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[JustDadWithChickens]

I agree with Kiki. Most commercial hatcheries now will let you order fewer chicks but may charge a little more for a smaller order. I haven't ordered any chicks from a hatchery in many years. I am a breeder and hatch out a few hundred chicks every year. Most hatcheries have a 90% accuracy guarantee so there is always a chance. Many years ago like Kiki, only once did I get a male. I have ordered chicks from Ideal and had a good experience with them. A lot of the times if the hatcheries send extra chicks with your order they will stick in some male chicks. Again, good luck...

Talked to Ideal Poultry and they said they will not do that unfortunately. So guess I will see if I can find another commercial hatchery that will.

I hate to ask.. what does one do with the males if you can't have roosters?

 

[cmom]

That is a nice coop for a few birds. I would put an apron around it to discourage any diggers.
http://www.poultrydvm.com/featured-infographic/tips-for-protecting-poultry-from-predators

 

[cmom]

My pet chicken

 

[DobieLover]

Already started looking at DIY builds, since it looks way cheaper and better suited!

The chicks sexed? I cant have a rooster here.

Just googled, pullets are sexed, st runs are not!

You can remove all or part of the siding on the shed you want to make into a coop. It would be very easy to convert a shed into an open air design.

 

[cmom]

Talked to Ideal Poultry and they said they will not do that unfortunately. So guess I will see if I can find another commercial hatchery that will.

I hate to ask.. what does one do with the males if you can't have roosters?

I show my birds at poultry shows so around half of my hatches will be males. I do grow them all out and keep the best as my future breeders. When they are old enough where I can tell by how they are developing, I sell them. I do have regular buyers so no problems. It helps to offset the price of the feed and I go through a lot of feed.

 

[cmom]

Years ago we did process the extra males when they were of decent size but we also have a butcher down the road and I can buy an already processed bird pretty cheap.

 

[JustDadWithChickens]

Its very difficult to find a commercial breeder who has available chicks

 

[JustDadWithChickens]

Meyer Hatchery has really good reviews, they have Lavender Orpington which have really good reviews, would 8 of these in the heat be ok? Their coop will be open air, and shaded.

 

[Kiki]

Talked to Ideal Poultry and they said they will not do that unfortunately. So guess I will see if I can find another commercial hatchery that will.

I hate to ask.. what does one do with the males if you can't have roosters?

Grow them out to just before they start crowing and BBq them... I'll give them away to someone else that will barbecue them.

 

[JustDadWithChickens]

Grow them out to just before they start crowing and BBq them... I'll give them away to someone else that will barbecue them.

Mmmmm.. chicken!