How do you get a certain breed?

[komobu]

My wife has stated raising hens this year. She has four of them and they are all different breeds. Looking on line, she saw a breed that she really likes. It is called a Blue Wyandotte. How does one get one of those? Can the be ordered from a place or do you just have to attend enough swap meets until you find the one you want?

Thanks for any advice.

 

[PhoenixFan]

You can obtain different breeds by ordering day-old chicks online from a hatchery. Murray McMurray's Hatchery and Ideal Poultry are ones I've ordered from. Ideal Poultry has a really wide selection of birds and will most likely have the one you want. Hope I could help!

 

[komobu]

Thanks. How are they cared for during shipping? ie kept warm, fed and watered?

 

[GC-Raptor]

Thanks. How are they cared for during shipping? ie kept warm, fed and watered? 

They ship day old chicks overnight if it's not to hot or cold and Certain times of the year. Try to find the closest hatchery near you with a good rating. They have a minimum usually 12 to 15. There is a hatchery I remember seeing that sells 3 chicks but it's like $70. I don't remember the name.I get my chicks locally from Agway or TSC. But here in Connecticut it's during spring. Check (My Pet Chicken) they might be the one that sells 3 chicks. GC

 

[GC-Raptor]

My wife has stated raising hens this year. She has four of them and they are all different breeds. Looking on line, she saw a breed that she really likes. It is called a Blue Wyandotte. How does one get one of those? Can the be ordered from a place or do you just have to attend enough swap meets until you find the one you want?

Thanks for any advice.

Yes I just checked (mypetchicken.com). For my zip code its a minimum 4 chicks or 6 bantum chicks. GC

 

[ShrekDawg]

I ordered mine from Meyer Hatchery and they also ship 3 chicks and I really liked them.

The key though is to order early or keep checking back a lot because hatcheries tend to sell out of some breeds but Meyer updates a lot so it might say there's none for a while but then a few weeks or months later there might be more so yeah.

Do you mean solid blue or blue laced red wyandotte?

 

[komobu]

I ordered mine from Meyer Hatchery and they also ship 3 chicks and I really liked them.

The key though is to order early or keep checking back a lot because hatcheries tend to sell out of some breeds but Meyer updates a lot so it might say there's none for a while but then a few weeks or months later there might be more so yeah.

Do you mean solid blue or blue laced red wyandotte?

Thanks...I will check them out. Will they allow you to pay for three and ship you just one if you want? We live in the city and are only alowwed to have up to 6 hens. We already have 4. My wife wants to have all different breeds. We dont have any roosters. they are not allowed in our city.

The blue laced red wyandotte...it is so pretty! https://www.google.com/search?q=blu...ei=6MKvV-bRGsOyeMiZtYgP#imgrc=FBX7xHp4OrCuGM:

 

[junebuggena]

The minimum order is company policy. If you pay for three, you get three. Also, raising a single chick and then integrating it into an established flock does not usually go well. Best to wait till you have the room for 3 new chicks.

 

[Percheron chick]

You will not get a spectacular looking hen like that one from a hatchery. She is show quality stock from a dedicated breeder ($$).

 

[donrae]

Also, that main image that comes up on that link is color enhanced. That vivid blue is not natural, sorry.

Chicks need each other to keep warm during shipping. You should take the chance of losses into account also. Order the three, and hope they all survive to be feathered out and of coop age. At that point, if you have too many birds, you sell one or two off.

Or, see if there's someone in your AO who wants to go in on a hatchery order. That's a good way to make new chicken friends. I've advertised on Craigslist to do that and met some cool chicken folks. More chicks seem to equal a better survival rate, IME.