Anyone here interested in chickens?

I'm really stumped. I'd like to get a few baby chicks but everywhere I can find requires that you order 25. Anyone else in this area interested in raising chickens? Maybe we could share an order. I don't mind getting, say, 10 or so but I don't want 25. I talked to Tractor Supply. They have a pretty good list of breeds available, prices for pullets (hens) range from $2.08 to $2.67 I think. Cornish Rocks were cheaper at $1.54 per pullet. Straight run were around the same price as the Cornish Rock pullets. Straight run means you get a mix of pullets and cockerels, supposed to be about 50/50 but what are you going to do with all those roosters? LOL

These places sell fewer than 25, and "my pet chiken" will ship as few as three... they have some new way to ship them where they'll stay warm in fewer numbers, not sure how...


http://www.meyerhatchery.com/


http://www.mypetchicken.com/

I would LOVE to have chickens, but I haven't quite worked out all the details. You should check out Murray McMurray Hatchery (www.mcmurrayhatchery.com), they have everything! I have a small suburban yard & we have foxes in the area (& maybe even coyote!). I would love to have an Eglu, but they're kind of pricey...Thistle

I spent quite a bit of time last night and again just now on the Meyers site trying to find out what their order minimum is. They refer to an order minimum but I sure can't find anywhere on that site that tells you what it is.

The mypetchicken place can dream on. $25 shipping. Forget it.

Look, y'all, I appreciate the thought but I have several chicken catalogs here and have checked out oodles more online. I don't need a source, just trying to find a way to get some chicks without having to buy way more than I need.

If worse comes to worse, I can check the valley trader classifieds. Last time we got chickens we found someone selling chicks at the flea market. I'd like to order so I can get a couple of different kinds and get the breeds I want.

Most of McMurrays chicks are available in lots of 1-10, if they have the breed you want, it might be a good alternative. I wish I was in your spot, & could pick & choose the chickens I wanted, I don't think I can fit in chicks here, because of the neighborhood, & the neighbors, & I have a dog & 2 cats, & even though we're in a pretty urban area, we have predators...I hope you can find the chickens you need...good luck!

LOL I'm not concerned about having 25 of one kind. I don't want 25 chickens total. Maybe later but when I had chickens before I had 6 hens and one rooster and that was about the right number. My mom kept saying, "Why do you want a rooster? Why are you feeding a rooster?" She was raised on a farm and the idea of having a rooster just because he was pretty was outside the realm of comprehension for her. LOL

I live out in the country and having chickens or even a crowing rooster is no problem. Two of my neighbors have chickens and roosters too. Even if the roosters are a waste of good chicken feed, according to my mother. LOL

Of course the real problem is that eventually I'm going to be running a retirement home for elderly hens because I'll be darned if I'm going to eat them. Yes, I was a city kid. I can't feed something and then put it on the dinner table.

Please keep posting about your 'chicken story'. I SO want to have chickens here, not a lot, just enough for some eggs and bug eating and fertilizing. Of course, I live in a 'development' meant for horse owners but our HOA has disbanded and I'm having hubby check into whether we can have a few chickens here.

I met someone with ducks couple of years ago. I wold like to have ducks. The eggs tasted just like chicken(eggs)
Hope you find your special chickens.

We always had ducks when we were kids. My sister had ducks at her house for years until the last one recently died of old age. It was amazing because she taught her passel of chesapeake and labrador retrievers not to bother the ducks. I know they're sweet and smart dogs but they are bird dogs and the one lab I had years ago certainly had a mind of his own. He took whatever you told him to do under advisement.

Hart, List your extra chickens on the Have to trade list for the Spring Swap. I use to have chickens just a dozen for the eggs. It was fun. I thought about getting them again and then I kicked myself back into reality "No you don't want more animals, your going to travel".

Nah, I simply don't want to order 25 chickens. If I can't find them through ordering, I'm sure I can find them locally where I can buy just a few. Just probably won't be able to get some of the breeds I'd like to get.