Colorado

[trsturself]

Know anything about Red Stars

As far as I know they are a sex link chicken that is bred for a production layer. They don't have the longest laying span but lay a lot in their first year of laying. Good bird if your main concern is amount of eggs and you don't mind rotating out the flock.

 

[alebuela]

So much going on here, and so much to catch up on. I was gone all of December and until mid-January, then caught the nasty bug that's been going around, so I've been really out of it. Anyway, I have loved your many posts and have had many good laughs, as well as silently sent my best wishes for you who are recovering from accidents, illnesses and losses or facing surgery.

I have a flock of five: 2 EE, BCM, SS, and Bantam English Chocolate Orpington. Right now I am getting eggs from the BCM and SS around 3 each per week. My Orpington hasn't laid since her mid-summer molt, but I love her, so she eats free. The younger of my EEs is finally squatting, so hopefully she'll lay soon.

The problem is my older EE. She started laying - finally, at 9 months - in December, and my housesitter got 2 eggs from her, then nothing - or so we thought. Right after I got back, we discovered her cache of SIX lovely green eggs under the compost tumbler in a pile of old stray. Since the discovery of her eggs, which I hardboiled, she has laid one egg, and then stopped again. I've looked everywhere, but if she's laying, she has hidden them really well. If she's just quit laying, why??

I feed them a lot of protein and greens with their layer crumbles, so I don't think that's the reason for her stopping. Any ideas? I have a tiny back yard, and there just aren't that many places she can go. The others use my nesting boxes, which still have golf balls in them for incentive. Your thoughts/advice will be much appreciated.

On a different note, my son is flying me to England for March and Easter, and I had hoped to bring back some English Orpington hatching eggs, but the cost looks to be WAYYYY outside of my budget, not to mention the question of whether they would even hatch, given the altitude, lack of oxygen, and low humidity. Unless someone can inspire me again try it, I may just be admiring what I find, not trying to make anything my own.

 

[COChix]

So much going on here, and so much to catch up on.  I was gone all of December and until mid-January, then caught the nasty bug that's been going around, so I've been really out of it. Anyway, I have loved your many posts and have had many good laughs, as well as silently sent my best wishes for you who are recovering from accidents, illnesses and losses or facing surgery.

I have a flock of five: 2 EE, BCM, SS, and Bantam English Chocolate Orpington.  Right now I am getting eggs from the BCM and SS around 3 each per week.  My Orpington hasn't laid since her mid-summer molt, but I love her, so she eats free.  The younger of my EEs is finally squatting, so hopefully she'll lay soon. 

The problem is my older EE. She started laying - finally, at 9 months - in December, and my housesitter got 2 eggs from her, then nothing - or so we thought.  Right after I got back, we discovered her cache of SIX lovely green eggs under the compost tumbler in a pile of old stray.  Since the discovery of her eggs, which I hardboiled, she has laid one egg, and then stopped again. I've looked everywhere, but if she's laying, she has hidden them really well. If she's just quit laying, why??

I feed them a lot of protein and greens with their layer crumbles, so I don't think that's the reason for her stopping. Any ideas?  I have a tiny back yard, and there just aren't that many places she can go.  The others use my nesting boxes, which still have golf balls in them for incentive.  Your thoughts/advice will be much appreciated.

On a different note, my son is flying me to England for March and Easter, and I had hoped to bring back some English Orpington hatching eggs, but the cost looks to be WAYYYY outside of my budget, not to mention the question of whether they would even hatch, given the altitude, lack of oxygen, and low humidity.  Unless someone can inspire me again try it, I may just be admiring what I find, not trying to make anything my own.

Howdy stranger. long time no post but welcome back!

 

[Prairie Fleur]

Does anyone here have call ducks or know of someone who does? I'm looking for some ducklings this spring.

 

[maggiemo]

SOS_SOS_SOS!!
I, like a fool, ordered eggs off Ebay. I really wanted some naked neck birds and this seller has some pretty birds, different than the usual hatchery birds.
The eggs should get here today or tomorrow and the broody I was going to put the eggs under is up and about today. She was broody for 10 days already and a proven mum.
Is anyone near Boulder with an incubator where I could pay them to hatch out 6 or 8 eggs. I know shipped eggs have a really low hatch rate. I was just hoping for 2 or 3.
Any other ideas?
I have never hatched so I don't know if borrowing an incubator is a great idea.
Thoughts?
mo

 

[Percheron chick]

I have Margie's incubator if she's game. I'm heading towards Erie by noon.

 

[suncatcher]

I have seen several call duck ads on Colorado Springs CL this last summer and fall. You might also check the BST ads here on BYC.

Not sure if you can bring back hatching eggs from England into the US on an airplaine, you would have to check out the Airlines regulations, but I think it would be well worth it if you could!!! There is a guy on here that used to take eggs to the Phillipines or Indonesia in his suitcase, but don;t think they are very strict there about bringing in hatching eggs like here in the US, but who knows.

 

[maggiemo]

I have Margie's incubator if she's game. I'm heading towards Erie by noon.

Margie!? Can I borrow your incubator? Am I smart enough to use it?

 

[Percheron chick]

Not sure if you can bring back hatching eggs from England into the US on an airplaine, you would have to check out the Airlines regulations, but I think it would be well worth it if you could!!! There is a guy on here that used to take eggs to the Phillipines or Indonesia in his suitcase, but don;t think they are very strict there about bringing in hatching eggs like here in the US, but who knows.

The regulations and paperwork to get eggs into the US is an expensive and lengthy process. That's part of how GFF gets what they do for their birds.

 

[Mtn Margie]

Margie!? Can I borrow your incubator? Am I smart enough to use it?

Yes, not a problem. Not hatching anything up here for awhile!
I am sure you are quite smart enough, after all, you are here aren't you.....