We were so excited to get chickens and chose Backyard Chickies based on the cute branding and overall tone of the website, so excited for our backyard chickies! Well this business does not match that vibe and it's unprofessional. I am giving 2 stars instead of 1 because because our situation hasn't turned out fully awful (yet) and Rene did help us out in a unique situation. I originally contacted Rene to purchase 4 baby chicks. Immediately the communication was tough. Only through text, the responses were very slow and short and wouldn't answer all of the questions, the tone was very dry. I get it, she's busy on the farm. But we discussed which breeds and I paid. She met me in a random motel parking lot and handed over the 4 babies, it felt like a chickie drug deal. She said customers cannot come to the farm because of bio hazards, I'm sure that's a legitimate reason but it also feels like a convenient excuse to keep people away from seeing what I assume is just a mess. I asked if she could send me any photos and her response was "if I sent customers photos I'd be doing it all day". That should give you an idea of the vibe of her texts and again seems weird we can't see the living situation before adopting live animals. Rene it sounds like you have a need for photos, maybe get someone else to do it??? One of the babies was NOT what we had agreed upon and she didn't even tell me ahead of time, just handed me that baby along with the others. Whatever. One of those babies ended up dying on night number two, who knows why, it's probably not Rene's fault. The other 3 grew up to be healthy and thrive. Unfortunately that one she gave us that was different from what we ordered grew up to be incredibly loud and obnoxious. It was an issue with our neighbors. So I reached out to Rene and asked if there was any way I could trade her for the type we originally wanted. She agreed to it and I also said I'd like to buy an additional one since we originally wanted 4 anyway. I wanted adults this time to make it easier to introduce them faster to our other two and she told me she only had young babies. Fine. Again the communication was so slow but we finally got her to do it. She brought me two full on adult chickens. This is after we prepped for babies and bought baby chick food, etc. I thought she said she didn't have adults?? So here's the bigger issue now. The 2 new ones she brought arrived sick. Their eyes are bubbly and watery, they're sneezing. She claims she examined them before selling them but I'm calling BS. Within one minute of getting them home I could tell they were sick and I'm no expert. They were also all grimy which she claims is because she sprayed them with something to kill mites. She offered to swap them out again but now I actually feel bad about sending these girls back to this disaster and feel terrible we sent the baby we raised back there. So we took these two new girls to the vet and spent $300 on antibiotics that didn't work and the vet said she's heard of this place and people having health issues with their chickens so this is common. In summary, Rene is not doing this because she loves Chickies. It's clear they're just livestock to her and she seems completely unorganized and unaware of what breeds she has, what ages of chickens she has, and the place is covered in mites and obviously mareks too and good luck getting responses out of her. Please go join the group on Facebook called Backyard Chickens (similar name but not associated with this farm) and you will find resources and people there to help you start your flock if you're looking to do it. read more

I ordered a Silver Laced Polish pullet hen that was delivered a bit younger and pecked at. As the hen grew (Polish are difficult to sex early on), it turned out the she was a he. Rene mentioned if it turned out to be a rooster, she would swap him for a hen - she stayed true to her word. While he was a handsome guy, the early and all day crowing was too much, especially living in the middle of LA. Rene swamped him with a beautiful girl who integrated into our small flock of 2 without issue. Although there are some negative reviews on Backyard Chickies, I would order from them again. The initial pickup and swap coordination were easy and nearby my home. Both the rooster and hen were healthy. A reminder that a new addition should be quarantined from the flock for at least a week before safely introducing them. read more

Backyard Chickies - Silver Laced Polish rooster - Pet Stores Near Me

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Ensuring that chicks are not shipped with lice or mites now I've had to spend more money trying to keep my cream legbar quarantined from my other flock and she appears to be smaller than 8-12 weeks I have my others that are 12 weeks old and are double her size read more

Update: My only surviving girl from BYC (pictured) almost made it to two years, but just died of Marek's as well. Marek's mortality should not be this high in a supposedly vaccinated flock. Do your research and see that this breeder has sold several chickens over the last few years that have died of Marek's. She is either not vaccinating properly, or she still has not controlled the Marek's outbreak on her property. If you want silkies, spend more money on quality pullets (my girls from Swanky Silkies and Hackle Haven are beautiful and healthy) to avoid the heartache and vet bills. read more

