The babies have finally arrived! I ended up ordering 15 new baby chicks from Murray McMurray Hatchery.
I chose this hatchery because they allowed me to mix and match chicks, and ended up picking seven different breeds.
I’ll tell you why I picked each one in this post, and I’ll share how the online ordering process worked.
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ORDERING CHICKS ONLINE
In the past, to rebuild our flock, I’ve let my silkie chickens hatch eggs on their own in the coop, but since I needed to guarantee I was getting hens, I decided to purchase new baby chicks this year. I wasn’t planning on fifteen, but that chicken math got me.
At first, I was going to place an order with our local feed mill. They have a minimum order of fifteen, but you can only pick three breeds.
This was the same when I looked at other hatcheries online, but then I found Murray McMurray Hatchery.
They also allow a minimum of six baby chicks, but they have an additional shipping fee if you go that route.
As for the ordering process, it is fairly simple.
You can read through a description of the breeds you are interested in.
They also have the option of a straight run which means unsexed, or you can purchase just males or females, depending on the breed.
Next, you check availability, and it shows hatching dates.
If you pick multiple breed’s as I did, you’ll want to make sure that they’re all available on the same date.
After you check out, you should contact your post office to let them know that you have a live order of baby chicks coming.
Murray McMurray Hatchery sent a text to let me know my order was shipped, and on the way at 7:09 p.m.
I received a call from the post office at 7:30 a.m. the following morning, letting me know my babies had arrived.
THE CHICKS
The chicks arrived at the post office in a small cardboard box with holes and a nesting pad.
I had also purchased quick chick electrolytes to mix with their water, and this was packaged nicely under the nesting material.
The hatchery did a great job, and I am really pleased.
When I got home from the post office, I placed all the babies in the brooder space I had ready for them.
If you’d like to see how I set up the space, check out my post, WATING FOR BABIES, THE CHICK BROODER AREA.
All of the chicks are lively and doing well.
I gave them food and mixed the quick chick in their water.
My indoor farm cat, Macho Man, was very interested, but he’s been around chicks before, and even though he pokes at the cage when passing by, he has no plans to harm them.
I plan to keep these chicks indoors for a few weeks and then move them out to the chicken coop to be introduced to our existing silkie flock.
I currently only have three silkie hens and two silkie roosters, so I’m excited to have all these new breeds on the hobby farm.
Chicks are so FUN!
THE CHICKEN BREEDS I CHOSE
I think I’ve put together a unique flock.
The sizes range from small to large, and I purchased everyone in pairs, besides one set of three to make 15.
I also will have a rainbow collection of eggs from dark browns, blues, and whites.
Whiting True Blue
The Whiting True Blue was my number one pick because they lay a consistently beautiful blue egg. A blue egg layer was a must in my coop this time. I purchased three of these chicks. I am so excited for blue eggs!
Light Brahmas
Brahmas are already one of my favorite breeds. I actually wrote about my three favorite chicken breeds awhile back, and the Brahmas is one of them. They were a must-have addition when I decided to rebuild the flock this year.
Blue Cochin
From what I’ve read, the blue cochin is a rare breed. I’ve never seen one in person, but in photographs, this bird looks beautiful, so I am very excited to see the two I purchased mature into adults. I’ve also read that they are a good choice for families and are gentle. I’m thinking this breed may become one of my new favorites.
White Crested Black Polish
This purchase was a little selfish of me. I will have to watch these two birds I picked in the winter because I’ve read they don’t do well in the cold, but they sure are cool looking with their black bodies and white top hats. The chicks are also adorable!
UPDATE: One of these did end up being a rooster, even though I ordered females.
I named him Cruella, thinking he was a lady, and I’m not changing it. So far, he doesn’t seem to be having any issues with my two silkie roosters.
Ameraucana
The Ameraucana is another breed I chose for the blue egg. I also like that they come in a variety of color patterns, so we’ll see what these little chicks turn out like when they mature.
Speckled Sussex
The Speckled Sussex caught my eye because I like the coloring. They have a mahogany base color with a white and black tips on their feathers
Welsummer
As for the Welsummer, I chose to add two of these ladies to my flock for their dark brown egg. I believe they will have the darkest egg of the bunch.
Now that we have all these new chicks on the hobby farm, the next step is to remodel the chicken coop.
Since we’ve only had silkies for the past few years, we’ve had the chicken coop set up for them.
With all these new breeds, we’ll have to add higher-up perches and nesting boxes. I’ll have a post on the remodel soon, and yes, I’m still keeping the colorful chicken playground because they love it.
XOXO
Emily
UPDATE: The Chicken Coop Remodel did not go as planned, you can read about it HERE or save it for later.
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