Leslie is the rudest, most disrespecting woman I have ever tried to do business with online or offline. I use the word "tried" because I couldn't even get to the point where I could purchase the chicken I wanted. She quoted me a delivery price and even offered to waive that fee if I purchased feed and supplies, then two days later quoted me the same delivery for $11 more and said she was never planning on waiving the fees. She also felt the need to inform me she was in my town delivering to another customer and I COULD HAVE saved 50% on the delivery fee! Why on earth would she even share this with me?! The only conclusion that could be drawn is that she has no respect for her customers (potential customers, anyway), has zero customer service skills, clearly changes her rates on the fly, and is generally a bad business woman. I wish I had gotten on Yelp and read the reviews from other potential customers who clearly have experienced the same behavior. I've never been so disrespected and have to say, I am very angry right now. read more

Do not order chicks from here if you want to avoid your chicks to come from a hatchery and go through the mail. Do not buy from here if you want chickens from a small outfit with happy hens. Contrary to what the website suggests, the 1-day-old chicks you order for 15$ a chick are not hatched on their farm, but they get them through the mail from a hatchery (you can order from a hatchery directly, as little as three chicks, for 2 $ a chick!). We chose Mill Valley chickens, because we wanted to spare our chicks the stressful journey through the mail and were willing to pay the premium to support a small farm that treats their chickens right. What a rip - just compare, we bought our four month old chickens from Santa Rosa Western Farm Center for 12 $ each, and they are great. Anyway, here is how we found out that the chickens we believed would come from happy hens were mail-order chicks: we ordered the chickens from Mill Valley Chickens six weeks ago, and were told the pick up date would be February 20. Both my partner and I took off work to go over the bridge to Mill Valley. Got a call on February 19, that the chicks had not hatched yet and would be ready for pick-up today, February 22. Leslie from Mill Valley chicken confirmed yesterday at 6 pm! that yes, we could pick the chicks up at 7:30 am today. We again rearrange work, set the alarm to 6:15 and are on our way to Mill Valley when we get a call at 7:19 am from Leslie, sorry the chickens are not there, the mail was not delivered. The MAIL? WHAT MAIL? When I shared my outrage with her about the misleading website, she said that they raise their chicken well. I believe that, but I am not buying adult chickens, I am buying 1-day olds that get delivered to her from a hatchery and stay in her wonderful care less than a day. In my mind, the website was designed to make you believe that the chicks come from her, not a hatchery, and that is why we ordered from her. Check out the website and see for yourself (my hope is that this post will prompt her to change the website so people are not misled to believe that they get happy little chicks from happy hens growing up in Mill Valley). read more

15-20 dollars for one chick. Owner wasn't even there to help us and it was her young daughter (3-4th grade) who could not answer our questions. This is a private home with chickens in the backyard. No thanks. We drove an hour with an appointment which we did not get. read more

My son's family took the class at MVC and then purchased 3 chicks. We all cared for them, named them & loved them until they moved into their Coop. These are primarily my granddaughters. One morning she was heartbroken when one of them started to crow. She knew what this meant - he had to leave. She called everywhere to find him a home where he wouldn't be euthanized. After making a long drive to take him, her favorite started crowing too. So relocation begins again The chicks are very expensive here we've found - especially when you pay 3 times a high price for one hen. I would really question their claims of high 90's% accuracy & shop around for the same breeds for lots less & a return policy. Wouldn't go back. read more

Zero stars. Very unwelcoming and unfriendly. Went here expecting a store-front but was told there is nothing to see and that the woman thinks she does "a very good write-up on the internet" and that we should "order there then come pick them up". Would have been nice to see some breeds or the conditions in which they are hatched and raised, though judging from the other reviews here she just gets them in the mail and flips them to un-suspecting customers. Not paying for that kind of attitude. Will not bother going back as we can get better service and value for money elsewhere. read more

