Mine aren't coming until May 21, so you will be ahead of me. What did you decide on?
So far I only have 6 Dominiques ordered for sure from the breeder. Waiting to hear from another local source before considering adding the Bantams.
Do you brood your chicks in a barn pen or indoors? I have the brooding pen in the barn, but I usually like to have them inside a few days to keep my eye on them more closely and be sure they are all doing okay finding the heat source and water. (I use a heat plate rather than light.) But...I really don't like putting them in their new digs twice!
Last time I brooded I had sfh that were about 3.5 weeks old already in the brooding pen so I put the Buckeyes right in the day they arrived. I think they were already at least 3 days old. I had to divide the brooding pen as the sfh were pretty large and they had some that were older than 3.5 weeks. I was out there several times/day already so I was able to observe the new kids - especially since I got them on a Friday and had them for the weekend before I had to go back to work. But this batch will be coming on a Tuesday or Wednesday so I don't have the couple days to be available all day.
ETA - the brooding pen is 6'x6' so plenty of room even when divided in 2 for chicks!
Odd shot of the brooding pen.