Frequently Asked Questions
,Why do the chicks from Beau Peep Farms cost more than hatchery catalogue pricing?
At Beau Peep Farms we have to invest our time and money upfront to source quality chicks at the
lowest prices. When dealing in different currencies there is also the rate of fluctuating exchange.
We then have to pay freight and for the chicks that we import from the USA we have to pay for
health papers which are necessary to cross the border. Border crossing takes time, we also have to be commercially registered and have a CRA# and clear customs. There is travel expense that we incur so that you don't have to. Once the chicks arrive we must ensure they are healthy and off to a good start, each one is inspected, has its beak dipped in the fortified water and placed in its brooder, a very daunting task when dealing with several hundred chicks! Even with our best efforts chicks die, it's part of nature. Most of the hatcheries and breeders understand this and offer some sort of guarantee, usually for the first 48 hours only. Not all of our sources offer a guarantee so any dead loss adds to our costs. For the hatcheries that offer guarantees we have to spend our time and more dollars in freight etc. on replacements. As a farm/business we have overhead costs such as maintenance and building improvements, upgrades, office expenditures, vehicle maintenance, porta-potty, heat and electricity (especially for all of the brooders!), Interac/Credit card fees and rodent control.
What is the advantage of buying my chicks from Beau Peep Farms over buying direct from the hatchery?
When you order from a hatchery there is a minimum number of chicks you must purchase, usually 25. Many hatcheries will also have a minimum per breed/variety so if you want a designer flock you would have to buy much more than you want. You then have to pay for freight charges, health papers and the vehicle costs for you to pick them up. You will also have to take time off of work on a weekday to pick up your chicks and if ordering from the USA you will need to have the personal documents now required to cross the border. At Beau Peep Farms we do all that for you and there are no minimum order requirement, you can mix and match from our large selection of breeds and our knowledgeable staff will answer all of your questions. We are open Wednesday through Sunday from 9am - 5pm with Monday's or Tuesday's and evenings by appointment.
Is there an advantage to buying chicks from Beau Peep Farms rather than the auction or a local advertisement in the paper?
All of the chicks Beau Peep Farms purchases from the federally registered hatcheries are vaccinated against Mareks disease, with the exception of bantam breeds and poultry that does not require it.
All of our chicks come from health inspected facilities who keep closed flocks and practice high standards of bio-security following the recommendations of the National Avian On-Farm Biosecurity Standard. Beau Peep Farms also has implemented Bio-security measures to ensure the chicks stay healthy, that is why nobody other than staff is allowed in the brooder areas.
We sell sexed chicks and mainly bring in pullets (females) to satisfy the need for layers and non-crowers. This eliminates the cost of raising unwanted cockerel chicks along with the pullets until they can be told apart. Typically when you purchase heritage chicks from other sources they do not come sexed which means that half of them will become roosters. If you are after pullets this type of purchase doubles your initial cost, plus will cost you for the feed and trouble to raise the "extra's". We bring in cockerel chicks in very limited quantities and by request for those who wish to breed.
Does Beau Peep Farms offer a guarantee on the chicks they sell?
Unfortunately, we can't offer a guarantee as we typically sell the chicks after the 48 hour hatchery guarantee has already expired. Hatcheries that offer a guarantee make this a requirement that the chicks do not change hands prior to this period. Any chicks lost after the first 48 hours is an expense that can not be recuperated by us or you. It is a fact of nature that sometimes chicks die, so you need to be aware. Once they leave our farm you are responsible for their care and handling and if they should die we do not provide refunds nor replacements. We do try optimize your chicks survival by packing them up to suit your length of travel and the weather conditions. If you are worried about your chicks getting chilled ask us for a heat pack which can be inserted in the bottom of the box. There is an added cost for the heat pack of $2.25.
I don't want any roosters! Does Beau Peep Farms guarantee that I will not get a rooster?
