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

[IdyllwildAcres]

I am going to have to cut my chick order down to the insanely low limit imposed by my county I just got a letter from code enforcement my neighbor turned me in for building my coop without a permit. The coops about 30 square feet bigger than allowed to build without a permit, and taller than allowed. I am going to go ahead and go through the process and pay for and get a permit but meanwhile the chicks are coming and there will be county inspectors...

So here is my issue, aside from living next to a maniac, I have 7 chicks coming from Meyer's and can only keep 4 on the order.

The order is for one each of:

Blue Ameraucana
Easter Egger
Golden Buff (sex link)
Barred Rock
Light brown leghorn
Golden Laced Wyandotte
Meyer meal maker

I have to keep the Easter Egger and the Ameraucana my daughters picked them.

The first cull is the meal maker

These are our first batch of chicks, and now we have fewer to keep our family of four in eggs so I lean towards keeping the leghorn and sex link but interested in others input on the barred rock and golden wyandotte..

Once I make the changes there is no going back because they are sold out on so much right now

Gary

Edited to show culls in red and keepers in bold in real time, lol

 

[Feder-Feet]

Golden laced wynadottes are so pretty. However I have not owned one.
I have had a barred rock Once and she picked on my other chickens to the point that she went to go live on a barred rock family. I just sold some of my chickens to a lady that called me and told me that a barred rock was ripping out the feathers of the new chicken she bought from me. My mother will not have barred rocks on her farm. She says they are nasty little *******. Nasty as in mean. Now I'm sure there are people that are going to say they are sweetest thing since Apple pie but none that I or anyone I know has had that luck. Maybe it is in our water lol good luck and sorry about your neighbor

 

[sourland]

Sorry that you are having to deal with the neighbor problems. I'd keep the leghorn and the sex link. They are less likely to go broody than the rock and Wyandotte. In addition leghorns are the most beautiful chicken created - yeah, I am prejudiced. Good luck with your birds.

 

[IdyllwildAcres]

Golden laced wynadottes are so pretty.

I know, ugh... I want to keep them all

I wonder how well they really produce? The description said very good as opposed to excellent on the sex link and the leghorn

Gary

 

[IdyllwildAcres]

Sorry that you are having to deal with the neighbor problems. I'd keep the leghorn and the sex link. They are less likely to go broody than the rock and Wyandotte. In addition leghorns are the most beautiful chicken created - yeah, I am prejudiced. Good luck with your birds.

Ya the neighbor issue sucks, thanks.

I appreciate the input on the broody part I had not thought of that.

Gary

 

[flytie]

If you're really going for egg count, keeping the leghorn and the sex link is going to get you more than the other ones. They are typically considered to be some of the best layers, and most eggs in stores (white) are from leghorns. Now, that's not to say that the hatchery you're getting from is going to keep up with the birds specifically bred for production and output, but barred rocks and wyandottes tend to lay less often

 

[IdyllwildAcres]

Golden laced wynadottes are so pretty. However I have not owned one.
I have had a barred rock Once and she picked on my other chickens to the point that she went to go live on a barred rock family. I just sold some of my chickens to a lady that called me and told me that a barred rock was ripping out the feathers of the new chicken she bought from me. My mother will not have barred rocks on her farm. She says they are nasty little *******. Nasty as in mean. Now I'm sure there are people that are going to say they are sweetest thing since Apple pie but none that I or anyone I know has had that luck. Maybe it is in our water lol good luck and sorry about your neighbor

Ok, the Barred is culled. This is not the first time I have heard that they tend to be bullies.

Thanks

Gary

 

[IdyllwildAcres]

Sorry that you are having to deal with the neighbor problems. I'd keep the leghorn and the sex link. They are less likely to go broody than the rock and Wyandotte. In addition leghorns are the most beautiful chicken created - yeah, I am prejudiced. Good luck with your birds.

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

 

[lazy gardener]

I am going to have to cut my chick order down to the insanely low limit imposed by my county I just got a letter from code enforcement my neighbor turned me in for building my coop without a permit. The coops about 30 square feet bigger than allowed to build without a permit, and taller than allowed. I am going to go ahead and go through the process and pay for and get a permit but meanwhile the chicks are coming and there will be county inspectors...

So here is my issue, aside from living next to a maniac, I have 7 chicks coming from Meyer's and can only keep 4 on the order.

The order is for one each of:

Blue Ameraucana
Easter Egger
Golden Buff (sex link)
Barred Rock
Light brown leghorn
Golden Laced Wyandotte
Meyer meal maker

I have to keep the Easter Egger and the Ameraucana my daughters picked them.

The first cull is the meal maker

These are our first batch of chicks, and now we have fewer to keep our family of four in eggs so I lean towards keeping the leghorn and sex link but interested in others input on the barred rock and golden wyandotte..

Once I make the changes there is no going back because they are sold out on so much right now

Gary

Edited to show culls in red and keepers in bold in real time, lol

Blue Ameraucana
Easter Egger
Golden Buff (sex link)
Barred Rock
Light brown leghorn
Golden Laced Wyandotte
Meyer meal maker

What are your zoning rules for chickens? Only allowed 4 hens? If I could only have 4 birds from that list, I'd choose the EE, the BR, the GLW, and the GB. If you ask a dozen people, you'll get a dozen different answers. You could always allow the order to come as is, and sell the ones that you choose not to keep as soon as they are off heat. You will most likely pay a penalty for changing your order. When your neighbor comes around looking for fresh eggs, you can tell him, "No eggs for you."

 

[IdyllwildAcres]

Blue Ameraucana
Easter Egger
Golden Buff (sex link)
Barred Rock
Light brown leghorn
Golden Laced Wyandotte
Meyer meal maker

What are your zoning rules for chickens? Only allowed 4 hens? If I could only have 4 birds from that list, I'd choose the EE, the BR, the GLW, and the GB. If you ask a dozen people, you'll get a dozen different answers. You could always allow the order to come as is, and sell the ones that you choose not to keep as soon as they are off heat. You will most likely pay a penalty for changing your order. When your neighbor comes around looking for fresh eggs, you can tell him, "No eggs for you."

I have to keep the BA and EE my daughters pics...

Gary