I purchased 8 chicks from Mill Valley Chickens, all are healthy, happy and doing just fine. I feel inclined to write a review for a number of reasons, but the main one is to offer a different perspective to the negative reviews that Mill Valley Chickens has received on Yelp. Cost: Yes, these chicks are 15$ each. Certainly they are cheaper at the feed store, and certainly they are cheaper to order yourself. Anyone who is endeavoring to start keeping backyard chickens is obligated to research thoroughly all things involved with keeping chickens, and that includes where one buys their chickens. If you are shocked afterward to find that these chicks are higher than elsewhere, how is that Mill Valley Chicken's fault? I wanted a variety of chicks, I wanted them in Feb or early March. Most feed stores don't stock chicks until late March, and they will certainly not have the 8 different varieties I wanted. I made a decision to buy chickens from Mill Valley Chickens knowing quite well the price discrepancy, but also knew I was paying for a service. Like a boutique chicken store. Hatchery chicks: Yep, they come from a hatchery. She does say that on her website. Granted, she did not specify that until sometime in January of this year, but it does say that. Leslie orders a multitude of Heritage breeds that no small breeder would be able to supply. You can get a silkie, a naked neck, a Houdan, a Welsummer... you name it, you can get it. The only other way you could do that would be to order your chicks from a hatchery yourself. Leslie orders enough chicks that she can have early orders of really cool breeds. You can pick and choose what you want. I would have ordered them myself but would not have been able to get them until June due to weather and cross country shipping. Leslie takes great care of the little guys for the first 24 hours, which is a fragile time. If they expire, as they sometimes do, she is the one that has to contend with that. Convenience: I too had a last minute cancellation from Leslie. Totally stressed me out, but she was professional and offered a free chick, or credit in the store. I took the chick. If you ordered from a hatchery, you would have even more uncertainty. If you were getting from a feed store, you would have whatever they have when they have it. If they run out of what you want, then oh well. Think it through folks, do you ever have to call in sick to work at the last minute for some reason that is really none your customer's/client's/patient's business? Mill Valley Chickens is not a hatchery, nor is it a feed store. It is a small business that offers folks the opportunity to order a variety of heritage chicken breeds in small numbers. Leslie offers supplies and education as well. If you do your research, you may find that Mill Valley Chickens is exactly where you need to get started on, or add to your backyard flock. I can't wait until I need to order a new chick from Leslie - next up is a Cuckoo Maran. read more

I wish I had checked yelp before I ordered my chicks from her. I thought I was ordering heritage chicks and was shocked to find out she gets her chicks from MyPetChicken.com If I wanted hatchery chicks I would have ordered them myself for a lot less. Worse though, I was told the chicks would be available on Saturday. I attempted to confirm on Friday and my call was no returned. Saturday morning I received an email that I could get the birds on Monday and was given three windows to pick them up that totaled less than 4 hours or I could get them Tuesday night after 7. I emailed her that I because it wasn't a weekend it was going to be very difficult to be there. She responded that I was obligated to get them within 48 hours of their hatch date, and normally she would have more time but she was going out of town. This is my problem? Really? read more

Made an appointment with Leslie to pick-up chicks on Memorial Day weekend.We chose Mill Valley Chickens because after researching and searching the types of chickens we would like, Mill Valley Chickens had 5 of the 6 heritage breeds that were on our list. Leslie was both helpful and knowledgeable. I really like her backyard where the chickens are free-ranged. We went there thinking it would be a large farm, but it was a cozy backyard with nice levels and lots of plants. The kids really enjoyed playing with the chickens while we spoke with Leslie. I'm sure there are many things that could make someone unhappy with a purchase, but our experience with Leslie was very positive. read more

