the information the manager had ask her to relay. According to her, the Manager said they would not ship the missing females without me paying additional shipping, as no chicks leave without shipping charges. If however I would place the order for the missing chicks, and pay the additional shipping, Meyer would give me free shipping on my next order. I explained to Customer Service that after having this experience, there would be no next order.
When the chicks arrived on 4/16, 2 of the shipped "shorted chicks" were dead, leaving me only 5 of the original 13 that I ordered. Upon opening the packing slip I discovered that my Visa had been charged on 3/25 for the full amount of the original order!! Still not wanting to believe the above saga incurred with ordering a few chicks, I went online and checked with Visa. You guessed it, to add insult to injury, no credit was issued for the shorted chicks, and my Visa was charged on the same day I placed the order, 3/25.
As you might assume, I am extremely disappointed with Meyer Hatchery, after I called several times, trying to resolve the problem. I can only conclude that their main concern is billing Visa's and not Customer Service. I can be contacted by email at . |
| Neutral | saanansandy
Sue, RI (Zone 6a)
(9 reviews)
April 3, 2008 | I ordered 15 Buff Orpington(females), 4 Buff Orpington(Males) and 6 straight run silkies on March 17, 2008. I called the next day to add to the order but they process your order the day you place it(process your payment that day) so I couldn't add to this order. I received my chicks on the date they stated they would arrive(April 2) and all but one silkie was very lively. Unfortunately it passed. I called the hatchery and was told they packed an extra chick so we are even. My problem is there is a price difference between buff orp males/females and silkies; also when you order 19 of one type of chick and 6 of another, it makes a big difference when you lose one of the 6.
I give pos marks on friendliness of the customer service, ship as promised and for the most part healthy lively chicks.
I would like to see customers have the ability to change an order(add to it) before the chicks are shipped. And if a small order of one type of chick is placed and one of the chicks looks much smaller than the rest perhaps add another of that breed. |
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