TSC "red pullets"?

[ChickyLaura]

I think you'll be happy with your 'reds'. I have a bunch of different breeds, but my TSC reds are probably my friendliest and best egg layers (so far, anyway)! I love 'em!

 

[RichardR]

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I would be careful when getting chicks from a feed store, not for health reasons but if you are after a specific breed. I wanted two EE but ended up with an extra Prod. Red and only 1 EE, even though they were both in the same bin. This particular Red did not look like the others that I also picked that same day, but now at 2 weeks old she looks just like the other two just a couple of days younger.

That is because people let their kids pick up the birds and they put them down wherever they want. I have to get ducks out of the chicks all day.

Best thing... for health and being sure of the breed... call the store in the morning and see what they just got in... try to get there when the store opens.. before any rugrats get in and use the store as a petting zoo.

Well for me there really isn't any overwhelming desire to raise one over another (with regards to RIR, NH, RSL or PR) my grandfather used to keep RIR's & PBR's and they worked out well for him for a lot of years (as well as have some fond childhood memories attached w/them on my end) so those along with EE's were the top three breeds that I wanted to buy, but for all practical purposes I am fine w/what ever specific breed the ones I selected turns out to be, so long as they are hardy enough to do well in Indiana winters.

Anyway yea I went really early to TSC, immediately after they opened I was looking at little fuzzy butts that just came out of the shipping box, they (the TSC employees) hadn't even fully finished setting up the chick tubs yet, that's probably why there weren't any signs on the tubs or anything, I figured I would be able to get the pick of the litter that way & so far so good, all of my chicks are doing extremely well & a couple of them are even starting to rush over & climb into my hand voluntarily now instead of scattering to the 4 corners of the brooder in fear when I put my hand down in there like they did when I first brought them home.

 

[RichardR]

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Yea I am sort of surprised how quickly mine are getting used to being handled, a couple of them even seem to be eager to be held, I am not sure if that is because they are "imprinting" on me or what, but I am enjoying it none the less.

 

[minihorse927]

If you go to TSC next time that early and they still have the shipping boxes sitting there. Ask to see the lids, they hatcheries write the breeds that are in the box on the lid. Other than the batams, they hatchery typically leaves us with just
"bantams"
Real helpful.

 

[eastercreek]

I got 2 of each of these today at Tractor Supply In Louisiana. They were both in bins labled red pullets. The other bin had a sign that said featured breed but none of the employees knew what it was and could not tell us whether or not they ordered a straight run or not so I wasnt going to guess(even though they looked interesting).
So...any guesses on what type of "red pullets" we got and are the yellow ones even red anything?

 

[tnchickenut]

Quote:
Now, before I scare you... each region is different... but down south the "featured" breed was/is Speckled Sussex... the only white we have got in the area are broilers. (!) So I'd watch... if they grow fast... and you are not comfy eatting them... find them a home before 6 weeks are up!! lol

Like I said, each area is different a tad, though.

BTW speckled sussex are "chipmunked" so if that was the case... even more likely you have broilers

 

[minihorse927]

Like what was said in the last post, it depends on where you live at and what hatchery they came from. The reds look like red sex links. The white, if they came from mt healthy hatchery and are pullets are probably tetra tints. They grow up white, 5lbs, lay cream colored eggs, eat very little feed. I know our featured breed was black australorps that lasted all of 2 days before they were gone.
All featured breeds chicks from TSC will be straight run.

 

[tnchickenut]

Quote:
So will the broilers and the ducks and bantams.... it's not the store that picks the breeds, either. It's the region which has district managers... so a region will have very simular birds... for example the other stores near mine have the same breeds. But say, California would have different. And our birds came from Privett last year... probrably this year... and Privett is NO WHERE near us... so don't think the hatchery is probrably the closest one to you. I think they don't go by that but rather the best deal.

 

[minihorse927]

^ Agreed, best thing to do is to call whatever TSC they came from and ask where thier chicks come from. I know ours come from Mt. Healthy which just happens to be the one closest to us.

Weird, I never thought about how far away from the hatchery some stores are, I would think in TN they would come from Mt. Healthy since I work at one of the Kentucky stores and they serve us. Hmmmmm....

 

[RedSonia]

Richard, where do you get your chickens? Right now I am looking at Barred Rocks, Buff Orpington, or Rhode Island Red.