We purchased 6 chicks from Leslie a week ago, she was very helpful and nice. I went kind of later at night (since I live in San Jose) and she and her daughter were very welcoming (even for 8pm) :) The chicks were adorable, and well kept. The older chicks were in a different box from the little ones, and they all looked healthy. She did however get a few that were not in such great shape from what I saw with the new babies. Sadly they died the next day (the sick ones). One of the little Mille's I got actually died the day after we picked it up also :( I was terribly sad. She was tiny and sickly, Leslie said sometimes during shipping, they get too stressed and die. We buried her, and now we still have 5 happy, very friendly babies. She has been available to answer most of my questions, and give me advice. As a first time chicken mom, that is super important to me. Leslie is replacing my Mille with a Silkie, and I am super excited for that! I will update once I pick them up in a few days. The chicks we far more pricey than the ones at the feed store, but she has the rare breeds that the feed store doesn't have. Based on the website, I was also thinking that she hatched them there at her house from her chickens, but that's not the case. The chicks are from the hatchery. But from what I saw at her place, the chicks are well loved and in very good conditions. I would recommend Leslie if you want the best. :) Proud Mom of: 1 Belgian Mille Fleur (bantam) 1 Barred Cochin 1 Americauna 1 Blue Cochin (bantam) 1 Silver Polish Coming soon : 2 white bantam Silkies!!! read more

I purchased 10 chicks from Leslie over a 6-month period and I was 100% satisfied! Her value added (besides the wide variety of breeds) is her extensive knowledge of (sub)urban chicken farming. She answered all of my questions about feeding the chicks/chickens, eggs, predators, disease, and a whole host of other options. She did a site visit to my home in Fairfax to help with the planning stages, and I ended up buying my coop from her as well. I recommend her without reservation, especially if you are new to raising chickens. read more

We took a class offered by Leslie,we bought a beautiful redwood coop from her she is totally responsive to emails and calls,she is very knowledgeable, we are buying our chicks from her..and we live 40 minutes away...so finding her was a pleasant surprise and worth the distance. read more

We are in the process or growing our backyard flock of chickens (not to be confused with The 80s band "Flock of Seagulls", but I digress) and paid a visit to Mill Valley Chickens. We were pleasantly surprised to see that the chickens were roaming free amongst the trees and blackberry bushes in the yard. We could see the that there was a great diversity and variety of breeds. The owner was able to answer our questions about various breeds in a knowledgeable way. More importantly, I observed that they were able to handle their chickens who appeared friendly and safe to be around children and families. read more

Leslie is a piece of work and went on a blame-filled tirade when two of the chicks she sold to us died. "You must have dropped them. The brooder is too cold. The brooder is too hot. The brooder is too small." When I told her that I had watched videos AND read books and followed the recommendations contained, she had no response. She then accused me of taking a chick without paying, AND coming to her house without an appointment. She had no response when I sent her the email where she confirmed my appointment. She posts all these happy looking pictures but when I was there she had about 50 pullets crammed into one small coop, another 15 adults were in an even smaller coop next to it. In another coop nearby, there was indeed a wire-floored coop with caked on mounds of poop everywhere - even though she advertises clean cages and no wire flooring. On her website, it says "Our chicks are raised in a room with fresh ventilation, natural lighting, windows and even a skylight. We also don't believe in raising huge numbers of chicks in a single brooder box." This "room" is a shed in her backyard that's packed with junk. And there were at least 50 chicks crammed into a single box. This woman has done a masterful job trying to spin a Mill Valley Fancy Chicken Fantasy Image - don't fall for it. read more

Wow! My family and I really had a great time at Leslies place. Helped us pick out the right breeds for our familys circumstance and made us feel ready for raising our 5 new chicks. Beautiful chickens and the kids had such a great time. We could not be happier! read more

