Went into TSC to stock up on feed and bedding. Went over to look at the chicks, and was strong on resisting the urge to buy any. Then I saw the sign! It was a sign! Special: Week old Leghorn pullets. $1 each. Here in Rhode Island the purchase minimum is 12 chicks. They had 12 left. Did I mention it was a sign? To me, them being a week old feels like a bonus - one week less to feed them, one week less cleaning out the brooder, one week older to avoid possible health issues. But clearly I’m in the minority...the regular price was $3.49, so $1 was a pretty heavy discount. Looks like we’ll be adding some white eggs to our current brown, green, blue, copper, and cream colored ones!
Leghorns are great layers, have a good feed to egg ratio, and are smaller chickens, with hens weighing about 4 lbs full grown.
This 12 should fill out our existing flock well, putting us at about 30 chickens. Later this summer, once things are completely set up, we'll be adding the larger flock of 50-55.
I guess technically we're at 33 chickens if you count the three bantams we hatched out just for fun a week or so back. Bantams are mini-chickens that lay mini eggs, so they're more for "cute and kind of cool" than production, but they should be a good addition to the farm regardless.
