For those with 20+ chicks

[FutureChickenMan]

Quote:
Nothing. It's not the sex so much but the number of birds you order. If you order less than 20 or so birds the hatchery will put in (unwanted) males to keep the temperature up in the shipping container. More birds (no matter the sex) = more heat. Hatcheries get tons of sex link males (worthless) after hatchings and need to get rid of them. What better way than to make them packing peanuts aka warmth.

You have to remember most folks want pullets for eggs and if that is their only purpose, cockrels/roos aren't worth feeding so the hatcheries fill up with unwanted/needed cockrels.

 

[JenniferJoIN]

My boyfriend and I have 22 chickens because after losing two of our original chicks, I ordered 10 more. hee hee.

We just give the extra eggs away. Our 22 are more pets than anything. (My boyfriend pointed out that with all the stuff we get for them, each egg is probably worth about $50.00 ha!)

 

[horsejody]

Right now I only have 6, but a have a fairly good sized coop. Right now there are 12 eggs in the incubator, and 12 more are in the mail. I am hatching Jersey Giants. I will only keep 3 - 6 of my chicks. The others will be given to 4H kids wanting them for projects. I also intend to get 6 -8 young pullets this year, specifically for eggs. I am thinking of white leghorns and barred rocks. I am an egg lover. Real eggs, not the pale yoked icky ones from the store. I also have friends and neighbors willing to buy extra eggs to cover feed costs.