Should I Order More Chicks?

[teddiliza]

YUP! Totally addicting! It was so hard to walk away from the Lakenvelders they had at Orschelns', but then I looked up that they could fly, and my neighbors wouldn't like that!

Get yourself a pair of barred rock! They lay almost every day even in winter! And most feed stores have them when it's chick time. They are very sweet. I also have a New Hampshire that lays huge eggs almost every day, and lets my toddler carry her around the yard she's so sweet. My Buff Orp was a slow starter, but now she lays eggs almost every day too.

Of course, I spoiled mine with handfed cheerios when they were chicks, so they adore me.

I bought my first Americauna pullet this year and I've heard they are good egg layers too.

I also bought some polish and bantams this year. I now have a polish rooster and 3 hens. I get maybe 8 to 10 polish eggs a week for those three hens, and the eggs are small! But polish are so sweet, quiet, and cute. The rooster does crow though starting at 4:30 every morning! 5:30 now that it's daylight savings. But he's quieter than the neighborhood dogs.

I'll have to post pics of the egg sizes to help you out.

 

[teddiliza]

Ok here's the egg size: Smallest to largest of my hens:

Polish, Buff Orpington, Barred Rock, and New Hampshire.
I put a nickel next to them for size comparison.


Barred Rock and New Hampshire are kind of tied for size.

But you can see, if a recipe calls for 2 eggs, I'd use 3 of the polish eggs.
Happy chicken ordering! Just be aware that your polish will probably get pecked on the heads by the other birds because of their crests, they can't see trouble coming their way. All my heavy breed layers peck at the polish rooster's head, which is still not healing yet.

 

[Kimiko]

I think you have wonderful self-control Kimiko....

At first I didn't want to order the minimum of 25 chicks from MM... too many chicks!
Then after spending time here at BYC I kept calling and increasing my order. It went from 25 to 37... and at one point was at 117 chicks! Luckily I came to my senses and trimmed my order ( cut back to 86). Now I am 'ONLY' taking care of 83 chicks (3 weeks old), 6 goslings (2 1/2 weeks old, and 7 ducks (2 1/2 weeks old)!

Thanks! I'm going to frame this and hang it over my brooders.....

I kept adding..2-3 at a time. Again...and again...and again.

I thought we were VERY discreet and reasonable about our enabling. Adding more chickens sounded like the sensible, responsible thing to do. I guess not

 

[Suburban chick farmer 09]

I say get more chicks. Better to have to many eggs than not enough, you won't have a problem giving away the extras.

 

[Judy]

You definitely need more good laying varieties, Orps, BR's, leghorns, whatever.... It is not that hard to use eggs if you get a few too many... lots of recipes available, give them away, feed to chickens or dogs, baked goods, freeze, on and on... but too few eggs is a pain.... awful to have to buy those things in the store when there are chickens pooping on my back porch....

 

[BarkerChickens]

4hooves&featheredfriends :

They are all a bunch of enablers here

As others have said ask a question like that and you will only get one answer - GET MORE CHICKENS, please please and make sure when they arrive you post lots of pics

Oh wait a minute YIPPEEE, I have officially become an enabler.

Oh wait one more minute - HI my name is Sara and I am a chickaholic.

GET MORE....More, More, Mwah-hah-hah.

I recommend more!! However, I can justify this response (in addition to my chicken addiction). We have two adults in this house and have 6 hens. Except for a couple months in the summer, we are barely at or below what we need in eggs. In the summer we may get 3 - 3.5 dozen eggs a week, but that was also their peak production (we have 3 Barred Rocks and 3 EEs). Last weekend we had a late breakfast because we had to wait for the chickens to lay in order to have eggs.

We decided we need more hens and are getting our order of 51 chicks in in two weeks! (Though, we ordered a straight run..roos will be dinner, hens will be split 50-50 with DH's best friend...so really we are only getting about a dozen hens).

ETA: 6 standard laying hens is a lot different than bantams or ornamental chickens. While you will get eggs, they will be smaller and/or less frequent. I recommend visiting http://www.ithaca.edu/staff/jhenderson/chooks/chooks.html to see the production of each breed you are getting so that you can make an informed decision.​

 

[selinagil]

Quote:
I agree! Very beautiful pets and 3 layers. I have Ameraucana's and Buff Orpingtons and they are both good layers--but I think my Ameraucana's rock at egg laying!!!!!! Everyone is right though, we are serious enablers!! It's a good thing this is chicks and not Snickers or I'd weigh 500 pounds. LOL

 

[luvmychicknkids]

Quote:
I agree! Very beautiful pets and 3 layers. I have Ameraucana's and Buff Orpingtons and they are both good layers--but I think my Ameraucana's rock at egg laying!!!!!! Everyone is right though, we are serious enablers!! It's a good thing this is chicks and not Snickers or I'd weigh 500 pounds. LOL

YES, but look at your avatar!!!! Little fluffy sweet chickies! You are trying to encourage the weight gain along with the chicks!!! LOL

 

[selinagil]

Oh my God--I'm double Enableing!!!! EEEk! But you gotta admit--peeps are pretty TASTY!!!!

 

[luvmychicknkids]

LOL you had no clue how bad you really are, did you!!!

But yes, they are soooo yummy in their own freaky little way!