Just eggs, please

[studiobekka]

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Thank you!!! The site has already proved quite useful. and everyone is very helpful.

 

[Tala]

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I wouldn't tell a newbie to get chickens off of Craigslist anyway. I've heard (on here) of too many unscrupulous sellers trying to get rid of roosters and pass them off as hens to people who don't know better.

 

[studiobekka]

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I wouldn't tell a newbie to get chickens off of Craigslist anyway. I've heard (on here) of too many unscrupulous sellers trying to get rid of roosters and pass them off as hens to people who don't know better.

Yup that would be me --- don't know any better!!!

LOL... I am hoping to change that though...



I have a friend that SWEARS by craigslist and has scored some very nice things -- one being a gorgeous rattan patio set, vintage and in MINT condition for $500.00 (unbelievable!!) .... but I have tried selling a couple of cars there and had nothing but problems...

 

[Sandy16]

Welcome!!

We got our chickens from a local organic garden center which raised them until they had started feathering. I think they were 6-8 weeks old when we got them. We didn't want to try hatching eggs or having fluffy chicks for our first flock (and we didn't want any roos!). We are really happy with the garden center that hatched/raised them for us. Are there any other feed stores near or maybe even a little distance away? What about individuals in your area who hatch and sell chickens? You might be amazed at how many people near you have chickens.

Having chickens has been so much fun for us! Once you get the girls you'll have to post pictures.

 

[studiobekka]

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Oh yes I know how many people have chickens around here --!!!

My neighbor across the street was giving me dozens and dozens of eggs for a while until I had to tell him to stop as they were going bad before we could eat them......-- i think he's got 20 or so hens (probably more)... every yard (almost) around here has at least 2 chickens strutting about... many people also have geese and there are TONS of horses, mules, too... the guy behind me has just acquired several goats which are really cute.

I know there's more than one feed store around here -- we only stopped by the one close by because we were driving around... i'm going to get serious about checking once the coop is up and running..... I'm also waiting for my friend's response to the chicken for sale question... he has several....

Yup as the proud mother pictures are a must!!!.....

 

[Tala]

TSC and feedstores have chicks in the spring. THEY order bunches of them which will keep them warm during shipping. THEY suffer any shipping/stress losses.
YOU can buy just a few chicks from them, sometimes they have a minimum of 6 to avoid those "Easter present" type purchases, but it's fewer than you can usually have shipped. Usually you can get sexed pullets or a sexlinked breed to make sure you get (mostly) hens.

TSC uses big stock tanks for brooding them, and people mix the chicks up, but if you ask when they are coming you can get there early before they are too mixed up.
Our other feed store has a real "chick brooder" thingy, with separate levels for different breeds, so there isn't too much mixing up. If the tag says Barred Rock pullets, that's probably what you will get.

I know TSC gets "pullets" which are usually White Leghorns, also they get Red Sexlinks BUT they often sell them mixed in with other Production Reds so you have to know which color to buy to get girls (the employees won't know). The other feed store gets theirs from Ideal and all hatchery-sexed as pullets.
If you buy from an individual, you are rolling the dice and will probably get "straight run" with as many roos as girls. I have gotten lucky and found someone local who had sexlink chicks, but even he didn't know what he had! LOL

 

[studiobekka]

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Please excuse my ignornance but what or where is "TSC"?

 

[nanawendy]

I think it's a feed store. That's what I would suggest (in the spring) ours is Hols or farmers co-op They should have something in your area.The families that I've helped to start a flock have started with NO LESS than 3. That way if one dies the other won't be lonely

 

[dandelionheart]

"TSC" is (I believe) Tractor Supply Company (or Corporation or something)... we have one here. I'd ask your chicken neighbors, they may know somebody too... If you want girls for sure, you may want to buy them a little older... With your low number (I'm guessing) you'll get really attached and it would really suck if you got a little roo. I'd also up your number to 4-6.

And I don't think you have to have a certain amount of hens for good egg production... at least I haven't read that yet... but I'm pretty new to this chicken thing.

 

[MakNugget]

I would get them at a feed store (got mine at a small local shop) while they are chicks. My 3 were less than a week old last spring and they are all nice healthy egg pumping machines!

I think if you're willing to spend the time to research and build a coop & run that will keep them safe, you should have no problems getting them as chicks. Mine were indoors until 12 weeks anyway, (that's when the coop became hospitable; now 35 weeks) and I make sure they are spoiled rotten to the best of my ability.

I get maybe 18-20 eggs a week, which sounds a lot but seem to be just right. We rotate and eat them on and off, while keeping a small cache set aside so we don't run dry.