Choosing chicks at the feedstore

[MarkButcher]

2 small bits of advise for those who've recently started their backyard flocks.
1) day old chicks aren't as robust as 4 or 5 day old bigger chicks, if you have a choice, and you'll have better luck with even a few days extra start on them.
2) Don't just let the clerk sweep up the individual chicks when you've made your breed selection choice. Take a look at them individually, and pick out the individuals that are larger and active, not the ones who're smaller and inactive, the ones the clerk might reach for instinctively, as easier to catch.
You might fear you're being to picky and a pain in the butt to the clerk, but you're paying your hard earned bucks for those chicks, and you want every advantage in raising them successfully.

 

[Sara S]

2 small bits of advise for those who've recently started their backyard flocks.
1) day old chicks aren't as robust as 4 or 5 day old bigger chicks, if you have a choice, and you'll have better luck with even a few days extra start on them.
2) Don't just let the clerk sweep up the individual chicks when you've made your breed selection choice. Take a look at them individually, and pick out the individuals that are larger and active, not the ones who're smaller and inactive, the ones the clerk might reach for instinctively, as easier to catch.
You might fear you're being to picky and a pain in the butt to the clerk, but you're paying your hard earned bucks for those chicks, and you want every advantage in raising them successfully.

I always pick my own, even when the guy said I couldn’t, he couldn’t catch them. I love saying “watch” and grabbing them (safely). TSC a
awyas let’s me pick them out, thank god. rural king was a little iffy, but I still picked my own. Thanks for this advice, as well! It was so knowledgeabl!

 

[RoosterHuggerLiz]

Spent an hour and a half in my local feed store trying to pick out the perfect chick (they have us pick our own chicks out for legal reasons)

I usually pick out the sick or docile chicks because I'd rather I take them home and try and save them then let them die in the store (all of my chicks have survived so far, it's mostly just been overheating, dehydration, and the occasional pasty butt)