Hi everyone. I'm getting ready to get my first chickens. I've been lurking for a few months, but only just joined the site. I plan to have 6 to 8 hens, either RI Reds, Barred Rocks, or a combo of the two. I'm hoping to find some baby chicks locally, but I may have or order some. I just don't want to order the 15 that seems to be required from most places in the cold of winter. I figure if I get the chicks in the next few weeks they can be ready to go outside when the weather starts to warm. I've got a very simple plastic tote brooder set up awaiting occupants and I've been combing over ideas for coups. There are lots of great examples on this site and I hope to settle on a design in the next couple of weeks so I can start construction
Go to "where am I, where are you," in the social forum - you can then locate your state thread and post on it. You may find people in you local area with the breeds you seek. Then you wouldn't need to have them shipped. I'm sure SC has much better weather than we do ( Chicago suburb)
Hello Welcome To BYC and Happy Holidays! Good luck with finding chicks, X2 on try your state thread for local chicks. If you do wind up ordering chicks, you might consider a bigger or multiple brooders and getting the 15-25 as sexed pullets, they should be really easy to sell in a few months as started pullets, and in case you lose any as babies you would have replacements there already.
Welcome to BYC...BTW there are a few mail order sites that only have 3 or 4 chick minimums when the weather is favorable.
