Ordering spring chicks....so much fun. What did you get?

[Chipmunk Chicks]

The hatchery shows the lay rate at 200/yr for Blue Cuckoo Maran and 240/yr for Blue Star. That’s my main disappointment. I’ve never had Marans before, but maybe I should just stick with them and not worry about the “loss” of eggs.

My Welsummers don't lay as many eggs as my Australorps either, but I love what they add to our basket! For me as a backyard keeper, I'm certainly not a volume production business, nor am I actually a business at all Haha Our birds are giving us plenty of eggs for my family, plus extra to give away, so at the end of the day, that's all I need. Plus longevity of laying and overall health of the birds. You don't even realize how important that is until you have to deal with a sick chicken

 

[3KillerBs]

Ikwym It can be a tossup, but I think if you were to get all 15 then you could be a bit selective at least who you keep / breed?

Or, as much as I dearly love feathered feet, I could just get the clean-legged version from Ideal because I do trust Ideal to have good birds without shouting distance of the SOP.

 

[Chipmunk Chicks]

Or, as much as I dearly love feathered feet, I could just get the clean-legged version from Ideal because I do trust Ideal to have good birds without shouting distance of the SOP.

Personally, I feel like I love the *idea* of feathered feet, perhaps more than the reality. For now, if a chicken steps in poop I can basically just knock it off her foot without too much trouble, but the notion of having to go out there with a bucket and wash poop off of feathered feet just sounds like a recipe for more work and possibility of infection. But I know people love them!

 

[3KillerBs]

Personally, I feel like I love the *idea* of feathered feet, perhaps more than the reality. For now, if a chicken steps in poop I can basically just knock it off her foot without too much trouble, but the notion of having to go out there with a bucket and wash poop off of feathered feet just sounds like a recipe for more work and possibility of infection. But I know people love them!

I'm on sandy soil and use deep litter in my coop.

I find that my feather-footed birds look after their own feet without need of my interference -- which, I am told, is not necessarily the case in areas prone to heavy clay mud or wet snow, either of which can clump onto foot feathers.

 

[coffeeaddict]

My Welsummers don't lay as many eggs as my Australorps either, but I love what they add to our basket! For me as a backyard keeper, I'm certainly not a volume production business, nor am I actually a business at all Haha Our birds are giving us plenty of eggs for my family, plus extra to give away, so at the end of the day, that's all I need. Plus longevity of laying and overall health of the birds. You don't even realize how important that is until you have to deal with a sick chicken

That’s a great point. I need to do the math and make sure we will still have enough eggs for our family and the neighbors with the lower lay rate. The Blue Star’s were supposed to be our main egg laying birds… But from what I’m seeing on this forum it sounds like Blue Cuckoo Maran’s are a wonderful breed.

 

[3KillerBs]

That’s a great point. I need to do the math and make sure we will still have enough eggs for our family and the neighbors with the lower lay rate. The Blue Star’s were supposed to be our main egg laying birds… But from what I’m seeing on this forum it sounds like Blue Cuckoo Maran’s are a wonderful breed.

I haven't had the blues, but my regular FCMs from Ideal the last year they carried them are lovely birds. Large, calm, reasonable layers of large and extra-large dark eggs.

 

[Chipmunk Chicks]

I'm on sandy soil and use deep litter in my coop.

I find that my feather-footed birds look after their own feet without need of my interference -- which, I am told, is not necessarily the case in areas prone to heavy clay mud or wet snow, either of which can clump onto foot feathers.

Oh that's interesting! Yes we do deep litter too, but of course someone has always got to poop on the perch and step in it while it's wet lol but that dries once they step in bedding and falls off quickly.

We also have more muddy soil and snow here, too. So that's mind blowing to me what you say that about sandy soil though. Being a French breed, I know the lavender France is also famous for thrives in sandy soil, too!

 

[springvalley123]

I have actually taken the chicks into the bathroom and gotten a nice gentle stream of warm water going and just let the stream wash right over their butts. Then I can use the washcloth to gently remove anything I need to. But I was so worried about accidentally pulling on their navels, I preferred to just let the water do the delicate work. Gave me a nice excuse to cuddle with them in a handtowel while they dried off, and then just keep an eye while they finish under the light.

I put some vegetable oil on them, had forgotten about that. I have to work on holding them better before I venture into the bathroom though.

 

[springvalley123]

The hatchery shows the lay rate at 200/yr for Blue Cuckoo Maran and 240/yr for Blue Star. That’s my main disappointment. I’ve never had Marans before, but maybe I should just stick with them and not worry about the “loss” of eggs.

If you want a Marans but will settle for a hybrid to get a high egg count, you might like the midnight majesty marans from Hoover's. I had some. All but a few had feathered legs. They laid a LOT of HUGE eggs, but not super dark. Very good in the heat too.

 

[Acre4Me]

We ordered for an April pickup.

8 - high production hybrids called “Golden Buff Cross”. We bought some last year and they are the main reason we had eggs all winter. We have many dual purpose/heritage breeds, but they slow way down in winter (even the pullets), which is why we bought these hybrids last year. So, we will get chicks that should begin to lay before winter.

25 - mixed bantams. They are all APA breeds, they are straight run. We told the Hatchery to only give us 4 breeds from their selection. The Hatchery only offers a selection rather than specific breeds bc eggs and hatching can be variable, so they allow you to request breeds but they do not guarantee specific breeds for a specific hatch date. This will be our first time with Bantams! We plan to keep them separate from the main flock.