Texas

[Brookshire11]

Ok so...IF I can't find a breeder, I might order from Ideal.
You need a minimum order of $25 and I don't need enough birds to fill that.
Would it be weird to throw a Cornish rock in and see if I can handle processing?
I think since that breed pretty much HAS to be processed by 6-8 weeks, it might be easier to start with?
Does that sound crazy?

 

[tiedyemommy]

Ok so...IF I can't find a breeder, I might order from Ideal.
You need a minimum order of $25 and I don't need enough birds to fill that.
Would it be weird to throw a Cornish rock in and see if I can handle processing?
I think since that breed pretty much HAS to be processed by 6-8 weeks, it might be easier to start with?
Does that sound crazy?

Doesn't sound crazy to me. You've got to start somewhere, and perhaps a bird you don't know will be easier to learn with than a bird you do know.

 

[SlipsWife]

Ok so...IF I can't find a breeder, I might order from Ideal.
You need a minimum order of $25 and I don't need enough birds to fill that.
Would it be weird to throw a Cornish rock in and see if I can handle processing?
I think since that breed pretty much HAS to be processed by 6-8 weeks, it might be easier to start with?
Does that sound crazy?

Not crazy at all! Keep in mind you will probably get a few packing peanut cockerels too if you are doing the minimum. I've gotten black sex links, EE and cochins. So you might want to buy a few Cornish so you don't have to process cockerels too. Or you could order 20ish pullets and sell the extras, in a group deal.

I ordered 10 mixed pullets and received 8 feather legged (99% sure cochin) cockerels for packing peanuts out of the last group.

 

[tiedyemommy]

Not crazy at all! Keep in mind you will probably get a few packing peanut cockerels too if you are doing the minimum. I've gotten black sex links, EE and cochins. So you might want to buy a few Cornish so you don't have to process cockerels too. Or you could order 20ish pullets and sell the extras, in a group deal.

I ordered 10 mixed pullets and received 8 feather legged (99% sure cochin) cockerels for packing peanuts out of the last group.

"Packing Peanut Cockerels"? So they'll cushion the shipment with the least desired birds? Good to know. I've never ordered from Ideal (or any other hatchery) and wasn't sure how it works. Not looking to do so anytime soon, but it's good to know for future reference. Thanks!

 

[SlipsWife]

"Packing Peanut Cockerels"? So they'll cushion the shipment with the least desired birds? Good to know. I've never ordered from Ideal (or any other hatchery) and wasn't sure how it works. Not looking to do so anytime soon, but it's good to know for future reference. Thanks!

You can request not to have them included but then you need a minimum number of chicks. With the warmer weather you might be able to request them to not be included but I'm not sure they will guarantee your order if you do. We are a 2 day shipment from Ideal so I always have them include the packing peanuts. A one day shipment on a warm day might not have to.

ETA:
The cockerels are really easy to pick out, they don't send you anything that looks like your order and usually mark your invoice with a vague description. None of the 10 assorted pullets were feather legged out of our last order so they sent feather legged cockerels and marked the invoice. Another time we ordered Turkens and that's when they sent the EE cockerels and then with the bantams we got black sex links (could have been barred rocks).

 

[tiedyemommy]

You can request not to have them included but then you need a minimum number of chicks. With the warmer weather you might be able to request them to not be included but I'm not sure they will guarantee your order if you do. We are a 2 day shipment from Ideal so I always have them include the packing peanuts. A one day shipment on a warm day might not have to.

Learn something new every day. Thanks for the info...I think I probably would have freaked a bit if I'd placed and order and got a few extra birds.

 

[tiedyemommy]

Question: Coop/Run Flooring/Bedding

I haven't had any issues with our coop/run flooring/bedding, but I was wondering what everyone else uses. We currently have pine shavings on the coop floor. The Ladies don't have a roost, never have, but I am trying to figure out how to instal one...as well as instal a couple of nesting boxes, now that they're coming of age. For our run, and the rest of their yard, it's just ground. There used to be grass, but now it's mostly dirt in the run, and dirt/compost mix in their yard. I rake the compose back up into a pile again once a week, and rake most of the yard to get the chicken poop in the compost pile too. Like I said, I haven't had any trouble with this combo (natural run/yard & pine shavings coop), but I just want to know what everyone else uses.

