Chicken Fever :)

[chickenpredatorkiller]

Well, I have chicken fever... I need .... erm... want... more chickens and I'm looking at Idealpoultry to get them from because they don't require a minimum amount. Does anyone have any feedback on how good ideal does? Also, I am planning on getting 6 more and maybe even more than that. I want an ee or an ameracauna for tinted eggs, an olive egger, a dark brown egg layer and a white egg layer. Basically I want chickens that will give me a rainbow of colored eggs. Does anybody have any ideas on which ones I should get? I have 4 nest boxes and a 6x4' coop and a run three or four times that big. Any ideas or feedback?

*I know I spelled ameracauna wrong

 

[aoxa]

EE's. Hatcheries don't have true ameraucana, even though they say they do.

I would get EEs, Marans, and BR. If you want white eggs, SSH are wonderful

Very prolific layers and gorgeous birds.

or you could even get a polish for white eggs. They are sweet birds.

 

[chicmom]

Welsummers will give you a nice dark brown, speckled egg which is beautiful! Easter Eggers (Ideal probably calls them Ameraucanas) will give you a nice, sea foam green egg, and sometimes even a pink egg, If you can get a Polish or a Cream Brabanter for a nice white egg, for a pretty brown egg, you can't beat a barred rock, and for the olive egg, I'm not sure if hatcheries sell an olive egger. You may have to find one from a breeder. (That's how I got mine.) A Salmon Favorelle will give you a nice creamy tinted egg.....

I'm with you, I love those colored eggs!

Sharon

 

[aoxa]

Quote:
I totally agree with all these! Wonderful suggestions

My BR lays a very light tan brown egg. It's beautiful

 

[BlazeJester]

How many chickens do you already have?

When I price things out on Ideal, unless I'm looking at EXPENSIVE breeds (Welsummer, Marans and specialty white layers might qualify), I'd have to order 12 to reach the minimum of $25 order (this is, in fact, their "minimum order" requirement).

Then the ship packing peanuts (which you need at this time of year), which are primarily excess males from the hatch that week. Some people like them, some people see them as a waste of feed. Some end up being females. The others end up being dinner.

Chicken math is a terrible and wonderful thing

 

[chickenpredatorkiller]

Quote:
I have two currently and my problem is that I want more, but all the online hatcheries have a minimum and TSC has a minimum of 6 but usually only has 2 or 3 types out at a time and I am hoping to get OEs, EEs, Dark brown eggers and White eggers, and I doubt they will have all of those at once.

 

[snooptwomey]

I "should" have olive eggers. My hens have just began laying fertile eggs so i am thinking of hatching some. Father is Ameraucana(EE since his Ameraucana parents are diff colors, father is blue wheaten and mother is brown/red) and father is from one of the darker blue egg layers around so I am told. And hens are red star's. I have been told by 2 people who have mixed the same 2 they got mostly olive eggers. I will be planning to hatch some soon hopefully.

 

[greenSearcher]

I would recommend My Pet Chicken if you want just one or two of each breed. W/ a 4x6' coop the girls will start feeling crowded at 10-12 birds. My coops are 4x6', w/ 16 liner feet of perches. The coop is elevated and has another attached 4x6 foot section w/ a covered roof that lifts to give me access to the run (besides crawling in the 2x3' door at the end of the run). Each coop has a large fenced yard, so the birds can forage there part of the day, and run free the rest. This fall I got sex links from Ideal (not impressed w/ their customer service),but before that, I've got 2 orders from MPC, shipping is high, but it is express when possible so there were no packing peanuts or freebies. I live 150 miles from Dallas, the orders take 2 days (same as Ideal) but I was able to get just 12 chicks the first time, a mix of breeds, never more than 3 of any breed. I still have 2 of those original 12 that are in their third year, though lost my roo and an EE just the other day to a dog. Talk w/ the customer service tech and explain what you want, and if you are close enough to a major city, you can probably get half a dozen birds. The only birds that I have had from them that didn't do well were the silkies, I suspect that they were just too tiny and stressed from shipping (I ordered 5 silkies as part of a 35 chick order.) As far as chick sexing goes, they are pretty close to the 10% standard, I had 2 boys out of my first 12 chicks, the first cockerel went the way of all mean roosters, but Punket, the runt, was a good rooster and took good care of his girls, dying in their defense last week.

 

[BlazeJester]

Meyer has a minimum of 3 and has a "rainbow egglayer assortment". I'm not sure if you can order that assortment in less than 25, but you can look at the breeds they use for that and order one of each.

Edited to Add: MyPetChicken uses Meyer birds, so they put a premium on the prices you'll find for the exact same lines at Meyer. Shipping is exactly the same - expensive, but worthwhile for small #s of sexed chicks.

Quote:
I have two currently and my problem is that I want more, but all the online hatcheries have a minimum and TSC has a minimum of 6 but usually only has 2 or 3 types out at a time and I am hoping to get OEs, EEs, Dark brown eggers and White eggers, and I doubt they will have all of those at once.