Mill valley chicken is not what their site suggests I got apt to go see chickens with my two yr old Grandson and she yelled at him and made him cry. I thought maybe she was having bad day. She emailed me To pick up chicks on sat at 8-11am. My daughter and her husband arrived at 10:55 and she started screaming at them for being late. Had no idea what chicks to give them. Just got worse. Throwing supplies out the door at them. These chicks are not bread there. She orders them for pennies on the dollar and sells them for 15 to 25 dollars ea If you are late picking them up she charges 10 dollars a day to board them. Basically she gets them delivered and sells them. I have never given a bad review but want to warn future customers of this unprofessional and rude business . You would be better off ordering them yourselves direct. You would save a lot of money and not put yourselves in her path of furry. read more

My husband and I have been buying chicks from Leslie for the past couple of years and we could not be happier. She humanely raises happy chickens and she possesses a wealth of information for folks new to chicken raising. If you are uncertain about what kind of chicken may be best for your family - call Leslie! She will help you get started - and once you are hooked it is hard to not go back for more beautiful ladies. read more

Leslie was very gracious to accommodate us with an appointment on a Sunday, the same day we called. She is very knowledgeable and has a wonderful selection of breeds to choose from. We live three hours away and it was well worth the drive. We will be back if we ever want to add to our flock and we will happily recommend you to others. Thank you Leslie! read more

Leslie of Mill Valley Chickens was wonderful. My daughter's and I purchased 3 chickens from her in December and then went back in February and purchased 2 more. Leslie was a wealth of information and really cares about her chickens. She had everything we needed to get started with our backyard flock. I still reach out to her with any questions and she responds right away. I highly recommend Leslie of Mill Valley Chickens. read more

My experience with Leslie was great. She is very good at providing solid information on chick raising. I walked away with 4 chicks, hand warmers, chick feed, a brooder, water and food feeders, diatomaceous earth, treats for later growth and a wealth of advice. read more

This small family business is pretty cool and kooky. They have all kinds of chicken stuff to get you going with everything for the backyard chicken experience. Plus Logan the little girl does a pretty good rooster imitation (with any purchase). read more

We got the chicken bug on memorial day and Mill Valley Chickens was open. I'm really glad because otherwise we might not have known about this resource. The owner was busy, but answered all our questions and pointed us towards breeds that would best suit our needs. I had raised chicks several times before so I didn't anticipate having a lot of questions, but it turns out I did. Especially about breeds, which Leslie knows a lot about. She also had supplies to get us started and lots of tips about safety regarding lamps and chemicals (we have two toddlers). I really appreciated that she had my kids' safety in mind. We got started for $100. Our 4 chicks are growing so fast ! I thought that was a great price given the time she spent educating us and customizing our set-up. I had a few questions about one of the chicks who seemed a little dazed when we got home. So I called and Leslie was again more than happy to give me info over the phone, offer to replace it, and some tips for nourishing snacks. The little chick perked right up so we are up and running with our little chicken farm over here. This week they are all at our daughters' preschool, so all the kids can enjoy feeding and handling them, changing their water, and listening to their lovely chirping sounds all day long... From now I'll get supplies down the street at a feed store where prices are lower, but it was great to get all the info and special attention when I was unsure and just getting started. Thanks Mill valley chickens! read more

High price, yes - so it goes in Marin. Buy low, sell high, I am a believer to a point, but there is a point after which you are ripping people off. That said, some people are happy to pay. My shopping experience didn't get past a two phone calls. The woman on the phone was rude and snarky to the point I said forget it and hung up. I would not give her my business if the price was the same. This is supposed to be a fun thing to do. Get a clue! read more

Talked with Leslie on the phone for a good 15-20 minutes (we live out-of-state) and she was EXTREMELY helpful to us. We had questions on replacing two of our prize Easter Egger hens and she was able to provide a ton of info - some things we never would have thought of! Plus she has a wonderful personality to boot. I would highly recommend Mill Valley Chickens to anyone. Beyond impressed. read more

I met Leslie through our Mill Valley 4h group ten years ago. She is a great chicken owner, mother, and human. Her birds are nice and facility clean. A few years ago I purchased chickens through McMurrays hatchery and the birds had mites. Last month i purchased another lovely hen from her and would gladly again! read more

