[Homestead] bev-chicks

Karen L. Black karen at plamondon.com
Mon Dec 22 22:04:21 EST 2008


Bearing in mind that I only know about commercial birds, since I raise birds
to sell eggs or meat, here are my suggestions.

1. Don't start with 100 chicks unless you've raised them before. Twenty-five
(the minimum most hatcheries will ship by mail) is a good trial number. 

2. Robert Plamondon's "Success With Baby Chicks" does a good job covering
all aspects of getting chicks from the first day to out on pasture. (Yes, I
admit it: I'm married to the author. Nevertheless, I don't know of a book
that covers the subject more thoroughly.) You can visit our website,
www.nortoncreekpress.com, and check it out.

3. Buy chicks from a good hatchery near you. Find out who the feed stores
buy from. What do they have to say about the chicks they get?

4. Buy common American breeds that are used for commercial production: Rhode
Island Red (or Production Red), Barred Rock, New Hampshire Red or
Australorp. Red or Black Sex-links are good layers, though smaller in the
body and so not as good a meat bird. 

5. Don't get Leghorns. They are nervous small birds that don't have much
meat on them, so they can fly higher and farther than most. Collecting eggs
from nests with birds that explode out in panic when you stick in your hand
is a real turn-off. If you really want white eggs, get Austra White
(Australorp x Leghorn) or California White (California Grey x Leghorn) or my
favorite, the California Grey.

Hope these suggestions are of some help.

Karen Black
Norton Creek Farm
Blodgett, OR



More information about the Homestead mailing list