Update: One of my pullets from Renee died at 16 weeks. I had a necropsy done and my girl had a genetic form of Congestive Heart Failure. Not a good breeding line. It was heartbreaking losing my sweet girl. My previous lengthy review was deleted during my update, but in a nutshell I ordered 8 females from Renee: One was sick and died within hours of getting her, two died within two weeks due to failure to thrive, and one is a rooster. I ended up having to ship 4 more chicks from a hatchery in Ohio which I was originally really not wanting to do. I had to have two brooders and a lengthy integration period once they were introduced to the coop and run due to their age differences. The shipped chicks have thrived. I cannot recommend this breeder at all due to such a poor experience. read more

Renee sold me diseased chicks which spread Mareks disease to my established flock. This was proven by state autopsy of one of the chickens she sold me. The birds also had mites. Since buying this batch of chicks from Renee my flock has suffered greatly, I've lost half of them to Mareks, a disease that cannot be eradicated once it is brought into a yard, and I battle mites. My vet said she had also heard of Renee, and she also said that my entire yard now has this disease, and I'm now running a "chicken hospice". read more

DO NOT BUY FROM THIS BREEDER! She pretends to be a caring and holistic breeder. After speaking with a local feed store we come to find that she is banned from the local poultry association and her facility is dirty and disease infected. She delivered "8-12 week" chickens only for us to fund out later that the chicks we got were approximately 4-5 weeks old. She over charged us for allegedly older chickens than she provided. I now have to sit and wait for the chickens to display signs of disease to confirm if she also sold us infected birds, which will ruin my entire coop and chicken run resulting in a significant waste of time to rebuild on a different part of my property. We will be attempting to recoup our money from the credit card company. read more

Do not buy from this breeder I've lost my entire flock from Renee and her Marek positive chickens. Don't waste your money! She shouldn't be in business! read more

Backyard Chickies - Pet Stores Near Me

Too many chicks So little time. Shay is great. Very helpful people Enjoy all the chicks read more

This is an update to my previous review. I purchased 4 silkie girls in May 2024. I have one left of the 4 as of January 1 2025. 3 died of Mareks as of this date. My vet did a Necropsy after the first one died to see what was happening to the others and to make sure it wasn't something that could have been prevented in some way and both of the girls were full of mareks tumors. Literal "ticking time bombs" he said. All 4 of my girls were supposedly vaccinated for mareks. Guess what? They weren't -- or at least not properly! I caution you all against buying chickens from this woman -- especially silkies! I should not have 1/4 chickens left less than a year after getting them. They get regular vet care with a vet that specializes in chickens so it's not something that could be prevented. Having to break the news to my 4 kids is devastating each time I have to tell them another one of their sweet girls died. I'm just waiting for my last one to go now since I'm sure it's inevitable! PLEASE DONT GET CHICKENS HERE UNLESS YOU WANT MAREKS. read more

I love my new chickies!! I had an awful experience with someone else, and when i needed two chickens, I needed a place I could trust to give me healthy hens. Lots of people in my chicken groups suggested Backyard Chickies, and I'm so glad they did! Renee was so helpful, and took time to hear what we needed and make suggestions for what breeds might be the best fit. She really knows her stuff and gave me new ideas to integrate the two new ladies safely. We love our new barred rock and black Australorp! They are beautiful and healthy, and I would encourage everyone to avoid the initial disaster I had with someone else and just go straight to Renee at Backyard Chickies, for baby chicks or coop-ready chickens. read more

Backyard Chickies - Barred Rock, Black Australorp - Pet Stores Near Me

Renee and Backyard Chickies were a great find as I've just begun my backyard chicken journey, she couldn't have been more helpful answering all sorts of questions for me. We decided on our breeds, picked our hatch date, and then she was even flexible with our delivery date when our dates changed. She delivered my little Chickies last week, 2 Lavender Orpingtons and one Easter Egger. We've named them Lorraine, Lettie & Frita and are thrilled to have them in their new home! Thank you, Renee! read more

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We just got our three baby chicks and we couldn't be happier. Ours are about 10 weeks old and very healthy. We bought one barred rock, one Rhode Island red, and one buff Orpington. We are excited to get the eggs in a couple months! Renee is very easy to contact via text to ask any questions. She also gave great suggestions on which breeds would work well together and which are the quietest. read more

I ordered 5 "available now" pullets and Renee worked with me managing LA traffic and GPS misdirection to get the chickies handed off safely. The day after I ordered I got a text- she was timely, communicated well and all day the day of the delivery to keep me updated of where she was and ETAs. The chicks took to the coop seamlessly and are clicking away eating and drinking and doing chicken things. :) my favorite is the Americauna- such a fluffy face!! read more

