Hey LA folks. Just wanted to post a "review" of Blacksmith's Corner on Lakewood Blvd in Bellflower.
I went by on Sunday and got a very pretty black sex-link pullet there. Their facility is pretty nice--much cleaner than some of the other places I've seen chicks in LA--and they had a good variety of breeds. They have two pens outside. One was FULL of laying hens, and one had a mix of ducks and 3 month (or so) old pullets. Inside, they had a good number of young chicks (maybe 1 day to 1 week) in lots of different breeds. The also have quail, geese, ducks and other poultry.
The place was well lit, not smelly and pretty spacious. The staff was nice, but--at least on that day--not really experts on chickens.
So far, my new pullet seems decently healthy. (or not! see update below...) She may have a snuffy nose, but it's tough to tell. I am keeping her separate to monitor her health and keep her from infecting my other hens, if she is sick. Blacksmith's Corner has a 48-hour return policy. (I'll let you know how she does/if she has any illnesses.)
The prices are a bit higher than other spots I've been too, but not too bad. My 3 month old sex link was $9.95. I think the baby chicks were $2.50/each.
Distance-wise, it's only about a half-hour from Downtown LA on the weekend (110 S to 91E). So, not too far if you're looking for a bit more variety than I've seen at Verdugo Pet and John's Feed.
UPDATE: My new pullet now seems like she's sick. She had worms in her poop this morning, and she's also got some thick nasal discharge. It's so frustrating! I called Blacksmith's on Monday and they said they had not vaccinated the chickens for anything. My main concern is that my new girl has infectious coryza. This was be tough for me, because we'd have to cull her. Argh! Worms I can deal with, but having to cull a brand-new chicken is going to be very tough for me. I'm already pretty upset about it.
Honestly, this experience and my previous one with RIR chicks from John's Feed makes me think mail-order chicks are better. My Pet Chicken lets you order only 3, so...
I went by on Sunday and got a very pretty black sex-link pullet there. Their facility is pretty nice--much cleaner than some of the other places I've seen chicks in LA--and they had a good variety of breeds. They have two pens outside. One was FULL of laying hens, and one had a mix of ducks and 3 month (or so) old pullets. Inside, they had a good number of young chicks (maybe 1 day to 1 week) in lots of different breeds. The also have quail, geese, ducks and other poultry.
The place was well lit, not smelly and pretty spacious. The staff was nice, but--at least on that day--not really experts on chickens.
So far, my new pullet seems decently healthy. (or not! see update below...) She may have a snuffy nose, but it's tough to tell. I am keeping her separate to monitor her health and keep her from infecting my other hens, if she is sick. Blacksmith's Corner has a 48-hour return policy. (I'll let you know how she does/if she has any illnesses.)
The prices are a bit higher than other spots I've been too, but not too bad. My 3 month old sex link was $9.95. I think the baby chicks were $2.50/each.
Distance-wise, it's only about a half-hour from Downtown LA on the weekend (110 S to 91E). So, not too far if you're looking for a bit more variety than I've seen at Verdugo Pet and John's Feed.
UPDATE: My new pullet now seems like she's sick. She had worms in her poop this morning, and she's also got some thick nasal discharge. It's so frustrating! I called Blacksmith's on Monday and they said they had not vaccinated the chickens for anything. My main concern is that my new girl has infectious coryza. This was be tough for me, because we'd have to cull her. Argh! Worms I can deal with, but having to cull a brand-new chicken is going to be very tough for me. I'm already pretty upset about it.
Honestly, this experience and my previous one with RIR chicks from John's Feed makes me think mail-order chicks are better. My Pet Chicken lets you order only 3, so...
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