We just bought a gorgeous chicken tractor which is supposed to be delivered on June 7th, and we are currently shopping for chicks. The plan is to have all hens, (due to our location we can't have any roos) so sexed chicks are preferred but we are willing to buy straight run and just buy a few extra to be sure. These are for egg production and organic pest control/fertilizer, not for meat. We're looking for White Leghorns, Light Brown Leghorns, Dominique, Easter Eggers, Buff Brahma Bantams, and Cochin Bantams. If anyone in the Austin area has these, or if anyone in the area would like to split an order from MyPetChicken.com (they charge extra for orders under 14 chicks), let me know! Thanks!
I'm in Austin, too. If you have not found chicks yet, Callahan's feed store (on 183 north of the airport) gets chicks in every week (I can't remember if its Wednesday or Thursday when they come in). They are $2 each. They come from Ideal. That's where I got my chicks and they are all girls.
Go to Craigslist-- http://austin.craigslist.org/grd/ Under the Farm and Garden list you will find point of lay pullets and hens for sale. Watch it daily or even hourly and you can get some good birds for fair money. We sold our Marans and ISA Browns on there lately and I have been noticing some other birds on there. It is the time of year when everybody is thinking outside so the prices can be a little high, but just hang in there. Bob
also, right outside of austin in elgin is xtreme gamebirds. they're a small hatchery, website is xtremegamebirds dot com. i know several people that have gone over there and picked up birds so they didn't have to have them shipped. i've ordered from them and their birds are very nice. like i said, they're a small, mom and pop operation so give them a day to return your phone calls after you call them but you won't be disappointed.
Thanks for the replies! I had my DH pick up some chicks from Callahans today (2 gold wyandottes and 2 ameraucana pullets), and I placed an order through MyPetChicken dot com. Just went ahead and ordered extra in case they were wrong about the sexing. The goal is for my flock to be: 1 Australorps, 1 White Leghorn, 1 Lt Brown Leghorn, 1 buff-laced Polish, 2 sebright bantams (1 silver, 1 gold), 1 ameraucana, 1 wyandotte, and 2 or 3 cochin bantams. Plenty of eggs, and plenty of variety!