# Mail order chickens **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 25, 2011, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mail-order-chickens/575970 "2011-03-25T14:48:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Renee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/renee/32/287_2.png) [@Renee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Renee)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2011, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mail-order-chickens/575970/21 "2011-03-25T18:32:54Z")
> [@picunurse](#): > > I think Beatrice is going to be the head chick. She looks bossy. She’s very inquisitive, the most interested in me so far. I like her. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Sicks\_Ate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Sicks\_Ate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sicks_Ate)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2011, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mail-order-chickens/575970/22 "2011-03-25T18:38:48Z")
Chickens and a goat or two would be a dream come true! We were researching chickens when we discovered we were having a baby instead, so we put it off. Hopefully we can start looking at it again next summer. Anyone have goats? Are they as cool as I imagine? ---
**Author:** ![teela\_brown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d9b06d/32.png) [@teela\_brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teela_brown)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2011, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mail-order-chickens/575970/23 "2011-03-25T19:16:49Z")
So will you install a “chick cam” so we can watch them grow up in real time? They’re so cute. I want to keep chickens, and I make it a point to stop and buy eggs in the country whenever I see a sign at a farmhouse. I always ask if I can see the hens, and the owners always oblige. The last time, one of their hens was making a peculiar noise when she clucked. The owner said that that hen’s name was “Ducky”, as her clucks sounded like “Bwaaaaack bwaaaaack”. And now I’m spoiled for eggs, because grocery store eggs seem tasteless and stale after you’ve had new-laid farm eggs. ---
**Author:** ![dawson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ac91a4/32.png) [@dawson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dawson)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2011, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mail-order-chickens/575970/24 "2011-03-25T19:59:05Z")
> [@teela\_brown](#): > > So will you install a “chick cam” so we can watch them grow up in real time? > > They’re so cute. I want to keep chickens, and I make it a point to stop and buy eggs in the country whenever I see a sign at a farmhouse. I always ask if I can see the hens, and the owners always oblige. > > The last time, one of their hens was making a peculiar noise when she clucked. The owner said that that hen’s name was “Ducky”, as her clucks sounded like “Bwaaaaack bwaaaaack”. And now I’m spoiled for eggs, because grocery store eggs seem tasteless and stale after you’ve had new-laid farm eggs. There’s a farm nearby that advertises fresh eggs at a good price. are they really that different? And are they safe for small children (3yrs and 1yrs)? ---
**Author:** ![Kyla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eada6e/32.png) [@Kyla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyla)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2011, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mail-order-chickens/575970/25 "2011-03-25T20:19:29Z")
Can I ask why you ordered chickens from Texas instead of getting them locally? I had a couple pet chickens when I was a kid, and they were just from a local feed store, nothing special. They laid the BEST eggs, though. Big, with bright yellow yolks. Fresh eggs from chickens that have been allowed to run around and eat bugs are in a whole nother category from store-bought. We had a Rhode Island Red (brown eggs), and an Araucana (green eggs that guests often found startling). ---
**Author:** ![Renee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/renee/32/287_2.png) [@Renee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Renee)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2011, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mail-order-chickens/575970/26 "2011-03-25T20:49:38Z")
> [@dawson](#): > > There’s a farm nearby that advertises fresh eggs at a good price. are they really that different? And are they safe for small children (3yrs and 1yrs)? They’re pretty different. Much richer. You’ll notice more of a difference in the summer, though, when there are plenty of bugs to eat. Right now, my adult hens’ eggs are still better than store bought, but because they’ve been eating mostly chicken food instead of foraging these past months, it’s not as dramatic of a difference. I’d say that eggs from a small farm are MUCH safer than commercially raised chicken eggs, conditions are almost guaranteed to be dramatically cleaner and more humane, and the chances of getting salmonella from free-range chickens is slim. Also, they’ll be weeks fresher. I’ll eat my chicken’s eggs in raw applications, and I wouldn’t do it with store-bought ones. > [@](#): > > Can I ask why you ordered chickens from Texas instead of getting them locally? I had a couple pet chickens when I was a kid, and they were just from a local feed store, nothing special. I wanted several breeds and small numbers of them. In order to get that locally (I looked) I’d have to get them at different ages and from different sources, and that can cause various problems with disease and socialization. I could have gotten somewhat of a variety at the feed stores, but those chicks come from the same hatchery that I ordered from, and it’s kind of a crap shoot to get what you want. Chicks from local breeders are “straight runs,” so 50% roosters. I just didn’t want to deal with roosters. All the hatcheries closer to me had minimum orders of 25 chicks, and I don’t have room for that many. The Texas hatchery was the only one I could find that had what I wanted. I was reluctant, but I’m happy with the way it turned out. ---
**Author:** ![Renee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/renee/32/287_2.png) [@Renee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Renee)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2011, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mail-order-chickens/575970/27 "2011-03-25T21:03:00Z")
[Picture of premium, “free range” organic egg from the grocery store vs. egg from true free range farm chicken.](http://www.slowfoodies.zzn.com/WEB/1250116/12625225/TWOEGGS.JPG) ---
**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2011, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mail-order-chickens/575970/28 "2011-03-25T21:30:49Z")
I hate to sound dumb, but which egg is which? ---
**Author:** ![madrabbitwoman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c37758/32.png) [@madrabbitwoman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madrabbitwoman)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2011, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mail-order-chickens/575970/29 "2011-03-25T21:38:19Z")
Um > [@](#): > > 1 Black Sex Link I really don’t wan to google this one - can you give some explanation ---
