Hello Kind Folks!!!

I have had my dairy goats for about 4 weeks - all is going well so far.

Next I want to tackle chickens. I have been looking in local trader papers, newspapers, the NC Ag Review Classifieds... I can't find hardly any heavy / dual purpose chickens. Those that I have found are roosters, on the other side of the state. Went to an auction last Friday... There were only about 4 or 5 hens that fit the bill out of hundreds, 3 of those were "no sale" because the owner wanted too much from them... I was too slow on the others.

I am a bit nervious about getting hatching eggs, or chicks... But I will go this route if nothing turns up in the next month or so... If you have an incubator and or brooder to sell I may be interested...

I am looking for adult or "started" chickens of the following breeds: any Orpingtons, any Plymouth Rocks, Black Australorp, maybe Brahmas, Dominique, Rhode Island Red, or NH Red.

I'd like to start with good healthy stock, so if you have any to spare or know of someone that wants to sell please let me know.

Thanks in advance,

Will in NC

-- Will in NC (carolina_homesteader@yahoo.com), November 13, 2001

Answers

Does your feed store have a bulletin board? Perhaps you could post a notice and get a few from someone local.

-- terri (hooperterri@prodigy.net), November 13, 2001.

If you want good layers that can dress out well into a great roasting hen after two years, I recommend New Hampshire Reds.. not the Rhode Island Reds. In the last 30 years, Rhodies seem to have gotten leaner and meaner, but that may just be a problem with local hatchery breeding stock. I've found the White Plymoth Rocks to be heavier than the barred, but I just like looking at the Barred Rocks! New Hamps have good winter laying reputations too. I used to keep a flock of about 80 rotating through laying and after the second molt, into the freezer. I would get my chicks from the last hatching in the fall and by late spring they would be laying. Then they would lay really well for a year and a half and end up as roasting hens. It was my totally illegal back-yard business. I also sold replacement pullets, there was a very good market for them.. you'd be a good customer right now! I kept track of laying patterns, feed intake, and dress weight and found that the egg production dropped below profitable after about 18 months of laying but the meat was still quite delicious so my roasters were in great demand. Don't be intimidated by chickens.. if they have good fences, lots of walkin' and scratchin' room and a pen with sun in the winter, and shade in the summer, along with unstintingly good quality feed, they will thrive and contribute a great deal to your homestead.

-- Ellen (gardenfarm@earthlink.net), November 13, 2001.

I have a small flock of NH reds, Barred rocks, Buff Orpingtons and 1 lonely leghorn. All were this years chicks from commercial hatcheries except the leghorn (friends kid's school project...). They have proven to be a lot of fun and quite addicting. I'm going to plug www.rockingtranch.com again, he doesn't sell live birds, but has LOTS of links that you should find as helpful as I did

-- Jim Deweese (jedeweese@earthlink.net), November 13, 2001.

Yeah - just wanted to confirm the NH Red winter laying rep is great - Mine have never slowed down for a minute - no lights, no heat - just keep on a layin' all winter long...

-- DR (DReece5@excite.com), November 13, 2001.

Just order 25 chicks from Mcmurray hatcheries they seem to have good stock , thats where we bought ours and they're all strong healthy and full of vigor and vitality.

-- Chandler in Minnesota (ProvidenceFarms2001@yahoo.com), November 13, 2001.

Call your local 4H people. They will tell you when the poultry fair is where the kids sell their 4H chickens. If you missed that ( and you probably have) they know who did it last year and might be able to sell you some. Believe me, some of those kid's parents will thank you!

-- Ann Markson (tngreenacres@hotmail.com), November 13, 2001.

Will: If you are looking for eggs to hatch, check out www.eggbay.com Here are some links for Incubators.... http://www.poultryconnection.com/cgi-bin/datasearch.cgi

Warren also in NC.....

-- Warren (w.baucom@worldnet.att.net), November 13, 2001.