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CamJa

CamJa

Chirping
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Jan 7, 2021
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We are cityfied country people (almost 3 years here). I grew up in farming communities, but never actually lived on the farm. We have 2 (very spoiled) horses, 2 (over-endulged) ratters and have ordered a hen house that's nicer than our farmhouse. We also own a BnB (guests seem to like it a lot!). Our goal is to raise some very pretty, friendly layers that the guests can interact with. I'm particularly drawn to the Easter egg layers. Some time, I would like to add a rooster and grow our own chicks. We need to know good hatcheries and get some good breed ideas.
 
CamJa said:
We are cityfied country people (almost 3 years here). I grew up in farming communities, but never actually lived on the farm. We have 2 (very spoiled) horses, 2 (over-endulged) ratters and have ordered a hen house that's nicer than our farmhouse. We also own a BnB (guests seem to like it a lot!). Our goal is to raise some very pretty, friendly layers that the guests can interact with. I'm particularly drawn to the Easter egg layers. Some time, I would like to add a rooster and grow our own chicks. We need to know good hatcheries and get some good breed ideas.
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:welcome You found a great online community where you can post opinions, ask questions and get advice from egg-sperts *laughs uncontrollably at horrible pun* Can't wait to learn more about you! And I would definitely get some EE's. Their friendly, lay awesome eggs, and who can resist those fluffy cheeks?
 
I've found Easter Eggers to be a bit flighty, really. If you want interactive birds, Barred Rocks and Rhode Island reds are very bold (rarely, but occasionally to the point of aggression) and Faverolles and Buff Orpingtons are known as the golden retrievers of the chicken world. Personally, I like a mix of breeds. The mix of coloured egg shells is interesting too.

Here is Henderson's Handy-dandy Chicken Chart, infamous in the chicken world.

Don't plan on raising your own hatched chicks unless you have a plan to deal with multiple roosters.

I bear a grudge against Ideal hatchery due to some sexing and breed quality snafus. I have ordered from McMurray and liked them. I have not ordered from Cackle, but have heard good things about them.

The other two chick options are local farmers (often less hard on the chicks than shipping, but far less certainty about the sex of the chicks) and feed stores (susceptible to breed labeling and sexing errors because they're relying on the hatchery, and then on their near-minimum wage employees to get it right, but it is fun to pick out your own chicks, and you avoid breed minimums that way. And shipping costs, which can pile up. If you go this route, I suggest bringing the internet with you, and double checking what the employee says. Some are knowleagable, and some are full of it.)
 

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