How to raise Backyard Chickens: Re: [CHICKENS-101] Re: Where does TSC get their chicks from? Ages?

Thursday, April 29, 2010

Re: [CHICKENS-101] Re: Where does TSC get their chicks from? Ages?

If I wanted pretty blue egg layers, I'd call John Blehm in Birch Run. I'd ask to buy chicks,or a trio of pet quality culls, (culls in as not show quality). His birds lay bright blue eggs, as in sky blue. I bought beautiful pet quality hens and pullets from John. I lost my pullets twice to a German Sheppard that tore up a chain link fence pen. The 2nd time it tore up a chain link pen that had poultry fencing hog ringed over the fencing and hardware cloth hog ringed to the bottom of the fencing. The City sued the owner and made him get rid of the Sheppard, it was jumping into neighbors yards and killing their cats and small dogs, not only my chickens. John was out of pullets so I was not able to replace them. Have to admit, if I were him, I wouldn't have sold me more birds either. I lost two sets of pullets that were killed by the same dogs.
Please tell John I sent you. He has a hatchery so you should be able to get awesome ameraucana chicks. Cathryn

I knew that our local TSC got their chicks from Mt. Healthy but found out this year that Mt. Healthy gets their eggs from Townline Hatchery, which is just a few miles from me. They have a terrific reputation locally. Next year, I'll save myself the shipping fee and pick them up myself.

Re: Aracaunas-- it's true that hatcheries are selling cross breeds. McMurray coyly states that theirs aren't "show quality". You will get eggs that aren't brown or white but mostly shades of green, which is fine if that's what you want. But true Aracaunas are going to come from individual breeders. Google them and ask around. You never know. There might be a famous Aracauna breeder right around the corner.

John in MI

--- In CHICKENS-101@ yahoogroups. com, jencraig25@. .. wrote:
>
> Look at MT.Healthy hacteries that's where they come from in alabama
> Sent on the Sprint® Now Network from my BlackBerry®
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: "Jessica" <t_methvin@. ..>
> Date: Thu, 29 Apr 2010 02:50:43
> To: <CHICKENS-101@ yahoogroups. com>
> Subject: [CHICKENS-101] Where does TSC get their chicks from? Ages?
>
> Just curious if anyone knows where TSC gets their chicks from. When I gave in and got some chicks for my broody hen, I just zipped to TSC and pick up some "aracana's". However I've read in several places that REAL aracana's are really only available from breeders (because they aren't that common?) and what most hatcheries are selling are really some kind of cross (americana, easter egger, etc). So I'm kind of curious what my chicks will look like and if anyone knows what hatchery they use, I may be able to go to the hatchery site and see what their "aracana's" look like. The guy said that the chicks were "four days old", however, they have wingtip feathers (and even a few tail feathers) which I thought wasn't until at least a week or two right???
>
> They are cute thought...they all have these fluffy ear tuft/beard things going on.
>
> Anyone buy Aracana's from TSC last year? Do you have any details on how they turned out? Color of eggs? Size? Rumpless?
>