Leslie Citroen claims to "hand raise heritage chickens". The truth is, she mail orders poor quality chicks from hatcheries. She buys the chicks for $2-3 and sells them for $15-25. Leslie claimed she was selling a friend of ours a Plymouth barred rock, but it was actually a different breed (according to the poultry judge at the fair). Leslie's website claims that they raise their chickens in "strictly clean cages and hygienic conditions" and that they clean the cages 2x a day. We went for a visit with a friend and were appalled by the completely filthy conditions. If you want chicks, go to the feed store in Petaluma or buy them mail order yourself from MyPetChicken.com read more

I contacted this person regarding possible purchase of a coup and/or chickens. My understanding was we were to meet at 10:30 in the morning. I arrived at the time arranged. There was no one there so o called the number by the gate. The woman who answered was rude to the point that if I wasn't there to purchase she wouldn't waste her time talking to me without me paying a consultation fee. Won't be buying anything from someone so rude. read more

I've been raising chickens most of my life, in the country as a kid and now in the city. While I find Leslie's prices for young grown hens to be quite high, there is demand and lack of supply for what she's selling and that's why I went to her and paid for what I wanted. I knew (unlike some uninformed yelpers giving her bad reviews, read on to learn why) that I wanted vaccinated hens AND to be sure I wasn't getting a rooster. I also wanted breeds good for the city - docile, dual purpose breeds that tolerate confinement. The hens I got from Leslie had obviously been handled a lot - I've purchased flightly crazy chickens direct from farms before and have raised day olds myself - I know these girls were handled a lot. I have never had an easier time integrating new hens into my flock - I am still shocked by this. No guarantee it is due to them being raised by Leslie - but I can say I'd gladly pay again to get some hella laid back Marin chickens! If there is a farm within a few hours drive of the bay area selling what I wanted, I couldn't find it. I spent $60 per 5 month old hen, and suspect in the country the going rate is more like $20-30. Life in the city! Most negative reviews I've read here seem to be based on a lack of knowledge about a few things. Some were disappointed to find they ended up with a rooster, others disappointed that their "hand raised heritage breed" was sent by mail from a hatchery. These negative reviews are based on faulty information. If you don't want chicks that come from a hatchery and have been mail ordered, that's fine - I'd prefer that too, but good luck finding that, especially if you want to be sure that they're vaccinated for Marek's , which, according to the 3 vets we've taken previous chickens to, is highly recommended. This is a virus that is around and you run the risk of getting it in your flock if they aren't vaccinated. While I hate the idea of shipping the babies, fact is that there is likely more cruelty going on at most farms selling heritage or any other breeds, albeit behind closed doors. Ask what the farm does with hens that are 2 years old - they get shipped to a factory style slaughterhouse. It's just a sad state of affairs for chickens, probably the most abused animal on the planet. And a lot of the farms I've purchased from don't vaccinate for Marek's. The only place I know of that doesn't get chicks sent by mail is Biofuel Oasis in Berkeley, but their chicks aren't vaccinated. That's a no go for me. Don't compare the price of day old chicks to 3-6 month old chickens - apples and oranges. It is labor intensive to raise babies. Everyone knows you can get chicks for a few bucks, if that's all you are looking for, you know where to find them. If you want a 100% guarantee that you don't get a rooster, only get "sex link" chicks (Red Stars, for example) because the girls are a different color from the boys. Or else buy fully mature hens - 5 months or so or older for most breeds. Don't blame others for getting a rooster when they're not sexually mature - do your homework. Only highly specialized experts can chicks, and they're only 90% accurate. By buying from a hatchery, Leslie passes on this accuracy to you. Farmers are less accurate than the hatcheries unless they are one of the elite few who have the knack. So, even full time chicken farmers generally can't tell until they're much older. And don't expect to be able to return your rooster if you make the rookie mistakes, anyone who takes them back is risking the health of their flock - no telling what diseases they can get exposed to when on someone elses property, they risk spreading disease to their flocks (and ours) if they take your rooster back. Finally - you CAN hand raise a heritage breed that gets shipped from a hatchery by mail. Hand raising means you raise a baby yourself (does not mean HATCHED on the property), and generally speaking, it means handling it regularly to get it used to people. Heritage breeds are a just a group of old timey breeds, some of which have become quite rare - not the single purpose breeds generally used in factory farming (which are mutants IMO). The origin of the chick and how it arrived to the person raising it just have nothing to do with it being labeled hand raised/heritage or not. So people - if you don't like mail order hatchery chicks, Leslie's high prices, or her personality (I actually found her to be very pleasant but we all have bad days, don't we?), that's fine if you want to give low ratings, but don't do it because of ignorance, K? read more

