- Mar 26, 2011
- 297
- 3
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So I have been researching chicken breeds for over a month. I was pretty sure I knew what I wanted. I wanted some EE, Cochins and Silkies. Then I had a few others in mind for variety.
so our local feed store, Bucheits, had the EE's (but called them Americauna's...but pretty sure they are EE's!), Cochins, Plymoth Rock, Sex Links, ect... so I was happy they had a few of the breeds I wanted, so i wouldnt have to order online. they get thier chicks fro Cackle (that is about 2hrs from us). The guy didnt know when or if they would be getting Silkies b/c Cackle hadnt been filling thier orders correctly this year. But that was ok, I had found a guy on Craigslist that had silkies he was selling. I had talked to him already. He was about an hour drive away, and was a small scale breeder. I called the breeder to let him know that we would be coming by, it was an hour drive and we would leave in a couple of hours (after kiddos nap) and we wanted THREE silkies.
So we start driving out there. It had been snowing, but not bad. We get like 10min out and it starts coming down like a blizzard!!! We didnt want to turn back since the breeder was expecting us, and the kiddos were expecting to get chickens. The weather gets worse and worse, so it takes us a little over an hour to get there. We cant read the house numbers b/c all the snow. So we pull over to call the guy again (we were close) and he proceeds to tell me "Oh, a lady just left and she bought up all my chicks."
WHAT?!? So I ask "Did you save three for me like we discusses?" And he says no, and says he doesnt know when he will have more chickens. My oldest daughter hears me talking, and start crying...b/c she wanted some chicks. I know I sounded upset...b/c my kid is crying, ya know, and I just drove an hour in a blizzard for chicks! So when i start to ask him if he knows anyone else in the area that would have them....HE HANGS UP ON ME!!!!!!!!!!!
So here I am, in Rural Illinois, in a flippin snow storm (oh, did I mention it was THUNDER snow!!!???!!!), kids are crying, and we have no chicks...just an empty box filled with bedding.
We go to the local gas station so the kids could get out and pick out candy (yes, I am a sucker). We ask the person working there where we can go for chicks...b/c at this point we HAVE to get chicks....Silkies or not b/c of the kids. We get told to head over the Rural King the next town over.
So we head that way. They had a TON of chickens. I am talking giant metal troughs packed with chickens (it was a little sad actually). But they had a bin of Bantams, and they had silkies.
And they were much cheaper than what we were going to pay...so that made my hubby happy! So we left with 5 more chicks that were "supposed" to be silkies. Get home, 3 are silkies, and 2 are mystery Bantams w/ furry feet (most guesses are going to Bantam Cochins, but there is a d'Uccle guess). So the chicks are adorable, and we love them. We named one of the white silkies "Snow" in honor of the adventure. And one of the mystery chicks is now my hubby's favorite....
So all in all it worked out. But holy cow, we were FRIED by the end.
Oh, and my dad works out by the Rural King...so he offered to go and get me some more silkies if we want them.
so our local feed store, Bucheits, had the EE's (but called them Americauna's...but pretty sure they are EE's!), Cochins, Plymoth Rock, Sex Links, ect... so I was happy they had a few of the breeds I wanted, so i wouldnt have to order online. they get thier chicks fro Cackle (that is about 2hrs from us). The guy didnt know when or if they would be getting Silkies b/c Cackle hadnt been filling thier orders correctly this year. But that was ok, I had found a guy on Craigslist that had silkies he was selling. I had talked to him already. He was about an hour drive away, and was a small scale breeder. I called the breeder to let him know that we would be coming by, it was an hour drive and we would leave in a couple of hours (after kiddos nap) and we wanted THREE silkies.
So we start driving out there. It had been snowing, but not bad. We get like 10min out and it starts coming down like a blizzard!!! We didnt want to turn back since the breeder was expecting us, and the kiddos were expecting to get chickens. The weather gets worse and worse, so it takes us a little over an hour to get there. We cant read the house numbers b/c all the snow. So we pull over to call the guy again (we were close) and he proceeds to tell me "Oh, a lady just left and she bought up all my chicks."
WHAT?!? So I ask "Did you save three for me like we discusses?" And he says no, and says he doesnt know when he will have more chickens. My oldest daughter hears me talking, and start crying...b/c she wanted some chicks. I know I sounded upset...b/c my kid is crying, ya know, and I just drove an hour in a blizzard for chicks! So when i start to ask him if he knows anyone else in the area that would have them....HE HANGS UP ON ME!!!!!!!!!!!
So here I am, in Rural Illinois, in a flippin snow storm (oh, did I mention it was THUNDER snow!!!???!!!), kids are crying, and we have no chicks...just an empty box filled with bedding.
We go to the local gas station so the kids could get out and pick out candy (yes, I am a sucker). We ask the person working there where we can go for chicks...b/c at this point we HAVE to get chicks....Silkies or not b/c of the kids. We get told to head over the Rural King the next town over.
So we head that way. They had a TON of chickens. I am talking giant metal troughs packed with chickens (it was a little sad actually). But they had a bin of Bantams, and they had silkies.
So all in all it worked out. But holy cow, we were FRIED by the end.
Oh, and my dad works out by the Rural King...so he offered to go and get me some more silkies if we want them.
