Official BYC Poll: Where Do You Get Your Chicks From?

[sdm111]

I got my first rooster from my mentor who had been raising for decades. I used to go by his house on weekends and after school and watched him tend to his fowl and he taught me how to take care of them and how to house and raise chicks. He then after he thought I acquired the knowledge and experience to care for them on my own he gave me an American grey rooster. He continued to take me under his wing and when I proved myself with the rooster he gave me a hand picked hen and said i was ready and as they say the rest is history. I am so so thankful for what mr Ronald did for me. And forever grateful

 

[featherhead007]

I got my first rooster from my mentor who had been raising for decades. I used to go by his house on weekends and after school and watched him tend to his fowl and he taught me how to take care of them and how to house and raise chicks. He then after he thought I acquired the knowledge and experience to care for them on my own he gave me an American grey rooster. He continued to take me under his wing and when I proved myself with the rooster he gave me a hand picked hen and said i was ready and as they say the rest is history. I am so so thankful for what mr Ronald did for me. And forever grateful

Make a movie!

 

[TheAlrightyGina]

MS has a bi-weekly paper called the MS Market Bulletin. It covers the entire state. ANYTHING agricultural is for sale. 2/3 of my poultry purchases have been from adds in The Bulletin.

Oh, nice, I'm gonna have to check that out!

 

[Liz Birdlover]

My 1st Roo & Hen were a surprise. In 2015 a friend of my Dad's got 5 young Barred Rock chickens & 2 of them grew to be Roos. I already had Parrots & Homing Pigeons for years, but finally moved to a placed zoned to have chickens! I wasn't prepared, but Dad & I built a coop.

Then a friend gave me 2 Red Star hens. Then I got some chickens from a local farm. Then I got some Maran hens at Tractor Supply. Then I built another coop.

Then more Hens & Roos from 2 other local places. Then I raised 10 chicks with 2 broody hens! Although I didn't count on 5 out of 10 being Roos, it was awesome!!! I baby chicks!!!

I still have my original Barred Rock pair, Wyandottes, Buff Orpingtons, RIRs, EEs, Ameracaunas, a Comet & a Buff Delaware mix. I have 11 Roos & 30 Hens. I need to remodel coop #1 to be much larger this coming spring.

I TOTALLY LOVE MY FLOCK!!! ❤

 

[RebeccaRN]

I have a question, I have 7 chickens that will be a year old in March, at what point do you start bringing in new babies to replace the old to keep an egg supply coming in?

 

[Anne02]

I've gotten chickens from TSC, from a breeder one year, and from a broody. I'm hoping to add hatched from an incubator soon, now that I have one.

 

[Anne02]

I have a question, I have 7 chickens that will be a year old in March, at what point do you start bringing in new babies to replace the old to keep an egg supply coming in?

Probably at two to three years old.

 

[Liz Birdlover]

I have a question, I have 7 chickens that will be a year old in March, at what point do you start bringing in new babies to replace the old to keep an egg supply coming in?

I don't know about everyone else but mine have laid eggs daily til about 3 or 4 yrs old, then some started laying 4 or 5 eggs weekly. At 5 yrs old my Barred Rock hen stopped laying. The all took a break from laying regularly in Nov and Dec as winter days got shorter & I let them rest, no supplemental light. I guess a lot depends on the breed, their health, a good diet, calcium, seasonal weather, regional climate & overall comfort or stress (safe from predators & not overcrowded with harmony in the coop).

 

[Melky]

Interesting poll. I got mine from hatchery and local farmer. Hatchery stock better due to NPIP certified and vaccinated. Healthy lines that are hardy. I tried getting from a local farmer on BYC and still to this day have not been able to. Just report none available in stock and do not call when available. Sad. Back to the Hatchery for me. I would hatch my own but no male species allowed here.

 

[Willow2253]

I have a question, I have 7 chickens that will be a year old in March, at what point do you start bringing in new babies to replace the old to keep an egg supply coming in?

This is my fourth year with chickens, and my original flock started slowing down a little last spring in their third year, so we got new chicks. The older ones are still producing, just not quite at the rate they used to. Certain ones have slowed a lot more than others though.

Then suddenly we got chick fever and have gotten new chicks every couple of months since summer. Even after losing most of our flock mid summer the original number has doubled.