Consolidated Kansas

[TakenBackBre]

Hi Everyone,

Jason here and I am new to the site. So far I have found a lot of good info but I'm needing some guidance from some local folk next.

I live in Wichita and am wanting to start a little flock in my backyard for the first time. Here in city limits I can have only hens and no more than 4 total. I'm mostly wanting them for pets with the added benefit of maybe getting a couple eggs now and again. The eggs are not a huge priority for me and they definitely wont be for the meat. So from all the breed research I have done, it seems that Silkies/Showgirls or Bantam Orpingtons would be the best fit for me being a first-timer and wanting "cuddly" birds.

The problem I am running into is finding any place that sells them or even finding a breeder in the area. I have called TSC, Atwoods and Oreschelns but none of them carry Silkie/Showgirl or Bantam Orpington chicks. I tried calling a few hatcheries within 250 miles but they all will only sell me a minimum of 15 to 20 chicks. I've reached a roadblock. 

Does anyone have an leads of someone that would sell me a half-dozen chicks? I am wanting a mix of colors whichever breed I go with.

Also, if anyone has any input or opinions on the best "pet" chicken other than the ones I referenced above, please feel free to speak up! I am still open to the idea of different breeds.

Thanks in advance to anyone that can help!

--- Jason in Wichita

Silkies should be easy to find. My kids loved Old English Bantam Game. They have great personalities and come in a lot of colors.

 

[Trish44]

@JConradTX I sent you a PM (personal message) with some hopefully helpful info. You may have to be patient as not that many breeders have gotten into the swing of hatching yet this year. Are you prepared to care for chicks?

We have two more new lambs today, I'm so excited! I'll take pics later after my PT session & post them. DH thinks they're boys as well.

 

[chicken danz]

Here is Stew our mystery chicken (yes hubby choose the name lol)

Frankly she looks like neither. The barring is too crazy for a barred rock and the leg color is wrong. But she could have been mixed at some point. The legs are too long and too bright of yellow for a Marans. The barring looks like cuckoo barring however. As much as I can see she has no leg feathering which is pretty unusual for a marans. I guess the nest test will be the eggs she lays. If she is Marans the brown color will scratch or wash off. If she is barred rock they will be a light brown and the texture of the outside of the egg will feel rough rather than smooth.
Quote:s

I have 2 (I think) Breda Fowl chicks under my Araucana pullet broody this morning. She has 2 more eggs that haven't hatched. I'm really glad a couple of them survived. She worked hard to hatch them.



Edited to add the Orpington egg also hatched. She is down to 1 Breda egg unhatched.
I think it is pipped.

Yay!!!

Thanks everyone for the ideas -- but no they weren't molting -- at least not all of them. I bought some from you Danz and some from a friend and then the Cornie, the little bantam from another person. All different ages and breeds.

I have had chickens on and off since I was about 7 years old but don't remember any hens just quitting all at the same time. I thought maybe something got into the chicken house and scared them which happened one time years ago and my hens and guineas wouldn't go into the house for a few days and quit laying for a while too. But these ladies never did resume so it must have been a combination of things and I should have kept them but they were 2 years old and older so it is time to get more.

It could have been a scare but they should have recovered. If they were different ages and all not laying for 5 months my guess is that there was something making them ill. The other guess would be an undetected egg eater.

I got a look at the chicks (finally). There is an English orp baby that appears to be a Jubilee (50% chance since 2 of my 4 layers are Jubilee and the Cockerel is a Jubilee -- correct me if Jubilee over white or lavendar would produce the same chick markings), and the Breda is gray with adorable little feathered feet. One egg is still there un-pipped. I really thought she had 4 eggs, but apparently I was mistaken.

I'm so glad there are 2 of them. That way they will have someone to hang with.

You should have the same chick markings I believe but different coloration. It also depends if it is a dominant white or recessive white gene. Unfortunately I'm not sure on those orps. I would assume it was a dominate white gene though so off spring should be white, not striped.

Hi Everyone,

Jason here and I am new to the site. So far I have found a lot of good info but I'm needing some guidance from some local folk next.

I live in Wichita and am wanting to start a little flock in my backyard for the first time. Here in city limits I can have only hens and no more than 4 total. I'm mostly wanting them for pets with the added benefit of maybe getting a couple eggs now and again. The eggs are not a huge priority for me and they definitely wont be for the meat. So from all the breed research I have done, it seems that Silkies/Showgirls or Bantam Orpingtons would be the best fit for me being a first-timer and wanting "cuddly" birds.

The problem I am running into is finding any place that sells them or even finding a breeder in the area. I have called TSC, Atwoods and Oreschelns but none of them carry Silkie/Showgirl or Bantam Orpington chicks. I tried calling a few hatcheries within 250 miles but they all will only sell me a minimum of 15 to 20 chicks. I've reached a roadblock.

Does anyone have an leads of someone that would sell me a half-dozen chicks? I am wanting a mix of colors whichever breed I go with.

Also, if anyone has any input or opinions on the best "pet" chicken other than the ones I referenced above, please feel free to speak up! I am still open to the idea of different breeds.

Thanks in advance to anyone that can help!

