Illinois...

[Justjered]

Incubation will give you best results. Keep in mind that shipped eggs have lower hatch rates than eggs from your own, or those you drove and picked up. Another thing to keep in mind about seramas, They are tiny like quail when hatched. They probably can store less than 1 BTU of body heat. In no time in the open air, they chill to freezer heaven.

I plan to have them in the house in a brooder once hatched. Dont think they will survive the winter without having a year under their wings.

They are going to a large incubator to grow. Once hatched, I'll bring them home

They are coming from about 6 hours away in Indiana, so I am really hoping that they have a smooth, safe trip to us.

 

[Faraday40]

I plan to have them in the house in a brooder once hatched. Dont think they will survive the winter without having a year under their wings.

They are going to a large incubator to grow. Once hatched, I'll bring them home

They are coming from about 6 hours away in Indiana, so I am really hoping that they have a smooth, safe trip to us.

Has your hen been talking to my hen? I just discovered that my crazy bantam orpington thinks its a good time to go broody. It's usually easy to break her in the winter. I just kick her out of the nest a few times & the cold weather does the rest. Too bad it didn't happen a couple weeks sooner b/c there were 2 incubator chicks we got attached to.

DD did an experiment 2 years ago comparing hatch rates of shipped eggs vs backyard eggs. Although the general results were not surprising, I found it interesting that our North Carolina shipped eggs had a good hatch rate of 70% while our IL & KY shipped eggs had the worst. (IL was 0% & KY was only 10% = one lonely chick.) There are many variables at play, so hopefully the PO won't play soccer with your eggs, so they'll arrive in tact.

 

[chickendreams24]

We are having some trouble with integrating our second pair of Oegb into the main flock for winter so if anyone is interested and has the space for them in a well insulated and safe coop please PM me. Thanks guys.

 

[Justjered]

Has your hen been talking to my hen? I just discovered that my crazy bantam orpington thinks its a good time to go broody. It's usually easy to break her in the winter. I just kick her out of the nest a few times & the cold weather does the rest. Too bad it didn't happen a couple weeks sooner b/c there were 2 incubator chicks we got attached to.

DD did an experiment 2 years ago comparing hatch rates of shipped eggs vs backyard eggs. Although the general results were not surprising, I found it interesting that our North Carolina shipped eggs had a good hatch rate of 70% while our IL & KY shipped eggs had the worst. (IL was 0% & KY was only 10% = one lonely chick.) There are many variables at play, so hopefully the PO won't play soccer with your eggs, so they'll arrive in tact.

Eliminating the part from the PO to my house on a truck should help, have a heat pad being sent with them, and its about a 6 hour one way trip if they came direct... I'm hoping they do okay.

Wish I could just go pick them up but 12-13 hour drive time and driving a Jeep (rough and cold in the weather were having), I dont know if it'd be much better...

Hopefully we get better than a 0% hatch rate though.

 

[Faraday40]

We are having some trouble with integrating our second pair of Oegb into the main flock for winter so if anyone is interested and has the space for them in a well insulated and safe coop please PM me. Thanks guys.

Hope you can find a good home for those cuties.

Hopefully we get better than a 0% hatch rate though.

x2. You could even get 100% (rare but it does happen).

 

[chickendreams24]

We are having some trouble with integrating our second pair of Oegb into the main flock for winter so if anyone is interested and has the space for them in a well insulated and safe coop please PM me. Thanks guys.

Hope you can find a good home for those cuties.

x2.  You could even get 100% (rare but it does happen).

Thanks I hope so too. I adopted them from another BYCer who was worried about them in cold weather they're a great pair and I love them but I don't want them to be afraid of our big orps. We do our best to keep only the most docile birds around and they definitely fit that bill but if I can't integrate them I don't want them to freeze on their own in the backside of the cooler coop, as even with the juveniles they're very worried.

Plus with the coming bitter weather this weekend we are moving the meat cockerals out of the grow out run and planning to move birds around so they can have the back side of the cooler coop which means the Oegb must be moved out as none of those boys have seen a hen in weeks and weeks.

 

[cavemanrich]

@chickendreams24
For your consideration... I have 4 OEGH, and they are feisty and can carry their own among the larger hens with no problem. They are also super kwik (i know its quick)

and have no problem running away from danger. They do need a place they can hide though. If you had something where they can run under and the larger ones would not fit, IDEAL.

 

[4stakes]

We put 4 young Orps with our older ones during the night. They get picked on a few days. All roosting together now. They just have to figure out the pecking order

 

[Faraday40]

Our baby quail got a new cage yesterday. Much easier to clean!
DD still likes to spoiled them by adding "mushy food" as a treat. (Just feed soaked in water) They all come running up whenever a hand enters their cage.

So far, only one confirmed male. The little runt is still doing well. Only have 2 complains so far:
1. Quail eat & poop more than chickens.
2. When they 1st go back into cage, they "cry" to come back out. We must leave the room for a while to get them to stop.

 

[chickendreams24]

Thanks I hope so too. I adopted them from another BYCer who was worried about them in cold weather they're a great pair and I love them but I don't want them to be afraid of our big orps. We do our best to keep only the most docile birds around and they definitely fit that bill but if I can't integrate them I don't want them to freeze on their own in the backside of the cooler coop, as even with the juveniles they're very worried.

Plus with the coming bitter weather this weekend we are moving the meat cockerals out of the grow out run and planning to move birds around so they can have the back side of the cooler coop which means the Oegb must be moved out as none of those boys have seen a hen in weeks and weeks.

@chickendreams24
For your consideration...  I have 4 OEGH, and they are feisty and can carry their own among the larger hens with no problem.  They are also super kwik (i know its quick)e and have no problem running away from danger.  They do need a place they can hide though.  If you had something where they can run under and the larger ones would not fit,  IDEAL.  

We put 4 young Orps with our older ones during the night. They get picked on a few days. All roosting together now. They just have to figure out the pecking order

Thank you guys for the kind words if it were as simple as that I wouldn't worry so much. We already had a roo two hens and two pullets when we acquired these Oegb(my originals are black self blue and splits) they do wonderful with the flock. We also have a golden laced sebright and a couple mixed bantam cockerals that will be rehomed or eaten here soon(they're kinda jerks and we can't keep three more bantam cockerals-its not fair to the girls) while our biggest problem is the way the silver duckwings and the blue brassy backed hen act around the main flock we are also having trouble due to the other Oegb. The silver duckwing cock, Draco, is a really good boy, with huge spurs. He's older than our black, Mickey and has some major spurs going on but he's also smaller and more timid. Mickey was raised with another Oegb a bbr but we rehomed him this last spring BC the bnr waa very dominant and kept attacking Mickey. Mickey won't back down from a fight and generally does quite well but idk if he would win if Draco decided to use his spurs. Something I've never seen Draco try to do. Anyway I know they need to get the pecking order figured out I'm okay with that as long as it isn't too intense.

Yesterday when I did a trial run with Mickey and Draco on the back side with the smaller flock it was going good until our white sport legbar attacked Mickey and ended up flogging me when I tried to break them up. Them Mickey felt like he had something to prove and I had to break him and Draco up.

So for now Draco and his two girls are on the big side of the cooler coop in a large wire dog crate and hopefully the look don't touch approach will work out.