2022 Chick Order

[Poodlemum]

I ordered the large cackle surprise box for a March 2022 hatch date!!

FYI:

One thing I thought was strange was when ordering it made me click a box agreeing to use a heat lamp vs my usual sweeter heater, or any heat plate for that matter.
I thought that was odd, considering heat lamps are risky as far as fire goes.
Of course I am not going to risk burning down my coop, and the horse barn.

How exciting!!! Surprises are tons of fun!

That’s super interesting! I wonder why they’re partial to heat lamps. We did lamps this year for our first time ever having chickens and it was so much stress. Definitely switching to a plate this go around

 

[Poodlemum]

I haven't put together an order yet, but I was talking to DH last night about needing to cycle out the current adults as they approach molt next fall and to replace some of the birds I have with ones that will lay larger eggs since we want to sell eggs and the medium eggs we get the most of won't sell well.

So I want a replacement Light Brahma, a Dark Brahma, a number of Delawares including a male, a replacement California White (or maybe a couple), and *maybe* something that's likely to lay blue -- though I'm only planning to order through Ideal. Welp's 25 chick minimum is just too many to handle.

I intend to order extras and sell started pullets, but not so very many at once.

I also plan to do some hatching.

25 is so many! Ten is about my sanity max lol. Keeping track of everyone is harder and I love the one on one time cuddling them. We’re more on the pet end of the chickeny spectrum My girls want to sell eggs, so hearing them different opinions is super helpful!

Definitely need to do better with selling this year. Dumb straight run bantams and wanting to hatch some… Figured since sexed silkies aren’t really a thing, might as well hatch those instead of shipping them in

 

[Poodlemum]

Get 2 of everything you like at least! I just hatched 6 babies on Mon. and today I hatched one late chick, (egg that was added to incubator late.) This little guy is sitting on my tummy as I type...Blue copper maran.
View attachment 2916205

Sooooooo precious!!!!! Cuddly chicks are the best!

 

[Poodlemum]

I hatch in winter, I tell myself not to, but then do. I cannot wait until spring.

It would be much harder to resist if my brooder hadn’t been contaminated with cocci Just put fresh bedding in and had to turn it into the infirmary. Can not wait for spring to try hatching!

 

[Poodlemum]

$30 worth. No numerical minimum, just a cost minimum.

Though for very small orders, especially in cold weather, you may have to either agree to "extra males for warmth" (aka, free chicken dinners), or you may have to purchase special packaging with heat packs and extra bedding.

https://www.idealpoultry.com/order_policies

That’s a much better small order fee than most, I’ll have to add them to my list to look at for my next order

 

[Iluveggers]

I ordered the large cackle surprise box for a March 2022 hatch date!!

FYI:

One thing I thought was strange was when ordering it made me click a box agreeing to use a heat lamp vs my usual sweeter heater, or any heat plate for that matter.
I thought that was odd, considering heat lamps are risky as far as fire goes.
Of course I am not going to risk burning down my coop, and the horse barn.

Interesting you mention thr heat plate thing. I was perusing their website the other day and noticed they specifically said not to use a plate the first 2 weeks as the chicks need more warmth until that age. I almost posted their message on here. We used 2 different plates on 2 batches of chicks last summer w no problems at all.

 

[adstowe]

I use a plate and have had no problems with it.

 

[Silkie Princess]

I used a heat plate too. It was really worth those 50€

 

[3KillerBs]

That’s a much better small order fee than most, I’ll have to add them to my list to look at for my next order

I've been quite happy with my Ideal birds.

I'm happy with the Welp birds, but it's easier to deal with a dozen at once than 25.

 

[Sally PB]

Unless I add on to my coop again next spring, I have room for at most 3 more birds, going by the 4 sf guideline. Right now, I think I can resist adding more birds, though if DH is amenable to adding on to the coop, my resolve will certainly wane.

Once all 6 of my females are laying in the spring, I will have plenty of eggs. I doubt DH will see any need to add onto the flock, and therefore the coop. Sigh.

I can understand that reasoning too. My neighbor has 35 pullets, and about 20 of them are laying. She has the egg market on our road sewn up. Her son is going to be taking that over next spring when his birds start laying, and I don't want to mess with a young entrepreneur.