I found that the local Orscheln's Feed Supply store is still getting chicks in and they have 3 of the 4 kinds we want! Tonight we picked up all the wood to build the coop this weekend and we plan to go get chicks on Friday and set them up in a brooder in the spare bedroom for a few weeks. I'm so excited!!!
Good luck with everything. I have got a lot of chicks from Orscheln's . Ducklings also. local feed store has better prices on equipment, and sometimes birds too but they are hit and miss. This year they wanted chick cost (hatchery cost) +$1 per bird. I was just looking for some CX which I got last year for UNDER hatchery price so they could take down brooder set-up. The nail in the coffin for them was I NEVER bought feed for those birds from there. 84 chicks raised on free hog feed. And they did great. I still have 4 pullets I am breeding and hatching from. They are my best "confinement" birds. Doing great penned while my other pullets/hens slack off when I pen them for breeding. Since I normally have 100% free range, I don't even shut coops up most nights.
This year, we were staying away from hatchery birds since we had 50 or so hens, We were checking CL for some additions and a few fell thru, or were down right zombie looking. So we ended up getting some cockerel chicks for my pure breeds I don't have males for and then we did get some ducks last Friday. Rouens for genetic diversity (Mine hatched/hatching are from full siblings.) and Pekins because wife has been wanting some but never told me.
That and we did get some POL pullets (WLH and RIR) from a guy that wanted to down-size because of space issues. He tossed in a Iowa blue rooster, because he thinks he has a 7/1 ratio, feel sorry for that pullet. He is a little gentle guy that's just realizing what the opposite sex is for....... with my duck.
. He has the idea though. I think its because she is the calmest of my females. Really submissive. Need to make a small portable coop for him and the 5 WLH wife wants to cross him with, just to see what we get.
Feel almost sad because I haven't collected eggs for incubation since Friday. But have 100 +/- cooking now. Chicken and duck. A week from Friday I will collect again until I have either a weeks worth of BSL and meats or until I get what I feel is "enough" BSL's. These chicks are for selling though. Males will be fattened and maybe a few kept for the table egg flock. I have 4 now with the FR birds. Last years hatches and they are really good sized. Unless I get interest in someone wanting a rooster for a flock. Might even give them with pullets I sell if people want them.
Got a great deal on some lumber from a local resale shop so I can start the brooding room in garage, and wife's plant starting/canning room. Was waiting because plywood is getting unrealisticly pricey (For me the cheap skate). Have the Ohio Brooder (Like style anyway) already set up with 30 +/- chicks in it. They are 1 week difference in ages and 1/3 are my meat project (X x CX) but are doing fine together. I have 60 eggs hatching the 30th (I hope) and will move older to another brooder in the breeding coop. Also a reason I am waiting to set more eggs. Tired of making :tote" style brooders. 1 or 2 big hatches will make it a lot easier on me. And before those guys get shifted to yet another pen in Breeding coop my CX chicks should be close to processing size.
I have every egg layed sold so I squeak a small profit from the birds (1st time in 8 years except 1st selling POL pullets, my 1st ever) And have capability to hatch anything I want, from existing flock anyway. Wonder what wife would do if I saved 1 weeks eggs (20+ dz.) and hatched them.
......I do have the incubator space and brooding if I chose to.