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

[EggSighted4Life]

Hi Gary.

I think the Leghorn is very pretty.

I know you already said barred is out... I will say that mine consistently lay about 3 eggs per week but they have also been bossy and top of my flocks. Since you aren't looking for meat at this point and the barred's are a little heavier on the feed bill, I think you made a wise choice. The have always been pretty good birds, friendly towards humans.

The Wyandottes are said to be good winter layers, but have yet to experience winter with mine. They also are pretty. I have two that look different from each other. One has the rose comb and one is straight. The rose combed is much darker black lacing. They did start laying late so I don't know if they are slow to develop?

Here is a chicken chart link with some detailed personal experience...
http://www.sagehenfarmlodi.com/chooks/chooks.html

No sex link experience here, but I would be concerned about them burning out younger, depending on your flock goals.

Hope your chicks arrive strong!

I love both the Ameracauna and EE, always have them in my flock.

My EE don't lay too consistent and my Ameraucana have all been boys so far.. but beautiful attitudes so far.

 

[IdyllwildAcres]

Hi Gary. 

I think the Leghorn is very pretty. 

I know you already said barred is out... I will say that mine consistently lay about 3 eggs per week but they have also been bossy and top of my flocks. Since you aren't looking for meat at this point and the barred's are a little heavier on the feed bill, I think you made a wise choice. The have always been pretty good birds, friendly towards humans.

The Wyandottes are said to be good winter layers, but have yet to experience winter with mine. They also are pretty. I have two that look different from each other. One has the rose comb and one is straight. The rose combed is much darker black lacing. They did start laying late so I don't know if they are slow to develop?

Here is a chicken chart link with some detailed personal experience...
 http://www.sagehenfarmlodi.com/chooks/chooks.html

No sex link experience here, but I would be concerned about them burning out younger, depending on your flock goals. 

 
Hope your chicks arrive strong!

I love both the Ameracauna and EE, always have them in my flock.  

My EE don't lay too consistent and my Ameraucana have all been boys so far.. but beautiful attitudes so far.  

How well does the Wyandotte lay week to week?

Thanks

Gary

 

[Cluckcluck1215]

The Amerucauna and Easter eager are a must keep.
But, here's my input:
GET A BARRED ROCK.THEY ARE NOT BULLIES.Hye may to some smaller hens but they aren't going to kill them, just a peck here and there.Plus, The Brown Leghorn is a also good choice.

 

[keesmom]

I would keep the Leghorn and sex link, and you'll have a pretty egg basket.

If it were me I would not get rid of the extra chicks right away, but keep them for 3-4 weeks for a couple of reasons. One, just in case I lost one along the way. Two, just in case there is an oops cockerel in the bunch.

You may also find your daughters are partial to certain chicks and want to keep them no matter the breed. Breeds have certain traits but each chicken is an individual. My kids always manage to pick a few favorites. Yes, keeping them longer may make it more difficult to part with the extras. However they already know they can't keep them all.

 

[snow5164]

I agree, you will get roosters ...each has a different personality, wait and see!!

Wyandottes take a long time to start laying they are a heavy breed so they're BIG!! Mine are bossy and skittish ,

Sex links will give you lots of eggs and mine have been 100% healthy til 2 years old, now they are burning out.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

How well does the Wyandotte lay week to week?

Thanks

Gary

Since they just started laying and I have too many to tell the eggs apart unless I catch them in the box, so it's hard to say. They were more than 7 months old when they started. But I am pretty far north and they were born in June... Everybody else was laying 2 month earlier under the same conditions except my Delaware.

@keesmom raised some good points. I have lost many a chick to shipping but it was 100% USPS fault. I did have 14 chicks survive 4 days in shipping. But also, I had a GLW & SLW both turn out to be boys that were of course sexed. And it's true that all are individuals and you might really enjoy the one you didn't think you would. 2 of my EE are flighty, while the other 2 will hang out on my lap. 2 of my BR are friendly enough to hang around but don't like to be held, while the 3rd one gets on my lap. All of my birds go through different phases of friendliness. During their teen days they want less to do with me. But shortly after starting to lay they become friendly again and maybe a little more confident even. One note about all being individual... my White Leghorn was supposed to start laying at 16 week according to LFS, but I didn't see an egg until at least 22 weeks. I didn't expect to like her, figured she might be the first to go to a predator since they are "flighty" thought she would be over the fence. And as a chick her flightyness did rub off onto other chicks. So I thought I would never get one again. Well, I do love having white be a color in my egg basket. She cranks them out, is lighter on the feed bill. And even though she doesn't hang around us too much or let us hold/pet, she is quite a character... and I will totally think about getting some in the future. Point of course being that sometimes you get an unexpected surprise.

I don't think BR are bullies, just don't lay too often and you already got some unsure layers between your blue am and EE is why I recommended others. I like them very much as cluck cluck mentioned. They are good birds and great starters. Being heavier makes it harder for them to get over my fence and easier for me to catch them.

I love that you are going with a mix of breeds! It makes it a lot of fun to collect eggs and to look at on pasture. I feel like a kid everyday when I collect rent.

Example..


When I lived in the city, they did have an exception to farm animals if they were being raised as a school or 4H project and to be gone there after. We did make sure our coop was under the limit for getting a permit, just in case.... And to a degree I can understand a neighbor not wanting an eye sore (not saying it is) but it stinks to have that type of neighbor. Had the city come out once and tell me to mow my 6 inch lawn when the gardeners were already on their way to do it. I knew which neighbor was the trouble maker in the hood. The no eggs for them suggestion was good. But I like to go the other way and kill 'em with kindness, like heaping hot coals on top of their heads!

 

[Percheron chick]

I'm in the pro BR camp too. Never had a bully, average 6 eggs a week and very helpful supervisors with chores.
Agree to leave the order as is for many reasons. Cost to change order, chance of cockerels, individual personalities, death... You won't need to whittle them down until they are outside. Selling a started pullet is easy.

 

[lazy gardener]

What they said about leaving order as is.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

I'm in the pro BR camp too. Never had a bully, average 6 eggs a week and very helpful supervisors with chores.
Agree to leave the order as is for many reasons. Cost to change order, chance of cockerels, individual personalities, death... You won't need to whittle them down until they are outside. Selling a started pullet is easy.

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.

 

[donrae]

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.