# Hello!!! Need some advice!!!



## debgentile (Nov 12, 2013)

Hello everyone!!!
Well, got a beautiful coop with an EXTRA run. Now, I am ready to get some chicks, but I need your advice!!!

I am looking for:
#1: A quiet breed
#2: A friendly, docile and calm breed.
#3: A good egg layer.

I live in Florida, so also a breed that can endure the worst of the summer heat (June through September.

We have a very large fenced in back yard with a six foot high vinyl fence all around the yard. I plan on letting them forage freely often.

The breeds I am leaning toward so far are:
Australorps
EE (Americana/Ameracauna)
Buff Orpintons

Any advice and suggestions would be greatly appreciated!!! Thanks so much!!!!


----------



## hildar (Oct 3, 2013)

I have not had experience with the first 2 and this year is my first year to have Buffs, however they do seem to be quiet. Also Delawares are quiet and seem to have friendly hens and roosters. After the experience we just had of a whole heard of chickens coming to greet us while we were getting food for the rooster pens, and the quiet we heard from the Delawares and the Buff I would recommend them. My GLW's were another story when it came to them thinking we had food for them. However I have noticed that Delawares have a habit of wanting to grab the feed bucket even when its empty to see what is in it. The buffs just walk off.


----------



## debgentile (Nov 12, 2013)

Thanks for the input!


----------



## 7chicks (Jun 29, 2012)

I have an Australorp, one that is an Australorp/White Rock mix, and an Ameraucana (besides Barred Rock & RIR). All 3 are quiet, friendly, good foragers, and are good egg layers. My Australorp & Ameraucana tend to be broody. I live in a northern climate though so I'm of no use as far as how they fair in Florida weather.


----------



## kaufranc (Oct 3, 2012)

EE are a good choice . They are friendly , not very nosy and best they give you colored eggs! They also come in a variety of colors and patterns!


----------



## MaransGuy (Jul 15, 2013)

Australorps are great!


----------



## debgentile (Nov 12, 2013)

*Hello!!! Need some advice!!! It's me again!!*

Hello everyone!!! I live in Wesley Chapel, Florida (20miles north of Tampa). I am ready to go.....I have my beautiful coop set up with an extra large run, we have a very large fenced in back yard (6ft high vinyl fencing all around),very secure and safe.

I have been searching and searching for a breeder or a hatchery IN FLORIDA, where I can purchase a few chicks. My Pet Chicken will sell me a few but they'd be coming all the way from Connecticut and I'm worried about the chicks safety and well-being. So I thought finding somebody in Florida would be safer for the chicks.

DOES ANYONE KNOW OF SOMEONE IN FLORIDA THAT WILL SELL ME A FEW CHICKS?

Here is what I'm looking for:

#1 A quiet breed

#2 A friendly and docile breed

#3 A good egg layer

The breeds I'm leaning towards are:

Orpingtons

Australorps

Easter Eggers (Ameraucaunas)

Thanks so much for you help and advice.


----------



## MaransGuy (Jul 15, 2013)

Hey! I know a guy in Live Oak, FL who sells chicks. There are only a couple of breeds he has which meets your standards. One of them is the Lavender Ameraucana. I've been down there before and he has a great set up. I don't know much at all about him though. I have heard of people who liked and didn't like their experience. Me personally, I'm not sure. I went down there with a friend to get her some chicks. He sold her a rooster as a hen, but he may not have known. His website is sawmillchickenfarm.com 

If that doesn't work them let me know. I also know a hatchery down in FL as well. I would have to look it up again, but i would be glad to if he doesn't work out. Just let me know.


----------



## n8gnf (Oct 1, 2013)

I live just south of Live Oak and have heard of this guy ( all good nothing bad). I have 6 hens 1 bared rock, 1 ameracauns,1 RIR,1 Orpington and 2 Red Cross. They are all friendly and quiet. In the hear they hide under a bush. When I come outside they all come to see if I have snacks ( they are a little spoiled)


----------



## debgentile (Nov 12, 2013)

Thank you so much everyone!! I'll contact the guy in Live Oaks, Florida


----------



## hildar (Oct 3, 2013)

Now there is a hatchery in Florida that I would advise not going to. I had big time issues, I even ordered eggs and got all the wrong eggs time and time again, and most eggs were not even fertile. It is called chickenhouseplus. I was out over $500 this year in eggs that either were not fertile, or had the wrong breeds in it. What did hatch out was not good quality either. My Delawares have yellow on their backs I know Delawares and that is not normal. However I was lucky to have gotten 9 babies out of 24 eggs to hatch. My red stars ended up being a backyard mix and only 2 out of 24 eggs hatched. I ended up with a BO and a turken. For the replacement of the red star eggs she once again sent me the wrong eggs, I ended up with 24 BO eggs and none hatched. She then replaced those with 24 more eggs and once again it was a flop I got 1 GLW out of it. Not what I had ordered. At that point I wrote this place down as a place not to buy eggs from or babies. In total I had over 200 eggs in the incubator through the summer from this place and ended up with 15 babies. All of which are not pure breeds, or not what I ordered.

I would leave this place off your list of places to go to for babies. I read a few horror stories about dead babies from there, box after box full, so that is why I tried fertile eggs. Now I can say even the fertile eggs are a horror story. Some folks may have had some luck, however when I lose that much cash in a year for nothing it's a big loss.


----------

