Help on where to buy chicks?

[Dill]

Where's a good place to order chicks online? I need the cheapest place to get them, where you can get 5, (I know that most won't let you get under 25 because they need each other for warmth), where they'll have the breeds I want (I'd like a white silkie, a sebright, a millie fleur Belgian d'Uccle, barred cochin, and a buff silkie. all bantams and all hens except for the buff silkie ), and is there any way for them to know the sex and color of the chicks when they're only a day old? Because I want 4 hens and 1 rooster and the colors i stated above.

I won't be getting them till spring btw. If I'm REALLY lucky maybe I can somehow beg my parents to let me get them for my birthday...

 

[Trollkiller]

Quote:
My suggestion is to buy them locally at feed stores or through private parties.

Ideal will let you order smaller quantities but charges extra for less than a box. http://www.ideal-poultry.com/

 

[Dill]

I'm not sure if I can get them that way though.

On IDEAL, can you order 1 chick of each breed? Because I looked and it says "ST Run" under each one.

And with the box thing.. I don't get it.
It says "BOXING CHARGE: Add $1.00 service charge for each variety or sex of less than one-fourth box." So how much extra would it cost me?

It doesn't list any of the prices for anyof them either. Just says they're sold out untill spring.

Edit: Ive heard that IDEAL doesn't sex them, but My Pet Chicken does. Is that true?

 

[birdsofparadise]

On most popular breeds, Ideal sells straight run (hopefully 50/50 pullets & roos), pullets only and roos only. Pullets are the most expensive per chick, cockrels the least and straight run roughly an average of the two.

In less popular or scarcer breeds, Ideal only sells by straight run otherwise they would probably be stuck with a large number of rooster chicks.

Conversely, in the game birds, they will ONLY sell you roosters if pullets are also ordered, probably to dissuade cock-fighting enthusiasts.

Its probably cheapest to buy straight run chicks and put the extra cockrels in the freezer when they are fully grown.

 

[Dill]

I don't think I'll go be able to go with Ideal then. Hopefully My Pet Chicken DOES sex their chicks.

Edit: Yeah, I am going to order from My Pet Chicken. They sex their chicks and I can order the 5 I want

 

[shelleyd2008]

Good that you found out. I was going to say that most hatcheries don't sex bantams PERIOD. I don't know if they are too small or what. But the sexing is not 100%. Most hatcheries have a 90% guarantee. If you order 10 pullets and get 8 pullets and 2 roos, then they'll refund you.

BTW, St. Run means straight run, and this means they are 'as hatched'. They are not sexed at all.

 

[Mahonri]

Or you could find someone/many who want chicks also and order from McMurray or Welp.

 

[TaLani]

We ordered our chicks from MPC and all chicks were sexed correctly. They are 5mos old now & we didn't lose one at all, meaning they all have been very healthy. MPC has all the breeds that you're wanting, except for the barred cochin - they only have white, blue & red cochins. When we ordered from them we also ordered 2 blue silkies and 2 millie fleur d'Uccles and love them (not to mention all our others!). Most hatcheries out there seem to only offer sexed chicks if they have a lot of them or they are very popular breeds - I'm still not totally sure what the reason is though as to why they only sex certain breeds. It can be very hard to find a hatchery that offers sexed chicks that's for certain. We've been extremely happy with MPC though. Feel free to PM me if you have any further questions.

TaLani

 

[Leah-yes I know I'm crazy]

You may have to concider placing a larger order, then selling the extras by posting flier at feed store or here, for that matter. As long as you are going to have chicks anyway the added cost of keeping a few more to say, ten weeks would also give you the chance to pick out and keep the best for yourself, and possibly make a little proffit on the sell offs.

 

[Opa]

Dill, it would be much better if you keep checking on the site and with chicken owners in your area. Some hatcheries will sell in small numbers but they charge a premium that makes the cost prohibitive. I think you'll be much happier if you can find a BYC member near you.