Okay, so if there’s one thing to know about me, it’s that I love research. Doing a thing, I could take it or leave it. But if it’s something I’m interested in, I could probably give you a hundred suggestions on how that thing could be done, all the materials I need to do it, what they cost, where to find them, the history of the thing, who the leading experts are to consult, and I could give you several Google Docs full of resources. You probably get the point. Learning is usually the best part of any task for me.
So I took this love of research and let it spin into a near-obsession when it came to choosing chicken breeds for my small flock. And if you want to use the same process I did for your own chickens, be sure to check out this post.
In our little piece of the world, you’re allowed to keep up to six chickens (no roosters). I started with that as my baseline. Since this is my first time raising chicks, I was going to start with three to four, this would also allow us to stagger egg production in the coming years. But after looking into hatchery minimums (typically six), I decided to just go all in. I also figured getting them together as chicks would help them bond better, and increasing the number at an early age would help them grow better and stay healthier in the long run, since six chicks huddled together would be warmer than three).
Another consideration for selecting breeds was sexing. Since I can’t have roosters, and I don’t need one, I made sure to choose breeds that I could specify the gender in my order. This really only mattered for the Silkie that I had considered, the hatchery I chose only offered straight run (unsexed) chicks. So I pivoted since I didn’t want to gamble on getting a rooster and having to rehome him. If you’re really concerned about not getting a hen, there are breeds that can be immediately sexed after hatching, which may be a great option for you. After scouring the internet for advice, most hatcheries seemed pretty accurate in sexing their birds, so this was a minor gamble I was more willing to take.
The biggest priority for my flock was that they be friendly. My absolute dream is to walk out to the coop and get swarmed by chickens wanting cuddles and attention. So the keywords on every chicken blog I looked at were “sweet,” “docile,” and “friendly.” Bonus points if the post mentioned that they liked cuddles. Now like any animal, no temperament is guaranteed, but you can increase the likelihood by cross-checking your sources. To start, I read up on the hatchery breed pages, found a few I liked, did a general Google search to get some additional perspective, then narrowed in by checking reviews of the breed directly on the hatchery site, or looking through a chicken forum. This let me get a wide range of input from people living with the birds I was considering, and it was a huge help when it came to making my decision.
My second priority was eggs, which was not that hard to come by. All of the breeds I chose were perfectly capable egg layers. Maybe not the highest producers, but certainly not the lowest, either. Since we’re a human family of two (plus a dog and two cats), we should be perfectly stocked for plenty of breakfasts and any baking I want to do. Now the last note on eggs, they come in so many beautiful colors I was completely unaware of (blue, green, pink, mottled… so many). When I joyfully told my husband this exciting news, he requested blue eggs, which I was more than happy to agree with.
We live in southwest Michigan, so while the weather isn’t as extreme as it could be, I wanted to make sure I chose breeds that would be comfortable through the seasons, even in our less-than-ideal-but-tolerable winters. For this, I just checked that each breed was considered cold hardy, or at a minimum, didn’t have large wattles or combs that would put them at risk of getting frostbite.
When I was pretty confident in my selections, I looked around at different hatcheries. Since the breeds were so important to me, I had to find one that offered all of the hens I wanted hatching on the same date. Keep this in mind as you research! If you have a vacation or prior engagement planned, timing may be more important for you. Just because a hatchery has the chicks you want, it doesn’t mean that they have them available at the same time. Reputation and sexing accuracy were also a big consideration, so when it came time to narrow this down, I took to the internet forums to help inform my decision. This actually had a big impact on what hatchery I chose. Initially, I was going to have the chicks shipped from eight hours away, but after some lovely suggestions from the Backyard Chicken (check the Resources link) forum, I decided to go with Meyer Hatchery in Ohio, a short four hour drive away so I could pick them up myself.
Now my final (and favorite) part of the process was signing up for an account with Backyard Chickens so I could get feedback on my selections. All the research in the world doesn’t compare to real experience. The folks there were so friendly and helpful, and offered lots of support and advice. I highly recommend adding this step if you’re new to chickens. You get to be part of a whole online community, learn from others who have more knowledge, and look forward to contributing yourself someday.
Now, after years of compiling resources and making decisions, all I can do now is wait. I’m staying busy by learning all I can about chick brooders, putting the finishing touches on my coop design, and sourcing local supply options. But let me tell you, these chicks cannot get here soon enough!
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