Frustrated about the availability of chicks

[Kaleai]

I love that flyer. Personally it would hook me.

I've always wanted chickens and I've done so much research. This egg craziness encouraged my husband to finally let me get a coop and some chickens. So I'm pretty happy with it.

TSC is always a rough place when it comes to chickens here. I picked up 6 babies yesterday but told them that two were concerning and they insisted I bought them anyway because "they can only be bought in 4's and there's 6 left." Sure enough, I did every trick in the book and those 2 still passed.

 

[TexasBlues]

Breeding your own chicks with a rooster and hens maximizes self-sufficiency, eliminating reliance on external chick suppliers. This provides direct control over your poultry's lineage, feed, and living conditions, ensuring consistent access to quality eggs and meat.
This method fosters food security, reduces dependence on fluctuating markets, and promotes sustainable practices. It cultivates valuable animal husbandry skills and deepens understanding of food production. Conversely, purchasing chicks or chickens from external suppliers maintains dependence on potentially unstable supply chains, limits control over quality, and forgoes the development of crucial self-reliance skills.

 

[gimmie birdies]

When I order chicks from Meyers, they may not have any chicks available, but if you call them on Monday morning before 11:30 am east coast time, if they have extras you can buy them.

 

[SweetieChicken234]

Breeding your own chicks with a rooster and hens maximizes self-sufficiency, eliminating reliance on external chick suppliers. This provides direct control over your poultry's lineage, feed, and living conditions, ensuring consistent access to quality eggs and meat.
This method fosters food security, reduces dependence on fluctuating markets, and promotes sustainable practices. It cultivates valuable animal husbandry skills and deepens understanding of food production. Conversely, purchasing chicks or chickens from external suppliers maintains dependence on potentially unstable supply chains, limits control over quality, and forgoes the development of crucial self-reliance skills.

This right here is exactly why I have chickens. Self reliance and no dependence on others to supply. When I do need something I look for breeders of the breed I want. I avoid hatcheries now.

 

[OphyliaOrpington]

Breeding your own chicks with a rooster and hens maximizes self-sufficiency, eliminating reliance on external chick suppliers. This provides direct control over your poultry's lineage, feed, and living conditions, ensuring consistent access to quality eggs and meat.
This method fosters food security, reduces dependence on fluctuating markets, and promotes sustainable practices. It cultivates valuable animal husbandry skills and deepens understanding of food production. Conversely, purchasing chicks or chickens from external suppliers maintains dependence on potentially unstable supply chains, limits control over quality, and forgoes the development of crucial self-reliance skills.

Thank you! I tend to agree. Didn’t get a rooster already because I have neighbors and I didn’t want to be a jerk. I imagine that a good supply of free eggs would lessen the annoyance factor! There are already at least 2 other roosters on very close by farms. Surely one more crow-er in the daily crowing competition won’t make that much of a difference?!?

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Thank you! I tend to agree. Didn’t get a rooster already because I have neighbors and I didn’t want to be a jerk. I imagine that a good supply of free eggs would lessen the annoyance factor! There are already at least 2 other roosters on very close by farms. Surely one more crow-er in the daily crowing competition won’t make that much of a difference?!?

You'd be surprised.

 

[CatInTheHenHouse]

I like this idea. And it could really help a lot of folks who are interested in being good chick parents with happy healthy chickens. BUT the people who were going to look for info were going to find info anyway (very likely to find this BYC resource). You can’t force people who haven’t considered getting advice to get advice — Even though they are the ones who need it the most! I was a first time chick mom last year. BYC has been my go-to source for all my questions. That’s only because I cared enough to seek help. That’s my 2 cents!

There are SO many things to know. Would you organize the list of advice by order of events? Like day 1: brooder set up. Day 2: poop management … keeping chicks warm…Other food, treats and grit. Poopy butts. Moving outside. Coop/Run size, etc.

Or would you just have the the BYC community comment with their best advice to new chick parents? Something else? Either/all sound good to me! I don’t think anyone can put too much good advice out there.

Brooder setup is a good one, I’ll add that to the list.

I’m going to put ‘common health issues’ as a bullet but I’m not spelling out pasty butt specifically because I don’t think the majority of newbies are going to know what that is. And also there are other health issues that can kill chicks, but listing all of them would be more of an encyclopedia than a flyer and is beyond my expertise.

Anyone know what font the header uses?

 

[Blue Andalusian]

So is anyone else having issues with every chick being bought up within a small amount of time after arrival at stores?

In my area they are being bought up so fast?

I hatch my own Chicks, but the reason is probably Egg Prices and Bird Flu

 

[OphyliaOrpington]

Breeding your own chicks with a rooster and hens maximizes self-sufficiency, eliminating reliance on external chick suppliers. This provides direct control over your poultry's lineage, feed, and living conditions, ensuring consistent access to quality eggs and meat.
This method fosters food security, reduces dependence on fluctuating markets, and promotes sustainable practices. It cultivates valuable animal husbandry skills and deepens understanding of food production. Conversely, purchasing chicks or chickens from external suppliers maintains dependence on potentially unstable supply chains, limits control over quality, and forgoes the development of crucial self-reliance skills.

Brooder setup is a good one, I’ll add that to the list.

I’m going to put ‘common health issues’ as a bullet but I’m not spelling out pasty butt specifically because I don’t think the majority of newbies are going to know what that is. And also there are other health issues that can kill chicks, but listing all of them would be more of an encyclopedia than a flyer and is beyond my expertise.

Anyone know what font the header uses?

I would only include medical problems average people can actually do something about. Most of what I see says if they get sick, they die. End of story. Pasty butt is easy to fix and gross enough to discourage the weakest links.

Plus I haven’t found a vet that will care for poultry in my area. It seems like these sweet babies are just thrown away if they get broken. Sad.

(The header is a sans-serif font like Helvetica or Arial.)

 

[OphyliaOrpington]

I hatch my own Chicks, but the reason is probably Egg Prices and Bird Flu

Sounds like so much fun! Why not let your chickens hatch and raise them? Wouldn’t that be easier? Or am I being terribly naive?