So...I've decided that I really want to keep just 2 breeds - Black and Blue Ameraucanas and Black and Blue Copper Marans. Right now I have 1 Plymouth Rock, 1 Barred Rock, 2 hatchery New Hampshires and an Easter Egger Pair all of which will go next year when my new batch start laying (the Plymouth Rock may stay). I hatched out 5 Ameraucanas of which I can positively identify on ly 1 black female and 2 blue males (1 with no beard or muffs so he's a goner for sure) I am hoping one if not both of the other 2 (dk blue and black) are females but they look more and more like males. I had planned on keeping just the girls for now until my spring purchase of Ams were sorted and ready. So here's my predicament.
I was going to order birds from Paul Smith for next spring - 15 BBS and 10 from Greenfire - Black Copper marans - none of these birds are cheap (the Ams are upwards of $100 and the Marans upwards of $150 both include shipping ) but I want to start with good birds. but am feeling the itch for some Marans now. I am thinking about buying a pair of juveniles from another BYC'er but the shipping is so much that I think I should just invest that cost in chicks next spring. Money is and isn't an issue - I'll spend the money for good birds because I do believe you get what you pay for.
So should I just hold on to my single black Ameraucana female and keep one Blue roo and hope for another female in the bunch and buy a breeding pair of Juveniles now and go with that or
should I wait and hold off until spring and just buy the chicks and take it from there. I am pretty sold on buying the Paul Smith birds - the checks in the mail as they say. I 'know' I should just stop now and spend my money on the spring birds...just looking for external will power I guess.
I was going to order birds from Paul Smith for next spring - 15 BBS and 10 from Greenfire - Black Copper marans - none of these birds are cheap (the Ams are upwards of $100 and the Marans upwards of $150 both include shipping ) but I want to start with good birds. but am feeling the itch for some Marans now. I am thinking about buying a pair of juveniles from another BYC'er but the shipping is so much that I think I should just invest that cost in chicks next spring. Money is and isn't an issue - I'll spend the money for good birds because I do believe you get what you pay for.
So should I just hold on to my single black Ameraucana female and keep one Blue roo and hope for another female in the bunch and buy a breeding pair of Juveniles now and go with that or
should I wait and hold off until spring and just buy the chicks and take it from there. I am pretty sold on buying the Paul Smith birds - the checks in the mail as they say. I 'know' I should just stop now and spend my money on the spring birds...just looking for external will power I guess.