We don't offer a guarantee of sex but we sell as sexed from the hatchery. For most breeds of chickens, ducks and geese the hatcheries provide us with sexed chicks, typically with a 95 percent accuracy rate. They achieve this by "vent sexing" or taking a look inside the birds vent to check for genitals. This means that the odds of your chick being male is 10 percent or 1 in every 10. Unsexed baby birds are sold as they hatched - this means the odds of your chick/duckling/gosling being a male is 50 percent or 1 in every 2. Bantam chicken breeds are simply too small to vent sex with any accuracy so they never are sold as sexed. The odds of your bantam chick being a male is 50 percent or 1 in every 2.
What if I end up with a cockerel that I cannot keep and I don't have the stomach for making him into dinner?
We understand that it is impossible to keep a rooster in some municipalities and that it is difficult to place a rooster - especially one you have raised from a chick and have become attached to! If you have done everything you can to re-home him and have not been successful you can take him to be processed by Trevor Rogers in Langley (23237 24th Ave 604-808-2161) as we no longer have an adoption program due to new bio-security protocols. We do not buy back roosters nor can we offer you a credit for one. DO NOT ABANDON A BIRD AT OUR FARM - AS WE MUST ENSURE THE HEALTH AND SAFETY OF ALL. PLEASE DO NOT BRING ANY BIRDS INTO THE SALES OFFICE/BARN.
What if I want older birds, not brand-new chicks?
Beau Peep Farms sells day old chicks we do not intentionally raise chicks to sell as ready to lay or started chicks. We sell on a first-come-first-served basis and will ONLY HOLD PREPAID ORDERS of chicks for up to a MAXIMUM OF 1-1/2 WEEKS (10 days) of age from hatch date. To hold them here for you we charge $1 per week per chick, $1.50 per week for ducklings or keets and $2.00 per week for Goslings or Turkey Poults. The charge for babysitting on Broilers is $2 per week with a maximum of 1 week (7 days) of age . (Cheepest babysitting you'll ever find!) payable when you pick up your prepaid order. Orders not claimed within the deadline (on or before 14 days of age from hatch date for chicks, poults and waterfowl OR 7 days of age from hatch date for broilers) are deemed forfeited and will be offered for sale as started chicks on a first-come first-served basis in order to make room for the newly hatched arrivals each month. NO REFUNDS ON UNCLAIMED BIRDS. See page 2 of your quote and/or ticket number confirmation for the "fine print". Older birds (LEFT BEHIND OR LEFT OVER) are sold for their day old/base price plus the total cost for "cheep babysitting" and additional development "stages" costs. If you want ready to lay pullets for early spring, order chicks hatching in September as they will be ready to lay when you want them to lay.
How do I decide on which chicks to buy?
The staff at Beau Peep Farms is always happy to answer all of your questions and make recommendations based on your likes, needs and the space you have available to house your birds in. Helping you to build your very own designer flock is something we love to do! We also recommend you do your homework, look up breeds and their requirements on the internet before you decide to get chickens. Check out these friendly sites: www.mypetchicken.com www.backyardpoultry.com
What do I need to take care of my chicks?
At Beau Peep Farms we carry a small selection of feed and basic supplies to help fill in any of the items you may have missed when getting ready for your new chicks. Our knowledgeable staff is always full of helpful hints and can refer you to helpful websites, recommend books or even provide you with need-to-know information at the time of your purchase! Because we care we often ask you questions just to make sure you're fully prepared for the new young lives we are about to put in your hands! A comprehensive site we recommend for many specific chicken care answers (Such as chicken first aid) is: http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2012/01/chicken-first-aid-kit-sick-bay-be.html
What is Marek's vaccinated?
Marek's disease is a virus that is lethal to chickens. Luckily the numbers of cases and severity can be highly reduced by the use of vaccination. At Beau Peep we insist on Marek's vaccinations on all layer type chicks from commercial hatcheries. Vaccination does not guarantee 100% prevention but it is preferred to the alternative.
For more information check out this site: www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marek's_disease
What is Medicated feed?
Medicated poultry feed contains a chemical called Amprolium. Amprolium is an antibiotic used as a preventative to ward off Coccidia. Medicated feed is not enough to cure a sick bird. Amprolium is added to feed to reduce the incidence of Coccidia infection by making the poultry's digestive tract a less hospitable environment to the organism.
