Virginia

[ThatFarmerChick]

Flock swaps are an easy way to meet chicken peopleand buy/sell/trade whatever you have or want. As a side note I'd add be open and honest, don't expect gold prices and a good trade is always abetter ice breaker than a good sale if you're the newby in town

Thanks. I do not think that there are any near me. I am right outside of lower VA on the Eastern Shore of MD. No one does anything around here.

 

[ApiaryandAviary]

Where is the flock swap located and how does it work?

I price reasonably, not anything like I had to pay out through the nose. Some of these smaller private hatcheries are just over priced as far as I can see.

There are a few auction sites that sell live chicks and sometimes eggs.They go out of site on prices. Easy to get caught up and they ship these expensive chicks all over.

Some larger hatcheries are reasonably priced but I worry about the quality of chicks, production chicks. I paid way too much for eggs and chicks. I just can not see selling for those prices up here. Some people just dont have the money for a 2,000.(even more heart breaking is to cime home and find it dead) a Chick but they can feed and house it. Price to sell or even swap.
TSC parkinglots On Certain Saturdays.
Some TSC allow every Saturday morn bc they know it is good for business.
Some TSC can not have at all, property managers wont let them.
Check your local TSC and see where and requirements.
Ask other chicken people what they are asking for what to get a better idea.

My son and hubby got some white leghorns and several other chicks that have turned out to be heavy layers. Not sure how long they will Last and they are not much to look at. Not much meat on their bones either but they are layers not meat birds.

 

[ThatFarmerChick]

I price reasonably, not anything like I had to pay out through the nose. Some of these smaller private hatcheries are just over priced as far as I can see.

There are a few auction sites that sell live chicks and sometimes eggs.They go out of site on prices. Easy to get caught up and they ship these expensive chicks all over.

Some larger hatcheries are reasonably priced but I worry about the quality of chicks, production chicks. I paid way too much for eggs and chicks. I just can not see selling for those prices up here. Some people just dont have the money for a 2,000.(even more heart breaking is to cime home and find it dead) a Chick but they can feed and house it. Price to sell or even swap.
TSC parkinglots On Certain Saturdays.
Some TSC allow every Saturday morn bc they know it is good for business.
Some TSC can not have at all, property managers wont let them.
Check your local TSC and see where and requirements.
Ask other chicken people what they are asking for what to get a better idea.

My son and hubby got some white leghorns and several other chicks that have turned out to be heavy layers. Not sure how long they will Last and they are not much to look at. Not much meat on their bones either but they are layers not meat birds.

Thanks. Maybe I will see if I can get something started. We have like 3 TSC in less than 30 minutes from me.
For some reason I am not keen on all white, skinny birds. I did not find them attractive at all. For some reason I love the White Minorca. And actually want a few in my flock. If we had any leghorns they would be an Exchequer Leghorn, Red, Brown, or Rosecomb. I am just not fond of the plainess I guess. I think that the ugly Purdue chickens that I have seen all my life have messed me up. They never look happy or clean. It is always such an unpleasant sight. For some reason the more recent birds that I have seen have been the worst. I remember being a kid in the '80s and crates of chickens would fall off sometimes and they never looked as good as our backyarders, but they didn't look completely dreadful. At least curious. The recent ones look tired or hurt. They could be tired and sore because their breast are now so large that chicken handlers on the farms get paid extra to go pick up the chickens that fall over because their breast are too big. So sad. I have actually seen this job posted.

 

[Cknldy]

Reese- you have a great looking piece of property to get a homestead going! Looks like plenty of gardening space (and you wouldn't have to use all that gas to mow either!) and small dairy goats and a rotational hog lot throughout the woods and.....oh yeah, I'm not buying your property;-) Awesome beginnings by the way.

 

[Cknldy]

thatfarmerchick- I had the same reservations about 'plain white chickens' before I got a few WL myself. Poultry is whst you make of them- when you see the beauty of that pure white and a friendly bird that gives large eggs that seem like they just couldn't have come from such a streamlined bird you'll love it! What you make of them with your care is SO much different than what is made of them commercially.

 

[ThatFarmerChick]

thatfarmerchick- I had the same reservations about 'plain white chickens' before I got a few WL myself. Poultry is whst you make of them- when you see the beauty of that pure white and a friendly bird that gives large eggs that seem like they just couldn't have come from such a streamlined bird you'll love it! What you make of them with your care is SO much different than what is made of them commercially.

I figured if I ever had one I would love it the same way I love and care for my other birds. Plus I am not the only one purchasing chickens in this family. I my come home to one.

 

[ThatFarmerChick]

thatfarmerchick- I had the same reservations about 'plain white chickens' before I got a few WL myself. Poultry is whst you make of them- when you see the beauty of that pure white and a friendly bird that gives large eggs that seem like they just couldn't have come from such a streamlined bird you'll love it! What you make of them with your care is SO much different than what is made of them commercially.

Plus the Leghorn's body type is perfect for pushing out eggs.Small bodied birds are best for egg production and usually produce large eggs if they weigh more than 3 lbs.

 

[ApiaryandAviary]

My sons white leghorns are funny and smart AND they lay large white eggs early. Got to get him some brown leghorns this coming spring.

I think Sumatra Bantams are beautiful but they take a year before they start laying.

Love my beautiful fluffy English Orpingtons, sweet, friendly and docile.

Love the Phoenix Bantams, gorgeous! They lay eggs around 20-24 weeks and their eggs come in different shades of brown and white and different sizes. They dont have meat on their bones to be meat birds. They are ornamental layers. Not heavy layers like my Australorp and barred. But wow are they beautiful and friendly.

My Australorp and barred are laying machines and meat birds.

The English Orps are meat birds and layer birds of much beauty. Australorp are derived from Black Orps.

Those white leghorns of my son's may be scrawny white chicks but they drop eggs every day even When it us snowing. Some of my others must cross their leggs when it freezes.
The white leghorns are Just like my beautiful Australorp. Everyday eggs. They are friendly dual purpose birds. For me I will stick with the Australorp and Barred Rocks for eggs to mix into feed and feed back to all of my birds to supplement all of their food. Also so many eggs they end up On our table. My son Enjoys his Leghorns and they also supplement the feed for his breeds.

 

[finnfur]

Its all in personal preference - I like White chickens in green grass

especially when they are dual purpose and process like this

 

[ApiaryandAviary]

Ohhh,
Thats what Bresse are for in my opinion.
You have been busy.
What is the best age and Breed in your opinion?
One of my friends said the 7-8 month old roos are a bit chewy.