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Mhg1523

Mhg1523

In the Brooder
Jan 26, 2015
22
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Apache Junction, Arizona
Hello,


New to BYC and wanted to say hello and ask a couple questions at the same time.

I live in East Mesa Arizona and was wondering what the best Chicken or Chickens would be to start my first "flock". I live on .8 of an acre and was wanting to start with 6 chickens or so. I have been searching online and in the forums looking for a chicken best acclimated to the hot AZ summers and couldn't find much info specific to my area.

The next question is where to buy the chickens. Tractor Supply, Shoppers, and a couple of the local feed stores all sell them for a short time. Will the chicks from these stores be reliable as a private seller?


Thanks,

Matt
 
Welcome to BYC, Matt. Glad you decided to our flock. I would recommend Black Australorps for your situation. I've raised them for years (along with dozens of other breeds), and they are extremely hardy in both heat and cold. I've raised them where summer temperatures frequently reached 117-118 F (sometimes more), and where winter temperatures dropped to 30 F below zero, and in both climate extremes they came through like troopers. In the heat, when my other breeds were listless, panting, and holding their wings out, my Australorps went about their business as usual. They are also very calm and gentle birds. My children, and now my granddaughter (pictured in my avatar) made lap pets of them. And they are the best layers of the standard, brown egg laying breeds. A Black Australorp holds the brown egg laying record with 364 eggs in 365 days. Please feel free to ask any questions you may have. We are here to help in any way we can. Whatever breed you decide to get, good luck with your flock.
 
Michael OShay said:
Welcome to BYC, Matt. Glad you decided to our flock. I would recommend Black Australorps for your situation. I've raised them for years (along with dozens of other breeds), and they are extremely hardy in both heat and cold. I've raised them where summer temperatures frequently reached 117-118 F (sometimes more), and where winter temperatures dropped to 30 F below zero, and in both climate extremes they came through like troopers. In the heat, when my other breeds were listless, panting, and holding their wings out, my Australorps went about their business as usual. They are also very calm and gentle birds. My children, and now my granddaughter (pictured in my avatar) made lap pets of them. And they are the best layers of the standard, brown egg laying breeds. A Black Australorp holds the brown egg laying record with 364 eggs in 365 days. Please feel free to ask any questions you may have. We are here to help in any way we can. Whatever breed you decide to get, good luck with your flock.
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P.S. I forgot to add. If a tractor supply or feed store carries Australorp chicks, and whoever orders them knows for sure that they are in fact Australorps, they should be find. Personally I would prefer to order them from a hatchery to be sure that you are in fact getting Australorps.
 
Is there a website that's better then the others? I found Murray McMurray has them for delivery in march. Some of the other sites have a 15 chick minimum. I'm looking for only about half that.
 
Welcome to BYC!
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I'm glad you joined us.

Some other breeds that might fit you hot climate would be Leghorns, Minorcas, and Catalanas. Those breeds are all very heat-hardy, as they were developed in the Mediteranean region of the world.

I've received chicks from McMurray hatchery once, and was very pleased with their quality and productivity. However, that was four years ago and it may not be the same anymore. If you're looking for less than 15 chicks, you may want to take a look at the MyPetChicken hatchery. MyPetChicken sells smaller numbers (as few as 3, I believe) to certain areas.
 
welcome-byc.gif
I'm glad you joined us!

Michael O'Shay and Wyandottes7 recommended some nice breeds. I would also recommend the Wyandotte. My Wyandottes have been gentle, hardy, productive hens in both heat and cold. There are many breeds of chicken that would work well for you; I would suggest checking out the Breed Reviews section of BYC and seeing what you might like: Chicken Breeds - BackYard Chickens Community

Many people do buy from local stores like Tractor Supply, and get perfectly fine chickens. However, from what I've heard, those stores are somewhat unreliable, with "sexed pullets" becoming cockerels, and chicks turning out to be the wrong breed. A more preferable option would be to buy directly from a well-known hatchery, like McMurray or MyPetChicken. There is always some error with sexing, but I and other people I know have had success with hatchery birds in the past. The minimum order of 25 chicks at most hatcheries is one disadvantage, though it is often easy to sell extra birds or split orders with other future chicken-raisers.

Another option is to buy from a local breeder. Breeders generally offer older birds that are obviously roosters/hens, or unsexed chicks. Usually, there is no minimum order with breeders--you can purchase exactly the number of birds you want. One slight disadvantage with breeders is that they may not have the breeds you want, and supplies may be limited.
 
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