Ordering questions

[cariboujaguar]

When is it best to order wheather wise?
Do you preffer to order a mixed 'special' order or individual numbers of each breed and sex you want?

I am considering getting a mixed lot that includes the breeds I want which is a dollar-somthing per chick VS five dollars per chick, and just ordering 4 times more then I intend to keep, raising them and keeping the breeds I wanted. Is this a bad idea, will it cost too much to raise them? how much does it cost to raise a chicken to production age?

Is it best to get a straight run or do they all end up being roo's?

Do you guys pay for the cocci meds and vaccinations etc?

Can you mix bantams and normal size chickens or will the little guys get picked on too much?

I hope I'm not bugging you all with all my questions LOL I try to look most of these up and can't find deffinate answers so then I post another 'clutch' of questions LOL

thanks!

 

[katrinag]

Most people order in May. I have chosen to order and get them the end of this month. They will have time to grow out and give me eggs before winter.
I ordered sexed chicks. Since most places only have 90% sexing guarantee rate I am pretty sure I will get a couple roos. For me it is worth the extra $1 or so each for sexed chicks. This way I am not feediing a bunch of chicks I do not want.
Straight run is about 50/50. But can go rather south fast. Like getting 1 hen and 9 roos. It is the luck of the draw.
I just paid the $.15 for the mareks vac. gives me peace of mind.
I have bantys with standard and no problems.

 

[RendonRoo]

I wish that i had realized that on a small order it cost about the same with the minimum price. I'm happy with my chicks but i didn't get a couple of breeds that i wanted the most. Same with sex. Good Luck and I'm sure you will enjoy whatever you buy.

 

[ChickenToes]

Unless you're ordering a large number of birds, it's probably best to order them sexed. Ordering straight run is a gamble, and most people end up with lots of roos and only a few pullets. But I've ordered straight run twice, once with chickens and once with ducks and I've always ended up with lots of females. So really, it's luck of the draw.

Having them vaccinated is a personal choice. I knew I was going to butcher and eat my extra roos, so I wanted the meat as natural as possible - no vaccinations or antibiotics. If you are worried about your birds getting sick, go ahead and have them vaccinated.

I live in a pretty cold area, so I order mine in February or March and have them delivered at the middle or end of April.

 

[cariboujaguar]

If you order all females is there still a chance a roo or two will get thrown into the mix? Or should I order a roo seperate?

Also can you breed a big roo to small hens? I would neve rbreed a big goat to a small breed but with chickens will the egg size etc be effected at all? wil the rooster smoosh the female?

so you dont' get to cocci meds but Do get the Mareks?

What if you order females and get males, can you get a refund or is it still 'luck of the draw' to an extent?

are there any breeds that should NOT be exposed to chilly winters (we got to 10 F this year) I picked many breeds base don winter resistance but can't find info on some of these breeds I might like...

 

[ChickenToes]

Yes, if you order pullets there is a chance you will still get a roo. The sexing is about 90% accurate at most hatcheries.

A rooster will attempt to breed any hen it comes across, big or small.

Nope, no Marek's vaccination. None of my birds have been vaccinated or given medicated feed and I haven't had a sick bird yet. But as I said before, if it's something that concerns you, then go ahead and have the vaccinations.

I'm not sure if you get a refund if the hatchery makes a mistake with sexing...

If you live in a cold area, look mainly at heavy breed chickens. They do well in cold weather.

 

[briteday]

There seems to be a lot of people wanting pullets on Craigslist in my area. They are willing to pay around $5 per pullet. So since I am raising 8-10 for myself this Spring I figured out the cost of raising a chick to 4 months, 16 weeks of age...when they are just about ready to lay...

Chicks eat anywhere from 2-6 ounces of feed per day, so using the average of 4 ounces...

4 oz x 120 days = 480 ounces divided by 16 = 30 pounds of food

30 pounds of food at $15 / 50 pound sack = $9

$9 for food + $3 for the chick at the feed store = $12...not including bedding, brooder electricity cost, grit, vitamins, shots... birngs that up to about $15/chick...cost, no profit for me

Most people in my area want pullets for $5. I'm not raising any extra pullets.

 

[Katy]

I don't think this has been said, if it has I'm sorry for repeating it. If there are certain breeds you want, you should order now for later delivery. Sometimes they run out and then you can't get what you want....especially if they're a harder to find breed.

 

[cariboujaguar]

Oh thanks for the tip Katy... so I'm thinking it's more economical to buy exactly what I want for the extra price and get what I want, raise them and keep them. VS getting a whole big lot of mixed breeds, raising them and selling what I don't want- since they seem to end up costing more then you can sell them for...

So I'm thinking of ordering 3 females of each of these breeds (except the marans) to see which I like then I can order some roo's to go with the breed's I really enjoy: any info or cautions on these breeds would be appreciated and just your experiences with them, especially agressive or skittish breeds and ones who do not thrive in cold wheather. Thanks

DOMINIQUES
GOLDEN LACED WYANDOTTES
SILVER LACED WYANDOTTES
SALMON FAVEROLLES
SILVER LACED COCHINS
BUFF LACED POLISH
RED CAPS
LAKENVELDERS
CUCKO MARANS (STRAIGHT RUN)

 

[gritsar]

Quote:
I don't know about other hatcheries, but Ideal will refund the cost of any male chick if it is over and above their 90% sexing guarantee. I ordered two roos, got five. Guess the sexers were having a bad day.
I did not vaccinate for Marek's after consulting with Ideal and my local county extension office who told me that there hasn't been a case of Marek's around here in years.
I didn't vaccinate for coccidiosis, but chose to feed medicated chick starter instead.
Here's Henderson's Handy Dandy chicken chart. On the right side of the chart there is usually a mention of whether the breed is especially cold tolerant or not:

http://www.ithaca.edu/staff/jhenderson/chooks/chooks.html