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Barnyard Buddies:  When is the latest you can get chicks to raise?  |
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farmeratlast
Farmgirl in Training
35 Posts
Jana
OR
USA
35 Posts |
 Posted - Apr 15 2009 : 07:16:36 AM
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We can't get to our place until the end of May and I so want to have chickens around. If I ordered chicks to be delivered early June will it be too late? All the feed stores here quit chicks at the end of April.
Jana |
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Bellepepper
True Blue Farmgirl
1207 Posts
Belle
Coffeyville
KS
USA
1207 Posts |
Posted - Apr 15 2009 : 07:46:28 AM
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| Jana, I ordered my chicks from Murry McMurry. I wanted them delivered the first week in May but can't get them until June 15. Yes, the feed and farm stores will have stopped selling them by then. You should get your order in soon, I am thinking the other mail order places might be running late too. The guy I talked to at Murry said this is the busiest they have ever been. Lots of folks are doing the chicken thing this year. I hope my hens (last springs babies) are still laying this fall. My new babies won't start laying until Dec. |
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Ms.Lilly
True Blue Farmgirl
826 Posts
Lillian
Scotts Mills
OR
USA
826 Posts |
Posted - Apr 15 2009 : 07:47:17 AM
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Hi Jana- It's me again. Our first set of chickens arrived in the last week of August and did just fine, they were laying eggs by mid-January. Last year we decided to let one of the broody hens sit on a few eggs and hatch them, this was in August again and they did just fine. Alot of the hatcheries are sold out for June deliveries this year and our local feed store couldn't keep chicks in stock this spring. By the way we have Buff Orphingtons and Delewares.
Lillian |
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Aunt Jenny
True Blue Farmgirl
11381 Posts
Jenny
middle of
Utah
USA
11381 Posts |
Posted - Apr 15 2009 : 12:41:39 PM
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I have bought chicks in Sept before...ordered them from McMurray by mail...but I do like to get them earlier...I had to keep those inside (I start mine in the cellar) longer that year to make sure they were feathered out well enough since it wasn't as warm outside. It works though.June will be fine!!
Jenny in Utah
Proud Farmgirl sister #24
Inside me there is a skinny woman crying to get out...but I can usually shut her up with cookies
http://www.auntjennysworld.blogspot.com/ visit my little online shop at www.auntjenny.etsy.com |
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farmeratlast
Farmgirl in Training
35 Posts
Jana
OR
USA
35 Posts |
Posted - Apr 15 2009 : 9:50:15 PM
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thanks ladies. I met up with a friend today who offered me an incubator and fertilized eggs from Delaware Aracuana crosses. She likes that mix. I was not thinking of mixing but I like the idea of not being on anyone's radar too seriously like you may be with a hatchery what with NAIS and all.
Thoughts about that mix? We are not showing. We want eggs and someday meat.
Jana |
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Ms.Lilly
True Blue Farmgirl
826 Posts
Lillian
Scotts Mills
OR
USA
826 Posts |
Posted - Apr 16 2009 : 07:13:37 AM
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I absoutly love my Delewares! Those girls have Moxy! They do NOT have a tendancy to go broody, in everything I have read it says they are go brooders but in 3 years I have yet to have one go broody. My Buff Orpingtons will go broody with the change of the wind. We have a Deleware rooster and he is the most gentle thing I have ever seen and he treats the girls great. We HAD an Aracauna rooster (notice the word had) he was mean to the girls and I didn't trust him to be nice to me. Yup, he is gone! The 7 youngsters that we have 3 are Deleware and 4 are Deleware/Buff Orpington cross. That is a great mix, the mix rooster is just as gentle as his dad.
Do keep in mind that if you incubate your eggs instead of ordering chicks, you have no control over the sex of them. You could end up with mostly roosters, then what? Are you ready to start butchering? I was lucky with my hatch and only had 1 rooster, but it is still 1 rooster too many.
Lillian |
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Bellepepper
True Blue Farmgirl
1207 Posts
Belle
Coffeyville
KS
USA
1207 Posts |
Posted - Apr 16 2009 : 08:11:58 AM
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| We ordered 5 Buffs because we want them to set. And we are getting 1 Buff rooster. I love the Rhode Island Red roosters but they always get mean and will beat up any other rooster. Besides the Buffs and RIRs we are getting 12 Barred Rocks. Thinking we should have another rooster. Anyone know the temperment of the Barred Rock Roosters? |
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farmeratlast
Farmgirl in Training
35 Posts
Jana
OR
USA
35 Posts |
Posted - Apr 17 2009 : 05:59:13 AM
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I heard roosters make a pretty good stew. Ready to butcher? No, but we are going to a friend's place to see it done before too long. We know it is nasty business but we will never be able to control the sexes building a flock as naturally as possible so I suppose we will have to deal with the consequences.
Jana |
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Aunt Jenny
True Blue Farmgirl
11381 Posts
Jenny
middle of
Utah
USA
11381 Posts |
Posted - Apr 17 2009 : 5:23:32 PM
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It is a good thing to know how to do (butchering) though. Not one of my favorite days of the year though. I promised husband that we wouldn't raise any meat birds this year. I sort of regret the promise since I love knowing where our food comes from...but it IS always a possibility that we will end up with roosters with our new chicks.
Jenny in Utah
Proud Farmgirl sister #24
Inside me there is a skinny woman crying to get out...but I can usually shut her up with cookies
http://www.auntjennysworld.blogspot.com/ visit my little online shop at www.auntjenny.etsy.com |
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Barnyard Buddies: When is the latest you can get chicks to raise? |
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When is the latest you can get chicks to raise?
