➡I accidentally bought Balut eggs: 2 live ducks! Now a Chat Thread!

[littleprairieheartsfarm]

Order production birds from Ideal.
Australorps do really well here.

We breed Australorps. That would be what we hatch out.

My (large fowl) birds from Ideal are small though as in height, frame, and egg size. Are yours big at all? We got Barred Rocks, Hampshires Reds, Rhode Reds, and an EE from them but all of them are our smallest birds.

 

[Molpet]

Okay everyone. We are in need of MORE hens apparently because we are stuck on a long waiting list for eggs... so I want some input.

Do we hatch out our own eggs, keep the pullets and rid of the boys?

Or

Do we order from a hatchery and get an assortment of known prolific layers like production reds, and some other brown egg layers. (We were told by our customers that they like brown only, no white eggs)

This also produces the issue of laying age. Production reds lay quicker. Our two personal pullets didn’t start laying until 28-32 weeks old. So I would assume it’s the same for whatever else we may hatch.

Draw back to production reds is they slow down laying at 2 and have health issues... But lay in winter....and that will give you time to hatch

 

[Kiki]

We breed Australorps. That would be what we hatch out.

My (large fowl) birds from Ideal are small though as in height, frame, and egg size. Are yours big at all? We got Barred Rocks, Hampshires Reds, Rhode Reds, and an EE from them but all of them are our smallest birds.

My smallestest are the Welsummers.
My EE and Australorps are big.

 

[littleprairieheartsfarm]

Draw back to production reds is they slow down laying at 2 and have health issues... But lay in winter....and that will give you time to hatch

That is true, so far we’ve had a nice winter laying because our spring pullets came into lay early fall but next winter they’ll be molting and stop...

My smallestest are the Welsummers.
My EE and Australorps are big.

Aw darn, I wanted to add a couple Welsummers for the dark eggs. Maybe it was just this group, they were all from the same hatch. I’ll look up more on Ideal.

 

[Conan]

That is true, so far we’ve had a nice winter laying because our spring pullets came into lay early fall but next winter they’ll be molting and stop...


Aw darn, I wanted to add a couple Welsummers for the dark eggs. Maybe it was just this group, they were all from the same hatch. I’ll look up more on Ideal.

My Welsummer is huge. She is way larger than my EE hens. She's beautiful and has spurs, but appears to be too stupid to know how they work.
She still lays even though she is an older girl. Her eggs vary from lighter brown to deep dark brown with speckles. Despite this, I still kinda hate her. She's got the lamest lack of personality ever.

 

[ShrekDawg]

I really like my birds from Meyer Hatchery. They have all been very healthy and lay very well. Even EEs which aren’t supposed to lay that well are some of my best layers lol plus they have a lot of assortments and production packs and stuff for way cheaper than ordering breeds separately!

 

[ShrekDawg]

https://meyerhatchery.com/

https://meyerhatchery.com/productlist.a5w?subcat=5042&cat=1020

https://meyerhatchery.com/productinfo.a5w?prodID=PRPF

https://meyerhatchery.com/productinfo.a5w?prodID=APRF

https://meyerhatchery.com/productinfo.a5w?prodID=AELS

https://meyerhatchery.com/productinfo.a5w?prodID=AWES

https://meyerhatchery.com/productinfo.a5w?prodID=AMBS

 

[ShrekDawg]

Also, I have never ordered from them but I really like the look of Cackle Hatchery’s birds too and they have a lot of pictures of their birds on their website.

https://www.cacklehatchery.com/

 

[ShrekDawg]

Cackle apparently has assortments too.

https://www.cacklehatchery.com/assorted-heavy-females-hatchery-choice.html

https://www.cacklehatchery.com/baby-chicks/bargain-specials.html

 

[RUNuts]

Okay everyone. We are in need of MORE hens apparently because we are stuck on a long waiting list for eggs... so I want some input.

Do we hatch out our own eggs, keep the pullets and rid of the boys?

Or

Do we order from a hatchery and get an assortment of known prolific layers like production reds, and some other brown egg layers. (We were told by our customers that they like brown only, no white eggs)

This also produces the issue of laying age. Production reds lay quicker. Our two personal pullets didn’t start laying until 28-32 weeks old. So I would assume it’s the same for whatever else we may hatch.

Sounds like hatchery reds for the speed. We got Leghorns for Crazy Lady. Largest but white, eggs. We eat those. The brown ones, last year, we sold to offset feed. Not a money making proposition. Downsized last fall and the egg selling guy wanted the brown layers. There they went.

I'd suggest getting hatchery reds. Having them lay one year and then selling while hatching your own and growing the flock. You'll be able to sell layers at one year old.

My ideal birds started laying by Thanksgiving and continued through the first winter. Small eggs, but eggs none the less. With 3 dark red, 3 light red and 4 Barred Rocks, we got medium sized eggs. Quite a few, but most were mediums. One girl always layed a small egg. I ate the small ones. Tasted like egg.