We’ve ordered the chicks. Sadly, we were not able to find more Red Stars so we ended up ordering 25 Pearl White Leghorns from Murray McMurray Hatchery.
According to the box, this brand starts laying a few weeks earlier than most and continues laying 10-12 weeks longer. The folks at McMurray recommend this layer to farmers who want to maximize egg production.
Since the whole reason we started raising chickens is for eggs, and eventually meat, buying this brand seemed like a good idea.
They are more disease resistant and cold tolerant and they don’t need as much feed to keep up egg production, but…they can fly higher because they are so light and they are skittish around humans.
In just about every post I’ve read from my fellow backyard chicken bloggers, the flightiness is the biggest negative and the most annoying trait of this breed.
I’m not too worried about it though. We have the best pair of chicken catchers around living right on our property.
Plus, the hatchery threw in a “free rare exotic chick“.
The chicks are on the way
They’ll be here any day
They’ll be white with red
With straw for their bed
If they’re all alive I’ll shout yay!
a pinch of homestead 