Anyone Order Chicks For Spring?

I ordered 10 standard cochins and 2 feather legged cuckoo marans from Ideal.  They are coming 3-01-17.

Ideal has a $25 minimum order and their shipping fees are reasonable.  I've ordered 2 times from there before and both times chicks were super healthy and all arrived alive.  No packing peanuts (males) included.



What color cochins did you get? 

I had very bad luck with Ideal, both in mortality and the quality of one large fowl, with my last two orders. I'm glad you have had better luck with them!



I ordered gold laced, silver laced, barred and partridge.  2 of each as pullets and 1 roo in barred and 1 in partridge.  Since I plan on using them as part of a breeding project on Sultans, I hope they are not massive in size, 7lbs would be great for me :)



Are you trying to get different colored sultans? That would be great. I love my sultan but wish they come in more than white! The LF cochins are pretty darn big, though.  Sultans are only about 4# and border on being bantams.  With that being said, I think a Sultan over Cochin would be better than a Cochin over Sultan, as you want the larger one to be the one laying the egg.

ETA oops I was thinking of Brahmas for some reason. Either way, Sultan over Cochin would work better, because of size and I think they say its okay to breed daughters to fathers but not sons to mothers, for whatever reason.


Doesn't the Brahma and Cochin come in a bantam variety? Maybe just the Cochin? That may have been a better choicd size wise but I don't know if Ideal carries them?
 
Back in October I ordered my chicks for delivery in April. Want to try out those Whiting True Blues that Murray McMurray has so ordered before they ran out. Am getting 6 Salmon Faverolles girls, 3 Salmon Faverolles cockerels, 3 Whiting True Blue girls, and 3 EE girls. Will share the roos with neighbors. Had a Salmon Faverolles rooster once but lost him to a fox, but loved his personality. Everyone who saw him liked him. Am hoping to breed a some next year.
 
Doesn't the Brahma and Cochin come in a bantam variety? Maybe just the Cochin? That may have been a better choicd size wise but I don't know if Ideal carries them?

Both do come in bantam sizes. I'm working with standard sized sultans though and one thing I want to do with Sultans is increase the size of them as well as adding broody behavior, better egg laying and over all health. I have a accidental cross with a D'uccle. She throws beautiful 3/4 sultans in some colors occasionally but she's very tiny at maybe 1.5lbs(she goes broody though and lays a lot of eggs!). I also have 2 brahma mix eggs in the incubator that if fertile will be from a sultan roo :) Edited to add I do also want colors in sultans. I think adding the traits that I want and some colors other than white it can increase the popularity of them if they can keep the same disposition.

I have 4 coops, so while I plan on also breeding cochins to cochins I will also have a side project of sultan roo to cochin hens.
 
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Both do come in bantam sizes.  I'm working with standard sized sultans though and one thing I want to do with Sultans is increase the size of them as well as adding broody behavior, better egg laying and over all health.  I have a accidental cross with a D'uccle.  She throws beautiful 3/4 sultans in some colors occasionally but she's very tiny at maybe 1.5lbs(she goes broody though and lays a lot of eggs!).  I also have 2 brahma mix eggs in the incubator that if fertile will be from a sultan roo :)  Edited to add I do also want colors in sultans.  I think adding the traits that I want and some colors other than white it can increase the popularity of them if they can keep the same disposition.

I have 4 coops, so while I plan on also breeding cochins to cochins I will also have a side project of sultan roo to cochin hens.


Ahhh okay, that makes a lot of sense. I was just thinking since SHK had said they're almost bantam size but it sounds like you have a very good plan :)

Good luck with the project!
 
Ahhh okay, that makes a lot of sense. I was just thinking since SHK had said they're almost bantam size but it sounds like you have a very good plan
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Good luck with the project!
They can be nearly bantam size and people still call them standards :( My biggest girl is close to 5lbs but she's old and lays very few eggs these days. Most of my others range from 3-4lbs. Still lightweight and small but larger than most silkies or "large" bantams. The opposite of my own goal would be someone using Serama to make a teeny sultan, smaller than bantam sultans. That'd be adorable.
Thanks for the well wishes!
 
I ordered 4 chicks from Meyer. They will be delivered in April. I ordered them in November. I am getting 1 easter egger, 1 welsummer, 1 australorp, and 1 meyer meal maker. I hate having to wait so long. But, since I don't have a coop or run yet I have plenty of time to get ready. Plus, we are getting a ton of rain after being in a drought for several years. So the coop and run build has had to be put on hold until the ground dries up some.
 

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