[t161tanya161]

Hi everyone,
I have seen loads of adverts for day old chicks, which would be handy so i wouldn't have to destroy any boys. I was wondering if you can put them in a box to take them home or will they die of cold? It might seem a silly question but i don't want to go and buy some only for them all to die before i get them home into their brooder!
Many thanks

[Lewjam]

You will only be able to be sure of sex is they are sexlinked hybrids.

Ie most chicks you wont know the difference, are you sure the adverts you are seeing are for sexlinked chicks?

Other then that, as long as the journey isnt long and they are in a insulated warm environment im guessing they will be fine, maybe a hot water bottle under the box to make sure they stay cosey (but not too hot!)

[t161tanya161]

They say they are pure breed cream legbars. The man said that they can tell the day they hatch - girls dark and the boys light. Is that true? I really don't want to be sold hybrids and be told they are pure breed.
Many Thanks!

[twigs]

If they are legbars then they are an autosexing breed and sexable at hatch, anything with 'bar' at the end legbar, cobar, rhodebar are sexlinked and pure breed, having been developed years ago but the development of hybrids took over and they became rather overshadowed, a shame as there are some good breeds,  so you are not restricted to just hybrids.  You can look at the autosexing register for a list of breeds.

 Remember if you buy as day olds you will have to provide heat until fully feathered at around 5-6 weeks depending on breed and feed chick crumb and then growers, then layers, you should get eggs at around 25 weeksish.....it depends on what you want really, cheaper to buy day olds but they require constant care for some months before you get any eggs or pol which are obviously more expensive, either way you can buy just pullets