What is Coccidiosis?
Coccidiosis is the name for the resulting infection caused by the coccidia organism. Coccidia is a naturally occurring organism that lives in all chickens digestive tracts that when left untreated can kill the stressed young, old, weak or ill bird in record speed. The organism itself is present in all poultry but only does damage when it multiplies unchecked in the digestive tract - the resulting imbalance causes irritation and inflammationof the lining of the intestines, internal bleeding, malabsorption of water and nutrients and can lead to death.
What are mites and lice and are they serious?
Mites, lice, fleas, ticks, worms of many kinds all have one thing in common; they are all harmful parasites and must be addressed. Check out this site: http://www.merckvetmanual.com/poultry/ectoparasites/mites-of-poultry
Do you ship? Yes we ship poultry by air anywhere in Western Canada that is serviced by live animal freight with no more than one connecting flight. BUT are shipping on June 3 for the 2024 season.
Something killed my birds! What was it??! Check out this site: www.http://icwdm.org/inspection/Livestock.aspx It is the "Internet Center for Wildlife Damage Management" it will also help you identify holes, scat and foot prints of predators.
Where can I see breeds of poultry on display? Check out this site: http://www.amerpoultryassn.com/district_eleven.htm The APA lists clubs and all of their shows/events. You can see poultry on display at these events.
Can I keep Turkeys and Chickens together? Many people do keep them together without any problems. The tom turkey being a large and heavy bird may injure a chicken/hen if he tries to mount her (yes, strangely it does happen). Many breeds of turkey also fly well and perch higher up... when they fly down they could land on a chicken and injury may occur. Turkeys are prone to succumbing to Histomoniasis (black head) which, when they are exposed to the disease can kill them. Chickens are more resistant and can be carriers of the disease. For in depth information click on this link: https://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/viewhtml.php?id=343
Do you sell supplies? We do offer some of the basics as well as a few unusual items and giftware. Some items are listed in our catalogue. See what we have to offer when you come to the farm to pick up your chick orders.
Where can I get a chicken coop or plans to build one? Check out this site: http://backyardfarmingguide.com/free-chicken-coop-plans-to-download/ Free plans for building your own coop, repurposing items into feeders, water founts and nest boxes too!
We are new at poultry keeping and have many questions about fowl care, there is so much to learn, where do I go for answers? Ask for a CD to be added to your poultry order for a nominal fee of $4.99 each or order one to be sent to you in the mail! We have CD's for Chickens, Pheasants, Turkeys,Waterfowl, and Quail available that include many informational books, not just links to websites. These are very helpful.
How does a poultry show work?
This pyramid shows how winners are chosen and all the ribbon placements available:
Best of Show
Reserve of Show (second only to the best in the whole show)
Best of Show & Reserve of Show are chosen from the Champions in these 5 categories.
Champion Large Fowl Champion Bantam Champion Water Fowl Champion Turkey Champion Guinea
Class Champions & Reserve Class Champions
Champions & Reserve Champions are chosen from the Best of all of the Breeds entered in each Class.
There are 6 Large Fowl Classes:
American
Continental
AOSB
English
Mediterranean
Asiatic
There are 6 Bantam Classes:
RCCL
SCCL
AOCCL
Feather-legged
Modern Game
Old English
There are 2 Water Fowl classes:
Ducks
Geese
There is a single Turkey Class
There is a single Guinea Class
Best (first place) & Reserve (second place) of breed
Best of Breed (first place) & Reserve of Breed (second place) are chosen from the first, second, third choices from each color variety in each Breed Class. For example: there would be a Best of Breed and Reserve of Breed for Orpingtons chosen from the black Orpingtons, buff Orpingtons, and white Orpingtons. (the third best buff may be better breed type than say the white first place and the black second place)
Only breeds and varieties admitted to the American Standard of Perfection may compete for the American Poultry Association, inc. special prizes and awards. Non-recognized varieties may only be awarded RV and BV and non-recognized breeds may only be awarded RB and BB.
