Frustrated about the availability of chicks

[McChooky]

Gosh yes! I always have to stop and look. No free chick cuteness this year, the bins are all empty.

Gone are the days when we had a nice selection to choose from at our favorite farm stores or online hatchery. Now they sell out of them so fast we're lucky to find anything we want. I resorted to buying brown leghorns in '23 so I'd at least have eggs but they fight all my hens

 

[MROO]

I think Meyer Hatchery has some of their bantams sexed.

They are sexed, but good luck finding any available before next year ... unless you want to wait until late Fall for males.
This may sound nasty and negative, but I by no means intend it to be. It's an honest assessment and a viable option - based on chick availability, prices and shipping death rates, you may be better off buying an incubator and some hatching eggs. For many of the harder-to-find breeds, it may actually be cheaper - and you'll have the incubator for next time.

 

[21hens-incharge]

I did see a few bantam breeds sexed at Cackle. There is still SOME availability before the heat of summer.
Some OEGB and some Cochins.

 

[CatInTheHenHouse]

Forum flyer PDF is ready ladies and gents!

 

[Airyaman]

They are sexed, but good luck finding any available before next year ... unless you want to wait until late Fall for males.
This may sound nasty and negative, but I by no means intend it to be. It's an honest assessment and a viable option - based on chick availability, prices and shipping death rates, you may be better off buying an incubator and some hatching eggs. For many of the harder-to-find breeds, it may actually be cheaper - and you'll have the incubator for next time.

I'm getting horrible hatch rate with USPS shipped eggs. Now, granted, I am a noob, so take that into consideration, but I have been following the advice of many different people about hatching mailed eggs, following as best as I can, and my temps and humidity stay fairly constant until lockdown (temp stays same, jack up the humidity). Thus far of the 4 batches I've tried, my hatch (survival actually, had to euthanize two chicks) rate is 17% (x2), 33%, and 42%. So that can get quite pricey too.

 

[Coops Dad]

Bomgaars and Atwoods here in the Waco area have had decent selections. I haven't been into a TSC this year.

 

[Kaitlinrm0923]

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?

Yes! I live in SC and our TSC literally gets a truck and the chicks are gone in 30 minutes. They said 1-2 people come in, bulk buy, and wipe them clean.

 

[Iluveggers]

I think limits should start to be set at TSC, at least for the first few days after receiving chicks. There is a hatchery near me (a few hours drive), who has started limiting people to 10 chicks. I would totally drive that far, but I am not willing to take time off of work to drive out there with a chance that they won't have chicks available. They are not taking preorders unfortunately.

 

[Airyaman]

Just out of curiosity, I will stop by TSC locations from time to time to see what they have. If any babies are left, they are either ducks or cornish crosses.

 

[Sono]

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?

Must be the same people who bought up all the toilet paper at the start of the Pandemic and now doing it with the egg shortages... greedy people.