Colorado

[Greener]

Hello Colorado.

We're new to the greater Longmont area and would like to get a few hens for our backyard. We are allowed up to four hens. The easy solution would be to go to Murdoch's at the end of February and buy them right there.

Though, my Wife is a kindergarten teacher in the area and wanted to use the opportunity to possibly start at the beginning and hatch a handful of eggs as an educational opportunity. The problem being that we are completely new to this and would like to inquire with you seasoned professionals before we make the investment into an incubator.

Where is the best place to get local fertilized eggs? Preferably within 25-30 miles of Longmont area.

What chicken breeds would be best for both our Colorado seasons and for beginners like ourselves?

Lastly, what do you do with your Roosters if you are like us and can only keep backyard hens?

Much Thanks!

 

[Dnetschke]

I'm in Berthoud, but I work in Longmont.

I'm Borrowing an incubator from someone now. It's a G.O.F Genesis. It's really nice, has a large plexy top window for watching, & besides monitoring the water in it for humidity reasons, it runs all on it's own.

I have possibly fertilized eggs and we could talk about them if you want to PM me.

I have (Bantams) Silver laced Wyandottes & a Buff laced Cochin Roo<<I think>>, plus 2 regular Buff Cochins (not Bantam).

I have gotten ride of 3 Roosters from my first Flock. I post them on this thread and check for a week, I post them on the Buy, Sell, trade thread for a while. If no-one takes them I post them on Craigslist with a $10 rehoming fee. The rehoming fee is to validate someone is not just buying them to take them home for dinner.

 

[trsturself]

Hello Colorado.

We're new to the greater Longmont area and would like to get a few hens for our backyard. We are allowed up to four hens. The easy solution would be to go to Murdoch's at the end of February and buy them right there.

Though, my Wife is a kindergarten teacher in the area and wanted to use the opportunity to possibly start at the beginning and hatch a handful of eggs as an educational opportunity. The problem being that we are completely new to this and would like to inquire with you seasoned professionals before we make the investment into an incubator.

Where is the best place to get local fertilized eggs? Preferably within 25-30 miles of Longmont area.

What chicken breeds would be best for both our Colorado seasons and for beginners like ourselves?

Lastly, what do you do with your Roosters if you are like us and can only keep backyard hens?

Much Thanks!

Wildfire farms is in erie (google her). She has hatching eggs and incubators for rent. My friend did that and it turned out well. We have a cochin that was hatched in that batch and we love her. We're going to get eggs from her to test our incubator in the next couple of weeks.

For the person looking for chicks (sorry forgot to hit quote or look at your name), we'll have those barnyard mixes at the end of Feb and some others from local breeders in March. We aren't in CS but close enough that I could meet you.

 

[Greener]

Wildfire farms is in erie (google her). She has hatching eggs and incubators for rent. My friend did that and it turned out well. We have a cochin that was hatched in that batch and we love her. We're going to get eggs from her to test our incubator in the next couple of weeks.

For the person looking for chicks (sorry forgot to hit quote or look at your name), we'll have those barnyard mixes at the end of Feb and some others from local breeders in March. We aren't in CS but close enough that I could meet you.

Wildfire farms seems like a pretty good solution. I checked out her website and saw that she rents the incubator for $60 plus a $200 deposit. I'm not quite sure if the cradle turner is included in that $60. We would definitely like to get an automatic turner so we don't have to swing by the classroom every night for 3 weeks to turn the eggs. haha.

 

[Greener]

Where is the best place to get local fertilized eggs? Preferably within 25-30 miles of Longmont area.

Wildfire would only give us what she would referred to as 'mutt' eggs. Do you know of any other local places that have fertilized eggs?

Much Thanks.

 

[suncatcher]

Are you looking for purebred hatching eggs? If you can't find some in your area, you could contact some of the hatcheries to see if they have special priced eggs for school hatching projects. Some hatcheries you can check with.... Cackle, Whelp, Ideal, Meyers, My Backyard Chicken, Randall Burkey, My Pet Chicken, Strombergs, and a few more I can't think of! You may not a get a great hatch on shipped eggs, but if you are only wanting three or four chickens, just might be what you end up with out of one dozen shipped eggs.

Have you tried icontacting any of the 4H leaders in your town? They may know a source of fertile purebred hatching eggs too. Or, you can put an ad on CL, that you are wanting to buy some fertile purebreed hatching eggs.

Also, you can post a Wanted To Buy ad on the Buy, Sell, Trade thread here on BYC.

Best of luck!

And hello to all the new folks!!!!!

 

[wsmith]

Are you looking for purebred hatching eggs? If you can't find some in your area, you could contact some of the hatcheries to see if they have special priced eggs for school hatching projects. Some hatcheries you can check with.... Cackle, Whelp, Ideal, Meyers, My Backyard Chicken, Randall Burkey, My Pet Chicken, Strombergs, and a few more I can't think of! You may not a get a great hatch on shipped eggs, but if you are only wanting three or four chickens, just might be what you end up with out of one dozen shipped eggs.

Have you tried icontacting any of the 4H leaders in your town? They may know a source of fertile purebred hatching eggs too. Or, you can put an ad on CL, that you are wanting to buy some fertile purebreed hatching eggs.

Also, you can post a Wanted To Buy ad on the Buy, Sell, Trade thread here on BYC.

Best of luck!

And hello to all the new folks!!!!!

Another resource is a popular social networking site and a group called Colorado Chickens on said social networking site. .....

 

[suncatcher]

Are you looking for purebred hatching eggs? If you can't find some in your area, you could contact some of the hatcheries to see if they have special priced eggs for school hatching projects. Some hatcheries you can check with.... Cackle, Whelp, Ideal, Meyers, My Backyard Chicken, Randall Burkey, My Pet Chicken, Strombergs, and a few more I can't think of! You may not a get a great hatch on shipped eggs, but if you are only wanting three or four chickens, just might be what you end up with out of one dozen shipped eggs.

Have you tried icontacting any of the 4H leaders in your town? They may know a source of fertile purebred hatching eggs too. Or, you can put an ad on CL, that you are wanting to buy some fertile purebreed hatching eggs.

Also, you can post a Wanted To Buy ad on the Buy, Sell, Trade thread here on BYC.

Best of luck!

And hello to all the new folks!!!!!

Another resource is a popular social networking site and a group called Colorado Chickens on said social networking site. .....

I always forget about that site, you may want to PM him that info.....

Another option, you can put a "wanted to buy" flyer up at your local feed store.

 

[cluckcluckgirl]

Does anyone in the Colorado Springs area have any laying hens available? I'd prefer if they were fairly young and have been healthy their lives. I'm looking for about 2 hens of any breed. Thanks.

 

[Dnetschke]

I just had a hen die this morning. No attack marks, it was warm last night, no jammed egg as far as I could tell. Any other ideas???
I changed the water out with molasses water mix & dropped them yogurt.