Selecting Chicks from the Feed Store

[nmr]

Hi! We are picking up our chicks today or tomorrow and I wanted to ask a couple questions (I hope this is the right place). We’re getting a silver laced Wyandotte, gold laced Wyandotte, a prairie blue belle, and an Americana.

They chicks are supposedly sexed and are supposed to be all female, but mistakes do happen and the feed store doesn’t offer a guarantee/won’t take the males back (my town doesn’t allow roosters). I’m not completely worried about ending up with a rooster, I think I’ll be able to rehome it no problem.

I wanted to ask:

1. What should we be looking for when selecting a chick? What should we stay away from?
1a. Is it possible to get a realistic idea of temperament at this age/at the feed store?

1b. At a different feed store we saw the staff cleaning the bums of all the chicks, dipping them in water and brushing off poo. Is this something we should do with our chicks? If so, how




2. Is there anything we should look for that might indicate male vs female? I read something about males having buds somewhere on their wings—I’m not really sure what that means.


3. With the Wyandotte’s, is there a way to figure out who might be “prettier” than the others? I assume probably not, but figured I’d ask.


thank you!!!

 

[qopt]

Hi! I am new to raising chickens, however I picked up my chicks from a feed store, so I'll just repeat to you what I did.

The first thing I asked is to make sure that the chicks are pullets (only females), and not straight run (males and females). Then, I asked them what the chances are of me getting a rooster and what they would suggest I do if I do get a rooster. I would suggest asking if they vaccinated their chicks, and what feed they're feeding their chicks too.

When I was selecting my chicks, I was making sure to pick out the ones that looked the healthiest. You can pick out some sick looking chicks if you want to try to help them, but the chances are it will probably die 2 days after you having it. Just the sad truth.

There's no reason to clean the chicks bums unless they have pasty butt (poop stuck to the vent of the chick and acts like a cork). If your chick has pasty butt then you should get a towel and get it damp with warm water and slightly dab around the chicks vent (butt). Never scrub/brush. Chicks are extremely delicate around that area, and if you do it in a scrubbing/brushing motion, you will rip the fuzz off the chicks butts, and possibly even hurt some of the skin.

Most feed stores get their chicks when their only about a day old. My chicks were 3 days old when I picked them up. I don't think there's any way to tell a male vs female at such a young age without being educated on doing it. Wait a couple of weeks, and they will start showing characteristics of males and females.

I am not educated with Wynadotte chicks, but seeing as they are all little fuzz balls and look exactly the same I would say no. The only indicator you're going to get is what information the feed store gives you, color, breed, etc.

Hope I was of some help!

 

[2 many chickens]

The staff is cleaning their butts because they have pasty butt. That is common with shipped chicks. You do not need to do that, you only do that if you see signs of pasty butt(dried poop stuck to the vent)
You cannot judge whether a chick is male or female by their wings, you would need to vent sex which is dangerous and should only be done by someone who is very experienced with that.
Look for chicks that are active and running around. Look for chicks that are bright eyed and alert. That is a good sign.

 

[suezeaa32]

I have had Silver laced Wyandotts in the past. They are beautiful and black and white spots like a Rock Bard but larger spots and their coat shimmers in the light and looks very velvety on head and neck. My two got quite large by time they were laying.

 

[suezeaa32]

I have had Silver laced Wyandotts in the past. They are beautiful and black and white spots like a Rock Bard but larger spots and their coat shimmers in the light and looks very velvety on head and neck. My two got quite large by time they were laying.

 

[rosemarythyme]

1. You want active chicks with bright eyes, clean feathers. While it might be tempting to "rescue" chicks that seem lethargic, have obvious physical issues, are peeping in distress, etc., that's only going to lead to heartbreak, or a lot of extra work. Example: in my last batch I got a chick that had the wrong number of toes and spun around in circles... while she's still alive (2 yrs old) she's gone through a number of health scares and has recurring bumblefoot due to her deformed feet. She struggles to roost, falls over regularly, and barely lays.

1a. Not really?... Chicks can be as young as a day or two old at a feed store. Very hard to gauge anything other than their overall health.

1b. Plenty of notes above on treating for pasty butt. It's a good idea to inspect them daily for it until they're a couple of weeks old.

2. I pick my chicks out by look/behavior (this is still assuming you're looking at sexed birds, so you're trying to grab one of the 90% females in the batch). Male chicks tend to have thicker legs, tend to stand more upright and may be less likely to flee when the employees reach into the bin. This is of course NOT scientific, I'm simply trying to swing the odds a little more in my favor by passing on chicks that show more male traits.