Chicken Breeders & Hatcheries

[Timothhy]

we live on a little over 5 acres with a barn and horse pasture. we have strong feelings about factory farming and would like to not be supporting this and raising our own chickens for eggs. not meat. we would probably get a coop good for 6-8 hens (no roosters). i want a varitety so here is what i think that i would like to get. 3 rhode island reds, 2 barred rocks, 1 or 2 easter eggers (or the name that starts withan a that i forgot to spell), and i really want a silkie as a pet. we know where we can buy 1-3 day old chicks locally with out them having to be shipped but do you know of a hatchery or breeder (not expensive, that breeds black or blue or splashed colored silkies in the dallas fort worth area of texas or if it is a hatchery that shipps them, they wold let us only buy one or two? also, what are your thoughts on the breeds that i have chosen. our chickens would not stay in the coop all the time, but would be free range but at night go into the coop. they would always have the freedom to go back into it during the day. i am a first time owner.

 

[HHandbasket]

Hi and

I'm not in your area, but one of the things lots of folks here do (myself included) is check your local craigslist for silkies and other chickens, though I have only had good luck with one of the chickens I obtained from craigslist (and lemme tell you, she is an egg-laying machine, lays us a pretty blue egg 6 out of 7 days). You can get good Rhode Island reds, barred rocks, and Easter eggers from feed stores and hatcheries, and you'll probably find someone here on BYC, as well. And yes, you were correct the first time! Easter eggers is what they're called--they're often confused with ameraucanas, and the feed stores and hatcheries will tell you they're ameraucanas, but they're easter eggers--very similar.

Check in the "Where Am I? Where Are you?" thread and see if you can find people in your area, as well.

Sounds like you're choosing good breeds that will lay well for you. My barred rock also is a great egg-layer -- she lays 8 out of 9 days!

Good luck to you, and once again, welcome to Backyard Chickens!

 

[macdoogle]

Got all my chicks from My Pet Chicken.com They are a little pricy but will ship 3 chick minimum.

 

[Pokey11]

I am only able to get on all the parts of this Back Yard Chickens so I have to type where I can.....IN I believe the August/Sept Mother Earth News there was an article regarding a really great breed -- and it seems like the name might have been brown cross X. I believe the hatchery was in New Mexico. Well I did look it up and they were not shipping at that time of the year, but now I am looking to get a few new peeps and I trying to locate that information again. That magazine is gone so I cannot look there.

 

[pkw]

I prefer new hampshires over rhode island reds. They are a more friendlier breed. They lay really good also. I hardly know when mine are around because they are so quiet.