I have to cut some chicks from my order, what to keep?

[donrae]

6 eggs a week from one BR?!

Maybe a newly started laying pullet... but no way out of my mature girls.

Do tell your secret.

No secrets here, just regular hatchery birds. Mine lay about 6/week the first year, 5 the next. Wonderful layers, IME.

 

[lazy gardener]

I see others have beat me to this, but my thought was leave your order as it is.

first, chicks die. I know it sucks, especially when kiddos are involved, but it just happens.

Second, sexing isn't 100%. You've got decent odds of getting at least one Oops cockerel in that bunch.

third, selling chicks can be a great way to network and meet fellow chicken keepers locally.


Keeping your order will cushion you against those first two things. Or the scenario we see here, where one particular chick just doesn't fit in with the flock. Either too dominant or too omega. Well, in your case, you'd have to get rid of someone anyway, so the one that causes issues is the one to go.

Start talking with your kids now about this. Let them know some of the chicks are going to have to go. I know folks worry so much about kids getting attached, but they're really far more resilient than we give them credit for. Especially if they have advance knowledge, it's not just sprung on them. Talk with them about how you'll decide who stays and who goes and let them have some input, but in the end you're the parent and make the decision.

I'd say brood them all to about 6-8 weeks, then make your cuts. Just to give you an idea, I charge about $10 for an 8 week old pullet chick. At that point you'll be able to tell any Oops males, and have a general idea of each bird's personality. That shouldn't get you in trouble with code enforcement, I think most places have an age the birds have to be over before they "count". You may want to double check.

Make nice with the code enforcement officer now, it can help you a lot if the neighbor is going to be an issue. I've had neighbors that called animal control on me repeatedly. Once the officer came out and saw my place, he kind of rolled his eyes about the neighbor. These folks respond to a lot of calls, make yours a good part of his day instead of antagonistic and he'll go to bat for you.

Well stated on all counts.

 

[IdyllwildAcres]

I see others have beat me to this, but my thought was leave your order as it is.

first, chicks die. I know it sucks, especially when kiddos are involved, but it just happens.

Second, sexing isn't 100%. You've got decent odds of getting at least one Oops cockerel in that bunch.

third, selling chicks can be a great way to network and meet fellow chicken keepers locally.


Keeping your order will cushion you against those first two things. Or the scenario we see here, where one particular chick just doesn't fit in with the flock. Either too dominant or too omega. Well, in your case, you'd have to get rid of someone anyway, so the one that causes issues is the one to go.

Start talking with your kids now about this. Let them know some of the chicks are going to have to go. I know folks worry so much about kids getting attached, but they're really far more resilient than we give them credit for. Especially if they have advance knowledge, it's not just sprung on them. Talk with them about how you'll decide who stays and who goes and let them have some input, but in the end you're the parent and make the decision.

I'd say brood them all to about 6-8 weeks, then make your cuts. Just to give you an idea, I charge about $10 for an 8 week old pullet chick. At that point you'll be able to tell any Oops males, and have a general idea of each bird's personality. That shouldn't get you in trouble with code enforcement, I think most places have an age the birds have to be over before they "count". You may want to double check.

Make nice with the code enforcement officer now, it can help you a lot if the neighbor is going to be an issue. I've had neighbors that called animal control on me repeatedly. Once the officer came out and saw my place, he kind of rolled his eyes about the neighbor. These folks respond to a lot of calls, make yours a good part of his day instead of antagonistic and he'll go to bat for you.

I am in agreement, as soon as I got the letter I called and left him a message to call me so we can figure out a way forward, I will be nothing but nice. The neighbor is a man baby, and I will be the mature one

I am also leaning towards keeping the whole order to guard against losses or Roos, I have a plan B as well, we have another house a couple blocks away I could do a quick hoop coop there... It is going to be a vacation rental tho, I wonder if people would want to rent a weekend place with chickens? Lol, I am probably asking the wrong crowd all of you would say yes!

Thanks

Gary

 

[EggSighted4Life]

I am in agreement, as soon as I got the letter I called and left him a message to call me so we can figure out a way forward, I will be nothing but nice. The neighbor is a man baby, and I will be the mature one

I am also leaning towards keeping the whole order to guard against losses or Roos, I have a plan B as well, we have another house a couple blocks away I could do a quick hoop coop there... It is going to be a vacation rental tho, I wonder if people would want to rent a weekend place with chickens? Lol, I am probably asking the wrong crowd all of you would say yes!

