More chicks than planned (photos)...

[felidaet]

When my wife and I first started talking about raising chickens in November we were thinking about raising about 6 hens. As I did more research about breeds and as we talked about it more the number gradually grew to plans for 15 hens. We have them on order at a couple of local local feed stores. We picked up 2 of them last Friday.

There was a little change in our plans yesterday.

There was a sale ad insert in the newspaper a few days ago from a local feed store. Unfortunately I happened to see it and one the sale items was "buy 25lbs or more of chick starter feed and get 5 free chicks." AND I needed to buy more feed.

The promotion was while 500 chicks per store lasted. I got up bright and early yesterday and headed to the store. I got there a little more than 1 hour before they opened in case there was a line. I was first in line! Well... That means that 5 additional chicks were heading home with me.

Now it looks like we will have 18 - 20 hens. Oops... What happened to 6???

The 5 chicks were a random assortment. The employees got there 30 minutes before the store opened and pre-filled many boxes with 5 different chicks. I excitedly opened my box to see what I got. I was disappointed that I did not get a Speckled Sussex or Gold Laced Wyandotte. I asked if I could trade for one of each. They hesitated from a moment and then said I could trade 1. I was able to trade a gold chick (maybe a sex link) for a Speckled Sussex. I guess I should have asked some of the other people around me to trade for a Gold Laced Wyandotte. I thought of it after I got home. Oh well, I have one coming this Wednesday.

The 5 chicks I ended up with are: Speckled Sussex, Barred Rock, Rhode Island Red, White Leghorn, and I think an Araucana. I was not planning on raising either Rhode Island Red or White Leghorn but they will give us more diversity. And I would not mind a few white eggs (from the Leghorn).

Here are photos of the chicks I currently have. They are all supposed to be pullets. They are about 1 week old.

Speckled Sussex
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/uploads/19676_speckled_sussex_1.jpg

White Leghorn
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/uploads/19676_white_leghorn.jpg

Barred Rock
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/uploads/19676_barred_rock_1.jpg

Black Australop #1
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/uploads/19676_black_australop_1.jpg

Black Australop #2
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/uploads/19676_black_australop_2.jpg

Araucana (EE) (???)
Please let me know if you think this is something else. It has an interesting color break. It is 1/2 red.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/uploads/19676_araucana_1.jpg

Rhode Island Red
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/uploads/19676_rhode_island_red.jpg

Now I am anxiously awaiting the additional 13 chicks that are coming on Wednesday at two different feed stores. Hopefully 8 + 5 will = 13 and no others end up in our boxes..

 

[patyrdz]

Your chicks are beautiful! I like the white head on the barred rock!

 

[LovinMyPeeps]

Your EE? chick looks an aweful lot like my RIR chicks did at that age Can't say for sure because I'm a new chicken mom too!

 

[Lady Lavendar]

My husband and I were pretty much like you.. We were only going to have 2 pairs (2 roo, 2 hen) for eggs. We got ours from a woman that has been raising chickens for almost 70 years. Once we brought them home, I too, found that I needed to purchase some feed... and came home with 8 more chicks and juveniles (2 bar rocks, 1 silver laced Wyandotte, 2 frizzles, 3 Ameraucanas). We also picked up another adult hen from the same woman. So 13 chickens later and only a month and a half into keeping chickens I find that I'm having a difficult time staying away from the catalogs. I want an Australorp and several other large but cuddly chickens.
Good luck to you and your chickens. Please keep us informed on how they are doing and if you get more send photos.

Katrina

 

[PhlyinPheBee]

My ee's that I got from TSC came with green legs and feet. That is all I can help with on your ee's prospect.

They are cute!!!

 

[Mahonri]

I'm thinking that your "EE" might either be a production red or a light brown leghorn.

Also, your RIR is probably a Red Sex link.. perhaps a Cinnamon Queen or Isa Brown.

 

[farrier!]

Boy! Fast loading clear pictures!
Now I want chicks...Now!..Now!...NOW!!!!!

I have 31 coming the week of the 20th.

Maybe I can build a second coop for an assortment....

(maybe I better get the first one built first)

 

[damselfish]

Just wanted to say that it is shocking, just shocking, that you would end up with more chicks than you planned! That never happens to anyone else around here!

...Started aiming for eight, currently has seventeen chickens and fourteen guinea fowl....

 

[addicted2chicks]

I am a new chick mommy but the chick listed as Rhode Island red looks like my Isa Browns, Your EE looks like my Rhode Island red.
Maybe someone more experienced on the Barred rock could explain better, but the top of the head on that one is more of a splotch then a dot, I could be totally wrong but how it was explained to me, that could be a roo..??

 

[PlumTuckered]

Sweet!
The Speckled looks like my Brown Leghorns looked at that age

Michelle