Backyard Chickies - Pet Stores Near Me

BUYER BEWARE I have NEVER posted an online review, but this is of utmost importance. I feel the need to spare others the pain & suffering that we have experienced. We purchased 4 beautiful... (presumably healthy) chickens from Backyard Chickies. In a matter of months, 3 out of the 4 were DEAD. The 4th one is now dying. A serology test was done last week & sent to U.C. Davis. Results came back positive for MAREKS disease. We have a few other chickens that came from a different breeder, & one of them is now displaying signs & symptoms of the disease. Renee's birds have likely infected our previously vaccinated girls with the virus! We have given our girls the best care that is humanly possible, only to have them die one by one. The toll it has taken has been overwhelming. This experience has been a total nightmare. Not only the emotions of having them die in your arms, but financial cost of it all. We have spent close to $2,000 dollars trying to save our chickens with various treatments... I.V. infusions, stomach/gastric washing, medicines etc....you name it. UP UNTIL we had our 4th chicken tested, I couldn't wrap my head around why our pet chickens were dying!! I was starting to think I was doing something wrong to cause all of this. Little did I know, Mareks disease was RESPONSIBLE for it all......via Back Yard Chickies. We also know of another family here in La Jolla that experienced something similar. They bought their chickens from Renee, 2 out of the 4 died. I don't think I can witness another painful death due to this terrible disease, but I am preparing for another one. I do not wish this on anyone, and I feel the other one-star reviews are stating the same sentiment. The sole purpose of this review is to make future chicken owners do their homework & research. Renee's biosecurity & safety practices are lacking. I feel as though she has always tried to do her best, but she let her guard down. Until she gets the situation under control, you best GET your girls elsewhere. read more

sold me sick birds that were not vaccinated as promised. poor things had to suffer. so unfair to the animal.

We got a bunch of pullets from Backyard Chickies. After looking at a few hatcheries, this had the breeds we were looking for & the free delivery was so convenient. She met me in Orange Co., just off the freeway. I brought a box and she placed the pullets inside Renee raises healthy, docile chicks. Not many other places offer vaccinated birds + delivery. read more

We were so lucky to find Backyard Chickies to get new baby chicks! Our girls are growing so fast, and chicken ownership has been so fun. Renee is great to work with, and it's important to get local birds to avoid Newcastle. She has a great variety of breeds, and her prices are super reasonable! read more

Backyard Chickies - Our baby chicks are growing up! - Pet Stores Near Me

I am torn about posting this as I don't ever leave non-positive reviews, but please know this comes only from a place of wanting to help others. I purchased 3 pullets at 6 weeks of age from Backyard Chickies in the summer of 2022. They were reported to be vaccinated for Mareks. One chick passed on day 9 overnight. After this, our other 2 girls had multiple illnesses to include severe respiratory infection where we almost lost them, fleas, worms, and most recently cocci. I was tormented by if I was doing something wrong in spite of going to great lengths and spending hundreds of dollars in different treatments to try to keep them healthy. We lost a second of our girls at 6 months of age after sudden decline over a 4 day period (sudden lameness progressing to paralysis), which cause of death is necrospy confirmed Mareks disease. Our last girl continues to decline. We don't know how long she will make it. I am still heartbroken seeing her pass from this terrible disease. I was in contact with backyard chickies and I can say that they were responsive, expressed regret, offered reimbursement and stated they are taking actions to prevent further Mareks issues. If you are not emotionally attached, these remedies may be acceptable. Again I am very conflicted about reviews as it is not my personality and it seems there are actions to remedy the issue, but if you anticipate you will have close emotional attachments to your animals, you may wish to use caution in selecting this (or any) breeder from my experience and heartache. I take ownership that I may have been usually attached, and that I selected this breeder based on available good reviews at the time. I hope this help others to make informed decisions. read more

Would give zero stars if Yelp let me. DO NOT BUY CHICKENS FROM THIS BREEDER. I bought one chick from her that was sick and gave Mareks to my entire flock killing all of our birds, the chicken we bought from her was the first to go. I am apart of a Facebook group in San Diego and there are at least SIX other people we heard from today ALONE who have had the exact same result purchasing birds from Renee. If you don't believe me, I encourage you to join and hear for yourself the hell that people are experiencing. I am writing this to seriously encourage you to buy your chicks else where. This breeder is causing a lot of heart ache and pain for chicken owners across SD County. There is just no way she is properly vaccinating her chicks. Beware. Mareks not only can kill your current flock, it wipes out the potential for any future flocks as it lives in the soil for YEARS. read more

