Don't want to order 25...

[vfem]

Maybe Dark Cornish? Available at MyPetChicken.com now minimum order of 3.

http://www.mypetchicken.com/catalog/Day-Old-Baby-Chicks/Dark-Cornish-p723.aspx

 

[TimG]

Quote:
That seems expensive to me. I'm quite sure the extras I picked up at the local feed store last year were $2 each and would have been less if I had placed an order ahead of time.

Then again, if you think about it as the difference between a $9 finished bird and a $10 finished bird, the $1 difference between $2 and $3 for the chick might not seem so big -- it's not 50% more, it's just 11% more.

 

[Land of Lost Toys]

As TimG said - check your local feed store. My local one puts together a mass order from Meyer's Hatchery. You can order 2 if you want of whatever breed and they all come to the feed store for pick up. It's nice because you can order small amounts and the breed you want.

Also, check Meyer Hatchery. I think they have small orders allowed.

 

[aclee]

I'm so torn...I want to order from McMurray because someone said they were the biggest...but I want to order from ideal because the idea of Packing Peanuts cracks me up...what to do, what to do??

 

[the simple life]

Aclee what town are you in? I answered your pm but just opened this thread or I would have addressed this question.
If you are close enough I will split an order with you providing they ship soon because I don't want to be raising the cornish into the summer months.
If you want to end up with 15 though you may want to order the extra to off set any losses.

 

[Keri78]

ideal-poultry.com!!!! Can't say enough good about them!!!

PS. You don't HAVE to have "packing peanuts"

...I just paid a small order fee and got exactly what I wanted...(if I remember right??? I should know this...I've ordered from them twice now but MOMMY BRAINS!!!

) I got BEAUTIFUL cochins & orpington's from them!!! Anywho...I also LOVE the idea that they are shipping from nice warm Texas rather than freezing COLD(where ever the heck MM is???) Blessings, Keri

 

[Sunny Side Up]

I'd just go ahead & order the 25 chicks instead of paying more to get less. I always order more than I need in case of any losses in shipping. And with the CXs there can be other losses before the harvest. If everyone arrives safely & begins to grow well you can then sell them to someone local. Or just build a new/bigger pen for them and eat them yourself. It's not really that many more to manage.

 

[aclee]

Simple Life, I am in Amesbury, MA. I want to order sooner rather than later. I'm thinking early March, maybe Mid-March delivery? I would also like this out of the way before the heat gets here.

Exactly how many should I worry about up and dying in the middle of this process. I was thinking about starting with 6 birds, then I bumped it to 12 because many processors seem to offer a discount starting there, and then I went to 15 to be sure I ended up with 12. Now I'm thinking 25 because I'll have casualties beyond the first week or so?

Maybe I should consider another meat bird? I just really liked that these were fast, because I'm not sure how well the neighbors will love this. Although by the time I get them outside from the garage, I don't know how long it will even be till processing...

I'm totally open to suggestions and opinions...Maybe the Cornish Roaster? Or maybe go with Ideal instead of McMurray because the birds end up a little smaller so they might be as likely to die?

oh and to clarify, I LOVE the idea of surprise packing peanuts...I'm not trying to avoid them! If they are roosters, I would just process with my meat birds, and if they are egg birds, they would go to a couple farms I know after they got a little bigger.

 

[the simple life]

The Cornish roaster is the same thing as the cornish x, they also call them broilers.
The hatcheries all sell pretty much the same thing as far as cornish x go, I usually order from Welp but have gotten them from Ideal in the past.
If a hatchery says anything about it being slower or whatever then its usually a fryer or a standard cornish and not the cornish x that get big fast.
I personally wouldn't waste my time on fryers, they don't get big enough.
I don't want to scare you into thinking you will lose a ton of birds, just that my own experience and reading other people's here has been that there is some loss.
The other thing is that friends and family will want to mooch some finsihed birds off of you as well.

 

[aclee]

okay, I placed the order. McMurray listed the Jumbo Cornish X, and the Cornish Roaster as different, so I tried them both to make up my 25 (well 26 actually, had to get over $50 to use my coupon!) so I did 14 of the jumbo Cornish X, and 12 of the Cornish Roaster. Yes on the free chick and hopefully I'll get some extras

We'll see!

They are going to be here the week of March 7th. Now I have to get to Dodge Grain and get all the chick starter or whatever that I need. I'm hoping Dodge Grain sells the feeder and water holder that use the one quart canning jar. Although, those seem like they would get too small really fast. How many food and water dishes do I need for 27 chicks should they all make it? 3 of each?

Any suggestions on the best food and water set up?

Thanks!