Recent content by dheltzel

  1. dheltzel

    SandHill Preservation review

    When I have gotten chicks or ducklings from Sand Hill, they sent a "packing list" that has 3 or 4 letter codes for each breed. Do you have that? If you list what is marked on that list, I may be able to help you figure out what the breeds of the "filler" chicks. I would like to address the...
  2. dheltzel

    Aztec Ducks!

    That is me and my website. I have been maintaining Aztecs for a few years, and Australian Spotted and Mini Silver Appleyards even longer. All 3 are similar in many ways. I mostly breed chickens and have significant experience shipping chicks, but whenever I ship bantam ducklings, there is very...
  3. dheltzel

    Pennsylvania!! Unite!!

    Most chicken breeds are on their "Priority Conservation List" and the status they assign is not even close to reality. I was a member briefly before I realized they gave very little attention to poultry. I don't blame them, they serve a niche with the larger animals, but the conservation efforts...
  4. dheltzel

    Pennsylvania!! Unite!!

    Sent you a PM. I still have many chicks this week.
  5. dheltzel

    Pennsylvania!! Unite!!

    I actually have quite a few unsold chicks this week. I tried to accelerate my hatches to meet demand and as a result, I have a lot of blue egg layers every week.
  6. dheltzel

    Pennsylvania!! Unite!!

    Unless the coop is quite large, I would line the inside with plywood, but not add any insulation.
  7. dheltzel

    Pennsylvania!! Unite!!

    I use a gravity wagon parked inside a large shed. It holds over 2 tons of pellet feed, which is the minimum for delivery from the feed mills. Double layer of heavy tarps over the top. 5 gallon buckets with lids are filled from the shute. I have a low plastic stock tank under the shute, and the...
  8. dheltzel

    Pennsylvania!! Unite!!

    The Genetic Hackle roosters are the most mild-mannered of all my roosters. They make great pets and know everything a rooster is supposed to do. As protectors, they are small and will probably not stand up to a hawk, but will be running faster than the hens away from it. Roosters can be a lot of...
  9. dheltzel

    Pennsylvania!! Unite!!

    The Ameraucanas are not sexable as chicks, but the PA Blue Eggers are half Ameraucana. I can figure out getting chicks for you whenever you want them.
  10. dheltzel

    Pennsylvania!! Unite!!

    Not surprising at all. Most breeders make Olive Eggers by crossing an Ameraucana with a Marans. Hatcheries often use Cuckoo Marans pullets with an Ameraucana cockerel to make them black sexlinks. I use California Greys (white eggs) with the Ameraucana to make black sexlinks that lay light blue...
  11. dheltzel

    Pennsylvania!! Unite!!

    @TillyPeeps has had these in the past (Blue Egg Laying Black Sexlinks). She might have a photo. She was instrumental in me bringing these back, she kept asking for them every year.
  12. dheltzel

    Pennsylvania!! Unite!!

    I hatch many breeds all summer. I tend to stop hatching the hybrids whenever demand drops, but this year I expect demand to be high much longer, and the hybrids are the most exceptional layers, so hatching more of them, longer into the summer seems to make sense. The PA Blue Eggers look so much...
  13. dheltzel

    Pennsylvania!! Unite!!

    No minimum, other than what is good for the chicks. All of the colored egg laying breeds have very docile hens. Opal legbar and Ameraucana roosters often develop an attitude, but the girls are all very sweet. Adding just a few pullets can be challenging, as the older ones are often quite...
  14. dheltzel

    Searching for good quality, heritage chick breeders

    "straight run" is the only way Sand Hill sells their poultry. Even with autosexing breeds where the sexes are pretty obvious. Sexing black barred chicks like Barred Hollands is much trickier, so you will get a random mix of sexes. I know that is frustrating, but this is the way that breed...
  15. dheltzel

    Pennsylvania!! Unite!!

    I just added a page for the latest rare breed I am working with. http://welbars.com/rare-breeds/scots-dumpy/ I very rarely name my birds, but the pullet in the pics is exceptional, so she got a name.
See more
Back
Top Bottom