Leslie is awesome. She is really professional and does a great job for newbies. Here's the thing. She's an expert. Any expert of animals, such as dog breeders, etc, will have a view on "the way". That's what amateurs pay for. If you're new, just go to Leslie, say you have nothing, research the breeds you want (what's important to you), and trust her to set you up. As for her chicks, they're beautiful breeds. Really, I was struck by how beautiful her personal flock was. Check it out. read more

Only the best will do for my chickens! Mill Vllaey Chickens is a great small family owned local business I enjoy dealing with every time. I got 4 chicks from Leslie, purchase food regularly and took the fabulous class on chicken care (a must do if you are new to this.) 5 STARS for quality and reasonably priced items, excellent customer service, and knowledge about all things chicken. I could not imagine going anywhere else. read more

We purchased four chicks and supplies from Leslie this September. We considered buying our chicks from a local feed store (we are in the East Bay), but we chose Mill Valley Chickens because we could pick the breeds and hatching date ahead of time, and because Leslie has so much experience raising chickens. Our four hens are doing great, and Leslie has been extremely helpful. As a first-time chicken owner, I appreciated the time Leslie took to answer my many questions! It was definitely worth the drive out to Mill Valley! read more

We've bought many chicks from Mill Valley Chickens. Leslie is great. She's very helpful and knowledgeable. Her chicks are well cared for and well kept. The chicks are priced reasonably. She has to order them, pick them up from the Post Office and care for them until they are sold. I am happy to pay someone else to do this instead of doing it myself and to not have to drive all the way up to Petaluma or some other feed store location I also love the Mill Valley Chicken website! There is lots of good information on it about the different breeds. read more

Excellent service, chicks are doing great. Called Leslie on numerous occasions regarding care for chicks and was greeted very nicely and thoroughly informed. Keep up the great service. read more

She's a drop shipper, plain and simple. There are tons of true breeders that spend years working on their stock to deliver the best representation of the breed being offered for sale, Leslie, while nice and supporting 4-H, is basically just flipping the chicks for a nice profit. At least the brooder was clean. read more

What a wonderful experience! Leslie was knowledgable and kind as I asked way too many questions and knew very little going into this venture! So many happy chickens to see! I wanted 3 and came home with 5, all different breeds! I'm so excited! read more

I took the class Mill Valley Chicken's offers for a better understanding of backyard chicken keeping. Leslie gave a very informative class which I enjoyed. You also get to see her chickens and how she raises them. I found it to be a very friendly, clean and a fun family experience. I just read her reviews and was surprised by these reviews as this was not my experience at all. I purchased two chicks from Leslie and the chicks turned out wonderful. She took all of the worries away from me by not having to order a zillion little chicks to get two separate varieties. You pick them up from her when they are two days old and she sends you off with supplies and detailed instructions. It takes all the complication out of everything. The property and cages were very clean, the new chicks and her chickens all appeared healthy and happy. I plan on getting two more chicks from her in the Spring. I also believe in supporting small local businesses. read more