What do I need to do? I live in Dallas County and wow... I need to know what would be the best. I have thought about Quail over chickens seeing I love the eggs and there are just three of us here so it would be ok to take two every now and then... but chickens is what I would love to get some eggs and maybe a little bit of meat every now and then?? What would you get? What is the best way to get them - find a local source or mail order? (I have fond memories of my grandfather getting chicks in the mail in those wonderful big boxes.... do they still do that even?) and what do I need to do here to get everything ready?
oh - and are there roosters that dont crow? I know stupid question but anyother reason I was thinging quail is they are not noisy..... we are not zonned for birds except "pets" so these are going to be my "pets" hehehe love the way the law would work...
Thanks Mitch
OK - getting ready for first poultry...
Yes you can still get the boxes of chicks via mailorder. Ideal poultry is in Texas so might be faster shipping to you.... heat during shipping will be an issue. You can also choose to get straight run, or have them sexed on most breeds I believe.
If you were truly thinking small you could get silkies... I wouldn't want to eat them (they are small and have black skin). I have some silkies and a couple bantys (favorelles and a cochin). Other than that I have all large breeds that I chose because they are suppose to be cold hardy dual purpose birds...so maybe someone from a southern region could suggest something more specific for your climate.
But I would recommend checking out Ideal poultrys website. Might help you make the choices you want.
Julie =0)
Thanks I will look there.
Any of you other "poultry" farmers out there in a big city area? how do you do it?
BTW, I don't know of any crowless roosters but you don't need a rooster anyway unless you want to hatch your own babies.
Great - Checked out Ideal and it is really good looking,,, so many choices of small hens.
I got my chicks from there this spring and was very pleased. They were the most reasonably priced for small orders too.
I know small orders are hard with any of these places.
I got my chicks from Meyer Hatchery in Ohio via mail and they were totally awesome. I got 13 chicks and i know they do older pullets, too. Or if you have poultry auctions or fairs around you, you could try getting some there. I wouldn't suggest a roo in the city. As I write this, my neighbors' roos have crowed 5 times.
Mitch, you could always drive to Ohio, bring me some daylilies and leave with some chickens! I know. Fat chance! I thought it might be fun though. LOL
While on the subject 'Chelle,
I'm going to be at the National in Columbus in November
I EXPECT you to be there.......
with the tribe
so I can introduce them to a whole lotta different breeds.......
and maybe sucker some of them into showing.........
Hey CC! So long as the roads are decent and I'm not stuck at a basketball game, you have a date! I've really been eyeballing the Polish and other fancy ones. I saw some gorgeous ones on a daylily tour last weekend! Peacocks too! Brahmas....I can't even remember!
Mitch ducks don't crow and have some really good eggs.
Lavina
Do Ducks make a mess or are they one of the cleaner birds?
Ducks make a mess....lol. I have some runners and the big paddle feet splash water everywhere making things mucky. The runners don't need a pond but do LOVE to have access to splash whenever they can. I have a kiddie pool outside the pen and a big rubbermaid tub inside for playtime.
Runners are suppose to be great egg layers.... mine aren't old enough yet. My runners get along with the chickens well and they are in the same pen but have separate houses "coops".
I've heard great things about Muscovies, you might want to check them out...
~Julie
CC, if you ever come to mass or NH, let me know! I'd love to see your birds.
MItch, I just love my barred rock, bantam brahmas, silkies and buff orpington. I've found my silver laced wyandottes to be a pain in the neck.. I love them, too, but they are SO noisy, so I really wouldn't recommend them for you city types. The bantam brahmas are probably my quietest girls, or the silkies.
Backyard hens
I keep saying I'm going to go to the poultry congress show in Mass
But I never make it
Its usually in December I think and I work at UPS...we can't take time off in Late November or all of December....has something to do with Santa....I hear he's a teamster......
LOL. Do any of you know if there in meetings in North Carolina? When we get settled at the coast I want some chicks but am not sure where to start.
My neighbor has the muscoveys and they are quite you would never know they are around,and produce lots and lots of eggs. They are in a pen and have a wading pool inside the pen. They also don't seem to be any messier than chickens.
Lavina