how do i get the most unique colors?

[truebluehikaru]

Yeah, I'd recommend getting sexed chicks.

that's probably the best way. even though i want to raise them from a day old. i already have the incubator too... oh well.

 

[truebluehikaru]

My 1st chicken came from Valley Hatchery sexed. The breeds are listed below that gave me this beautiful basket of colors. Minus the big speckled one that my turkeys eggs lol. Even getting sexed chicks isn't always 100%. Out of mine 4 were roos.
View attachment 4195895
Blue Ameraucana
White Leghorn
Barnevelder
French Black Cooper Maran
Cinnamon Queen
Sapphire Gem
Easter Egger
Olive Eggers

beautiful basket!! ahhh this is my dream. yeah i see sexing also isn't 100% usually.

 

[Iluveggers]

maybe like 12-18? considering a half dozen from each breeder i'm interested in.

I highly recommend McMurray hatchery. We’ve ordered hundreds of chicks from them over the years, and only ever ended up w 3 total accidental cockerels in all-pullet orders.

If you want a rainbow basket, friendly NY winter hardy birds, and many different patterns, here is what I suggest:

2 Americana (Easter Egger)
2 Whiting True Blue
3 Whiting True Green
2 Speckled Sussex
2 Orpington
2 Pearl Leghorn or Buttercup
2 Welsummer or Marans

You’ll have a beautiful basket f many egg colors. The white will make everything else pop.

I live in NY also. Every order from McMurray has arrived the day after shipping, and we have only ever lost one chick through shipping.

If you have any other questions please let me know! I wasn’t sure how many eggs or what temperament you were looking for, but we have a mixed flock so I can give you my experience with each if we do have them! If you order 15 or more birds, you only pay the usps fee (no additional shipping fee)!

 

[truebluehikaru]

I highly recommend McMurray hatchery. We’ve ordered hundreds of chicks from them over the years, and only ever ended up w 3 total accidental cockerels in all-pullet orders.

If you want a rainbow basket, friendly NY winter hardy birds, and many different patterns, here is what I suggest:

2 Americana (Easter Egger)
2 Whiting True Blue
3 Whiting True Green
2 Speckled Sussex
2 Orpington
2 Pearl Leghorn or Buttercup
2 Welsummer or Marans

You’ll have a beautiful basket f many egg colors. The white will make everything else pop.

I live in NY also. Every order from McMurray has arrived the day after shipping, and we have only ever lost one chick through shipping.

If you have any other questions please let me know! I wasn’t sure how many eggs or what temperament you were looking for, but we have a mixed flock so I can give you my experience with each if we do have them! If you order 15 or more birds, you only pay the usps fee (no additional shipping fee)!

oh wow thanks so much for the recs, this is so helpful : ) mcmurray isn't like a puppy mill is it? I'm afraid of supporting hatcheries that want to churn out chicks but it sounds like you've had a good experience. are the chicks usually healthy? i'm also scared of getting a chick that didn't make it in the mail but it sounds like that isn't common with them. also, the hatcheries vaccinate too which is a big plus.

i'm also considering waiting until springtime when breeders near me start selling chicks again. or maybe ordering them online??

would you also happen to know any breeders? i'm in long island but willing to go upstate (idk where you're located)

 

[Iluveggers]

oh wow thanks so much for the recs, this is so helpful : ) mcmurray isn't like a puppy mill is it? I'm afraid of supporting hatcheries that want to churn out chicks but it sounds like you've had a good experience. are the chicks usually healthy? i'm also scared of getting a chick that didn't make it in the mail but it sounds like that isn't common with them. also, the hatcheries vaccinate too which is a big plus.

i'm also considering waiting until springtime when breeders near me start selling chicks again. or maybe ordering them online??

would you also happen to know any breeders? i'm in long island but willing to go upstate (idk where you're located)

Well, most big hatcheries have lots of chicks. McMurray from what i understand has multiple farms where they keep different flocks to collect eggs from. I’m sure there are smaller breeders you can order chicks from, but none of mine have looked sick, died early, or had any weird abnormalities. They are one of the more quality large hatcheries.

The smaller you go, the harder it is to find a big variety of correctly sexed chicks. Unfortunately big hatcheries like Hoovers are the puppy mills of chickens…lots of breed and sex mistakes.

I suggest checking out their website. They have reviews you can read for each breed, which we found very helpful when deciding what to get. They have a few APA certified flocks also, for specific qualities, and will let you know if a breed is on the livestock conservancy list if you ever want to breed an endangered breed. But no, they are not a small time hatchery.

I am much more upstate than you, and have only found one local hatchery within 2 hours of me. Guy was super nice, but availability was spotty and when driving that far it was hard to plan. Also had a few issues from his chicks (Brahma died super early, just lost my Faverolles at 3…she wasn’t a frequent layer so that was unexpected, and my EE from him consistently laid softer shell eggs).

We’ve tried him, Mt Healthy (like them but they are expensive and have limited breeds), Ideal (like them but color/breed standard quality can vary), Meyer (hatching eggs only…quail had a few cross beaks but chicks were fine). The family farm has also grabbed a few impulse chicks from Tractor Supply here & there. McMurray is by far our favorite.

I hope this helps!

 

[Iluveggers]

Oh, one more thing. I think the time of year you order in NY can help mail chicks survival. We never order before the beginning of May. March & April are so unpredictable when it comes to cold snaps. Southern orders would probably be the opposite, but I make sure the weather is warm enough so they won’t freeze on their way here.

 

[Amer]

oh wow thanks so much for the recs, this is so helpful : ) mcmurray isn't like a puppy mill is it? I'm afraid of supporting hatcheries that want to churn out chicks but it sounds like you've had a good experience. are the chicks usually healthy? i'm also scared of getting a chick that didn't make it in the mail but it sounds like that isn't common with them. also, the hatcheries vaccinate too which is a big plus.

i'm also considering waiting until springtime when breeders near me start selling chicks again. or maybe ordering them online??

would you also happen to know any breeders? i'm in long island but willing to go upstate (idk where you're located)

Losing them in the mail is a totally valid concern, especially nowadays. If you want to avoid that problem you can buy at a tractor supply or fleet farm or something like that, they have Easter Eggers there occasionally.