b'Frequently Asked QuestionsWhat are the best egg layers?If you want a great brown egg layer then we suggest you add any of our Stars, Barred Rocks or Rhode Island Reds to your flock.If white eggs are what you are after, then give the Ideal 236 a try .What are the best dual-purpose chickens for egg production/meat?Barred Rocks and Rhode Island Reds are great for laying eggs year round, and their heavy size makes these breeds an excellent source of meat as well.Can I mix my day-old poultry with my existing flock?We suggest waiting until your new chicks reach maturity. At that time, we recommend slowly introducing them to your existing flock to help lessen any issues that may occur while establishing a new pecking order.What is the proper male/female ratio to ensure fertile eggs?We suggest that for every 10 females you have 1 male to ensure egg fertility.When will my hens begin to lay?Hens will begin to lay at about 20 weeks of age, at this time they should be on a full laying ration. We recom-mend 16% protein laying pellets. It is important that your hens are getting enough light. They will need 14 hours of light or more per day to lay efficiently. This means you will need to provide artificial lighting in the winter months.What does st. run mean?St. Run is a mixture of male and female chicks. They are boxed as hatched so we do not know what the male to female ratio will be.At what age can I tell males from females?Typically, by 16-18 weeks of age. Some poultry such as Guineas and some breeds of Geese you will not be able to tell unless you observe them mating.Do I have to pay for shipping? Orders shipped within the Continental U.S. are not charged shipping. Orders shipped outside the Continen-tal U.S will be charged a $25 shipping fee. How do you ship the chicks?Our Poultry is shipped via priority mail through the United States Postal Service.When will I get my chicks?Once your chicks have left our facility, they should arrive within 48-72 hours at the post office that services your zip code. There are some instances when your chicks could arrive within 24 hours, so please be prepared. Once the chicks have entered the postal system, we cannot control what time or day that they will arrive.Will the post office deliver my chicks to my house?Ideal Poultry prefers that you pick your chicks up when they arrive at your local post office. This will help ensure that your poultry is not left unattended in the weather.What are my payment options?Ideal Poultry has three payment options available. Credit Card and PayPal are the most popular; however, you can pay by mail using cash, check or money order as long as payment arrives prior to shipment.55 1-800-243-3257 IdealPoultry.com sales@idealpoultry.com'