Illinois...

[jnckids]

Is anyone up north looking for barnyard mix birds? We have a couple of interesting mixes they are 2 weeks old. At the moment we think the Cochin/Silkie is going to be a roo but it really is too early.

 

[Junibutt]

In a case of chicken math and sheer impulsiveness, I have won two egg auctions from Papa's Poultry:

• 12 choc mottled orp x mottled orp eggs. (ok these ones were justified for my project)
• 30+ Papa's Choice Orp eggs. This one was just an impulse. I was afraid I was going to lose the other auction and I bid on it as well.

Eggs are arriving Thursday or Friday. If anyone wants some for hatching or wants chicks please send me a PM.

Eggs arrived today safe and sound. I paid extra for them to be sent in Horizon boxes so they were handled very gently. But boy oh boy what I have gotten myself into. Instead of the 42 eggs I was going to receive (that was already too many), the breeder sent me 79. Yes 79! I am having convulsions just thinking of the number of eggs. And DW and DS had a heart attack as they saw a full basket and 3 cartons of eggs plus more coming out of the box.

Apart from mental therapy, I need help with someone taking some of these eggs from me. I just cannot throw them away or eat these precious eggs. But if I keep them, I will end up setting 3 incubators to full capacity with no hatcher if all are viable. And if all or close to all hatch, I am in big big trouble. I can even hatch for folks who do not have access to an incubator right now or I can start them off in the incubator and you can take them once they have started growing (day 5-7). Here is what I received: (All are English Orpington eggs:

• Chocolate Mottled Project eggs- 23 (I will keep most of the chicks)
• Blue Cuckoo x Cuckoo -5
• Lavender Cuckoo-3
• Jubilee 2
• Jubilee x Blue Jubilee 2
• Black split to lavender x Cuckoo Split to Lavender and Cuckoo- 3
• BBS Mottled 3+1
• Mottled -1
• Delaware (Cuckoo Columbian) -1
• Lemon Cuckoo 1
• Lemon Cuckoo (from Co x Lemon Cuckoo) 1
• Blue/Buff Colombian Project -1

Help or I will be sleeping in the basement (with the chicks) next month!!

P.S. I have removed the eggs that have been spoken for from the list.

 

[jnckids]

Where are you located? I just had my cochin go broody I would love a couple of the gold/silver laced.

 

[Junibutt]

Where are you located? I just had my cochin go broody I would love a couple of the gold/silver laced.

In in Chicago on the north side by the lake.

 

[1muttsfan]

Hi neighbors. My sister lives in Naperville. She recently lost all but one of the chicks she ordered this spring. I would love to find a few pullets for her, she was very happy with the bantam Cochin and Jersey Giant chicks, and of course this were the ones that got snatched. If anyone within a few hours drive of Naperville can help me out, I am looking to buy a couple pullets of those breeds for her. Drop me a PM if you can, thanks, Mary

 

[Faraday40]

Here are some updated pics from my "teens"

March 4th hatch:

My blue orp (Jewel) who I am finally certain is female. She is Oopsie x Brick's offspring. Although she looks blue, I'm pretty sure she's going to be like her mama- I never know what color will hatch out! I like surprises, so I think she'll be staying.

I also held on to a pair of Spitzhauben. He doesn't crow yet, so I'll have some time to decide what we're going to do with them.

My Welsummer (no name yet). I never had choc eggs before, so I hope to keep her too.

Chizzie our "Special Sussex" also called "Special Sauce" or just "Special"
DS adopted this one & she's often being taken on many of his adventures.

Thanks to DD, the silkie thinks she's a house chicken & gets daily cuddle time. I've never seen such a chicken. She actually hugs & purs. I got scared the other day when I could not find her. I thought hawk food, but after searching 10 min in the pouring rain, I found her safely cuddled up in a nest box with our black orp. She simply blended in.


March 30th hatch:
We have 2 lav orp roos that didn't sell, so I decided to keep them & will likely keep one as a Moose replacement if it has a better comb. I also have one choc cuckoo. (They all hatched the same day, so you can see how much smaller that line is. And finally, my penciled rock. I ordered shipped eggs, only 1/2 arrived uncracked - but covered in goo. Those 5 were rinsed, incubated, but only 3 developed & hatched. 2 were boys. So this little girl was of course the chick with the deformed toes & required band aid orthodics. Cookie left them 1-2 weeks ago, but the 2 boys take good care of their sisters.


My early May hatch is getting smaller in number. (Oopsie's adopted chicks) It looks like I'll be sold out at some point this weekend. (I'll have a few males left, but those get donated to friends. I don't bother trying to sell them once I can tell one is male.) It's a good thing they'll be leaving soon because I'll need that big brooder for my next hatch.

 

[megpie021]

I dont know how so many of you guys manage so many chicks at once! I would feel so overwhelmed.

Poppy and Ginger the little polish girls are almost feathered, just their crests and necks to go. They have been in a mesh hamper with the ones in the garage. It seems to be okay. They are way more curious than the big ones. Though Meringue has been seen pecking at the mesh. Not sure if she is after the chicks or just the mesh. The hamper was the best way I could figure out how to get them securely in there. Wondering how long I should do this for before I can let them actually meet?

Peaches and Licorice are insanely red in the face the last few days! Ive started giving them oyster shells and may be taking down the walls for the nesting boxes mid to end of this week. They are roosting like pros now. I am amazed at how easy it was to get them to put themselves up at night. Everyone has gotten the routine down pretty good.

And I found the secret to the ducks hearts. Brussel sprouts trimmings. They went crazy. Didnt even care we were petting them while they took them from our hands. And every time I have gone out since they got them Bagel comes running up and searches my hands. Its really funny.

 

[jnckids]

Hi neighbors. My sister lives in Naperville. She recently lost all but one of the chicks she ordered this spring. I would love to find a few pullets for her, she was very happy with the bantam Cochin and Jersey Giant chicks, and of course this were the ones that got snatched. If anyone within a few hours drive of Naperville can help me out, I am looking to buy a couple pullets of those breeds for her. Drop me a PM if you can, thanks, Mary

How many are you looking for? Are backyard mixes ok?

 

[1muttsfan]

Thank you for your response. She is only allowed to have a limited number of chickens where she lives, and no roosters, so she is really interested in getting Bantam cochins in particular. If she got cockerels she could rehome them, but she can only add a few Birds.

 

[ChicagoClucker]

Hi neighbors. My sister lives in Naperville. She recently lost all but one of the chicks she ordered this spring. I would love to find a few pullets for her, she was very happy with the bantam Cochin and Jersey Giant chicks, and of course this were the ones that got snatched. If anyone within a few hours drive of Naperville can help me out, I am looking to buy a couple pullets of those breeds for her. Drop me a PM if you can, thanks, Mary

I just rehomed all of my 6 month old Mottled Bantam Cochin pullets and all the chicks I hatched in April. I have some eggs if she can't find any.