never order form a hatchery before advice please

[ninny]

im am going to start a small egg selling business and i was going to get my hens from the feed store but they want me to order 25 of the same breed. i was wanting to get different breeds. i live in IL any good hatcheries around me? also they are going to be free range so any breeds i i should get for sure?

 

[tx_dane_mom]

do you want white or brown eggs?

 

[ninny]

mostly brown but im going to get some EEs and a couple white layers for a change everyone one who sells this way is selling brown. i have a waiting list of people who want to buy from me and they don't care what the color is.

 

[tx_dane_mom]

This link is REALLY helpful as far as breeds http://www.ithaca.edu/staff/jhenderson/chooks/chooks.html
As far as hatcheries my fav is Ideal, personally. But it's in Tx, near me. Can't help you w/one closer to you.

 

[P0U1TRYP3RS0N]

My favorite hatcheries are Ideal and Privett.

 

[ninny]

what are some breeds i should stay away from? and my feed store gets chicks every week would i be smarter to buy from them as i can pick out the ones i want? but then they might range in age by a couple weeks would that be a problem?

 

[RebelsHope]

How many eggs are you looking to sell? Just to your friends and family? More than that?

How many chickens do you want? 25 is pretty standard, but some, like at McMurray Hatchery you can get a Rainbow layer assortment. 25 chicken that lay different colored eggs. I ordered the Brown Egg Layer Assort. last year and then sold half of them. Turned out the wrong half because now I really like barred rock and i sold most of mine. That is neither here nor there.

I get a LOT of eggs from 11 hens. More than I need. I am taking some to work and I am trading them with my sister. She gives me bread she makes and I give her eggs. The number of eggs will taper off in a few years though.

Check out the Sell section of this board and you will find some people selling things. Where are you in IL? I am in WI and on the boarder.

 

[Chickending]

Hoover's Hatchery is in Iowa they are a smaller hatchery but I have always received good chicks from them. They do a great job, and being in Iowa not too far from IL. They dont have the variety of birds that McMurray does but they do have a good variety of brown egg layers. I have been happy with their service.

http://www.hoovershatchery.com/

 

[ninny]

im working on finding out on exactly how many people are going to order weekly from me. im kinda confused on the number of hens ill need though. i saw somewhere you if you want a dozen eggs a day you need 13 hens. Is that right? i just making sure i dot my i and cross my t.

im on the ia,il border.



ive heard that mcmurrys birds r not very typey. i know their just layers but if its a barred rock it needs to look like a barred rock. though i would really like to get some of their bantams.

 

[ebaribault]

I just used Meyer Hatchery from Ohio.
I had a good experience with them.
http://www.meyerhatchery.com/