Where do you all get your chickens?

[MillersFarm]

I was just about to buy day old chicks from mypetchicken but then thought, what am I going to do with chicks in my house for months and then maybe not even get eggs out of them until February (I'm in New England). Ugh. So now I'm looking locally for juvenile birds from farms about an hour or so away from me. Is this a good idea? They seem to be small farms owned by people who also make coops and sell other birds but what if the birds have diseases? I would have to purchase online first and then pick them up when ready this fall. I'd really like to just go to these places, scope them out, and then decide. I really don't want to have birds shipped to me - juveniles cost $200 to mail!

I bought all of my chickens from mypetchickens, I chuckled at the part where you said that the chicks would stay in your house for months! Chicks can live outside your house just so long as they have a heat lamp. And also if you do plan on keeping them inside they only need to be inside for just about four weeks

 

[jvls1942]

you might be buying healthy chickens and bringing them home, and suddenly they get sick and die.
that does not mean that you brought sick and diseased chickens home.
It could be that your coop/flock is carrying a disease that the new chickens are not immune to..
my advice would be to stay away from livestock dealers who have a constant turnover of animals and chickens.
as long as you are just starting out without any chickens already,
clean the coop with bleach.
also spray a mixture of bleach on the ground where the new chickens will be walking.. the bleach dissipates in a day.
sooner or later you will just have to take a chance..
also beware of craigslist where there is a constant ad for layers. too often these are chickens culled from egg factories who are not laying up to standard anymore. they might lay for one more season for you and then they are through. unless you love chicken soup, this is not a bargain..

 

[peepers93]

So far all my chicks have come from TSC. Like others have said, check all the stores in your area. Lots of stores are doing Fall Chick Days right now. I just bought some chicks a couple weeks ago. I also just purchased an incubator and will be ordering fertile eggs from ebay to hatch my own.

It can be frustrating waiting for those little chicks to grow up and start laying eggs, but it's worth it to me! It's exciting seeing those chickens you raised from babies grow up and start being productive.

 

[Birdsong 82]

6 weeks of chicks in my house was about all I could handle. After putting them outside after that it was easier to clean up after them and my house is much quieter. The cango outside once they are fully covered. And I think they prefer it that way. They get big really fast

 

[Akrnaf2]

Try to build an incubator and hatch your own chicks.
You can buy good hatching eggs, all the process is a tremendous fun!
See this thread you will find alot of good tips and advices with some good people!
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...ooks-and-more.1137467/page-6721#post-18877403

 

[apryl29]

I bought all of my chickens from mypetchickens, I chuckled at the part where you said that the chicks would stay in your house for months! Chicks can live outside your house just so long as they have a heat lamp. And also if you do plan on keeping them inside they only need to be inside for just about four weeks

We had ours inside for months... but we bought our chicks in March (stupid, stupid) & we were building our own coop & didn't get it done until the end of April. I don't recommend it.. I cleaned their area every day and they were still a smelly mess, even worse towards the end. Have your coop ready before you order, keep them in a brooder & don't give them outside access, they'll do fine outside in a coop, just check on them several times a day.. they are experts in spilling water and getting shavings in it. I got a little thermometer to make sure they were at the right temp. Depending on your temps you may only need a heat lamp on at night.

 

[JDisme]

I agree. My local TSC is selling Delawares and ISA's

 

[deepbluesea]

I got my first girls, coop, run and all from a family on craigslist who had to relocate. They were about three months old and had been raised as pets, so they're awesome. That was three years ago.

I also got my second batch of (one month old) pullets from craigslist, but it was a new-ish farm trying to get exposure and I checked out their website first. They were happy to have me visit as long as I stayed a ways away and pointed out what I wanted. It was a nice clean set-up with chicken tractors. That said, because they're raising them to sell and breed, they aren't as friendly as my older girls. They're starting to run to me when I come out, but no eating out of my hand or hanging out with me yet. It's only been three weeks though, so I'm hopeful.

Good luck! You'll have great fun with them.

 

[lazy gardener]

To OP: Welcome to BYC.

Have you checked your state's thread? Many folks have POL pullets or are thinning their flocks of hens to get ready for winter. If you go that route, be sure to get all of your birds from the same source at the same time.

If local feed store is getting any more chicks in, that would be a viable option. If you go that route, have your coop set up and ready to go, with electricity. You can then brood your chicks in the coop. Much safer for you and less traumatic for them. I recommend a heating pad brooder: more natural, safer, and will work in all outdoor temps.

I would not order chicks in from any hatchery => feed store. (that you would then pick up at a feed store) My experience with this option has been dismal. I arrived at feed store to pick up my special order chicks (which were part of a larger shipment) to find that the chicks were in a total panic b/c the employees had no idea how to meet their heat needs. One of my chicks was comatose b/c it did not have enough heat. And I was told that there was absolutely no guarantee. If a chick died in the parking lot, there was no replacement or money back offered. If you order from a hatchery, eliminate the feed store middle man. Hatcheries offer 48 hour live guarantee, as well as limited gender guarantee.

Or you can do as Arknaf2 suggests: build a bator, and hatch local eggs. You can build a bator for around $20. Just be sure you have an exit plan for all of your cockerels.

No matter what you do, have your coop ready first. Recommended space for back yard flock is 4 s.f. in coop, 10 s.f. in run per bird.

 

[ehoneybee]

The place I'm considering makes you buy first online then pick them up. That seems weird.

I'll check the locals here better.