Raincreek is run by Andy and Pam Buck and is centrally located in the South Kitsap community of Sunnyslope, between Port Orchard, Belfair and Bremerton. We are a small hatchery looking to provide our customers with locally hatched healthy chicks and startup advice to those who might be getting chickens for the first time.
We offer a locally hatched alternative to the large out of state hatcheries. We do not buy chicks from other hatcheries and have them shipped in to resell. We vaccinate our chicks for Marek's disease but will sell unvaccinated chicks on a pre-order basis. Our chicks are fed certified organic, unmedicated feed until the age of 6 weeks. Some of our chickens are kept in movable pens, called chicken tractors, so that they have access to the grass and bugs that are their natural foods while still being protected from predators. The parent stock of the chicks that we offer, are here at the farm so that our customers can see what the chicks will look like when they are grown.
The only young chicks that we can sex are the Golden Stars. All other young chicks are sold straight run which means that you will get both males and females. We can start to tell the sex on some of the breeds when they are from 4 to 6 weeks old. Other breeds we cannot. The toughest breeds, that we have, to sex are the Easter Eggers, and Blue Laced Red Wyandottes.
We are planning to offer Black Stars in late Spring/Summer of 2012. The Black Star is a solid black chicken with a beautiful beatle green highlights. Like the Golden Stars, they are a sex linked chicken which means that the males hatch a different color than the females so they can easily be sexed at hatch. They should also be excellent layers.
Breeds on Our Farm:
Buff Orpington: We call this breed the “Golden Retriever” of the chicken world. The hens are big, quiet, fluffy, beautiful golden birds. Our hen has been a consistent layer through the winter and is very regular in giving us 5 large, nicely shaped, brown eggs per week. Our stock originates from hatchery birds. $4.00* each straight run UNAVAILABLE UNTIL SUMMER 2012
Easter Egger: These come in many color combinations and lay eggs with shells that are various shades of green or blue. Easter eggers may or may not have very cute cheek puffs and beards which are characteristic of the Ameraucana chicken. These do not necessarily meet the APA breed standard for Ameraucana chickens. $4.00* each straight run
Golden Star: This chicken is an outstanding producer of xtra large to jumbo brown eggs. The Golden Star is a cross between two different pure breeds of chickens. They start laying eggs earlier and out produce all of our other breeds. They have a sweet disposition, do not eat a lot, and are a pretty, reddish color trimmed with a little white. They are “Sex Linked”, which means that their color at hatching is linked to the sex of the chick, which makes it possible for us to easily differentiate the males from the females. This is the only breed that we are currently selling young chicks as sexed pullets (girls). $6.00* each pullets (girls)
Rhode Island Red: This is a hearty breed that is one of our favorites. They are great layers of beautifully shaped, brown colored eggs. Ours did not stop laying eggs during the winter months. This is not a timid breed and you will find them always under foot whenever you are in the pen with them. They have wonderful friendly temperaments. $4.00* each straight run
Rhode Island White: These plain white chickens did not catch my eye at first. But they are a great little egg producer. I have come to appreciate their steady temperament and beautiful, wonderfully shaped large brown eggs. $4.00* each straight run
Barred Plymouth Rock also referred to as Barred Rock: This is an old American favorite. They have a sweet temperament and make a great pet family bird. These are black and white with an all-over barred pattern. They are dependable layers of large, medium to light brown eggs and will add some visual variety to a mixed flock. $4.00* each straight run
Welsummer: The Welsummers are a pretty partridge colored bird. These birds are active, friendly and quite vocal. When we approach the pen they talk to us more than any of our other breeds. Our Welsummers lay a very nice dark terra cotta brown colored egg. Some of the eggs are speckled. $7.00* each straight run
Blue Copper Marans: The Marans are known for their dark brown eggs. Some call them chocolate brown. The eggs from the Blue Marans are generally not as dark as the Black Copper Marans. When breeding blues the possible color outcomes are blue, black and splash. I have a blue rooster with blue, blue copper, and splash hens in this pen. I hatched these blue marans from hatching eggs that I purchased from David Prather so these are not hatchery stock. They all have feathered shanks. The boys in this breed have matured fast and they are nice and broad making these a good table bird as well. The chicks from this pen should lay a dark egg a bit lighter than a true black copper. Blacks $6.00* each straight run, Blue and Splash $7.00* each straight run
Blue Laced Red Wyandotte: The Wyandotte is an American bred chicken. The feathers are loose fitting giving this breed a fluffy look. Their eggs are lightly tinted brown. The Blue Laced Red color is quite new and not yet a APA recognized color but they can be shown in the Open class. The Blue Laced Red color is stunningly beautiful. I am in love with the color of this breed. My breeding stock started from eggs purchased from 3 different breeders so they are not hatchery stock. I have had a difficult time determining the sex of these as they are growing. $7.00* each straight run
Speckled Sussex: Lovely mahogany red with white, black and emerald spots makes the Speckled Sussex a fancy bird to look at. Both our hens and rooster are very nice to be around. $4.00* each straight run
Light Sussex and Light Sussex split to Coronation: The Light Sussex is my largest breed. The color is white with black on the neck and tail. My stock comes from Thom Dean. His Light Sussex hens were bred to a Coronation Rooster which is from the line imported by Greenfire Farm from Australia in 2007. The color of the Coronation Sussex is white with lavender (appears as a bluish grey) on the neck and tail. All of my Light Sussex are considered Light Sussex split to Coronation and they carry the gene for the lavender color of the Coronation. The chicks that I am hatching now have a 25% chance of being Coronation, a 25% chance of being Lights and a 50% chance of turning out to be splits. $8.00* each straight run
Buff Sussex: This is turning out to be one of my favorites. The Buff Sussex is a very rare, hard to find, breed but worth the trouble. The buff color is like the buff orpington but also has the addition of black trim around the neck and on the tail. My hens are gregarious, friendly and have a very stable temperament. This is a large breed, wonderful for a table bird as well as great layers. My Buff Sussex rooster is the most beautiful rooster I have. $7.00* each straight run
Coronation Sussex: We will possibly have coronation sussex chicks available starting in March 2012. I have a couple that have started laying but I am waiting for better egg size to start hatching them.
* The prices in the breed descriptions above are the starting prices for new chicks. I increase the prices as the chicks get older and at the point when I can tell the sex.
Hatching Eggs:
Call for availability.
You do not have to order a whole dozen and you may mix and match. When you order the hatching eggs we can discuss a pickup date that works for you and insures that you will get fresh eggs. At this time I am not shipping hatching eggs so pickup is required.
If you need help deciding which breed is right for your situation give us a call and, if you wish, we can schedule a time for you to come out and take a look at the different breeds and talk with us.
Pam Buck (253) 973-8068