**Author:** ![Renee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/renee/32/287_2.png) [@Renee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Renee)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2011, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mail-order-chickens/575970/30 "2011-03-25T21:51:42Z")
> [@Arnold\_Winkelried](#): > > I hate to sound dumb, but which egg is which? The light one is the grocery store one. > [@](#): > > I really don’t wan to google this one - can you give some explanation They’re bred so that when they’re hatched, the males have a white spot on the tops of their heads. Makes it much easier to tell your boys from girls. Also called “Black Star.” There are also red sex links/red stars. ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2011, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mail-order-chickens/575970/31 "2011-03-25T22:57:54Z")
LOL they are cute little buggers, arent they =) I had an assortment of chickens and 30 guinea fowls sent last spring, the predation from our pair of eagles has the flock trimmed down to 16 guineas and 18 chickens, along with our half a dozen ducks and um, 8 geese. Having an apex predator living in the woods can be interesting. Rob says we should go back to sheep, he doesn’t think they could carry a 250 pound ram away =) ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2011, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mail-order-chickens/575970/32 "2011-03-25T23:29:27Z")
> [@Renee](#): > > My chicks arrived this morning!.. And every fox, raccoon and hawk, that you never knew lived near you, is now making their dinner plans 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![teela\_brown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d9b06d/32.png) [@teela\_brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teela_brown)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2011, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mail-order-chickens/575970/33 "2011-03-25T23:31:53Z")
> [@dawson](#): > > There’s a farm nearby that advertises fresh eggs at a good price. are they really that different? And are they safe for small children (3yrs and 1yrs)? Yep, they have a richer and deeper “eggy” taste. When you poach a really fresh farm egg vs. a grocery store egg, you’ll find that the fresh egg stays plump and practically oval in the water, while the other just spreads out flat and thin. ---
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2011, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mail-order-chickens/575970/34 "2011-03-25T23:56:17Z")
> [@dawson](#): > > Darn. I had visions of ordering a goat and having it shipped to brother -in- laws address. 😃 > [@Renee](#): > > I wish someone would ship me a goat. Can’t because of the damned gun control freaks. [Ref.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=41020) ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2011, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mail-order-chickens/575970/35 "2011-03-26T00:28:06Z")
Chickens are awesome. 🙂 Just keep on top of the sacrifices to Poultra, though. I hear she gets testy if they’re late. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2011, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mail-order-chickens/575970/36 "2011-03-26T00:46:44Z")
Those of you who weren’t aware that you could get chicks delivered via the USPS, didn’t you ever see the episode of _I Love Lucy_ in which the chicks that Lucy had ordered arrived before the hen house was ready, and they had to keep them in the house for a while? Or am I the only one who has seen every episode of that show multiple times (because not much else was on television after I got home from school)? ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2011, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mail-order-chickens/575970/37 "2011-03-26T02:08:51Z")
You really should have named one of them [Camilla](http://muppet.wikia.com/wiki/Camilla_the_Chicken). ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2011, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mail-order-chickens/575970/38 "2011-03-26T03:12:37Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > Those of you who weren’t aware that you could get chicks delivered via the USPS, didn’t you ever see the episode of _I Love Lucy_ in which the chicks that Lucy had ordered arrived before the hen house was ready, and they had to keep them in the house for a while? Or am I the only one who has seen every episode of that show multiple times (because not much else was on television after I got home from school)? Yeah but Lucy and Ethel bought those chickens at a nearby hatchery. They didn’t get them mailed. ---
**Author:** ![FaerieBeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e95f7d/32.png) [@FaerieBeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FaerieBeth)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2011, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mail-order-chickens/575970/39 "2011-03-26T03:35:34Z")
> [@Renee](#): > > They’re bred so that when they’re hatched, the males have a white spot on the tops of their heads. Makes it much easier to tell your boys from girls. Also called “Black Star.” There are also red sex links/red stars. I read this and thought, “Sneeches!” Good luck with your chickens! I have wanted to try raising some laying hens (a friend had sent me this link - [Omlet | Remarkable pet products designed to bring you closer](http://www.omlet.co.uk/products_services/products_services.php?view=Eglu%20Classic) ), but my husband and older boys have vetoed that idea. \ ---
**Author:** ![loshan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ce73a5/32.png) [@loshan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/loshan)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2011, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mail-order-chickens/575970/40 "2011-03-26T04:17:22Z")
> [@Sicks\_Ate](#): > > Chickens and a goat or two would be a dream come true! We were researching chickens when we discovered we were having a baby instead, so we put it off. Hopefully we can start looking at it again next summer. > > Anyone have goats? Are they as cool as I imagine? I have goats and they are way cool. I have a small herd of 15 Nigerian Dwarf goats, a couple pygmies and one Saanen (the pygmies and Saanen are “rescue” goats). They know their names, follow me like dogs and come when I call them. Plus they give lots of milk (and I make cheese). Having never had any livestock before, I didn’t think I would like them, but they are a blast. I am scared of chickens. I have never owned them, but other people’s chickens always chase me and peck the back of my legs. :rolleyes: Obligatory pics: Nigerian Dwarf - [Misty and kids](http://i1179.photobucket.com/albums/x383/loshan1/100_0452.jpg) ([P-nut, Butter & Jelly](http://i1179.photobucket.com/albums/x383/loshan1/100_0451.jpg) - all girls) [Henry the Billy Goat](http://i1179.photobucket.com/albums/x383/loshan1/101_0119.jpg)…and [http://i1179.photobucket.com/albums/x383/loshan1/101\_0120.jpg](http://i1179.photobucket.com/albums/x383/loshan1/101_0120.jpg)(see how tiny!) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mail-order-chickens/575970.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mail-order-chickens/575970.md?page=3)