*Started chickens for sale! Read below!*
We raise a few high-quality Buff Orpington, Wyandotte, and Black Australorp chickens. These breeds are known for their docility, and good egg production. They also make good meat birds, so extra roosters can provide quality, home-raised meat for the table.
Our current started pullet program offers an opportunity to those who want a small flock of chickens without the hassle of raising chicks. We raise heritage breed chicks here in flocks of 20-50 and offer them for sale around the age of 8-12 weeks. They are started under a heat lamp and transitioned to a hoop house in the garden when they no longer need the warmth of the lamp. In addition to standard chick starter, fed free-choice throughout the day, they are given greens, weeds, and black soldier fly larvae (when available.) This helps teach them foraging skills, expands their diet, and gives them added nutrients in addition to the chick starter crumble. We frequently add fresh mulch or wood/ leaf chip bedding to the hoop house, so they are never kept on a dirty floor, and they have constant access to fresh scratching material. (This is also highly beneficial for the garden, as they are constantly composting the material we throw in, creating high-quality soil for the plants and fruit trees.)
By the time these young chickens are ready for pickup, they are about half their full size, are used to eating a variety of foods, have some idea of foraging and living natural, happy lives, and are within 2-4 months (depending on the time of year) from laying.
Chickens (pullets or roosters) may be reserved ahead of pickup with a deposit (20% of the price), or may be bought for full price at time of pickup. Chickens reserved ahead of time are usually priced slightly lower, as the price increases once they are over eight weeks of age, due to the greater amount of work and expense we invest into them. Deposits may be placed via PayPal (with a 3.5% convenience fee charged by PayPal), or you can mail a check or visit the farm in person to leave a check/ cash deposit. Please contact me for availability of chickens.
We raise a few high-quality Buff Orpington, Wyandotte, and Black Australorp chickens. These breeds are known for their docility, and good egg production. They also make good meat birds, so extra roosters can provide quality, home-raised meat for the table.
Our current started pullet program offers an opportunity to those who want a small flock of chickens without the hassle of raising chicks. We raise heritage breed chicks here in flocks of 20-50 and offer them for sale around the age of 8-12 weeks. They are started under a heat lamp and transitioned to a hoop house in the garden when they no longer need the warmth of the lamp. In addition to standard chick starter, fed free-choice throughout the day, they are given greens, weeds, and black soldier fly larvae (when available.) This helps teach them foraging skills, expands their diet, and gives them added nutrients in addition to the chick starter crumble. We frequently add fresh mulch or wood/ leaf chip bedding to the hoop house, so they are never kept on a dirty floor, and they have constant access to fresh scratching material. (This is also highly beneficial for the garden, as they are constantly composting the material we throw in, creating high-quality soil for the plants and fruit trees.)
By the time these young chickens are ready for pickup, they are about half their full size, are used to eating a variety of foods, have some idea of foraging and living natural, happy lives, and are within 2-4 months (depending on the time of year) from laying.
Chickens (pullets or roosters) may be reserved ahead of pickup with a deposit (20% of the price), or may be bought for full price at time of pickup. Chickens reserved ahead of time are usually priced slightly lower, as the price increases once they are over eight weeks of age, due to the greater amount of work and expense we invest into them. Deposits may be placed via PayPal (with a 3.5% convenience fee charged by PayPal), or you can mail a check or visit the farm in person to leave a check/ cash deposit. Please contact me for availability of chickens.
(Above): Black Australorp rooster and hens.
(Below): Golden Laced Wyandotte pullet.
(Below): Golden Laced Wyandotte pullet.
Although the Black Australorps are better producers, Golden Laced Wyandottes and Buff Orpingtons have far and away the best temperament. As a rule they are calm, friendly chickens. They lay well, though they don't quite come up to the amazing production of the Australorps, and they are considerably heavier, making them a better dual purpose breed. When handled regularly they make wonderful pet chickens.
Black Australorp Chickens: Homesteader's Helpers
We have owned and raised many different chicken breeds and crosses of breeds over the years since we began farming, but none have performed like the Black Australorp. We've had Americaunas, Buff Orpingtons, Cochins, Game, Salmon Favorelles, a few Wyandottes, an Ancona, various bantams, Barred Rocks, a Red Star, and Rhode Island Reds; yet our favorite is still the Australorp (followed by Wyandottes, Americaunas and Orpingtons). These birds lay the best out of all the heritage breeds, as far as I know. A Black Australorp hen took the world record for most eggs laid in one year, and we have found them to be excellent foragers, and decent mothers as well. The roosters are big enough to be worth butchering, and are relatively calm. Both roosters and hens are a beautiful deep black, glossy and slightly iridescent.
The roosters are typically fairly calm, though watchful, and are not usually aggressive. Personally, I have found that the most important chicken in the flock is always the rooster or (in cases where there is no rooster) the dominant hen. It is this bird's job to keep guard over the others, settle disputes, and keep order generally, so this is why I like to keep the same rooster year after year, even when we replace our hens. Our current rooster is one of the best we've had, and I am very happy with him. When the rest of the chickens are resting or dust bathing, he will be standing guard, keeping an eye out for hawks or other possible predators; when they are foraging, he finds food and calls the hens over to share it; when a couple of hens get into a squabble, he breaks it up and reminds them who is in charge. He's done a great job with his flock, and I hope to keep him for many years.
For the most part, they are quite healthy and have a high livability rate, even when there are quite a few predators in the area. They don't seem to get picked off by hawks as easily as lighter colored chickens, which is a big plus if you live in a hawk-infested area. Maybe this is because they are more alert and high strung than very calm chickens, such as the Orpington, but not nervous and panicky like the Leghorns. Overall, we have found them to be the perfect chicken for our family farm.
We have owned and raised many different chicken breeds and crosses of breeds over the years since we began farming, but none have performed like the Black Australorp. We've had Americaunas, Buff Orpingtons, Cochins, Game, Salmon Favorelles, a few Wyandottes, an Ancona, various bantams, Barred Rocks, a Red Star, and Rhode Island Reds; yet our favorite is still the Australorp (followed by Wyandottes, Americaunas and Orpingtons). These birds lay the best out of all the heritage breeds, as far as I know. A Black Australorp hen took the world record for most eggs laid in one year, and we have found them to be excellent foragers, and decent mothers as well. The roosters are big enough to be worth butchering, and are relatively calm. Both roosters and hens are a beautiful deep black, glossy and slightly iridescent.
The roosters are typically fairly calm, though watchful, and are not usually aggressive. Personally, I have found that the most important chicken in the flock is always the rooster or (in cases where there is no rooster) the dominant hen. It is this bird's job to keep guard over the others, settle disputes, and keep order generally, so this is why I like to keep the same rooster year after year, even when we replace our hens. Our current rooster is one of the best we've had, and I am very happy with him. When the rest of the chickens are resting or dust bathing, he will be standing guard, keeping an eye out for hawks or other possible predators; when they are foraging, he finds food and calls the hens over to share it; when a couple of hens get into a squabble, he breaks it up and reminds them who is in charge. He's done a great job with his flock, and I hope to keep him for many years.
For the most part, they are quite healthy and have a high livability rate, even when there are quite a few predators in the area. They don't seem to get picked off by hawks as easily as lighter colored chickens, which is a big plus if you live in a hawk-infested area. Maybe this is because they are more alert and high strung than very calm chickens, such as the Orpington, but not nervous and panicky like the Leghorns. Overall, we have found them to be the perfect chicken for our family farm.