New Member :) Hi Guys! I have questions

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PegJ

Chirping
Sep 15, 2021
31
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Dunnellon, FL 34433
I had chickens 40 years ago, but left the farm and haven't had them since :( . Things have changed a lot! Hubby and I retired to 5 acres in FL and we've built a nice big coop. Wanting to get a mixture of chicks to start off with, but want to make sure I have everything ready before I order them. Do I need to feed the medicated crumbles? I'm pretty sure we didn't have that when I had chickens before. Shoot, we didn't even have computers or Amazon! Now, I go online and there are so many hatcheries it boggles the mind. I think I've figured out what kind of hen's I want, but I can't find a hatchery that has all of them. Since I want around 20, I thought I'd order them all at once. Will it hurt to order from 2 hatcheries at the same time? One last question for this time :) How long does it take to get the chicks after you order them? Thanks!
 
cherrynberry said:
It took about 2 weeks for my chicks to arrive if I remember correctly. I ordered from TSC, but only once. I feed medicated feed for 6 weeks and switch to nonmedicated from there are. Not everybody does that though.

Its okay to order from different hatcheries, but just remember that in a batch of 20, there will most likely be at least 2 cockerels. Most free chicks are cockerels. You will have to rehome some cockerels. What breeds are you getting? For pets or as livestock?


@BigBlueHen53 just got chicks though...
Click to expand...
I'd like a couple of cream leghorns but they're really expensive. The cockerels are ok cause I have a seperate pen for meat birds, and that's what they'll be. I'm hoping to have just one rooster with the hens. We mostly want eggs... I remember how much better home grown are :) Otherwise, I'm looking a a couple of easter eggers, bramas, welsummers, and a couple of others that are really heat hardy and good foragers. It gets and stays really hot here in west central FL.
 
Hi, welcome to BYC.
There is nothing wrong with ordering from more than one hatchery. I would feed non-medicated, and keep some corid on hand for emergencies. Medicated feed is only for cocidosis and the corid will treat that if it is even in your chicken yard.
I haven't ordered from any hatcheries but ideal, as it is close enough to drive there,from here.
I have bought plenty of chicks from Tractor Supply and Atwoods, including Crested cream legbars, brahmas, welsummers, and Easter eggers.
Good luck with your plans!
 
Welcome to BYC!

If you haven't already picked your hatchery, I definitely recommend Meyer's as my number one choice. I often choose to hatch my own chicks from a reliable breeder, but if you are planning on having these chickens just for a hobby and egg production and not looking into making a profit on breeding, any hatchery chicks will do. I recommend Meyer's because of their outstanding customer service as well as quality, healthy birds. From experience ordering chicks from different hatcheries like Strombergs and Ideal, I can say the least amount of chick fatalities has come from Meyer's hatchery. I also like McMurray hatchery as well. Whatever hatchery you choose, I definitely recommend getting their mareks vaccinations added on to your order. Usually a hatchery will tell you at check out how long it will take to ship and deliver your chicks to the post office. This is a good time to order though because a lot of hatcheries are having sales and its not too cold out just yet.

Meyer's:
https://www.meyerhatchery.com/Chickens-c39349237

McMurray:
https://www.mcmurrayhatchery.com/index.html


Big sale at Ideal poultry right now:
https://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001Vl9...ULlR6dE3qk5ZtXfgTL_unkv95aYkZcxcqat051pnDQg==
Screenshot_20210915-120152_Gmail.jpg


Good luck, and have fun!
 

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