Help me Pick

[lazy gardener]

Go to Henderson's chicken breeds chart. It will give you details about the common breeds. But, for your first venture into chickens, a red sex link would be a good bird for you. The only down side to them is that they lay good for 2 years, then they either stop laying or succumb to some reproductive tract malady. The heritage breeds will lay slightly less frequently, over a longer period of time. You could go to your state thread, and see if there's any one there who would be willing to split an order of chicks with you. Also, if you get your chicks from Tractor supply, the varieties in the bins may be mixed up, so you won't know exactly what you're getting. It would be helpful if you could get someone who knows chickens to go with you. Also, some TSC companies are not as trustworthy: for example, a TSC in my state was advertising a bin full of Barred Rock pullets. They were all males... buyer beware!!

 

[jimmywalt]

Go to Henderson's chicken breeds chart. It will give you details about the common breeds.

Took me a bit but I think I found it.

http://www.sagehenfarmlodi.com/chooks/chooks.html

 

[jimmywalt]

We don't have many options as to where to buy our first chicks from. The ones at our local Tractor Supply seem the healthiest.

They have:

• Red Pullets
• Assorted Pullets tetra tint
• Assorted Bantams

There is also a local farmer that might have some "Old English Game Bantums" for sale.

We are interested in getting 6 good layers with good attitudes. Any suggestions?

ISA Browns....... Laying machines. All winter we got 3 eggs from our 3 ISA Browns and we live in Michigan where it's been freezing since October!

Bantams... We have one. She just laid her 1st egg last week at 12 months of age. Egg was the size of a half-dollar. They are cute breed, but worthless otherwise.

Stay away from TSC (Tractor Supply). They make you buy six minimum and half the time I read on this website that TSC doesn't know one chick from the next. Find a different farm store.

We have Family Farm & Home. They let you buy the quantity (even 1) that you want. You can hold them. They don't mix breeds, and I don't think they even have straight run (except for the bantams because they are too small to sex).