Need Advice! Chicks? Pullets? Nothing?

[kobesmom81]

Ok, heres the facts!
In September I bought 2 Silkie chicks. One blue, one black. Then October came and I bought 2 more. This time 2 splashes. The idea was that I would have my own mini flock. Ideally, I would have one boy and 2-4 girls. If I ended up with more than one roo I would just rehome whichever one I liked the least.
Here we are in February. The 2nd little splash didn't make it through early chickhood so we have one black, one splash and one blue. My black is a girl but my splash and blue are both boys. Since I have watched everyone grow up and am attached I don't want to rehome either boy. I figure I will just get a couple more hens for the saftey of my current little girl. Don't want the boys overdoing her. Plus, I show her so I need her looking her best. Here is where the issue lies

1. The breeder I have purchased all my silkies from is wonderful but she rarely holds on to the birds for sale long enough to know if she has boys or girls. She will take any extra roos back if I don't want them. Great, if I didn't love them both.

2. She currently does have 2 blue pullets that were hatched the same day as my current black hen. The problem here is that my blue that I do have is a very dark blue and I'm not real crazy about the blues in any shade. I prefer the black and the splash. These brids are show quality and she is asking $25.00 per bird.

3. I emailed another breeder about buying a couple pullets from her and she said that she would see what she had available but because they are show quality she would like $40.00 per bird. At that price at the moment I could afford just one. Which I guess would be one hen per roo. BUt I have a hard time justifying spending that much one one bird. I am certain that it is a great quality bird, I just have a hard time with parting with money like that! I showed my black silkie and won 4th place and I only paid $7 for her. So, I know for the price I am getting good quality but I also know that for cheaper I can still get good quality.

4. DH asked why I didn't just buy a few more chicks. Duh, I told him, what if I end up with more roos? His answer was to be tough and rehome them just like I was supposed to do with the extra roo I have now! But he won't push that issue cuz he knows how easily I get attached. My only issue with chicks is that I just had 4 marans hatch (I got lucky there, one boy and 3 girls! Exactly what I wanted) and I have been devoting alot of time to them and I'm not sure I want to interrupt that with some more chicks. I am hand raising the marans in hopes that they will be tame little love bugs!

So, I need advice! Do I:
A. Suck it up and get 2 blue pullets for $50.00 even though I'm not so crazy about the color but I really like the breeder and I know she has good birds.

B. Pay $40 for just one bird?

C. Or go nuts and buy 4 or 5 chicks or so and take my chances?

You see my issues? The biggest issue being that I am addicted to any and all chickens.

Sorry this is so long!!

 

[Karlachix]

If you could be tough and rehome roosters, I would say go with option C. If that won't work then I would go with option A since you'd be getting 2 hens and the chicks should be a mix of blue, black and splash
(if I understand the genetics correctly).

I hope all goes well for you!! Let us know what you decide. Pics would be nice too.

 

[ravencreek]

Well how many chicks could you get for the same price as either the 2 hens or even the single hen? Can you choose your own babies from the breeder or is it one of those "you get what I pick up" kinda breeders? Maybe if you can take a look at the babies and possibly remember what your current silkies looked like as young chicks it may help in making a better judgement on which are which. I know its REALLY hard to sex chicks but its just a thought. I would go with option C. But I just LOVE chicks soo....

 

[kobesmom81]

The breeder is great. Chicks are $10.00 and if you buy a few sometimes she will go down on the price a bit. I go out to her house and she lets me in with the chicks to pick who I want to take home. Or she will go in and I tell her who I want to see and we go from there. She really is fantastic. I love the little silkie chicks myself but I really want to concentrate on my marans too.
I was thinking maybe I should just get out of the silkies all together and rehome both boys and just keep my girl. She is the tamest and I am attached to her the most. But at the same time I love both the boys too!
We are going to a show this weekend and so we will see what happens with that. The last time we bought a silkie at a show what when we were first starting out with the silkies and we got ripped off really bad. Then I felt bad cuz DH spent alot of money on this bird who ended up not looking or acting like a pure silkie. Thankfully, I know better what to look for and won't be making that mistake again.
I know this probably really shouldn't be that difficult! But I am trying not to overrun myself with birds and I was originally getting into it to breed and show silkies. Until those cuddly little Marans came along!