Pullet/cockerel ratio ?

[lighthawk]

Just getting started and am still in the planning stages so I have obviously never ordered birds before. I am planning to keep 8-10 birds maybe one Roo so I am planning a large enough coop to accomodate 15 birds. I am curious that if I mail order straight run BR's what type of ratio might I end up with. Also if I just order pullets would I probably end up with a couple cockerels in the mix. I know no one could give me an exact number but I'm hoping someone can get me in the ball park so that I have some Idea what to expect. TIA.

 

[emvickrey]

Generally there will be more roos than you want or need. I've had only 1 even hatch and had 3 of each. Since I only need 2 of the roos, 1 has to go. Then my next batch I got 5 cockreals and 2 pullets. This last batch was't a good one. They all had something wrong with them and I blame it on the lack of calcium. I have 1 left out of 3 and don't expect it to make it either and if it does i'll bet its a cockreal. I've hatched out alot of chicks this year and get more cockreals than pullets. Thats why people are giving them away, practically. I bought a splash silkie for $5 that came from show quality stock except they consider him not SQ because his toes aren't perfect. I figure neither are mine so he has a good home here. I bought an EE roo at an auction for $1.50. If you have SQ birds you'll get more out of them. I mostly do it for a hobby. Not interested in shows. I do have a pair of American Onagadori's that are just beautiful. You can go to my page and see them. My first batch of eggs from them has 3 cockreals and 1 pullet. The cockreals are showey birds due to the long tails. I'll have some AO roos for sale in about 4 months

When you decide to rehome your roos try here or on Craigslist and if there is an auction barn nearby try there.

 

[mstricer]

I had a straight run of BO's out of 17, I got 9 girls and 8 boys. Then I started ordering from Meyers Hatchery they will sex them for you. It was a nightmare when all those roosters weren't so friendly with each other. Needless to say I have none of those boys now.

 

[lighthawk]

Actually I am thinking that I would order 15 birds (day old) from a hatchery. If I ordered pullets and by some miracle actually got 15 pullets I would have room for them all. Any cockerels would probably go to freezer camp because they would be close to full grown before I would know what I have. Unless I could determine their sex at a very early age and rehome them before I spend a ton of money feeding them.

 

[chickenbottom]

Quote:
hatcheries do there best to sex the chicks to your order and most of the time they get it right ideal poultry is a great hatchery i have ordered from them 2 times now and so far so good ive got pullets from when i ordered pullets and they throw in males for warmth you can usually tell pretty early on barred rocks i could tell at 4 weeks

 

[lighthawk]

Thanks. I have only found one hatchery that will send out less than 25 or 30 birds as the minimum order ( Cackle hatchery in MIssouri) all the others have requirements that would get me far more birds than I could handle. Cackle will send 10 chicks but that is my target for pullets and one or two cockerels in the mix would leave me short. Hence the 15 bird order and a plan to cull down the road. Also if I don't want to be saddled with 5 roos I think they would be difficult to rehome as no one else wants to be saddled with 5 either. So Ideal or Meyer would't work for me unless I could split the order with someone else prior to placing the order. Do you know anyone who has had experience with them? (Cackle)

 

[chickenbottom]

Quote:
ive seen posts on here about cackle but i havent myself mypetchicken does low order amounts as well. if cackle doesnt work out for you

 

[mstricer]

Mt. Healthy in Cinncinnati, Ohio does thats where I got mine and only order 15 got 17.

 

[lighthawk]

Thanks I will check out their website. BTW is it a common practice for hatcheries to "overship" in case one or two birds don't make it?
HeHe Almost feel silly now like a 6th grader who didn't do his homework. Went back through the forum and found numerous reviews for Cackle hatchery and a huge number of threads addressing every question I asked. Guess I have a little egg on my face. Thank you all for your patient responses to questions that have been answered many times before.

 

[cnjtnt]

We're planning to order from Ideal this spring. I believe their minimum is $25, not 25 birds. I think it works out to be about 10 chicks.