Ordering Spring Chicks…Have Questions!

[BlueDawnRising]

Just glancing at their About Us page it sounds like they take biosecurity pretty seriously, so that's a good sign. Not sure if there's reviews available from others who've bought from them before but that'd be something else I'd want to check on.

Thank you for looking! I felt the same but am glad to hear you agree. I will look for reviews. Thanks!!

 

[NatJ]

2.) I would like to try to put the day olds under a broody. How do you make sure you have a proper broody at the exact time you bring home your chicks?

If a hen goes broody, you can give her fake eggs to sit on. After a week or so, if she is still acting nicely broody, order the chicks to arrive in about two weeks (so the chicks arrive when she has been sitting for three weeks, plus or minus a few days depending on what day of the week she started.)

Obviously that only works if the hatchery has the right chicks available to order at the right time.

If you are trying to place an order months in advance, I would probably just plan on brooding them yourself. If a hen happens to go broody about the right time, you could change plans and have her raise the chicks. If a hen goes broody a little bit too early, give her fake eggs and see what happens: some hens will sit for 4 or 5 weeks before they give up, so you might get lucky. If a hen starts sitting more than about 5 weeks before the chicks would arrive, I would try to break the broodiness, because she will probably not still be sitting by the time the chicks arrive.

 

[BlueDawnRising]

If a hen goes broody, you can give her fake eggs to sit on. After a week or so, if she is still acting nicely broody, order the chicks to arrive in about two weeks (so the chicks arrive when she has been sitting for three weeks, plus or minus a few days depending on what day of the week she started.)

Obviously that only works if the hatchery has the right chicks available to order at the right time.

If you are trying to place an order months in advance. I would probably just plan on brooding them yourself. If a hen happens to go broody about the right time, you could change plans and have her raise the chicks. If a hen goes broody a little bit too early, give her fake eggs and see what happens: some hens will sit for 4 or 5 weeks before they give up, so you might get lucky. If a hen starts sitting more than about 5 weeks before the chicks would arrive, I would try to break the broodiness, because she will probably not still be sitting by the time the chicks arrive.

Thanks! This sounds like a solid plan. I’m thinking about ordering all day old now. Ugh…I’m just afraid I will get a bunch of roosters and don’t have a plan for them. Maybe being raised either under a broody or with us around all the time, they will be good spirited!

 

[hammyanne]

When my polish unexpectedly went broody for a second time this fall with no sign of breaking well after 21 days, I ended up slipping her a few chicks that thankfully I was still able to find at tractor supply. It seems especially challenging to schedule the exact ship date of chicks in the spring time, so I might approach it the reverse way if you’re set on having a broody raise chicks for you—wait til your hen’s been reliably broody for a week or two and then order chicks for the following week?

 

[Folly's place]

The problem with that plan is that you'll never be able to get exactly the birds you want ordering late!
Mary

 

[BlueDawnRising]

When my polish unexpectedly went broody for a second time this fall with no sign of breaking well after 21 days, I ended up slipping her a few chicks that thankfully I was still able to find at tractor supply. It seems especially challenging to schedule the exact ship date of chicks in the spring time, so I might approach it the reverse way if you’re set on having a broody raise chicks for you—wait til your hen’s been reliably broody for a week or two and then order chicks for the following week?

I live close enough to the hatchery that I might be able to just ask for “leftovers” of the breeds I want when I have a broody. I might email abs ask if that is possible. I know they grow out some so maybe that would work. Lots to think about!

 

[BlueDawnRising]

The problem with that plan is that you'll never be able to get exactly the birds you want ordering late!
Mary

This is a concern!