Cream Legbars

[lonnyandrinda]

in my experience, the first pullet eggs may be just slightly 'bluer' than the later ones -- possibly because the eggs increase in size as the pullet gets to maturity. It definitely has never been like the Marans type of color fading that occurs during the egg cycle, because with Cream Legbars, the color ISN'T a coating like the brown-laying breeds, but a pigment that is incorporated into the entire shell and it is blue both inside and outside unlike brown egg layers.

:O)



Rinda- I wonder if the white eggs you got have any connection to your white sports.

I don't think so... and the fading is not nearly as drastic as with my Marans, don't get me wrong. It is a much more subtle fading but I still think it's there.

 

[WHmarans]

I've been selling my 8-10 week old pullets for $20 each and Roos for $10. All on Craigslist. If they buy 3 or more, the Roo's free (sometimes they're free anyway when I'm down to "0" hens!). I grow them out a bit so I can keep my best girls, so far it's been only 2 outa 10 that I end up keeping.

Re: what to do w/ roo chicks. We hv sparrow traps because we had 1000"s of the nasty buggers and they were eating me outa house and home from my grower pen feeders. We found (it was recommended in the trap) that if we put the trapped sparrows in a small plastic garbage bag and quickly filled it w/ 3-4 sprays of starting fluid, then quickly tied it up, in a few hrs we'd come back and they would hv peaceably passed. !

I have a quick question for you if its ok... What kind of starter fluid? I considered this once until I started reading labels and ingredients on starter fluid bottles.

BTW I cull by donating to a local raptor rehabilitation center. They assure me they have a fast method they feel is humane. Recovering eagles don't eat carrots and that's just the way God made it so as long as she does something she feels is quick and humane and some bird of prey makes use of the loss to live and reproduce that's the best I feel I can do.

 

[lonnyandrinda]

I have a quick question for you if its ok... What kind of starter fluid? I considered this once until I started reading labels and ingredients on starter fluid bottles.

BTW I cull by donating to a local raptor rehabilitation center. They assure me they have a fast method they feel is humane. Recovering eagles don't eat carrots and that's just the way God made it so as long as she does something she feels is quick and humane and some bird of prey makes use of the loss to live and reproduce that's the best I feel I can do.

I think that's a viable solution, too. I had a friend who would pick up some of my batches of baby boys for his vulture. He's gone on a church mission right now and the vulture went to live with his grown son.

 

[Ashdoes]

I think a raptor rescue is a great idea. I'm going to see if there are any in my area.

So, I've been selling eggs, because I hate for them not to be chicks. I store them correctly, I date them and I remove any that aren't perfect.
Today I got an email from one of the people I sold to, telling me only three of the nine hatched, and she doesn't know why. She then proceeded to tell me how I should store the eggs I'm going to sell her in the future. And, that maybe it was genetics or inbreeding that caused them not to hatch.
How do I have any control over any of that? We had 9 of 14 hatch our first time, so clearly the eggs are fine. I am having an issue in this latest batch, with air cells on the sides, but again, I can't control whatever that hen is doing.
I'm actually not going to sell eggs anymore, because I can't control that aspect of them, and end up feeling bad when something goes wrong. I applaud all of you that ship eggs, and then take heat from buyers that aren't happy. You have thicker skin then me!

 

[GaryDean26]

It appears that there have been people for over a 125 of years that by their unrealistic demands are forcing honest people to keep their flocks private and not offer hatching eggs. The words below were published in the 1890's.



I had a similar situation last fall. Dealing with unreasonable people has put me on the verge of making mine a private flock too.

As long as you are selling fresh egg from pens with vigorous stock you are doing everything in your control.

Sorry to hear about your bad experience.

 

[dretd]

I think a raptor rescue is a great idea. I'm going to see if there are any in my area.

So, I've been selling eggs, because I hate for them not to be chicks. I store them correctly, I date them and I remove any that aren't perfect.
Today I got an email from one of the people I sold to, telling me only three of the nine hatched, and she doesn't know why. She then proceeded to tell me how I should store the eggs I'm going to sell her in the future. And, that maybe it was genetics or inbreeding that caused them not to hatch.
How do I have any control over any of that? We had 9 of 14 hatch our first time, so clearly the eggs are fine. I am having an issue in this latest batch, with air cells on the sides, but again, I can't control whatever that hen is doing.
I'm actually not going to sell eggs anymore, because I can't control that aspect of them, and end up feeling bad when something goes wrong. I applaud all of you that ship eggs, and then take heat from buyers that aren't happy. You have thicker skin then me!

I know that is really hard ans I would feel bad too. I have gotten many shipments of eggs in and have an expectation that 0% will hatch so I am happy when 2/12 actually make it. I know that it is mainly the shipping process but the packaging can influence how the embryos make the journey. IMHO, I think that how the eggs are stored beforehand makes little difference in the end result as long as they are not abused.

Last hatch I decided to include a set of eggs from my own flock along with the shipped to make sure that it was the shipping and not me. 4/4 fertile eggs hatched from my flock and only 2/12 from the shipped and one of those had problems but made it in the end. I had 6 eggs collected form one hen over a weeks time left unturned on the counter in my kitchen last year and gave them to a lady an hour away to try to hatch. 5/6 hatched and did really well. She set some shipped eggs alongside and she said she was not happy with them but I don't recall the result.

So if you change your mind and decide to ship eggs in the future, just be sure to include your personal viability on eggs hatched at home and add a lengthy disclaimer about shipping eggs. I doubt its you, but you will have to deal with unhappy folks that have not received many shipped eggs in and have unrealitistically high expectations.

 

[Laingcroft]

Heathcliff's first batch of offspring at a little over a week old. Some are just beginning to show the down lift bump where crests will come in. Four cockerels and seven pullets. Decent hatch rate though I think I have to adjust my incubator - two pipped but never zipped, two zipped but never hatched and one blood ring. Some of the pullets had willow toes....weird.

 

[enola]

What are willow toes?

 

[Laingcroft]

It appears that there have been people for over a 125 of years that by their unrealistic demands are forcing honest people to keep their flocks private and not offer hatching eggs. The words below were published in the 1890's.

So right. Some things never change.

 

[Laingcroft]

What are willow toes?

A greenish cast to the yellow skin. Don't know where it comes from but they will mature completely yellow.