Thanks

Gary

I LOVE your plan B!

So many people have never seen a farm animal and that could even be a draw for your rental.

Possibly even fresh eggs as part of the package. Though I would probably wanna pad lock that coop in that situation.

Might even be a way to turn peeps in to chicken math fiends!

 

[IdyllwildAcres]

I LOVE your plan B!

So many people have never seen a farm animal and that could even be a draw for your rental.

Possibly even fresh eggs as part of the package. Though I would probably wanna pad lock that coop in that situation.

Might even be a way to turn peeps in to chicken math fiends!

I thought of that too but I am already chicken obsessed so I figured it was just me.. lol

Yes, IF I did that, chicken yard would be locked, maybe egg door on coop accessible so the guest could gather their own eggs without interacting directly with chickens...

 

[donrae]

I am in agreement, as soon as I got the letter I called and left him a message to call me so we can figure out a way forward, I will be nothing but nice. The neighbor is a man baby, and I will be the mature one

I am also leaning towards keeping the whole order to guard against losses or Roos, I have a plan B as well, we have another house a couple blocks away I could do a quick hoop coop there... It is going to be a vacation rental tho, I wonder if people would want to rent a weekend place with chickens? Lol, I am probably asking the wrong crowd all of you would say yes!

Thanks

Gary

Good for you. I know it's hard having those neighbors. Not a lot you can do about them, but the officials are usually pretty decent folks, and their job can't be all sunshine and roses either, when they have to field calls from crazies like that all the time.

 

[Eggcessive]

You have probably gotten enough opinions already, but I will add mine. I have ordered from Meyer in a regular order, and also a smaller order. The more chicks you order, the cheaper they are since they don't need heat packs. They have a better chance of living in groups of 25. However, I would have probably ordered from some place closer to you. Anyway, I like the 2 barred rocks I got from them, and they were not aggressive. I had a couple of beautiful wyandottes that were bossy, and would hog food. Sex links are fine, but you can get them in local farm stores. They lay well for a few years, and more of a tendency to have reproductive problems such as egg binding, and prolapses. I f you want a great egg layer, try an ancona from them--beautiful black and white speckles, and related to leghorns. Speckled sussex are nice as well, and friendly. Black australorps are also nice birds. Light brown leghorns don't lay as well as white, but they are pretty. I would ask some friends if they would be interested in taking some of your chicks after you get them, and then if you lose any in shipping, you won't have to look for more birds. It's best to get what you want in one group, and not add birds later--they will suffer fewer illnesses, and grow up together.

 

[IdyllwildAcres]

Good for you. I know it's hard having those neighbors. Not a lot you can do about them, but the officials are usually pretty decent folks, and their job can't be all sunshine and roses either, when they have to field calls from crazies like that all the time.

Yes those neighbors... He is a real pain, they used to drive across my property and claimed a prescriptive easement, they actually had been using my back driveway since the 70's and so they had a good argument towards a right to pass, once mom and dad moved man baby in (this was their vacation house) likely to keep him far away from them it became unbearable, he is constantly drunk and we decided no more drunk drivers on our property and chained off the driveway. We knew they would threaten to sue, they did, we settled with them and paid them off yet man baby will not let it go. 52 years old, drunk, no job living off disability nothing better to do than harass me. I am in for some issue with the coop, its bigger than allowed without a permit so I am likely to have to get a permit and inspections, but its kind of late for them to inspect the footings so they could make it hard on me. It is what it is, I am already into this building a lot of money, a couple thousand more (the permit fee alone is $960) is still better than tearing it down.

Gary

 

[lazy gardener]

Quote: How big is the coop? Any way you can change your footing plan and put it on 4 x 6 skids? That might save you the permit fee and inspections since it would then be a portable building. (even if you never do move it

. My understanding is that is why you see so many farms with lots of little buildings instead of a few larger ones. That gets them around that snag.

 

[dekel18042]

Leghorn makes the cut, an actual breed after all and an egg laying machine

So the Barred is out, Leghorn is in.

Down to Wyandotte v Sex link

If eggs are your goal, sex links are egg laying machines while wyandottes are eye candy, They fall into only the fair category of layers. Some of my friends have a few for looks and they all agree even the egg size is smaller than their other breeds.