Rochester Hatchery

Do NOT use this hatchery!! Used them for the first time this year and lost 20% of the chicks within 4 days! Called them to nicely discuss a refund or replacement chicks and encountered nothing but defensiveness and a confrontational attitude. They're obviously used to getting these types of calls as the lady was asking questions off of a script, trying to find any excuse to get out of refunding us for the unhealthy chicks they sold us. We will never buy from them again and neither should you.

Bought three dozen laying hens from the hatchery and they are some of the most unhealthy chickens I've ever purchased from a Hatchery!! In the three weeks since we have had them at home, we have lost 5 hens and more look close to joining them. 10 eggs have been laid since having them on the farm, and now they have stopped laying completely. We called the office and were given a bunch of attitude when we told them about the deaths, they did not offer any kind of solutions other then a number for a testing facility in Airdrie. I would never go back to this Hatchery for any reason, they do not care about customer service nor the quality of birds leaving their facility.

Order a small batch of heritage breed and they didn’t have my original request and called back and were very accommodating with trying to make sure they could get me as many of what I wanted as possible. Just got my chicks and they are all healthy and drinking and eating. Will up it to 5 stars as they grow. Enjoyed dealing with this hatchery and would order from them again.

We have been buying chicks here for many years including meat birds layers and heritage breeds! always had great outcome with meat birds and layers, I wasn't to impressed with the buff Brahmas! I suspect some of the negative comments on here are due to lack of education! Pevey mart has in the past offered clinics on care and raising birds! If you are a beginner, educate your self and start small! tons of information online!

This is now the second year Rochester has screwed my broiler order up. Last year they failed to ship some NECESSARY equipment to me (heat lamps) prior to my chicks being delivered and then instead of offering me a discount or a credit, they just gave me 20 extra birds (which I had no extra space for). This year they called me HOURS before my chicks were supposed to arrive and informed me that I wouldn't be receiving them until the next hatch, in 5 days. For a small business owner who's whole model is worked from the butcher date backwards, this is close to the end of the world, or at the very least a considerable loss. The processing plants in Alberta fill up MONTHS in advance and now my birds would be butchered a week early. Anyone who is growing birds in the weird no-man's-land of pastured poultry (without quota) knows that every cent, every ounce, every day MATTERS. When I called Rochester back I was informed that no refund, discount or credit would be applied, citing some policy I had never heard of, regarding orders placed after setting. Apparently, if you order after the setting, you will get bumped if not enough birds hatch. This is an understandable policy but I was not informed of it when I placed my order by phone. Not to mention I was then informed that they had over 700 birds not hatch out this set. WHAT??? First a salmonella outbreak two years ago and now this? The LEAST Rochester could do is understand that it was their sales employees who screwed up and help a small business owner out in SOME way. This hatchery will work extremely hard to lose your business and I wholeheartedly suggest you do not support them.

DON NOT DEAL WITH ROCHESTER HATCHERY. Worst Hatchery ever! with. worst costumer service. The Hens they gave us were all sick, one had broken leg, due to their handling and delivering. I drove 3 hours to get the Hens, you don't get to see what they are delivering if it wasn't for the distance driving, I would have driven back and threw those hens to their face. Completely waste of time and money.

Great service! Have been using for 2 years. Had 1 set of meat birds die out of countless orders, but mostly had good luck and have ordered quite a variety of their breeds in last 2 years.

We have dealt with Rochester Hatchery for years for our small flock needs. Have purchased turkeys, meat birds and dual purpose birds from them and have been very happy with the quality of their birds. We have our birds sent to us by mail with overnight delivery directly to our closest post office which is much better than trying to send them to your home address. The post office workers are always happy to hand over our box of "peepers" and we put them directly into our preheated brooding area. Thanks to Rochester Hatchery for being there for us!