choosing number of baby chicks

[pdxchristine]

I tried to search on this topic and was not successful...so pardon me if it's silly.

I'd like to end up with 3 laying hens (still deciding on breed). So should I start out with ~6, expecting that later on I will find out that some of them are males?

 

[Hillschicks]

You dont have too.. You can buy sexed chicks.. With close to 99% accuracy... Better yet if you are just shootin for eggs, get sexlinks... They are 100% accurately sexed and your guarenteed not to get any roosters... If i wanted 3 laying hens, id definetly get gold sex links... High production of large eggs and very calm friendly birds... Plus, guarenteed to be female if thats what you desire

 

[pdxchristine]

hmm okay, i will have to ask about that. A few of the local places I looked at to buy from mentioned "straight run" so I assumed I wouldn't be able to have them sexed until they mature.

 

[Eggcessive]

What options do you have to buy locally? Tractor Supply, Southern States, and Rural King are the ones we have locally. They all sell sexed pullets as well as straight run (males and females.) They get them in 2 or 3 times a week during chick season, so you can get different breeds on different days. You can easily get just 3 pullets, but I might get 1 extra just in case.

 

[mattsinger]

the TSCs around here will not sell anyone less that 6 chickens. When I was talking to them today, they were trying to tell me that the chicks would die from lonlieness in groups of less than 6....

 

[Hillschicks]

Cant hold it againts tractor supply... They are just employees, they repeat what their boss told them to say

And if you want hens and not roos, then straight run is not your friend... If your source only sells straight run, id find another source... Plenty of them out there

 

[mattsinger]

Cant hold it againts tractor supply... They are just employees, they repeat what their boss told them to say

And if you want hens and not roos, then straight run is not your friend... If your source only sells straight run, id find another source... Plenty of them out there

I understand.....but I would have rather they just said its their store policy that the lonely story

 

[Hillschicks]

Absolutely... Unfortunately they believe what they are told and are convinced they are right... I find the only store employees that know things are home depot and lowes