Dixie Chicks

[bamadude]

I am looking for a Blue or black marans.  They are hard to come by.  My light brahma chicks have grown faster than the rest of the breeds I got.  I may be getting more.  Idk yet.  The counts this morning is that we are up to 80 chickens, 8 rabbits, & 2 dogs.  Plus I have 10 SS chicks on order, due here on April 2nd.

Ihilana coffee on here has some pretty good blues she has been working on.
Pretty sure DMRippy has blues and blacks

 

[chickisoup]

Here is a list of Poultry Hatcheries and Breeders. I ran across, Anyone know anything about any of these and care to share an opinion?

Cackle Hatchery – located in Missouri. Has over 181 Breeds (chickens, turkeys, guineas, ducks, geese, and game birds)
*Minimum Order- Total of 15 chicks
* Can’t ship to Virginia*
*No shipping to Hawaii
*Florida only allows the White Pekin to be shipped
www.cacklehatchery.com
Ordered my BA's from them. Paid big bucks for special packaging (which was excellent) and shipping on a small order for BA pullets (5) and still wound up with 4 and 1 roo. Poor support and no offer of refund, etc. Also very disappointed in the size of the adult birds. I understand hatchery stock usually runs smaller, but even allowing for that these birds are small.

Green Fire Farms - Located in Florida (Chickens & cotton-patch-geese)
http://greenfirefarms.com/
Very high priced but have the rare ones.

Mt. Healthy - located in Ohio (Chickens, ducks, turkeys and game birds)

This is the hatchery that for the past 3 years in a row, has had a serious salmonella outbreak traced back directly to them.
www.mthealthy.com
Purely Poultry - Located in Wisconsin . Has over 200 breeds. (chickens, ducks, geese, turkeys, guineas, peafowl, game bird pheasants, ornamental pheasants, chukars & quail)
*Chickens-5
*Bantams-5
*Ducks-2
*Geese-2
*Guinea Keets-15
*Turkeys – Domestic-15
*Turkeys – Wild-10
*Pheasants – Game birds-50
*Pheasants – Ornamental-25
*Peafowl-8
*Swans-1
*Wild Waterfowl-1
www.purelypoultry.com
This outfit used to breed their own birds but now get them pretty much from "where ever" (I know local folks who have bought from them and not well pleased)

Sunnyside Hatchery - Located in Wisconsin (chickens, turkeys, geese & ducks)
www.sunnysidehatchery.com/index.php
Limited varieties, sell mostly in "bulk" to WI commercial farms. Split an order with my neighbor from them 2 years ago. Not pretty. Ordered and picked up at local feed store. They handled them well, they were only blocks from the P.O. and picked them up as soon as they got there (the hatchery only about 2 hours south) after a lot of Nutridrench and TLC I managed to get 3 out of 6 chicks to survive, my neighbor, out of nine had lost 6 by the next day. I could tell by the size some of the chicks were clearly older than others (one of mine was huge). She fought for replacement/refund dealing thru the feedmill but no one could get a decent reply or none, she finally gave up. These were their "special" reds, BTW. The birds that did survive are still healthy and laying.

Sorry I'm late with this one.

 

[minihorse927]

Yeah, when I asked the feed store who supplies the chicks they told me Mt Healthy Hatchery.  That also is in Ohio.   Us Buckeyes must be big time chicken people ! Right @minihorse927
?  That list that @Amberjem
 gave us had a ton of hatcheries in Ohio.  Some I have never heard of.  Thanks for the list Amberjem. 

Suppose to go to lunch with friend today.  Haven't heard back from her as to where we are meeting, but I am thinking pizza and salad.  It is pouring down rain today and when I went out to feed and water, they all act like they are dying of thirst.  They free ranged all day yesterday (and drank out of puddles all day, it's swamp land here) plus I fed and watered them at 8:30pm when I got home from zumba last night.  We got one egg yesterday.  There are over 40 layers out there.  I am scratching my head as to what the problem is.  The nest boxes have fresh straw, they are getting fed twice a day.  Most of the layers I have in breeding pens have feed 24 /7.  They all have water 24/7 except for this morning, it was all dumped or drank.  Hubby fixed the light in the coop last week when I was away at training class.  They were laying 20+eggs a day all thru December and then boom!  They just stopped.    I have searched the property for maybe a stray nest, but there was none and I don't hear them singing the egg song.  UGH!

mine stopped for a short period of time but started back up and are getting pretty regular now. They've been popping the eggs out left and right.

