HELP CHOOSING THE RIGHT BREEDS FOR OUR FAMILY

[rockmissjess]

Get some brown or white leghorns. Good foragers and both breeds can earn a living for themselves without too much additional feed. They also tolerate heat and cold. Make sure that which ever breed you choose that you have good shade for them at all times, because direct hot sunlight that a hen is unable to escape from can kill her in 5 minutes.

The butterball shaped, or big butted hens (the breeds barely able to fly) will not do as well in a hot climate.

Better order more chicks if you want 5 layers. None of your choices are sex linked chickens and the sexing process is at best only a suggestion, or a little like playing the slots at Los Vegas.

Then after raising one lone rooster and having two of your pullets die for strange and mysterious reasons, or ate by a varmint, you are now down to only 2 pullets and they have yet to lay you the first egg.

I am afraid that your counting your chicks before their hatch, or at least before they grown up.

We are not really getting them for lots of eggs... we are getting them for pets.. eggs are just a perk.

 

[rockmissjess]

Yes, we bought two straight run from a feed store. Luckily we ended up with one girl and one boy and were able to sell the boy. MyPetChicken offers them sexed but you pay a hefty price for it.

Yeah im going to pay for the girls and the online buying and the shipping (34.99) but thats okay... my husband doesnt mind.

 

[Peep-Chicken]

after careful consideration ive decided on changing my flock a lil... to [COLOR=444444]Barnevelder Chickens[/COLOR], [COLOR=444444][COLOR=444444]Gold Laced Wyandotte Chickens[/COLOR] & [/COLOR][COLOR=444444][COLOR=444444]Speckled Sussex Chickens[/COLOR]... as a update to my original post.. [/COLOR]

Where are you ordering from?

 

[Peep-Chicken]

Nvm, I see its efowl

 

[Peep-Chicken]

http://www.mypetchicken.com/catalog/Day-Old-Baby-Chicks-c36.aspx
They have a minimum order of 3 and female bantams.

https://www.meyerhatchery.com/index.a5w?aid=59&gclid=CMuo6_G40bwCFa5DMgodwC8AwQ
Minimum of 3 here also.

Getting the amount you want is easier then finding extra chicks a home. Trust me .

 

[rockmissjess]

Where are you ordering from?

http://www.chickensforbackyards.com/

 

[Peep-Chicken]

http://www.chickensforbackyards.com/

Nice.

 

[annav410]

http://www.chickensforbackyards.com/

Can you let us know how your experience goes with that hatchery? I am going to be placing an order next year and would love to hear how things go for you. I am thinking I might order 15 chicks with the intent of only keeping 5 and selling the rest. That or going in with someone would would like to split an order. I am hoping to avoid having "shipping peanuts" since finding homes for pullets will be 100% easier then boy chicks.
Anna

 

[rockmissjess]

yeah for sure... ill be ordering friday and ill let you know how it goes for sure.

 

[theawesomechick]

My Pet Chicken offers sexed bantams. But bantam or not, one in every 15-20 chicks in the pullet bin will be a rooster. Just something to keep in mind.