Going to feed store later today...what chicks should I look for?

[Angelfire]

My local Russell Feed just got in assorted ducklings and chicks, and also a couple goslings I believe. I will be going later today to come and see what they have. Any specific chicks/ducks I should look for? I don't want geese yet, especially African ones, so I will avoid those. I already know I will get all of the Khacki Campbells or Black Runners...because I LOVE brown ducklings for some reason.

Also, I heard with ducks and geese that the males run up to you and the females run away? Is this true? I don't want to do icky vent sexing unless I have to

But I basically don't want to pick up random chicks...so what do you guys want me to look for? Oh and please post a description of what the breed of chick/duck may look like if you want me to try to find it.

 

[chicken_china_mom]

Listen the the quack of the ducklings. The louder they are, the more likely they are female. Seems to work for most duck breeds.

As for the chicks, slowly approach their bin, crouch down, and dangle a hand in there. They will all run away at first, but if one or two (or ten) seem quite brazen and approach and peck or bite, chances are pretty good that they are roos. I just hatched out chicks the 23rd and I already have a fairly good idea of which ones are roos. Sadly, the ones that I really wanted to be hens are the roos.

Oh well, I can always hatch out more later, right? Now, everyone seems to have their own method for picking pullets from cockerels, and I'm sure everyone's method works well for them, but this particular method works for me, and I can figure out the cockerels with about an 80% accuracy doing this. The pullets tend to shy away from your hands when they are only a day or two old. Once they've been handled and they realize they LIKE being handled, you might end up with them running and JUMPING into your hand, lol. I have a 3 week old that will do that. She will follow me around the yard and when she tires out and I lower my hand to the ground, she will right into my hand. Sweet little thing, I just love her.


Are you planning on Bantams or Standards? If it's standards, go for Buff Orpingtons. They're big, but gentle. They will be fluffy yellow chicks with, I believe, pink legs. If you want colorful eggs from a sweet, docile breed, go for what the feed stores like to call "Ameracaunas". They are actually just EE's, but they will grow up to lay green, blue, and pink eggs, and sometimes brown too. They will look like little chipmunks with eye stripes, and they will have green legs.

If you are wanting Bantams, then I highly recommend Cochins. Here is a picture of one of mine as a young chick:

Now, you might not find this particular color of Cochin when you're there, but they come in so many pretty colors. Look for feathered legs and a small round head. Those roos will probably be some of the first to challenge your fingers, lol. But they grow up to be really good boys, I know, I have 4 Cochins roos! Another good breed is Silkies. Those will have dark eyes, and what looks like a big knot on their foreheads. They also have black skin and 5 toes. And feathered feet too! If you are wondering if a chick is a Silkie, move some of the down aside. If the skin is black, it's a Silkie. Now, Buff Orpingtons and EE's come in Bantam too, so you might find some in there too, depending on how your particular feed store sets up their bins. When I picked out chicks in March of this year I ended up getting from the bantam bin : 1 Quail Antwerp chick, 1 Japanese Bantam chick, 1 EE chick, 3 Belgian D'Anver chicks in 2 different colors, and a little White Leghorn that was injured when we picked her out, and she didn't make it. I also picked from the Standard bin 1 Barred Rock pullet. Of all of those, only 1 was a roo, the little Quail Antwerp. And he just revealed himself to be a roo this past week, little stinker, lol. But he's a sweet boy, not aggressive at all. If you want to research some breeds and give yourself an idea of the types of chicks you might see, then go to www.feathersite.com. Go to the chickens page and everything is in alphabetical order. Not every single breed will offer chick pictures, but the important ones will. If these are your first chickens I would avoid some of the harder or more aggressive breeds. I wouldn't choose Old English for a first breed or Rhode Island Reds. I'd stick to the more gentle breeds. Good luck in whatever you do choose. And post lots of pics so we can help you figure out what you picked out. Happy chick shopping!

 

[chick4chicks]

The cochins are great. I have some standard and some banty's. I just got 3 little sweet cochin banty's today.

2 are black and the other looks like it will be white (I hope). Good luck and remember chickens are an obsession. LOL.