What do you look for when you buy chicks?

[colster10000]

depending on your life style depends on the breed your body set you want
-if you want a lot of brown eggs go with a large breed brown egg layer
-if you want them just for looks go with bantams or orientals
-if you want them for meat go with cornish
- if you want white eggs go with leghorns
-if you want easter eggs go with eastereggers

 

[jeetthemeet]

Look for the most healthy ones and the cutest!

 

[Pearce Pastures]

We have tried many types of birds to get an idea of what we liked best for our family. My favorite is the Black Australorp. The are very docile, don't mind my kids handling them or collecting their eggs, are pretty hardy, and good layers. Plus, I love their pretty iridescent black-green feathers. I also like the Aracauna.

I know it depends on the bird and its handling, but I would not recommend Rhode Island Reds or Leghorns, if you have kids that are going to want to gather eggs and what not (they can be a little cranky

. They are great layers though.

Do you have any local farm stores? You could possibly order through them. Or use one of the reputable mail order hatcheries.

Here is a link to a comparison chart of a lot of different chicken breeds
http://www.ithaca.edu/staff/jhenderson/chooks/chooks.html

Definitely make sure you get chicks that are active and healthy. If you are getting them locally, I'd look over all of the chicks to make sure none of them are acting ill or sluggish, and if any are, I wouldn't be taking any home.

 

[Erica]

Quote:
Totally agree with this. If one looks seedy the chances are there might be something contagious the others aren't yet showing.

It's really important it is to look for clear bright eyes (and eyelids), and a clean beak/face. Definitely no gasping or panting. And the down needs to be clean and fluffed with no sticky patches (which may be from mucus).

If the whole batch of chicks looks clean and clear, chances are better that none are carriers of anything unholy.

best of luck!
Erica