Good Chick Breeds?

[debid]

The local hatchery here has the sweetest gold sexlinks. I've gotten them on three occasions over the years and every single one has been friendly and docile. Lap chickens that also lay eggs like crazy and you never get a whoops cockerel. Does it get any better? It isn't that sexlinks are inherently mean, you're just seeing a focus on production with little to no attention being given to temperament.

Because you are basically at the mercy of the store's buyer and supplier, you should ask questions there. You may find a sympathetic employee who will assist with your efforts. At the very least, they can give you a better idea of what to expect in the coming weeks (when will they start getting shipments, what day do they normally arrive, do they get a lot of straight run or only order pullets for the laying types, etc)

I discovered quickly that the co-op here was a much better source for me than either the big box farm store or the farmer farm store ("Straight run only, why would you want only pullets? Just eat the roosters.") back when I first started. Then I learned about a local hatchery and that was the end of my search. They do it better and their slightly higher price per chick is worth every penny. Sometimes asking around locally leads you to a better option.

 

[Windy Wings]

Always ask the store too, if they have any breeds in the back. We got lucky once and a shipment had just arrived. No chance for the wrong label to be put on if they haven’t been unloaded yet! Sometimes you can hear chirping coming from the back area too

Good to know! Thanks!