Their yard is 400sq/ft, and they get daily free range of the rest of our back yard (with all the grass & bugs they could ever need) at least once a day.

 

[Starfire669]

The Ladies did already have little combs and adult feathers by the time I got them.  And with a third chicken, Goldie (Easter Egger), squatting for me last night, I think your guess is much closer than mine.  They have all been fattening up, too. 

I'd guess between 20 and 24 weeks. But again I could be wrong. All my chickens are dual purpose breeds, so they will get very fat and lay lots of eggs. I haven't had EEs or leghorns. But either way, your starting to get eggs! I can't wait till I start getting eggs from my ladies. Another few weeks to a month should see my first eggs appear. With 24 ladies that's a lot of eggs a day, good thing I am giving eggs to my parents and daughter (she's going off to college but will visit every weekend so I will send her eggs as often as she wants.) I still might have to sell eggs this year, next year I am hopping for broodies so shouldn't have as many extra eggs. Since I am not sure if my geese and ducks will brood yet, planned for extra BA and BO as brooders for them as well. I just hope my information on those breeds brooding is correct or I am in deep trouble! My neighbor offered me some game hen pullets as broodies, but really want to avoid adding them if I can. But his chickens brood like 3 clutches a year, it's insane!

Anyway, good luck with your ladies.

 

[Starfire669]

Question:  Coop/Run Flooring/Bedding 

I haven't had any issues with our coop/run flooring/bedding, but I was wondering what everyone else uses.  We currently have pine shavings on the coop floor.  The Ladies don't have a roost, never have, but I am trying to figure out how to instal one...as well as instal a couple of nesting boxes, now that they're coming of age.  For our run, and the rest of their yard, it's just ground.  There used to be grass, but now it's mostly dirt in the run, and dirt/compost mix in their yard.  I rake the compose back up into a pile again once a week, and rake most of the yard to get the chicken poop in the compost pile too.  Like I said, I haven't had any trouble with this combo (natural run/yard & pine shavings coop), but I just want to know what everyone else uses.

Their yard is 400sq/ft, and they get daily free range of the rest of our back yard (with all the grass & bugs they could ever need) at least once a day.

I have a coop, but no run. The storage building we are converting into a coop is behind the 2 car shop, up in the back corner fences, and next to a small effiency apartment. Really tight back there, so mine free range the whole yard everyday. In the coop I use pine shavings and leaves from my trees (raked the leaves and bagged them for this). It works well, though I am out of leaves now, lol. I use the same in my goose coop, it isn't as good there because of how messy geese and ducks are, but I rake and fluff it every day and add a bit of fresh pine shavings, DE, and sweet PDZ as needed. The biggest problem with the goose coop is lack of flooring. We should have enough pallets to floor it this weekend. But with fathers day and my kids having a pool party we will most likely begin flooring on Monday or something. This should help keep the bedding dry, when ever it rains it gets soaked from flooding and sideways rain. After we floor we are going to try and install some roll up tarps to stop so much rain getting in. Will see how it all works out.

 

[tiedyemommy]

I'd guess between 20 and 24 weeks. But again I could be wrong. All my chickens are dual purpose breeds, so they will get very fat and lay lots of eggs. I haven't had EEs or leghorns. But either way, your starting to get eggs! I can't wait till I start getting eggs from my ladies. Another few weeks to a month should see my first eggs appear. With 24 ladies that's a lot of eggs a day, good thing I am giving eggs to my parents and daughter (she's going off to college but will visit every weekend so I will send her eggs as often as she wants.) I still might have to sell eggs this year, next year I am hopping for broodies so shouldn't have as many extra eggs. Since I am not sure if my geese and ducks will brood yet, planned for extra BA and BO as brooders for them as well. I just hope my information on those breeds brooding is correct or I am in deep trouble! My neighbor offered me some game hen pullets as broodies, but really want to avoid adding them if I can. But his chickens brood like 3 clutches a year, it's insane!

Anyway, good luck with your ladies.

Thanks. Good luck with your menagerie as well. With that many birds you'll be up to your armpits in eggs in no time.