Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Buying Your Birds
Once you have your brooder set up, you are ready to add the birds. To obtain game birds,
you have three options: You can start by purchasing adults locally or via the mail; you
can buy day-old chicks and have them shipped to you in the mail; or you can buy hatch-
ing eggs from a local source or through the mail.
Although having day-olds shipped to you is the most common beginning route, it's a
choice that can be rather pricey. Unless you are able to pick up your babies at the hatch-
ery or from a local breeder, you'll see shipping charges add up quickly. This choice also
has its risks. Shipping can be tough on baby birds, particularly during very cold and hot,
humid times of the year.
If you purchase adults locally, you not only save shipping costs, you also bypass the
challenge of rearing from day-olds. Instead of brooders, you'll start with secure pens.
But keep in mind that adults are usually about five times the price of day-olds.
SHIPPED GAME BIRDS
It's best if you get game bird chicks shipped express in the mail to keep shipping
time to one day, or two at the very most. Express mail has made it possible to receive
healthy chicks from all over the country and has increased the availability of all dif-
ferent kinds of birds. In the last century, acquiring tender game birds by mail was not
an option. If hatcheries were not located nearby, you had no choice but to hatch game
birds yourself.
These days, losses of shipped day-olds are minimal. However, because heat- and
cold-related disasters do occur, make sure that the hatchery or breeder insures the
chick order shipment to protect both parties in the event of a loss.
Adults must also be shipped by express mail. Keep in mind that because of their
weight, express mail charges can get quite pricey for grown birds.
Whether or not you start with eggs or day-olds is just a matter of adding a few steps
in the rearing process. When you are involved in all aspects of the raising, incubating
eggs can be thoroughly satisfying. Choosing to work with eggs also can be depressing if
the eggs are shipped and the shipping process lowers the hatch rate to a negligible num-
ber. But seeing the little ones hatch and identifying with them from the first few hours
of life can be a very rewarding experience for many.
Day-olds coming through the mail can be a rewarding and exciting raising choice,
and it removes some of the risks associated with shipping eggs, although shipping also
stresses baby birds and death losses are often a result. Recent improvements with feder-
