![]() ![]() The large hens weigh in around 7.5 pounds and lay 200-280 large brown eggs per year. ![]() Columbian Rocks (white with black around the head and tail), White Rocks (all white), and Partridge Rocks (brown with delicate penciling) are all available from other hatcheries. If you’re in love with the breed but not the barred pattern you can find them in other color patterns. Another popular breed with the barred pattern is the Dominique, they are very similar to the rock with the exception of a small rose comb. The barred pattern is very clean on Barred Rocks unlike in Cuckoo Marans where the lines have a blurry appearance. Read more about Feather Legged Chicken Breeds Barred RockĪnother classic farm bird, Barred Rocks, or more accurately Barred Plymouth Rocks, are a sturdy clean legged breed with a barred pattern that looks like dark grey and white stripes. Feather legged breeds like Brahmas, Cochina & Marans will have baby fluff on their legs The phrase “Clean Legs” has nothing to do with dirt or actual cleanliness, it just means the birds do not have feathers on their legs. Rhode Island Red chicks are a light reddish tan color with pale bellies and clean, pale legs. The production strains, bred with eggs in mind, tend to be lighter in color while show quality birds will have darker red feather and tend to lay fewer eggs. The medium-sized hens lay 200-280 large brown eggs per year.Īll Rhode Island Reds are red but there is some variation in color based on the blood line. Rhode Island Reds are active birds and do well when allowed to forage and free-range. The hens have solid red coloring while the roosters have dark greenish iridescent tail feathers. They are the classic barnyard hen with their dark red coloring and single red combs. Rhode Island Reds are a heritage breed from, you guessed it, Rhode Island where they are the state bird. You’ll have more options but you’ll need to buy more and if you’re looking for something special you’ll probably need to look at a stand alone hatchery. While you can easily grab a box of chicks in store, it’s also possible to order chicks through Tractor Supply. ![]() One year I got really lucky and my 10 straight run buff Orpingtons turned into 3 roosters and 7 hens, other years it’s the opposite. Ideally, it’s a 50/50 split but it rarely works out that way. Straight run means you’re getting the chicks exactly as they hatch. Pullets are vent sexed as hatchlings and should be all females, however it’s not 100%. Some chicks are sold as pullets while others are “straight run”. My local TSC usually has 5-6 tubs set up, one with meat chickens, one with assorted bantams, one with ducks, and the others holding a rotating assortment of laying chicks.Ĭhances are good you won’t find all of these birds available at the same time but if you keep going back eventually you’ll see most of them. In the end it doesn’t really matter but I thought I’d throw it in anyway. ![]() I love chicks and chickens but they go from adorable fluff balls to awkward pretty quickly. One final downside is you might miss out on the cute phase. Either a labeling mix-up or someone putting birds back in the wrong tub can lead to unexpected results. The other con to getting your chicks at Tractor Supply is that you don’t always get what you think you’re getting. If your looking for a lot of variety, you want a specific breed or you have your heart set on a rainbow of eggs you’re out of luck.īored with white eggs? Raise Chickens for a Colorful Eggs If you’re just looking for a backyard flock to lay some eggs and you don’t really care about breed or variety that’s not going to be an issue. The major con of buying chicks at TSC is the limited options. In NY you need to buy 6 at a time but if you’re looking or order chicks online you’ll either need to get 15+ or pay a hefty fee for shipping a small quantity. One final benefit is that it’s easier to get a small number of chicks. Then I have to put the shipping date on my calendar and wait for my 7 AM Post Office phone call. When I order my chicks I have to be on top of things, I usually place my orders in January or February to make sure I get what I want when I want it (April-May). The shipping schedule is different for each store so you will need to either call the store or stop buy to find out when they get chicks in. You can skip the paper towel under the feeder and the beak dipping that you need to do with mail-order chicks.Īnother benefit is the immediate availability of chicks during Chicks Days. The chicks you’ll be getting are already settled in, eating and drinking. ![]()
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