buying chicks out of straight run bin

[kelsey]

Tomoro I'm going to tractor supply to buy o few more chicks but don't want to end up with to many roosters.does anybody have any suggestions on what to look for go a pullet instead of a rooster or is it just luck on what you get? Thanks for any help

 

[Fred's Hens]

Do Not Buy Them From The Straight Run Bin!!!!!!!!!! They are likely to be 80% roosters.

Buy some nice pullets or sex links and be happy, even if you pay a buck more. Geeeesh getting rid of all those roos after you've fed them and cared for them and not end up having enough hens? Simply not worth it.

 

[AccentOnHakes]

Pick ones with skinnier legs, more feathers, smaller and less red combs. Watch and observe for chest bumping, etc.

 

[Fred's Hens]

Quote:
Pullets chest bump too!! These are 3 day old chicks!!! Looking for combs, legs etc is almost meaningless at that age.

 

[mistymeadowchicks]

Fred's Hens :

Do Not Buy Them From The Straight Run Bin!!!!!!!!!! They are likely to be 80% roosters.

Buy some nice pullets or sex links and be happy, even if you pay a buck more. Geeeesh getting rid of all those roos after you've fed them and cared for them and not end up having enough hens? Simply not worth it.

X2!! It's too easy to get attached to the "adorable little chicks" that you're raising & caring for. And many roosters have a lot of personality which just makes it that much harder to get rid of them when you have too. If you want egg layers, buy pullets--even then you may still end up w/ some roos!​

 

[AccentOnHakes]

Fred's Hens :

Quote:
Pullets chest bump too!! These are 3 day old chicks!!! Looking for combs, legs etc is almost meaningless at that age.

Well, sometimes they do have older chicks at a cheap price because they need to get rid of them. As for pullets chest bumping...they do. But at that young age, roos do it more.

Feathers could be very helpful at that age, though.​

 

[fried green eggs]

If you want hens and TSC doesn't have pullets in stock ask them when they will get the next shipment in and go back then. Also check other TSC stores in your area they get different kinds of chicks at different stores. I was able to get Arucanas (straight run but I got mostly hens) at one store and Cornish X for meat at another.

 

[chickened]

One thing you can do is go look at the sexed chicks or the sexlink bins and compare them to the ones in the strait run bin and choose the ones that look and act similar. Strait run bins are usually chicks that are unsexed or unknown or maybe got mixed or yes maybe roosters. I have good success picking hens from strait run especially when they put sexlinks in there.

 

[hennyannie]

Fred's Hens :

Do Not Buy Them From The Straight Run Bin!!!!!!!!!! They are likely to be 80% roosters.

Buy some nice pullets or sex links and be happy, even if you pay a buck more. Geeeesh getting rid of all those roos after you've fed them and cared for them and not end up having enough hens? Simply not worth it.

I agree, I could buy from a bin that only had 6 roos and when they grew up I would have 5 roos at least!​

 

[riane'smimi]

Another trick is to pull the wing out and look for the ones with the longest wing feathers.the ones with the short ones leave right in the bin.