"Louisiana "La-yers" Peeps"

[bugglesmommy]

Speckled sussex, mostly, though I do have my eye on some splash giant Cochins. I also like the lavender orpingtons. Or maybe amerecaunas. And a black australorp roo? To put over my mixed orps, to see what colors I get. I can't remember who it was who had the extras of them... I'm going to have to start keeping notes.

So, basically, everything pretty.

I'm starting to look at chickens in the way I used to look at shoes and sundresses.

Oh, did you mean from coastline? I was just curious about their stock, prices, etc. I've been to every chicken website I can find. And I found out that Petrus is getting their chicks the first week of February. TSC is getting theirs the week after.

I know some of members had trouble with TSC last year, but I guess I'm willing to try. And hadn't some of us talked about having a meet up at Petrus one day?

Before you touch a TSC chick, find out where the chicks are coming from. If they say New Mexico, no matter how cute, HANDS OFF!!!!! Seriously! SO MANY DEAD BIRDS. It's NOT worth it. Me and several others lost so many chicks and not just the TSC ones. They were dropping like flies including some of my older chicks too. It was terrible. They clearly had some sort of contagious disease and upon looking up that hatchery it has a history of issues. Maybe they will use a different one this year.

 

[bugglesmommy]

This is the smallest egg I've ever been happy to see! My zebra finches are laying! Hopefully I'll have some babies pretty soon.

 

[topdog24]

The talk of SOP is leading to the question I've been wanting to ask. I've now decided on what breeds I want to work with. Which are Bielefelder and Barred Rock. As ya'll know I have the Bieles incubating. I have the deposit on the XW BR's for this Spring. I'm planning to buy chicks and not hatching eggs. What I don't know is how many I should get. I'm not sure how to even ask this but with genetics in mind what should I do? What if the chicks I get all come from the same parents? Is this something I need to ask the seller. How does one go about breeding birds that come from the same source without knowing their lineage. I know I'd have to bring in new blood at some point. But if a strain is already bred to it's maximum potential/productivity before inbreeding is occurring how do I know this? I was thinking of buying 30 chicks. They're 10$ a piece plus shipping. Should I buy that many or no. I don't mind spending the money on these birds but I'm kinda going at it blindly.
I know there's underlying questions here with what I'm asking.

I don't know anything about breeding to know what to do.
I really need some direction with this one please.

Simple fix here, order you pullets from one hatcchery and order a couple roosters from another, or from the same one but a couple months apart

 

[kacklinghen]

TGIF!
Thought for the day:

Chickens are like lays potato chips... you can't have just one

 

[Cody A]

Simple fix here, order you pullets from one hatcchery and order a couple roosters from another, or from the same one but a couple months apart

TD, these are purebred rocks. So won't be breeding these with hatchery stock. I'd need to find a different purebred strain if other genetics were needed.
I'm really looking for a starting point. I don't know how many birds I should get from this source. There sold as a straight run so say I buy 30 chicks. I know I'd need or have to cull some of the cocks.
I don't know what is practical genetics wise to know how many to start off with.

 

[Cody A]

Speckled sussex, mostly, though I do have my eye on some splash giant Cochins. I also like the lavender orpingtons. Or maybe amerecaunas. And a black australorp roo? To put over my mixed orps, to see what colors I get. I can't remember who it was who had the extras of them... I'm going to have to start keeping notes.

So, basically, everything pretty.

I'm starting to look at chickens in the way I used to look at shoes and sundresses.

Oh, did you mean from coastline? I was just curious about their stock, prices, etc. I've been to every chicken website I can find. And I found out that Petrus is getting their chicks the first week of February. TSC is getting theirs the week after.

I know some of members had trouble with TSC last year, but I guess I'm willing to try. And hadn't some of us talked about having a meet up at Petrus one day?

No, I didn't mean coastline, just in general. Sounds like your getting the fever. Your gonna need a bigger chook house sooner than later.
If I were you I'd try to find some birds with good genetics. But that's just me.

 

[campingshaws]

No, I didn't mean coastline, just in general. Sounds like your getting the fever. Your gonna need a bigger chook house sooner than later.
If I were you I'd try to find some birds with good genetics. But that's just me.

I've had a hard time finding SS breeders still in business. And honestly, I think my hens and roo look better than 90% of the other SS I've seen. I've been studying their SOP and of my five, three are really promising as breeders. I'm hoping that I can take hatchery quality and make the very best backyard SS around. Me and my big dreams.

But really, that's never been what I'm about. My cats have always been strays and my dogs are always from the shelter or "free to a good home." I've only bought one full-blooded pup in my life, and even though I love the breed and want to keep one forever, I'll never pay money like that again.

Fortunately I'm living in a place I don't own (think parsonage), otherwise it would be total chicken city, like you. The funding fell through on my second coop, so I'll have to stick with what I've got, for now.

 

[TerriLaChicks]

Before you touch a TSC chick, find out where the chicks are coming from. If they say New Mexico, no matter how cute, HANDS OFF!!!!! Seriously! SO MANY DEAD BIRDS. It's NOT worth it. Me and several others lost so many chicks and not just the TSC ones. They were dropping like flies including some of my older chicks too. It was terrible. They clearly had some sort of contagious disease and upon looking up that hatchery it has a history of issues. Maybe they will use a different one this year.

Petrus will get what you want if you talk to them, and they have not had any health issues that I know of -- I bought 2 EE's from them 2 years ago when I had only 1 chick hatch so it wouldn't be alone (of course it turned out to be a roo) anyway both were healthy & are good layers of big green eggs, so no complaints on their hatchery stock. I forget where they get them from but it's not where TSC gets theirs from - not Ideal either (I remember that surprised me because Ideal is so close to us I figured that would be the logical choice).

 

[TerriLaChicks]

I've had a hard time finding SS breeders still in business. And honestly, I think my hens and roo look better than 90% of the other SS I've seen. I've been studying their SOP and of my five, three are really promising as breeders. I'm hoping that I can take hatchery quality and make the very best backyard SS around. Me and my big dreams.

But really, that's never been what I'm about. My cats have always been strays and my dogs are always from the shelter or "free to a good home." I've only bought one full-blooded pup in my life, and even though I love the breed and want to keep one forever, I'll never pay money like that again.

Fortunately I'm living in a place I don't own (think parsonage), otherwise it would be total chicken city, like you.

The funding fell through on my second coop, so I'll have to stick with what I've got, for now.

It can be done & it IS done all the time-- I've known several people who got blue ribbon winners out of hatchery stock. Everybody had to start somewhere!

 

[LemonMeringue]

Petrus will get what you want if you talk to them, and they have not had any health issues that I know of -- I bought 2 EE's from them 2 years ago when I had only 1 chick hatch so it wouldn't be alone (of course it turned out to be a roo) anyway both were healthy & are good layers of big green eggs, so no complaints on their hatchery stock. I forget where they get them from but it's not where TSC gets theirs from - not Ideal either (I remember that surprised me because Ideal is so close to us I figured that would be the logical choice).

Privette hatchery