Please Help...how many chicks to start with?

[bluemusefarm]

We're finishing our coop setup, and everything's going great. Pretty soon, it'll be time to order our very first chicks! But I have a question...

Our coop would comfortably hold 12-13 chickens. So should I purchase 12-13 chicks, or order more, assuming that some will die before they reach "coop age"? I have no idea what to expect. I'll be ordering them from Murray-McMurray Hatchery--I hear good things about them and their chicks. But given the frailty of chicks and our complete inexperience, I'm guessing that we'll lose some. What's a typical survival rate? Any wisdom?

I appreciate your help!

 

[CochinBrahmaLover]

if you order from Murray you have to order 25, and then you can sell which ones you dont like

 

[chicklover16]

We're finishing our coop setup, and everything's going great. Pretty soon, it'll be time to order our very first chicks! But I have a question...

Our coop would comfortably hold 12-13 chickens. So should I purchase 12-13 chicks, or order more, assuming that some will die before they reach "coop age"? I have no idea what to expect. I'll be ordering them from Murray-McMurray Hatchery--I hear good things about them and their chicks. But given the frailty of chicks and our complete inexperience, I'm guessing that we'll lose some. What's a typical survival rate? Any wisdom?

I appreciate your help!

all of the chickens that I bought lived.

 

[highpointfarm]

The survival rate all depends on the amount of chicks... the more chicks the more are going to die whereas if you buy less than 20 probably only one, and less then 10 probably none....

 

[mama2my4]

I personally would get 1/2 that amount and then add new ones in 2 years. That way you have eggs for longer before you are at capacity. Now, keep in mind I was getting 6 chickens and I currently have 11 with 6 silkies coming soon.....

 

[horseshowmomnv]

I am new to chickens also, we have horses, dogs and cats but never chickens. We jumped in head first. We ordered 25 because it was the minimum order from McMurray. They are a handful, and we have not lost any of the 27 they shipped. 2.5 weeks old now. We are managing just fine but I think that less would have been better to start with. We will drop down to about 15 - 20 and get some others next year. We are only currently building our coop, and because of weather we are on hold. I don't have any regrets with this many other than I see all the other exotic ones and wish we could have a few of those, but NOT until we thin he herd so to speak. We have had to adjust our brooder 3 times, started with two rubbermaids, a used cabinet, now they are on the floor in the den in a 4x5 brooder, lots of dust in the house!

 

[SIMZ]

If you're anything like me, the hardest thing will be keeping it at 12-13 chickens.

We've only lost 3 chickens out of probably around 50 and two of those were Cornish cross. Chicks seem to be pretty hardy if you give them proper care.