Renée truly loves her chicks . She was very concerned about our new Wyandotte and Buffington surviving the strange weather fluctuations of Spring 2021. She made sure that they'd have a good chance of surviving outdoors in the coop we built for them. I'm going to admit it was hard waiting for them but as Renee said We don't want them to die. They were delivered happy healthy and chirping. I never knew chicks were so chatty! AppteciTe the ample counsel given on what to feed them based on their age, how to give them water so they don't drown, how to call them for supper , what to use to clean their coop and so forth. Renee is a warm loving person. Listen to her and you'll be fine. read more

Backyard Chickies - Our Wyandotte and Buffington feeding in their " dining room ". I'm very glad to have these backyard helpers for my garden. - Pet Stores Near Me

Love our 4 baby chicks from Backyard Chickies. I placed my order in July for an August hatch date and although one breed I wanted didn't hatch out, I had many others to choose from and selected another rare breed: Blue Laced Red Wyandotte. Prices are more then you would see from a hatchery but you don't pay for shipping and the female chick guarantee is 100% worth it since roosters aren't legal in my city. Also I liked that the chicks didn't have to go through a difficult USPS shipping experience that they might not all survive. So much more rare breed selection then at the local feedstore as well. Overall very pleased. read more

Backyard Chickies - Lavender Ameraucana, Barred Rock, Blue Laced Red Wyandotte and Buff Orpington 1 week old chicks. - Pet Stores Near Me

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This is the second time I ordered from Backyard Chickies. They are great especially if you don't want to start with baby chicks. You order from there site and you can pick them up or have them delivered. read more

Delivered my babies to my home and was professional. Will be using them again in future for more chickies. :)

Got 3 pullets from Backyard Chickies. I love the variety of breeds as well as the many different age brackets for each breed. I have not seen that in any other breeders in San Diego, yet. My girls are happy and stunning. I got good recommendations on the variety of chickens as I was originally going to get 2 breeds only before purchasing an Easter Egger, Barred Rock, and Buff Orphington. Minus one star as communication could have been better post purchase. read more

Backyard Chickies - Pet Stores Near Me

I haven't purchased my Chickies yet, but the lady that runs the place is very very helpful. I don't know anything really about the breeds of chickens, but she was very helpful on my decision. I am going to order very soon still building a good structure for the chickens but I would definitely can trust in her and her company. I can't wait to get my chickies!!! read more

Newbie here! We ordered a mix of chicks and named them after cock-tails. Love them. Now, we are back again to get 2 little mixers to add to the bunch. Super cute, healthy. Renee is so knowledge and willing to answer any/all questions - not just right when you get your chicks but down the road too. She cares so much about the chicks and their adopting families. We are truly enjoying our little hen family. read more

Backyard Chickies - The original cock-tails - Pet Stores Near Me

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I just expanded my backyard flock with four of Renee's wonderful chicks. I purchased two cream leg bars and two black copper Marans. I got outside ready 6+ week old birds. They seem super sweet and well handled - not afraid of gentle human contact. I am eagerly awaiting some beautifully colored eggs. She met me conveniently at a parking lot just adjacent to the 15 freeway. I brought my cat carrier and she placed the chicks inside. Very easy. She offers a wealth of knowledge about integrating new birds into established flocks. Web site is very well designed. I really liked ordering by hatch date so I could get prepared for my new chicks. I will order chicks in the future from her. read more

First time chickie mom and I'm so glad I found Renee and Back Yard Chickies. She was quick to respond to all my questions before and after ordering and has been so helpful with new hatchling tips. The chicks came healthy and beautiful. We are head over heels in love already with our 8 baby birds. I've already added more and will only use Renee for all your chicken additions. read more

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We are new to having chickens and couldn't be happier with Backyard Chickies. They answered all of our questions, helped us pick out which breeds would be best, and delivered them to our house with no contact for extra safety. We wanted only girls and they have a guarantee that you will get all girls and no roosters if you choose an older chick. Ours are between 10-14 weeks so we didn't need any special chick equipment. I can't wait for them to start laying eggs. read more

Backyard Chickies - Silver Laced Wyandotte and Black Copper Maran - Pet Stores Near Me

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Backyard Chickies is the best! Such an easy transaction and we are return customers. We purchased our first 3 baby chicks at the end of May, and we love them so much, and have had so much fun, we decided to add two more to our young little flock. Today we picked up 2 more coop-ready chicks (15 weeks), and I can already tell they are sweet and healthy. They are all guaranteed female, which has set my mind at ease not having to worry about giving up a rooster. Highly recommend Renee and Backyard Chickies! read more

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Renee was awesome and very responsive! She followed COVID safety protocols when we met to pick up our chicks which was very important to us. She also provided DNA confirmed hens which we were looking for! Would absolutely buy from her again! read more