The hatchery # in ohio is crazy, there are rons. I've had the best luck with boggy bottom even though I'd consider him a small breeder and not a true hatchery. He only breeds long tail and D'anvers and a couple other things though. I had decent luck with cackle. Birds were smaller than breeder stock but still very nice birds.

 

[minihorse927]

Ha and I think I might qualify for a small hatchery. I set over 12 dozen eggs!

 

[Outpost JWB]

My feed store just called. They said the hatchery just called them and many of the SS eggs are sterile. Therefore they will be unable to ship them any more SS. And there will not be another shipment of them this year.

I totally wanted SS hens for my SS roo (Sue). Off to make phone calls. Dang it!

 

[minihorse927]

 My feed store just called.  They said the hatchery just called them and many of the SS eggs are sterile.  Therefore they will be unable to ship them any more SS.  And there will not be another shipment of them this year.    I totally wanted SS hens for my SS roo (Sue).   Off to make phone calls.  Dang it!

how many you want?

 

[bamadude]

Ice Bank Mice Elf
Lol. Stupid commercial

 

[Alaskan]

How you doing with those Marans? sorry

Of the Marans eggs that were supposed to hatch Sunday... Last night I decided enough was enough..... and looked at tall of the eggs... was it 6???

Anyway, they were clears, one early enough dead that it was stinky

, one that was all ready to hatch but never pipped internally... not sure why that one didn't make it... it looked fine.

There was one that was still alive but no good push to it. I decided, well, it is gonna die if I don't help it... I might as well help and see what happens... So I helped it out, looked fine (blood dried yp, yolk absorbed, etc.) It is still lying there..... not dead, but I am not so sure that it will pep up and make it.

So, the eggs due Yesterday and Today have started hatching.... 2 Marans pipped and started unzipping last night, by this morning one was out and perfect, the second I think will be fine, but only just now crawled out of its egg.... so still a floppy wet chick.... I don't like calling them good until they fluff up and prove to me that they can eat and drink.

One of the eggs that hatched last night... I think from an olive egg, the chick has curled feet... I am very much like ***????? No reason for that! Anyway, I should be able to tape him into perfection... but very much a what is up with that???

Call duckies in lockdown...

I'm a wreck, lol...

I TOTALLY feel

that!!!!!!!!

Don't the show quality ones often need help at hatch?

the light in the coop last week when I was away at training class. They were laying 20+eggs a day all thru December and then boom! They just stopped.

I have searched the property for maybe a stray nest, but there was none and I don't hear them singing the egg song. UGH!

They love doing that... especially if you were selling the eggs... and need the money

My feed store just called. They said the hatchery just called them and many of the SS eggs are sterile. Therefore they will be unable to ship them any more SS. And there will not be another shipment of them this year.

I totally wanted SS hens for my SS roo (Sue). Off to make phone calls. Dang it!

That is SUCH a disappointment!

 

[Ravynscroft]

@bamadude I agree, brahmas look better and are bigger, at least bigger than the hatchery stock, Jersey's... have 3 hens and am not impressed... :/

@Amberjem nice list! And thanks, @chickisoup for the rundown...

@Outpost JWB sorry to hear about your lack of eggs and the SS... @minihorse927 is awesome!

@Alaskan sorry about your Marans... at least you got some coming out now! No idea on the curled toes, tho... never had that happen... had a bit of wry neck in 1 chick, gave it vitamins and it snapped right out of it...

Yes, Calls are VERY hard to hatch... but the BYCer I bought the eggs from is on standby for me... she is awesome! Name is Tammy, but goes by clousert username... I highly recommend her if she offers up auctions or BIN's...

@hennible I get to keep some duckies!!!
Jim caved, lol...

Have a good day everyone!!

 

[hennible]

Sweet! Ducks are fun.... And tasty