Opinions please...

[HEChicken]

I have chicks on order from MPC, due to be shipped Sep 21st. I used their breed selection tool to choose breeds that would a) be hardy enough to survive the cold spells we get sometimes in winter and b) be excellent egg layers. Yesterday on Craigslist, I found someone in the local area who will have BO chicks available at the beginning of September. Now I'm undecided and need opinions.

I went back to MPC and found the BO "rating" for egg-laying is only "good", meaning 3/wk. The chicks I have selected are all "excellent" at 5/wk. So that leans me in favor of sticking with my original order. I'm trying to be practical and even though I've always enjoyed keeping chickens in the past, the main reason I've gone to the trouble of building a coop and accessories is to get the fresh eggs. Therefore, the more eggs I get for the expenses incurred, the better.

However the MPC order entails shipping charges (and shipping risk) whereas with the local person, I can pick the chicks up directly. The chicks themselves are also a little cheaper with the local person (although will probably not be vaccinated). Also, locally they will be available 3 weeks earlier. This leans me towards going with the local chicks, saving on the initial outlay and getting started raising them earlier.

Other factors: MPC allows an order of females with 90% accuracy (and reading other posts, most people seem to have good success getting pullets). The local person indicated it is "impossible" to sex them at only a day old meaning there is a high probability of getting roos. On the other hand, she did say she would trade me back any that turn out to be roos, since she needs more anyway. However I wasn't sure if she meant trade for pullets of the same age or trade for new day old chicks, which could entail the same risk of getting and raising roos....

If I'm going to cancel my MPC order, I need to do it soon but I'm still just not sure what to do!

 

[Marlinchaser]

I would cancel and go with the BO, especially if you know you have a chance to return any unwanted roos. MPC kills you on shipping, BO's may not be the most proficient layers, but they are nice birds.

AND lets face the facts, that once you get the first ones raised, you will be adding to the flock anyway.

Oh yeah

 

[HEChicken]

Oh yeah, I did mean to add that tidbit. I did think about just getting both but am limited to the number I can keep at all so adding to the flock probably won't be possible.

 

[newchickmom09]

Me personaly I would go with MPC. I ordered my chicks from them and a they are now week and a half old. They are healthy little chicks, I only ordered 7 and they all arrived good and cherping. I liked that I could get them vaccinated. I got the chicks that I wanted and in 5 months I am going to have a baskets full fo eggs and all different colors like I wanted. If you could wait then I would go with MPC. Even if you do get some roos, then you can always ask the lady you could get chickens from if she would be willing to take them for you once they are old enough to tell.

 

[YankeeRider]

For what it's worth, I ordered 15 BO pullets from MPC, counting on their 90% accuracy in sexing to yield me one roo. They're only 3-1/2 weeks old, so it's very early to tell, but there's no indication yet of any roos in the lot. The chicks arrived as promised, very healthy, and still are.

If I was you, I'd be inclined to go with the local person, because they're local, etc, but feel bad about cancelling the order with MPC. Maybe it's no big deal to them, though.

Jerry

 

[Marlinchaser]

Quote:
They wont mind, and with local, you get them sooner.

 

[Joz]

I'm in a very similar quandry, tho I've not ordered online yet.

If I get local birds, I'll have to quarantine them, as they'll likely be coming from different people. Since I'm limited to a small flock, I want one each of 5 different breeds, which I likely can't get all from one source locally. Egg laying is important, though I really only require 3 "good" layers (I think). The other two will just be a bonus.

If I order online, I'll have to set up a brooder situation. This would give me a few more weeks to get the coop in order, but would require some effort to set up a space for the wee ones.

I have a 24w x 36l x 24h cage that I can keep chicks in for a while, but no good inside space. I've got a reasonably well protected back porch (temps are in the upper 80's at least, with pretty high humidity; could put a lamp over one corner for evening lows in the upper 70's). I was hoping that when they outgrew the cage (how long might that take, for 5 chicks?) they'd be able to move straight into the coop since it's still so warm out.

I'm beginning to think that brooding might be easier than quarantining... tho I have no idea how I'd be able to check in on them the requisite multiple times per day for the first couple weeks.

So, I don't have any advice, only related questions. Hope I'm not hijacking your thread.

 

[YankeeRider]

Quote:
Mine were only checked on multiple times per day for the first 3 days. After that, it's been when i first awake, when i get home from work, and just before i go to bed. They're doing fine.

...Now back to the originally scheduled thread

Jerry

 

[cmom]

Most hatcheries have a 90% accuracy. Out of 20 that I ordered one turned out to be a Roo. You can't be guaranteed that the person you will be getting them from won't keep trading you birds and hoping you will get a pullet.