Buy what we want, or what’s available? And is shipping safe or a no no?

[RockNRollCHIX]

I am a first timer here. The coop is getting a few finishing touches and will be ready for birds in a month or less.
We have room for 6-8 birds easily. We want to start with pullets. Chicks are a little more work than we’re available for right now and we are not allowed a rooster so I’d like to be more sure than less that we’re getting hens. I was going to start with 3 birds but on my introductory thread someone said get at least 4 in case they don’t all survive.
We were hoping to get a diverse flock, with lots of colors of eggs (and chickens).
With the bird flu and eggs prices etc… it seems like we may have to order some online to be shipped and probably can’t get them until May.
1. Is shipping safe? Humane?
2. Is it ok to order from different farms if we can’t find what we want at one farm as long as they arrive close to the same time?
3. Or is it better to just take what we can get and have them all come from one place?

Also, a family member wants a “fluffy” chicken. I’m assuming those are the silkies that don’t sound like they’re good for egg laying and aren’t readily available. IF we absolutely have to add one, is it better to do it with our first group of pullets or wait until everyone is grown, maybe next season (in hopes the need for one has diminished)?
Thanks in advance for any info you’ve got for me!!

 

[Loving my girls]

Where are you ? By that I mean which country ?
I have a diverse collection of hens but have always kept to between 2 and 3kg which imo reduces bullying.
I also like to have each hen lay different coloured eggs so that I can see who lays what and, more importantly, who’s not laying.
I have 10 hens and the latter is difficult I have to add.
Silkies are adorable but have their own problems as do many breeds.
I recommend you do your research and avoid broodies and temperature intolerance (depending on where you are) and any with inherent problems.
Also remember these can live a long time, get what you want and love them

 

[Evadig]

1. Is shipping safe? Humane?

It’s usually safe (in my opinion) as long as you don’t order when there’s a chance of severe weather or near a holiday. I’ve had both chicks and a pullet shipped. It’s nerve wracking but they have all arrived fine.

2. Is it ok to order from different farms if we can’t find what we want at one farm as long as they arrive close to the same time?

I’ve done this, and they integrated fine even though one bird was five weeks older than the others and had arrived a couple days prior.

3. Or is it better to just take what we can get and have them all come from one place?

Best get what you want, even if you end up buying from different places. Research breeds, make a list of the top ten or fifteen that appeal to you, and then pick what’s available out of that list.

Hope this helps !

 

[Iluveggers]

If you are buying chicks, and absolutely have to have pullets (females), I would not get a silkie. They are notoriously hard to sex until they are much older.

My suggestion to you is to buy sex-link or Autosex breeds (the coloring tells what they are as soon as they hatch).

If you only want 3-4 chicks, Mt Healthy hatchery has a good variety, including cream legbar, Bielefelder, and different color sex-link hybrids. If you call them they can go over all the choices and explain much more to you.

Cackle also has a small order 3 chick deal with a choice of 3 different breeds, but not sure how many sex-by-color chicks they offer in that assortment.

Good luck!

 

[RockNRollCHIX]

Where are you ? By that I mean which country ?
I have a diverse collection of hens but have always kept to between 2 and 3kg which imo reduces bullying.
I also like to have each hen lay different coloured eggs so that I can see who lays what and, more importantly, who’s not laying.
I have 10 hens and the latter is difficult I have to add.
Silkies are adorable but have their own problems as do many breeds.
I recommend you do your research and avoid broodies and temperature intolerance (depending on where you are) and any with inherent problems.
Also remember these can live a long time, get what you want and love them

We are in Southern California. As mild a climate as it gets. We are not too far from the beach so maybe a little more fog and dampness on occasion but nothing extreme.
Thanks for the reply! Every bit of info is very appreciated!

 

[RockNRollCHIX]

It’s usually safe (in my opinion) as long as you don’t order when there’s a chance of severe weather or near a holiday. I’ve had both chicks and a pullet shipped. It’s nerve wracking but they have all arrived fine.

I’ve done this, and they integrated fine even though one bird was five weeks older than the others and had arrived a couple days prior.

Best get what you want, even if you end up buying from different places. Research breeds, make a list of the top ten or fifteen that appeal to you, and then pick what’s available out of that list.

Hope this helps !

Thank you for the info!!! It is SO helpful!! I figured shipping was safe but the idea seems scary . I will keep researching and make a list then try to find farms in my state (California) so they don’t have to go too far!

 

[RockNRollCHIX]

If you are buying chicks, and absolutely have to have pullets (females), I would not get a silkie. They are notoriously hard to sex until they are much older.

My suggestion to you is to buy sex-link or Autosex breeds (the coloring tells what they are as soon as they hatch).

If you only want 3-4 chicks, Mt Healthy hatchery has a good variety, including cream legbar, Bielefelder, and different color sex-link hybrids. If you call them they can go over all the choices and explain much more to you.

Cackle also has a small order 3 chick deal with a choice of 3 different breeds, but not sure how many sex-by-color chicks they offer in that assortment.

Good luck!

Thank you very much!! This definitely helps!!

 

[K0k0shka]

I would advise against getting a single silkie in a flock of standard chickens. Silkies are smaller and look too different from other chickens, so they tend to get bullied for that. Chickens hate others who are different. Your sole silkie will likely get beaten up. Either get a flock of all silkies, or all normal chickens. You could get lucky and it might be fine, but often times silkies don't mix well with others, so there's a real risk of heartbreak.

Whether shipping is "humane" depends on who you ask. The age of the birds changes that metric, too. Tiny day old chicks would normally spend most of their day huddled in a pile in the dark anyway (under a hen), so to them, spending a couple of days huddled in a dark box isn't that big of a difference. Older, fully feathered pullets on the other hand, have different needs - they are active, mobile, and more used to living a certain way, so being cramped in a box for extended periods of time is way more stressful to them. Another difference is that freshly hatched chicks can go without food for a couple of days, riding on the energy reserves from the yolk of their egg. Pullets, on the other hand, need to eat and drink every day, multiple times throughout the day, and shipping deprives them of that, which adds extra stress to the situation. So - is it possible to ship pullets that survive the ordeal? Yes. Is it humane? That's another question. In my opinion, shipping day old chicks is already on the border of humane, and shipping pullets crosses the line.

 

[AntiqueB]

If you want eggs, be aware that production slows as hens age. I would split the flock total into 2 or 3 batches, adding a couple every year.

 

[Mrs. K]

First year chickens - keep it simple. You have years to do this hobby, can work your way into it. Get some experience.

I have more than once thought 'this' was a perfect breed. Only to find I really do like a variety of hens. It will be a lot of fun. However, which different breeds is really not that big of deal. So I would order from one place - what they have available. They will come together, and you won't have to add birds which is another tricky part in small flocks.

I would not add a silkie. Right now you are probably thinking that they will be fluffy friends that give you breakfast. A lot of the time they are, but they can also me the most heartless and vicious. The standard will often times pick on the silkie, sometimes to a bloody point, and sometimes to death.

As for space - inadequate space causes the most problems. A lot of pre-fab coops say they will keep 6 birds, and they don't. Measure the coop, measure the run.

Mrs K