I ordered the Silkie Bantam Special with 15 chicks. When I received them, they seemed ok, until they weren’t. Within 24 hours I had lost 12 and then lost one more the next morning. I contacted Cackle Hatchery after finding the 13th one, and after being asked a multitude of questions about how they had been cared for, they stated there was nothing they could do for me because they don’t cover anything after the arrival, only what shows up in the box the day you receive the chicks. Most other hatcheries cover up to 24 or 48 hours after arrival. I have raised hundreds of chickens, and have never had an issue like this before where the majority of them died within the first couple of days! Because their policy does not cover anything after arrival, all they offered were suggestions on giving them yolk from a hard-boiled egg, moving the heat lamps to a different location, etc. No refund or replacement was offered, even though out of 15 chicks 12 did not survive within the first 24 hours and one the other the following morning. So I basically paid over $100 for 3 chickens (an extra was thrown in), 2 of which seem to be a bit weak and I am questioning their survival. This was my first time ordering from Cackle Hatchery and will be my last. The other hatcheries I have ordered from over the years have been very personable and helpful, and I have never had so many chicks not make it with the other hatcheries, and when there was a loss, it was only one or two and they were more than happy to either refund the amount or send replacements.
