egg hunting

Maxe's mom

In the Brooder
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my friend has a birthday on August 17. Her husband bought her a chicken coop for her birthday. She wants some laying hens. Where can I buy some eggs to go into an incubator and what kind of chicken would be the best?
 
Be a friend and DON'T get her hatching eggs! :old

Nobody want to deal with cockerels on their first go around. ;)

I would get sexed chicks... a variety, NOT to include sex links as they simply have too many reproductive issues in the long run.

Barred Rock, Easter Eggers, Speckled Sussex... all good choices for first timers. :fl
 
Wow... lots of ground to cover with that post... First, it would be HIGHLY beneficial to talk with your friend and find out if she has any particular "thoughts" on the matter of breeds, egg colors, egg amounts desired, etc. Does she prefer white shell, brown, blue, green, etc. How many eggs will she likely use daily/weekly? How many birds does she intend to start out with? Large breeds, bantams, specialty breeds? It's not like buying your friend a toaster... they are living, breathing, animals and the possibilities are virtually endless.

If you have no experience with incubating, you're taking a large risk planning to hatch out the chicks to "gift" your friend. What will you do if you have a bad hatch rate or none hatch? What if she doesn't want chicks but wants to start with POL pullets or producing hens? Chicks will take 18-26+ weeks before they start laying eggs and that's a long time to feed animals who are producing nothing but stinky waste.

Since ES4Life beat me to posting, I'll echo what she said. Find a breeder or chicken owner nearby and buy her a few pullets or hens. But ASK HER FIRST!
 
I would recommend getting breeds to match your climate if possible. Wyandottes, Chanteclers, Buckeyes, Easter Eggers, and Dominiques are good layers for cooler climates that you can get from any of the major hatcheries, I'd recommend Cackle. If you want to go more that route, they even sell pure Ameraucanas. These are easier to take care with small combs and clean legs.
For a hotter climate, buy Mediterranean breeds more locally, the ever popular Leghorn is a great layer that comes in many colors but is more flighty than other breeds. Anconas and Sicilian Buttercups are very interesting choices. I have found Anconas to be less flighty, but the pretty Buttercup pullet to be more shy.
You can also pick an ever popular Rhode Island Red, Orpingtons, Plymouth Rocks, and Speckled Sussex.
Bantams can be friendlier and take up less space, but may be less hardy and lay smaller eggs. Popular ornamental bantams are bantam Cochins, Silkies, d'Anvers, and d'Uccles.
 

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