"Louisiana "La-yers" Peeps"

[Ron Skekel]

Australorps may fit the bill... I've read a few reports they can be stand-off-ish and others, like campinshaws, say otherwise.
Minimum requirement (since kid and a not-so-into-birds hubby live here too) is that they be calm and even a bit friendly.

Some of that is how much you handle them as chicks and as they grow. The biefeleders are the most gentle and sweet birds they like to be handeled. But they are rare birds and I wouldn recommend them for a first time owner just because of price. But if money didn't matter they fit that bill.i have Australorps and mine are sweet but don't want to be picked up in the past I had some that were easy to handle but I handled them a lot. Now that I'm hatching the first hatch was two mixed Easter egger x legbar they are super sweet and like to be held so it goes back to how you bring them up and the younger the better. I would suggest cheeper birds for your first flock. That way if you lose some to preditors or illness you haven't spent much. I don't know what ss go for if you can find them cheep or know someone who can hatch them for you. Eggs are always less than live birds you could go that way.. Pam

 

[Ron Skekel]

I only have one, so I can't speak for the whole breed. But when we joined BYC the australorps were the second-most recommended breed for us to start with.

We've had several different major flock overturns in our few months because we buy, keep the friendliest and sell the rest, then buy more. This is NOT a process I recommend because it's insane (for biosecurity reasons) and can really blow up in your face. But I like where we are now and see no chicken math in my future.

I'm quite sure their is math in your future. new incubator your the kid after Christmas that hasn't played with your toy yet. LMAO! We should take bets on how many you will end up with. you make me laugh!!!

 

[Ron Skekel]

Ok ya'll I will have eggs soon and don't know whether to try a dry hatch or not. I've had the Dickeys cabinet running for a couple weeks now with temp ranging from 99.5-99.7 humidity 53-56%
Dickey suggest to keep humidity at 54% for entire hatch and mist/spray the eggs during lockdown. I don't know what to do. I started a thread in the incubating section to ask what others are doing and haven't received a single reply. I've read all the old threads on Dickey bators that I can find. Anyone have suggestions?

Did you win the bielefelder auction? Pam

 

[Cody A]

Did you win the bielefelder auction? Pam

Pam. I just won an auction a few minutes ago and paid for the eggs. 8 Bielefelders. I also have a Bielefelder order with coastline poultry for 40 eggs. I'm taking a big chance here. Hopefully I'll be able to set them at least a week apart for a staggered hatch. I know the hatch rate on shipped eggs can be low or nothing at all. So I'm taking a big chance. I do plan to candle and weigh the eggs. I still don't know if I should attempt to dry hatch. My bator has been dialed in for over a week now.

 

[rlcrow]

Puppy for another hen! This time I decided to process the bird and make it a family meal. It was a red sex link and much smaller than I thought it would be dressed but it sure was tasty add a chicken soup!

[/IMG]

Not bad for my first time processing! Followed the pictures from a thread on byc.

 

[topdog24]

I have 3 fuzzy buts,working on 5, Pam, the 1 CL egg i had in bator is about to break free any time now, so far 2 EE/OE and 1 WL chick have hatched, another WL will be clear in a bit, that leaves 5 that have pipped but slow to hatch, i will post some phots when i can, this hatch is staring early by about 2 days, i think maybe a different thermometer is in store and also, going back to something I think Terry mentioned about moving the eggs around to have a more even hatch, i think from what i have seen, this may be happening with mine.

 

[topdog24]

Do you need therapy. I hear there's a good psychologist in Dry Prong.

Shoot Cody, i get therapy everytime i get a new egg, and now i am getting new chicks, whoot whoot

 

[topdog24]

Hi everyone. New here and new to chicks. Planning to get some this spring. Thinking of speckled Sussex. Anyone in La or MS breeding them? Considering ordering and hatching eggs if not. Thoughts?

Hello Chica, welcome to Layers Peep, from Jena La, got my first chicks in March, i have my first hatch coming off now, if it is successful, they will put me over 100 before the end of the year, ask some one about chicken math.

 

[Ron Skekel]

Pam. I just won an auction a few minutes ago and paid for the eggs. 8 Bielefelders. I also have a Bielefelder order with coastline poultry for 40 eggs. I'm taking a big chance here. Hopefully I'll be able to set them at least a week apart for a staggered hatch. I know the hatch rate on shipped eggs can be low or nothing at all. So I'm taking a big chance. I do plan to candle and weigh the eggs. I still don't know if I should attempt to dry hatch. My bator has been dialed in for over a week now.

I never heard of them before I was offered a chance to by them. Now you'll be the 2nd person to have them besides me. I have the 2013 line Do you know which you'll have? The earlier lay sooner and aren't as big. I'll be looking for a rooster from that line as time goes on. someone wants a roo from me for the same reason. I may just ask for a trade instead of selling.
You'll do fine with your hatch. Even if you don't hatch as many as you would like as long as you have both sexes you'll have plenty. Pam

 

[Cody A]

I never heard of them before I was offered a chance to by them. Now you'll be the 2nd person to have them besides me. I have the 2013 line Do you know which you'll have? The earlier lay sooner and aren't as big. I'll be looking for a rooster from that line as time goes on. someone wants a roo from me for the same reason. I may just ask for a trade instead of selling.
You'll do fine with your hatch. Even if you don't hatch as many as you would like as long as you have both sexes you'll have plenty. Pam

Yes, the eggs from ebay seller rognkat580 are the 2013 line. The eggs from Coastline are 2011. Hopefully I'll get some to hatch from each.
Now that I've slept on it I think I'll leave the bator humidity where it is for now and play it by ear. Adjust accordingly, since I'll be candeling and weighing. It's gonna be a learning experience. I'll try not to stress about it. I'll most certainly be posting pics of process, have questions and asking opinions along the way.