Newcomer

Pics
Date sort Score sort
Lonelyfries

Lonelyfries

Chirping
Dec 2, 2018
18
134
69
Oklahoma
Hello everyone!
My husband and I have been hoping to move farther away from the city for a few years. We have found a good property to start a homestead and are waiting to be approved. I have found two breeds that I am very interested in, Sussex and Silkies. Since we live in Oklahoma I was wondering if these are good breeds to have and I am hoping to also hatch my own chicks. I don’t even know where to start, Please help.
 
Hello and welcome to BYC! :frow Glad you joined.
You can purchase day old chicks from Ideal hatchery. They are in Texas and are reputable. They also offer Marek's vaccinations.
However, if you are looking to breed for show quality, you may want to find local breeders of the variety you are interested in.
Silkies are heat tolerant, Sussex not as much.
Good luck and happy homesteading!
 
DobieLover said:
Hello and welcome to BYC! :frow Glad you joined.
You can purchase day old chicks from Ideal hatchery. They are in Texas and are reputable. They also offer Marek's vaccinations.
However, if you are looking to breed for show quality, you may want to find local breeders of the variety you are interested in.
Silkies are heat tolerant, Sussex not as much.
Good luck and happy homesteading!
Click to expand...

Thank you for the information, I am not looking to have show quality chickens. I’d like to have a sustainable flock and know my eggs are coming from happy hens.
 
Lonelyfries said:
Thank you for the information, I not looking to make profit or to have show quality chickens. I’d like to have a sustainable flock and know my eggs are coming from happy hens.
Click to expand...
It gets really hot in Oklahoma, would they be unhappy living here? Is there anything I’d be able to do to make them comfortable. Thank you so much for your time! :)
 
Lonelyfries said:
Thank you for the information, I not looking to make profit or to have show quality chickens. I’d like to have a sustainable flock and know my eggs are coming from happy hens.
Click to expand...
Silkies are not known for their egg production! They are more considered a pet.
You can keep enough layers to give you the amount of eggs you want.
Are you looking for dual purpose chickens that you will butcher after they start molting in their second year? The Sussex is considered a good dual purpose bird.
If you keep a rooster of the same breed, you can hatch out your own replacement flock each spring either with a broody (if one of your girls goes broody for you) or by incubating and raising them yourself.
 
DobieLover said:
Silkies are not known for their egg production! They are more considered a pet.
You can keep enough layers to give you the amount of eggs you want.
Are you looking for dual purpose chickens that you will butcher after they start molting in their second year? The Sussex is considered a good dual purpose bird.
If you keep a rooster of the same breed, you can hatch out your own replacement flock each spring either with a broody (if one of your girls goes broody for you) or by incubating and raising them yourself.
Click to expand...
I have fallen for silkies even though they aren’t the best layers. We aren’t planing of butchering them but we dont know what we’d do with our roosters yet.
 
Lonelyfries said:
It gets really hot in Oklahoma, would they be unhappy living here? Is there anything I’d be able to do to make them comfortable. Thank you so much for your time! :)
Click to expand...
You might want to consider one of the more heat tolerant birds. Leghorns are very heat tolerant and really crank out the eggs. But they are quite petite and not a good meat bird.
There are many breeds of chickens that are heat tolerant dual purpose birds though. It all depends on you goals.
 
DobieLover said:
You might want to consider one of the more heat tolerant birds. Leghorns are very heat tolerant and really crank out the eggs. But they are quite petite and not a good meat bird.
There are many breeds of chickens that are heat tolerant dual purpose birds though. It all depends on you goals.
Click to expand...

I really don’t mind the breed for my layers, I would like to have a chicken breed that is friendly and since it would be my first flock. But I can do whatever needs to be done. I will keep leghorns in mind!
 
Hi and welcome to BYC. I wish you every success with your new property and related projects.

This is a useful link of BYC guides to take a look at announcements-feedback-issues-guides.3 I’d suggest including your location using the guide in that link. You can use this link to contact members in your area - Find your State's thread.

Best wishes

Pork Pie
 

New posts New threads Active threads

Back
Top Bottom