How to choose the keepers?

[owlwithpeas]

Hi,

New chicken mamma here and I placed my first order for a few breeds of chicks from MM. Because of the minimum ordering, I know I'm going to have to keep only a limited number and I'm wondering how I should choose! I mean, I've researched the breeds pretty thoroughly and I want to pick the chicks that will be happiest together and happiest with me. I also would like good layers but I know I won't be able to tell when they're chicks and pretty hard to tell even later? Does anyone have any advice on deciding who stays and who goes?

PS- Don't know if this is the right place to post this question. Sorry if I made a mistake.

 

[moduckman]

At four to six weeks you should be able to tell. They are your birds. Keep the one's that make you happiest.

 

[Rhett&SarahsMom]

when it came time to choose which of the BOs I ordered would be staying or being sent to a new home I kept the ones that were the most "out going"
One stuck out more than the others. And she still does! I began painting her toe nails early on. Not that it mattered. I could tell her apart from the others by just walking over and looking into the brooder. She would come right over and begin looking to be held. And she still does.

 

[#1California Chick]

Welcome to BYC!!!

Welcome to the best site on the Internet for talking "chicken talk"!!! Lots of nice (and funny

) people too!!!

Here is a site that will tell you which breeds are friendly and good layers:

www.ithaca.edu/staff/jhenderson/chooks


Good Luck!!

Cindy

 

[owlwithpeas]

Thanks for the advice and the link. I already researched breeds and made my choices. I was wondering how to pick within a breed. I'm glad that it sounds like I'll be able to tell who the friendly ones are right away. What about how they will get along together? Do they change and start picking on eachother when they become adults?

 

[tiki244]

You may want to keep them until you know which ones ar boys and girls. Unless you bought all girls. That would probably be 8 weeks. Otherwise if you post pictures and personalities when you are ready to weed them out BYC friends would be happy to help you decide.

 

[cmom]

Did you order straight run? If so you will probably get quite a few Roos. Here is a great reference book, Gail Damerow's 'Storey's Guide to Chickens' is an excellent guide, as well as this web site. This site is an excellent source of information.

Also here are some of my favorite sites and info.
Henderson's Chicken Breed Chart
http://www.feathersite.com/Poultry/BRKPoultryPage.html
http://www.mypetchicken.com/aboutChickens.aspx
https://www.backyardchickens.com/coopdesigns.html
https://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=2593-Treats_Chart

 

[owlwithpeas]

I ordered all girls except for the "mystery chick".

Thanks for those websites. What I'm really wondering is what tendancies you guys look for in a chick that make a good chicken, what personality traits are good, or is it personal taste? For example, I'm a dog person and I really know how to pick a good puppy for my taste, but other people have different preferences. What are some of your preferences if you had to pick out chicks? What reasons do you pick them? All of the breeds I've chosen are supposed to be good layers and I tried to pick ones that were more gentle and easy to handle. But also, again with one of my questions, is there strife between breeds as I've heard from one person?

Besides the mystery chick, I'm going to be receiving Buff Orpingtons, Barred Rocks, Silver Laced Wyandottes, Easter Eggers, and the McMurry Hatchery breed called Black Star. I really REALLY wish I could keep all 26 but I just don't have the space.

 

[PostalChick]

We have our first ever order of chicks coming soon too, and it didn't even occur to me at the time that the 'mystery chick' could be a roo-we ordered a dozen pullets, a roo is not appropriate in our city yard. So, I had to tell the kids that if the mystery is a roo, he'll have to go...they understand. But, it could be a girl too so we'll have to see!

 

[katrinag]

Even if you order all pullets most place only have a 90% sexing guarantee, so I would hold off for at least 8 weeks before making a decsion.