Maine

[lazy gardener]

I got the scoop on chick orders, at least for my area:

TSC, Bangor starting the week of 3/6 and every week x 8 weeks. They won't know what day, or what kind until they get it. Pullets only. Special order in batches of 25 only.

Paris Farmer's Union, Newport: Pre-order before 4/4. Chicks arrive 5/1-2. Nice assortment available from Mt Healthy.

Blue Seal: No pre-order. First come - first served. I do know they have SLW. You'd have to check to see what else they have available. Meyer Hatchery

Perkco Feeds: 379-2921 Pre-order only forms available now or you can order over the phone. Order deadline 4/1 for delivery 5/8 or 9. As I recall, they also have a fair variety available. Small mixed orders accepted.

Aubuchon Hardware, Brewer: Chicks arrive 4/7. Decent selection, unless you want something specific. Special order from Murray McMurray.

I think everybody is carrying EE this year.

 

[MEMama3]

I got the scoop on chick orders, at least for my area: 

TSC, Bangor starting the week of 3/6 and every week x 8 weeks.  They won't know what day, or what kind until they get it.  Pullets only.  Special order in batches of 25 only.

Paris Farmer's Union, Newport: Pre-order before 4/4.  Chicks arrive 5/1-2.  Nice assortment available from Mt Healthy. 

Blue Seal:  No pre-order.  First come - first served.  I do know they have SLW.   You'd have to check to see what else they have available.  Meyer Hatchery

Perkco Feeds:   379-2921  Pre-order only forms available now or you can order over the phone.  Order deadline 4/1 for delivery 5/8 or 9.   As I recall, they also have a fair variety available.  Small mixed orders accepted.

Aubuchon Hardware, Brewer:  Chicks arrive 4/7.  Decent selection, unless you want something specific.  Special order from Murray McMurray.

I think everybody is carrying EE this year.

You are a peach! Thanks for doing homework for us. I hadn't even thought about aubuchon. I think there's one in Naples which isn't too far from me.

 

[lazy gardener]

Your Aubuchon may have a different delivery schedule.

ETA: Blue seal starting some time end of April.

 

[IZZYBELLA]

Glad everyone was ok in the collapse, MEMama!

I climbed through the pop door again yesterday to shovel out the run and the girls still wouldn't go out, even though it was lovely. Hopefully yesterday's sun and temps coupled with the rain today will make a nice dent in the snow...

While outside yesterday I heard a Phoebe singing. I'm not great with identifying bird songs, but that one is hard to miss! That has to mean spring is imminent, right?!

 

[lazy gardener]

I'll go along with that assessment. I'm surprised the maple buds aren't swelling, even just a bit, yet. I'm rolling over plans for a new coop in my head.

? of the day: What is the greatest age spread you've had in your brooder? How have you done it to be successful? I've done 10 days, starting with 5 hatchlings, then adding 6 hatchery birds. Wire divider at first, then adding the older to the newer, one at a time before moving the divider.

 

[CoopChick719]

it really does :-( I made it last spring out of cedar lattice to match the fence. The worst part is there were grape plants starting on one side. I fear they've now been squished.

They may be ok. Grapevines are tough!

 

[buckabucka]

I'll go along with that assessment.  I'm surprised the maple buds aren't swelling, even just a bit, yet.  I'm rolling over plans for a new coop in my head. 

? of the day:  What is the greatest age spread you've had in your brooder?  How have you done it to be successful?  I've done 10 days, starting with 5 hatchlings, then adding 6 hatchery birds.  Wire divider at first, then adding the older to the newer, one at a time before moving the divider.

I think my chicks were three weeks apart in age. I used a wire divider at first also. When it was time to move everyone to a bigger brooder, I threw them all in together, but the younger chicks had hiding places. I got some really cheap plastic laundry-style (but smaller) baskets at the dollar store. I cut some bigger openings and set the baskets upside down in the brooder, with a brick on top to weight it. The chicks easily fit through the openings, but the bigger birds could not get in. The chicks seemed to really enjoy darting around and then retreating for safety under the basket.

 

[lazy gardener]

I like that idea. The younger birds will be fewer in number, so I'm a bit leery of putting them together, but I certainly don't want to maintain my group of hens in addition to 2 separate batches of chicks. I almost think it would be easier to hatch a batch of eggs to go along with the younger hatchery additions than trying to raise the first group of 17 and adding an other 2 that are 3 weeks younger.

Next question of the day: What kind of luck have you had hatching shipped eggs? If I can get SLW or SPW eggs and set them to hatch at the same time as my hatchery birds, it will be a moot point. Any one hiding out in Maine who has Wyandottes? LF PQ eggs perfectly acceptable.

Bucka, how long before the 2 groups were well integrated, and how many in each group??

 

[Widget]

Next question of the day: What kind of luck have you had hatching shipped eggs? If I can get SLW or SPW eggs and set them to hatch at the same time as my hatchery birds, it will be a moot point. Any one hiding out in Maine who has Wyandottes? LF PQ eggs perfectly acceptable.

I have had 100% hatches and 0% hatches with shipped eggs. I know that helps you so much.

And it did not matter where the eggs came from. My best hatches came from a lady in GA who knows how to pack. Not one egg lost and the two times I have ordered eggs from her I have had 100% and 90% hatches. I also had eggs shipped from Alaska with over 90% hatch rates.

 

[buckabucka]

LG, I think the two groups were something like 3 chicks and 9. I almost think the group of 3 was older. My memory is fuzzy.

I have had mixed results with shipped eggs. You are at the mercy of the post office, the way the person packages their eggs, and the fertility of their flock. I've done this 4 times, soon to be 5. Here are my results so far:

13 eggs from California. Packing was okay. 10 hatched, but one under a broody died, so let's call it 9 of 13 = 69%

15 eggs from Pennsylvania. Packing was excellent. 6 of 15 hatched = 40%

17 eggs from Washington State. None broke, but packing was not great. 2 of 17 hatched = 12%

29 eggs from Texas. Packing was okay, but one egg broke. 12 of 29 hatched = 41%

That makes my all-time average at 40%, although I always hope/plan for 50%. I have my own made-up explanations for each hatch: the California eggs did well because of hybrid vigor (they were all OEs), Pennsylvania eggs traveled by truck, which is often worse than a plane. Texas hatch was decent, considering the eggs were roughed up enough to break one. I have no explanation for the Washington eggs, although someone on the forum once complained about eggs that pass through the post office in Washington and/or Georgia, but that was just one person's experience. Next eggs are from Oklahoma. Their packing method sounds good, but so much can go wrong!