To hatch, or to buy layers???

[professor_yellow]

You did not say how many you are looking to get, but I would say go with the chicks for your little ones to watch grow. Worth a lot for them to appreciate living creatures.

If you only want a couple, get them from your local feed store. a handful of standard breed pullets will make great pets and supply you in eggs for a couple of years at least.

I have done day olds and 1.5 to 2 year olds.

main thing at this stage, is keep it simple and have fun.

 

[theOEGBman]

If you can get them from a local feedstore, that would be best. It would save you the shipping cost, and you can pick each individual bird. Its more fun when the kids get to pick out their own bird!

But if you dont have any near you, I'd definitely go with Meyer Hatchery. I ordered from them last year and they were great. The Customer Service was terrific and the chicks grew into big, healthy birds. Good Luck!

 

[tororider]

Sounds like day old chicks are the way to go. Maybe hatch some out another time, when I can have more. The tractor supply not too far from us will be selling day old chicks in a couple weeks so I will look there. I am thinking, if they have them, a buff orpington, a laced wyandotte, a production red, an americauna, or a mottled java. Some combination of 3 or 4 of them. I am allowed to have 3, but was thinking nobody would say anything about 4 and in case anything happened to one of them I would have my three.

Has anyone bought from Tractor Supply Company or someplace like that? What variety of breeds do they have? Have you had good luck with them?

Thanks for all the help.

 

[SeaChick]

You are on the right track buying 4 if you are supposed to have 3. There is always the chance that one will be a rooster (hatcheries generally say 90-95% certainty on sexing). It is a little frustrating living somewhere where youc an only have a few chickens, for that reason. My thought is that even if you really only want 3, it'll be easy to give away one almost-ready-to-lay pullet later.

Tractor Supply and other feed stores, around here, have the more popular breeds but not the super rare ones. Of your list, our local stores carry
buff orps
wyandottes
production reds
ameraucana (not really ameraucana, thy will be "easter egger" mutts)

But at ours you have to pre-order. Just call TS and ask what they will have, then you can research the rbeeds before you go! You will have so much fun with your kids raising the chicks!! Good luck!

Stacey

 

[tororider]

OK, I just talked to Tractor Supply and they are getting their order from Mt. Healthy. They can also make special orders from there. Their pullet price is $2.23, the lady wasn't sure of the special order price, but I figure even if its twice that, it is probably worth it to get the chicks I want.

So of their chicks, this is what I am thinking; Araucana, buff orpington, hubbard golden comet(similar to production red, right?), silver laced wyandotte, or maybe sub in a partridge rock for one of those. So my question is, which breeds would be best suited for the cold Michigan weather? I will make the coop tight, and I think any of those should be fine, just wanted to make sure.

Thanks