Backyard Chickies - Silkie - Pet Stores Near Me

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Was having a hard time finding a nice reputable place to buy baby chicks was sent to Renee from a face book group and I'm so glad I contacted them, Renee took the time to answer all my questions even though I had a lot being a new chicken dad very healthy happy friendly chicks, we originally wanted to get two but could not resist all their different breed and got one of their beautiful new breeds Lavender Rose, a black bantam frizzle who is so soft and super friendly, and a 3 mix DNA sexed female who I could not pass on she took to my kids very fast loves being held and super loving and lastly there in a really cool light colored Easter egger read more

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Highly recommend! We are in love with our new healthy and friendly Lavender Rose and Buff Orpington teenage pullets! They're beautiful too! Wish we had gone to her when we bought our first batch of chickens. Couldn't be happier with our purchase. Will buy from her only from now on. read more

Backyard Chickies - Buff orpington and lavender rose pullets - Pet Stores Near Me

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This was my first time buying chickens from a breeder and had the best experience. Renee's website was easy to navigate (but all her pictures and descriptions of her cute chickies made it so hard to choose!). Meeting up with her was easy and she gave me some tips on how to handle initial introductions. The girl I got has been so healthy and very friendly! I'm excited to see her grow up! Thank you for the great experience Renee! I will definitely be a returning customer! read more

Backyard Chickies was great! We purchased 13 total baby chicks (12 hens and 1 roo). 3 Easter Eggers 3 White Leghorns 3 Buff Orpingtons 2 Rhode Island Reds 2 Black Australops We met at a specific location and she was so nice and informative. We had also exchanged text messages a few weeks prior because I had a few questions and I was quickly responded to. I will definitely be doing business with Backyard Chickies again. Baby chicks are thriving and very happy in their new home where they are loved on daily by 4 happy kiddos. 100% Recommended. Highly! read more

Backyard Chickies - 12 hen chickies and 1 roo chickie, all doing great the morning after pick up! - Pet Stores Near Me

Can't recommend Backyard Chickies enough! I had three particular breeds in mind and she had them all. We got three girls and they are just absolutely gorgeous, healthy and sweet. From the first day they were friendly and went right in their coop and went straight to eating and drinking. What a great experience! I've had friends that had bought chickens elsewhere and did not have the same experience. read more

Backyard Chickies - Pet Stores Near Me

I received 5 initial baby chicks. 2 died shortly after arrival. At no cost I received 2 more replacements. so from the new 5 , 2 died soon after, then a couple months later lost another one, then a few months later lost yet another, This time I sent it up to a lab in UCDavis to be examined. It turned out to have Mareks disease. Then I lost another one yesterday to what I believe is Mareks also. I did not test that bird, but it showed similar symptoms like the one that died from Mareks. Mareks is now contaminated my home with other chickens that I am closely monitoring everyday. This is a heartbreaking and expensive problem. I have spent over 700 dollars on vet bills and chicken supplements to help fend off this awful disease. I have spent endless hours for months dealing with this tragedy, separating chickens, cleaning areas, nursing sick chickens, driving chickens to the vet that ALL DIED and grieving them afterwards. I am a senior citizen and looked forward to spending time with my chickens . I have a 9 year old chicken has been in perfect health up until the arrival of the new chicks, but now she shows signs of a neurological issue ( Mareks ) . I was told that all the chicks were vaccinated before I got them. I understand that Mareks vaccines are not 100 percent fool proof, BUT COME ON!!! My chickens are my cherished pets that give me eggs and affection. I cried hard at losing the last one who had just started laying eggs. The one before last died in my arms in the waiting room at the vets office waiting to be euthanized. I DO NOT RECOMMEND THIS BREEDER! read more

I have never had a problem with my orders with Backyard Chickies. I got a rooster by accident and they let me return the Roo and gave me credit. I have always got healthy hens and never seen any medical problems. If you need hen, this place is perfect and you can never go wrong. read more

Backyard Chickies - Got these two lovely girls from backyard chickens - Pet Stores Near Me

I had such a great experience with Renee and Backyard Chickies! She has an amazing selection and takes great care of the birds. I initially didn't know which breeds to get but she patiently walked me through some options given my specific situation and needs. She recommended some great breeds and was very helpful throughout the ordering process. I did not want day-old chicks since I did not want to go through the on-heat thing again so I got 8-weeks old that were off heat. She hatched them and kept me posted throughout the 8-week waiting period. I've had my birds for 10 weeks now and they are nice, healthy and about to start laying eggs! They all get along with each other (and my little dog) too (Renee tries to ensure there are no hierarchy issues before delivery). I will for sure be ordering my birds from here again! Highly recommended! read more

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