how does this sound?

Can I run my 2008 plans by y'all and get whatever comments you may have?

I am thinking I will order chicks for late May or early June (need to go out of town for 10 days sometime in May, waiting to hear when our horse-sitter is taking *her* vacation before I can pin down dates, but can't have chicks or eggs here while we're away). Planning to order from a small hatchery about 2 hrs away (www.performancepoultry.com). Since it looks like they *can* provide what I want, no reason to import from McMurray which was the other option I was considering.

I definitely want speckled sussex (for some eggs, to try eating culls/surplus, and to see if I like them enough to want to breed) and golden campines (just for pretty).

I'm thinking I will order 12 or so s.s. and 6 g.c. Does straight run makes the most sense? (Make soup out of extra s.s. roos, and extra g.c. can presumably(?) be sold or given away since they are purty and a bit unusual). My idea is to only carry maybe 6-8 sussex and 2-4 campines over the winter. Plus of course the 2 RSL we have already.

I would also really like to get light sussex (my husband's mother used to have them when she was a kid), but it is unclear whether I can obtain any this year as they're pretty difficult to find in Canada. Am thinking I will tell hatchery guy 'if you do get any, I will happily take up to a dozen chicks, any time after late May', but then if none materialize it'll give me something to do next year or the year after, waiting will not kill me.

Also I will be trying to get a dozen BO eggs from another canadian BYCer... but who knows how they will do with shipping across the country, have to wait and see if any hatch.

I do not know whether I would try to mix 'em all together or keep separate pens - the building is set up so that either would be easy, although multiple waterers would be a nuisance in winter. I figure I will keep my options open and see how it goes.

There are some other breeds I would really like to 'try', maybe just 2 hens of each -- barred rock, australorp, chantecler, EE. Just for fun and variety. I am more than half tempted to get a few of those thrown in with my hatchery chicks this year, but (sigh) I think it would be a lot more sensible to wait, as I can always get some in future years and it will give me an excuse for a few more chicks down the road, right?

(Edited to add: oh, and I would like to try raising about 8-10 broiler chicks from the feed store, if I can talk DH into buying a chest freezer, which we could really use anyhow).

Any suggestions or opinions?


Pat