--- Jason in Wichita

I wouldn't recommend silkies. They are terrible layers and the eggs are very small. There is so much difference in breeding from hatchery stock to show stock that you can get all kinds of personality traits. Aside from that they are impossible to sex until they are older birds. Bantam orpingtons would be a good breed to try if you want bantams. They lay large eggs for a bantam. Bantam cochins are adorable smaller birds and very sweet if trained. Mille Fleur d'uccle are probably the easiest to turn into a pet and do a good job of laying.

 

[JConradTX]

@JConradTX I sent you a PM (personal message) with some hopefully helpful info. You may have to be patient as not that many breeders have gotten into the swing of hatching yet this year. Are you prepared to care for chicks?

We have two more new lambs today, I'm so excited! I'll take pics later after my PT session & post them. DH thinks they're boys as well.

Thank you so much, Trish, I did get your message! And yes, I have gotten all my supplies for my babies from TSC and am just waiting on my chicks now. I am SO excited! This is dream that I have had since I was a little kid! I can barely contain my excitement! hehe

 

[Trish44]

Thank you so much, Trish, I did get your message! And yes, I have gotten all my supplies for my babies from TSC and am just waiting on my chicks now. I am SO excited! This is dream that I have had since I was a little kid! I can barely contain my excitement! hehe

Good luck, I hope you find what you're looking for. Chickens are very addictive, you'll see, they're entertaining & a bonus is eggs if you get a breed that lays decent eggs. I know that's not your aim, but it is a nice bonus.

Here are the new lambs, the internet gets so slow in the evenings I was unable to post:




The little black one reminds me of a skunk with his head & tail markings, lol! I'm so relieved to have lambing over with after the tragedy with the goat doe. Now I can focus on hatching in a month or so.

 

[lizzyGSR]

The weather here in NW KS is bitterly cold. My ducks/geese usually don't mind the weather, but today they haven't even come out of their duck house. There are reports in the area of anywhere between 8 and 12 inches of snow, but I honestly have no idea how they measure that or even guess at a snow depth. It's been blowing around out there so bad that the visibility is pretty poor, even when it's NOT snowing.

I saw a post on FB from the local emergency manager, and thought it was sad, but funny. You know you're in KS when...:

Here's a quote from the local Emergency Manager FB page:

"Roads are bad and the high winds is making it impossible to get them cleared. With the slick road and high winds we are even having problems keeping road closedsigns in place. The city crew is working hard to clear the roads but only main roads are plowed and they are starting to drift shut again. Please do not travel unless it is essential."

I think it's a good day to stay inside! Stay warm everyone!


Edited to remove typo

 

[coco mama]

The lambs are so cute and so different in markings. What breed are they?
I can relate to the excitement of @JConradTX . Spring is not coming fast enough! I love walking by the chicks at Tractor Supply and Orscheln just to get a peak at the little balls
of fluff. I have ordered 25 chicks from Stromberg. They will be here March 18 and I can't wait! This is my first time ordering on line. I wanted more variety to choose from. Year after year, the local stores have the same limited breeds for sale. I know the chicks do relatively well being shipped but I still worried!

 

[coco mama]

The weather here in NW KS is bitterly cold. My ducks/geese usually don't mind the weather, but today they haven't even come out of their duck house. There are reports in the area of anywhere between 8 and 12 inches of snow, but I honestly have no idea how they measure that or even guess at a snow depth. It's been blowing around out there so bad that the visibility is pretty poor, even when it's NOT snowing.

I saw a post on FB from the local emergency manager, and thought it was sad, but funny. You know you're in KS when...:

Here's a quote from the local Emergency Manager FB page:

"Roads are bad and the high winds is making it impossible to get them cleared. With the slick road and high winds we are even having problems keeping road closedsigns in place. The city crew is working hard to clear the roads but only main roads are plowed and they are starting to drift shut again. Please do not travel unless it is essential."

I think it's a good day to stay inside! Stay warm everyone!


Edited to remove typo

Snow sounds so romantic but not in Kansas when the wind blows so strong and every thing goes sideways! Here in Southwest Kansas, we have just this ungodly wind and the cold. The hens can't walk in the straight line with their tale feathers over their heads! They are staying in the coop, waiting for a better day. I just baked cookies to warm the kitchen and the kiddos tummies!!

 

[sharol]

I eggtopsied the 3 eggs that remained (2 in the incubator and 1 under my broody). All 3 were dead. The two from the other broody had died a while ago and weren't well developed - maybe why she abandoned them. The one under my successful broody was fully formed, but the head was trapped under a wing and it couldn't pip. How sad -- the egg sack was completely absorbed. I hate to lose them that way.

Final tally 2 chicks from 10 pullet eggs. In January. With pullet broodies. I'll try to get a picture when it isn't too cold to have the door to the hoop coop open.

 

[zigzag45]

Had a fun surprise, my babies arrived today. I didn't expect them for another day or two. Pretty amazing for Cackle to ship yesterday and I get a call at 7:30 this morning. All are in good shape, started eating and drinking right away - I was thrilled. I know the hatchery route isn't the favored route for alot of you but it is such a good fit for me this year. Super easy!

I bought one of those EcoGlow's for this batch. It uses a radiant heat so it never feels super hot under it. But, the babies seem to be doing well so I'm trying not to over think it.

I have both an open waterer and a pitcher with a nipple on the bottom. They are using both which makes me think I'll be able to get the standard waterer out in a few days. I really don't enjoy pulling wood chips and poo out of the drinkers.