ALABAMA!!

[Razadia]

Hello everyone! My name is Jess, and my fiancé and I are from Madison, just over the Limestone County border. As of now, we do not have any chickens, but are looking to get our first set soon. Anyone have any suggestions for good breeds for the heat of Alabama? Good egg layers? Good personalities?

Thank you guys! Look forward to chattin' with y'all!

I have Rhode Island Reds, Australorps, Dominiques, and I've had Games in the past. RIRs are good layers, but hatchery birds can be bad tempered. They also do pretty good in the heat. Australorps (in my experience) are fairly calm, but like Tomtommom said they don't care for the heat due to being so fluffy. My pure Australorp hen is top hen and she's the most consistent layer. Games are ok layers, but they completely stop laying in winter. They also aren't too friendly, but they make great mamas. I haven't had doms for that long and I couldn't really tell you much about them. My hen is crazy and my roo is laid back. They've done great in the heat, though. My hen just doesn't seem to want to lay.

 

[Jayare's Chicks]

Hello Jess, Welcome to BYC and the Alabama thread.
I am just about 40 miles to the west of you over here in Florence.
RIR, Orphingtons, EE's, Barred Rocks, Dominickers, sex links, silkies, cochins, leghorns do well in our climate here. They have different temperments, some calm and some flighty some can be aggressive. In my opinion Orphingtons are the most calm and docile sweet natured ones out there. They are my favorite.
There are some other BYC members over that way I have talked with over the years. During the spring Tractor Supply and most of the feed stores and co-ops will have baby chicks for sell. Most times you gotta be Quick as the good ones sell out fast.
BEWARE: This chicken raising is ADDICTIVE. Build your coop Bigger than you first think you want because you WILL get more....

Jayare

 

[Crickett]

Are silkies too small to put with my flock of EEs?

Not for EEs, but if you had the Jersey giants, or australorps I'd say yes. EEs aren't a whole lot bigger than silkies, height wise. And the temperments are on par with each other as well.

 

[Orps]

Hey Orps,
Where was the Flea Market you were at here in Florence? How often do you get up here to Florence?
I would love to get a couple of your Blue Orps sometime or eggs. I only have 1 left and those are my favorite. I got 6 eggs from Miss Prissy about 5 years ago and all 6 hatched. I haven't found anyone else around here that has any. Would love to work out a trade or something. I got Silkies also. Been hatching them for the last couple months under some broodys.
I need to find some more Coturnix also to mix in with the 12 I have.

Jayare

I go up there quite often. Do not know the exact street the flea market is on. It's beside the river and it's every Tuesday. I'll see if I can find out where it is exactly.

Do no have any English Orpingtons right now and I'm trying not to eye Kimberly's English Orpington. But I don't breed chickens. I can't keep roos where I live.

I have Texas A&M Coturnix but I sold most of them. And most of the ones I was keeping for breed got spirited away at night. I'm left with 2 males and a female with a broken wing.

So I'm looking for some eggs or chicks too. But when I get my population back up again I will be happy to swap

 

[Jayare's Chicks]

Thanks Orps,
That's the "Sell Barn" down there by Sara Lee, Florence Police Station, Indian Mound and the O'neal Bridge. I went there yesterday after a job interview and after my Physical Therapy they were all packing up and leaving. There was 1 guy that had chickens, turkey, ducks, rabbits and a pig. I did not like the conditions that he had all these animals in and I don't think I would Ever Buy anything from that guy. I'm sure there are others but I was there about 1:00 and they are open from 5:00am to about noon every Tuesday.

Jayare

 

[Orps]

Thanks Orps,
That's the "Sell Barn" down there by Sara Lee, Florence Police Station, Indian Mound and the O'neal Bridge. I went there yesterday after a job interview and after my Physical Therapy they were all packing up and leaving. There was 1 guy that had chickens, turkey, ducks, rabbits and a pig. I did not like the conditions that he had all these animals in and I don't think I would Ever Buy anything from that guy. I'm sure there are others but I was there about 1:00 and they are open from 5:00am to about noon every Tuesday.

Jayare

Definitely have be been careful when buying at a flea market. Saw several that sold chickens that were in rally bad shape. And I think I know the guy you are talking about. Even the guy I bought my silkies from swears he could sex silkies at 4 weeks old. The way he did it, I really doubt he could.

 

[SpiderSilk]

Looking for two Welsh Harlequin hens in north Alabama. Shipping is to outrageous and it think ita.to hot for it anyway.

 

[Jayare's Chicks]

Spidersilk,
I don't know where you are at but I was at the Crump Flea market Saturday before last and I think I saw a guy that had some of them there, they were gorgeous. It's just on the other side of Savannah, Tn across the bridge. There was probably 25 different people that sell Poultry and other animals there. The place is on 3 corners of an intersection and they have it divided up into sections depending what they are selling. (They had Chickens, peacocks, ducks, geese, quail, turkey, pigs, rabbits, pidgins, doves, goats) I'm thinking about going back over there next weekend the 16th to try and get some more Quail.

Jayare

 

[Orps]

Spidersilk,
I don't know where you are at but I was at the Crump Flea market Saturday before last and I think I saw a guy that had some of them there, they were gorgeous. It's just on the other side of Savannah, Tn across the bridge. There was probably 25 different people that sell Poultry and other animals there. The place is on 3 corners of an intersection and they have it divided up into sections depending what they are selling. (They had Chickens, peacocks, ducks, geese, quail, turkey, pigs, rabbits, pidgins, doves, goats) I'm thinking about going back over there next weekend the 16th to try and get some more Quail.

Jayare

I found person who has Texas A&M in Springville. Only sells them for $0.50 for new hatchlings. Need to call them up to see if they have anymore. May have to make a trip up there for the 'World's Longest Yard Sale' in Gadsden if they do.

 

[SpiderSilk]

Thanks all. I am in New market AL, just north east of Huntsville. I will have to.check.out the Tenn place