Hi there! I'd love some advice, so thanks in advance:
I ordered McMurray's "Special Assorted Bargain" and now have 24 4-week-old chicks happy and healthy in their new coop. My problem is that it looks to my newbie eyes like at least 3/4 of them are cockerels, which isn't too surprising I guess given that the hatchery essentially sent whatever left-over chicks they had, and those were more than likely boys. My coop is 60sq ft, and I was planning to keep around 12 chickens (11 pullets and 1 roo). I knew by ordering straight run that I'd have to rehome a lot of roos, but I thought I'd also get enough pullets in that order, which doesn't seem to be true
I can count only 4 for-sure pullets and a handful that could go either way.
Has anyone else had a similar experience (i.e. ordering an assortment of chicks from a hatchery and having them be mostly male)? I know I should've expected that, but it's frustrating! Now I'm thinking that I should buy more chicks this weekend - there's a family in my town selling their newly hatched chicks that need to go ASAP. But what if I get say 4-6 more chicks (sex-linked this time so no more roos), and it turns out my sexing skills are horrible and I really do have about 12 pullets already in the coop at home?!
I'm going slightly insane here, if you can't tell! I know you guys always say more chicks is more better
But I hate that I have to rehome the roos I'm growing attached to, so I really don't want to have to do the same to pullets I don't have room for.
So what do you think? Wait a while longer til I can sex my current chicks for sure (but will the chick season be over by then?), or go ahead and get a few more chicks this weekend?
I ordered McMurray's "Special Assorted Bargain" and now have 24 4-week-old chicks happy and healthy in their new coop. My problem is that it looks to my newbie eyes like at least 3/4 of them are cockerels, which isn't too surprising I guess given that the hatchery essentially sent whatever left-over chicks they had, and those were more than likely boys. My coop is 60sq ft, and I was planning to keep around 12 chickens (11 pullets and 1 roo). I knew by ordering straight run that I'd have to rehome a lot of roos, but I thought I'd also get enough pullets in that order, which doesn't seem to be true
Has anyone else had a similar experience (i.e. ordering an assortment of chicks from a hatchery and having them be mostly male)? I know I should've expected that, but it's frustrating! Now I'm thinking that I should buy more chicks this weekend - there's a family in my town selling their newly hatched chicks that need to go ASAP. But what if I get say 4-6 more chicks (sex-linked this time so no more roos), and it turns out my sexing skills are horrible and I really do have about 12 pullets already in the coop at home?!
So what do you think? Wait a while longer til I can sex my current chicks for sure (but will the chick season be over by then?), or go ahead and get a few more chicks this weekend?
