McMurray 4 week old Layer Assortment?

[ssramage]

Has anyone ever ordered the 4 week old layer assortment from McMurray? 6 chicks for $120 shipped. Supposedly all hens between 4-9 weeks old. Seems like these may be a better option than straight chicks for us as they'd be a little more hardy and could go in the coop sooner.

Thoughts?

https://www.mcmurrayhatchery.com/4_week_old_layer_assortment_special.html

 

[cavemanrich]

My thoughts are,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
That is mighty pricey. for 6 birds.
If you want guaranteed pullets, then order sex link chicks.
BTW, you live same island as some kinfolk of mine.
WISHING YOU BEST,,,,,,

 

[PirateGirl]

@ssramage
I am a big fan of older sexed pullets. Proven survivors. Known sex. Known breed. Mostly if not fully feathered. Can go outside, no messy brooder in the house. No heat lamp or fire risk. Lay eggs sooner after bringing them home. Yes they cost more, but if you are only purchasing a few it may be worth the extra money to you. You are also saving money by not setting up a brooder, running heat, feeding non-laying birds for a month or more. If you are looking for sexed pullets I also recommend checking your state thread on BYC, local Craigslist, as well as a local Facebook poultry group if you have one. You can often find people that buy or breed large numbers of chicks, keep what they want, grow out and sell the rest at 1-2 month of age and recover some of their costs that way. You may be able to find some birds relatively geographically close to you and avoid putting them through the stress of shipping. Raising chicks is not the ideal situation for everyone who wants a few backyard chickens. Good luck!

 

[janetdieter]

I ordered (6) 4-week old pullets from Murray McMurray. They came almost 2 weeks ago now. All are happy and healthy. I didn't want to do the brooder thing. Excellent experience with Murray. This is my first batch of chickens. I'm looking on here to see if they can go outside in 30 degree overnight temps. I currently still have them in my spare bedroom. If they still have fuzzy feathers then they are not fully feathered, am I right?

And I was able to order 6 different breeds this way. City ordinances say I can only have 6 chickens, so I could not get day old chicks shipped because of the minimum of 25 requirement.

 

[cavemanrich]

I ordered (6) 4-week old pullets from Murray McMurray. They came almost 2 weeks ago now. All are happy and healthy. I didn't want to do the brooder thing. Excellent experience with Murray. This is my first batch of chickens. I'm looking on here to see if they can go outside in 30 degree overnight temps. I currently still have them in my spare bedroom. If they still have fuzzy feathers then they are not fully feathered, am I right?

And I was able to order 6 different breeds this way. City ordinances say I can only have 6 chickens, so I could not get day old chicks shipped because of the minimum of 25 requirement.

Still a lil cool here. Start to take them outside during the day to get acclimated when temps are mild. Back in house for the night. 6 weeks is almost feathered out age, but some breeds take longer. If you see them huddling together , that is an indication that they are still chilly.
WISHING YOU BEST ......

 

[ssramage]

My thoughts are,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
That is mighty pricey. for 6 birds.
If you want guaranteed pullets, then order sex link chicks.
BTW, you live same island as some kinfolk of mine.
WISHING YOU BEST,,,,,,

Yeah it is...BUT I also don't have the

I ordered (6) 4-week old pullets from Murray McMurray. They came almost 2 weeks ago now. All are happy and healthy. I didn't want to do the brooder thing. Excellent experience with Murray. This is my first batch of chickens. I'm looking on here to see if they can go outside in 30 degree overnight temps. I currently still have them in my spare bedroom. If they still have fuzzy feathers then they are not fully feathered, am I right?

And I was able to order 6 different breeds this way. City ordinances say I can only have 6 chickens, so I could not get day old chicks shipped because of the minimum of 25 requirement.

Were they all definitely 4 weeks old then? The site says 4-9 weeks.

I’m sort of leaning this direction. By the time I get a brooder warmer and supplies, I’ll be in it for the same as these birds. Since 6-8 is all I want, it’ll be a while before i look to add any more.

 

[janetdieter]

Yeah it is...BUT I also don't have the


Were they all definitely 4 weeks old then? The site says 4-9 weeks.

I’m sort of leaning this direction. By the time I get a brooder warmer and supplies, I’ll be in it for the same as these birds. Since 6-8 is all I want, it’ll be a while before i look to add any more.

Yes, I would say that 3 were 4 weeks old, the other 3 may have been closer to 5 weeks old. Still had fuzzy feathers. I'm new at this and am no expert but I would say they were definitely very young still. Let me figure out how to post pics from my computer... the stuff from my phone never uploads

 

[janetdieter]

Yes, I would say that 3 were 4 weeks old, the other 3 may have been closer to 5 weeks old. Still had fuzzy feathers. I'm new at this and am no expert but I would say they were definitely very young still. Let me figure out how to post pics from my computer... the stuff from my phone never uploads

 

[janetdieter]

View attachment 1294412 View attachment 1294414 View attachment 1294415 View attachment 1294416 View attachment 1294417

They were a little dirty - these pics were taken as soon as they came out of their shipping box.

 

[deepbluesea]

I've gotten 4-6 week-old birds, because 1) I can't have a rooster and rehoming is hard and 2) I only ever get 3-5 pullets because I have a small flock. It is pricey, but like you said, no brooder set-up makes it almost a wash, especially if you do it more than once. Welcome and go for it!