Breeds belonging in each of the classes:
Large Breed Chicken Classes
AMERICAN CLASS:
Plymouth Rocks, Dominiques, Wyandottes, Javas, Rhode Island Reds, Rhode Island Whites, Buckeyes, Chanteclers, Jersey Giants,
Lamonas, New Hampshires, Hollands and Delawares.
ASIATIC CLASS:
Cochins, Langshans, Brahmas
ENGLISH CLASS:
Dorkings, Redcaps, Cornish, Orpingtons, Sussex, Australorps
MEDITERRANEAN CLASS:
Leghorns, Minorcas, Spanish, Andalusians, Anconas, Sicilian Buttercups, Catalanas
CONTINENTAL CLASS:
Hamburgs, Campines, Lakenvelders, Polish, Houdans, Crevecoeurs, La Fleche, Faverolles, Welsumers, Barnevelders, and Marans
ALL OTHER STANDAR BREEDS:
Modern Games, Old English Games, Sumatras, Malays, Cubalayas, Phoenix, Yokohamas, Aseels, Shamos, Sultans, Naked Necks,
Araucanas, Ameraucanas
Bantam Breed Classes
MODERN GAME BANTAMS:
Modern Game
GAME BANTAMS:
American Game, Old English Game
SINGLE COMB CLEAN LEGGED BANTAMS:
Anconas, Andalusians, Australorps, Campines, Catalanas, Delawares, Dorkings, Dutch, Hollands, Japanese, Javas, Jersey Giants,
Lakenvelders, Lamonas, Leghorns, Minorcas, Naked Necks, New Hampshires, Orpingtons, Phoenix, Plymouth Rocks, Rhode Island
Reds, Spanish , Sussex, Serama, Nankin
ROSECOMB CLEAN LEGGED BANTAMS:
Anconas, Antwerp Belgians {D'Anvers}, Dominiques, Dorkings, Hamburgs, Leghorns, Minorcas, Redcaps, Rhode Island Reds, Rhode
Island Whites, Rosecombs, Sebrights, Wyandottes, Nankin
ALL OTHER CLEAN LEGGED BANTAMS:
Ameraucanas, Araucanas, Buckeyes, Chanteclers, Cornish, Crevecoeurs, Cubalayas, Houdans, KO Shamo, La Fleche, Malays,
Polish, Shamos, Sicilian Buttercups, Sumatras, Yokohamas
FEATHERED LEGGED BANTAMS:
Booted, Brahmas, Cochins, Belgian d'Uccle, Faverolles, Langshans, Silkies, Sultans
Duck Classes
HEAVY WEIGHT CLASS:
Pekin, Aylesbury, Rouen, Muscovy, Appleyard, Saxony
MEDIUM WEIGHT CLASS:
Cayuga, Crested, Swedish, Buff
LIGHT WEIGHT CLASS:
Runner, Campbell, Magpie, Welsh Harlequin
BANTAM DUCK CLASS:
Call, East Indies, Mallards
Goose Classes
HEAVY CLASS:
Toulouse, Embden, African
MEDIUM CLASS:
Sebastopol, Pilgrim, American Buff, Pomeranian,
Steinbacher
LIGHT CLASS:
Chinese, Tufted Roman, Canada, Egyptian
Turkey Class
{all turkeys compete in one class}
Bronze, Narragansett, White Holland, Black, Slate, Bourbon Red, Beltsville Small White, Royal Palm
Guinea Fowl Class
{all Guinea Fowl compete in one class}
Lavender, Pearl, White
Best of Variety
The best of each colour variety represented in each single breed entered.
For further information on purebred poultry, poultry standards, showing and judging information go to:
https://www.amerpoultryassn.com/Breed%20Variety%20Info.htm#
My chicken laid an egg without a shell! This and other strange eggs discussed, reasons and prevention/cures explained here:
https://poultrykeeper.com/egg-problems/
For more information on many poultry topics and links check out our Friendly Links Page
A great place to pick up chicks!
Beau Peep Farms