Husband bought the "wrong" baby chicks... Suggestions?

[cindyanne1]

I had sent my husband to buy some baby pullets at TSC and told him I wanted a variety. Instead, he bought six of the same kind (red stars.) We already had six leghorns (or possibly white rocks, I'm not sure) and I feel like we really don't have room for more than a dozen chickens.

I really wanted some barred Rocks and perhaps another variety too. I had been hoping he'd get two each of three different breeds (TSC says you have to buy six at once) but he just got what was the "easiest," and he said he "thought those were all different anyway."

Don't get me wrong... I love the red stars and the leghorns, too. I don't want to *not* have them, but I wanted *less* of them, leaving room open for some others as well.

So, I'm thinking about doing one of two things...

I could go ahead and buy 6 more chicks (18 total) and then take several of them to be processed and eaten as fryers when they get older. That way I would be able to pick and choose among my flock and decide which I'd want to keep as laying hens.

OR

I could just suck it up and have only leghorns and red stars for a while.

What do you all think you would do in this situation?

 

[mrsgibber]

I would keep em and get more. You can always sell the ones you don't want on Craigslist (or eat em like you said).

 

[Sunny Side Up]

I wouldn't eat young laying pullets. They can make a lot more breakfasts before they deserve to be made into dinners.

It's not a bad idea to buy more chicks than you wish to keep as adults, there's always Things That Can Happen -- illness, predators, inaccurate sexing -- and it's handy to have extra chicks to spare.

If, hopefully, they all thrive you can then sell the extras later as started chicks or point-of-lay hens.

I like having a variety of breeds, a pretty mixed bouquet of different colors & patterns to look at in my flock. You don't have to give up your plan to have all the breeds you want.

 

[yotetrapper]

Buy more chickens and cull cull cull. But dont count too heavily on "fryers" from anything but meat chickens. I would consider them slow roasters or soupers LOL. If there is a way to get "fryers" from regular chickens, I've not found it. I hatch hundreds of chickens each year, but cull for meat until I have my flock under 100 for the winter, keeping only the best birds.

 

[JessaLynn]

Not much meat on a leghorn or a redstar but could make soap with em.To me though I would sell what you don't want.It would save you money in the long run if you just sold them now.Good luck!

 

[momof247371]

Keep em and get more. CHickens arent picky and are easy to take care of, you will be able to find room for them! Heck get an old dog box or soemthing and some cheap chicken wire and you will have made room for them!good luck with your chickies!

 

[~*Sweet Cheeks*~]

Don't send your husband anymore.

Good luck with whatever you deside.

 

[Hobbley_Farm]

Quote:
I agree with this. Just keep them and put them on craigslist. Don't list a price or list it as price subject to change depending on age, so that you don't loose. If no one is interested, put them in the freezer. You might find you are able to sell them, however. Also, if there is a stock yard around in your area, you could take them there or post your contact number on their corkboard.

 

[77horses]

I agree^^^. Next time, you should go and buy the chicks.

I would just keep them...maybe get a couple more different breeds.
Good luck!

 

[StrawberryHouseMouse]

Bop your hubby across the head and go back to the TSC lol . My hubby bought a RIR hen from the feed store here in our town. He got home with it and I looked and the first thing I noticed was that it had a really bad eye defect. So we took it back and they let us exchange it.