Maine

[hoppy]

you mean the central maine bird fanciers (CMBF) meeting? right letters, wrong order.

Is anyone going to the FCBM with a truck and a willingness to deliver a cage if I buy one?

 

[ashandvine]

Just had a thought as I try and make arrangements to have eggs shipped here. Should I be worried about the cold temps???

Your eggs have more to worry about in the time they take to be shipped and the sudden jostling that can happen in transit. As long as you bring them to room temp slowly first then you shouldn't have a problem with them. Good luck (getting any Breda?)


And yes Hoppy, I am so used to French Copper Black Marans that I did write the wrong anacronym. Thanks for the catch.

And Joanie... love the new, forward thinking avatar Crocuses... what underestimated little harbingers they are!

 

[superchemicalgirl]

I third the comments that eggs should be fine. Most of my eggs were shipped here in winter. As long as you have the shipper mark them for pick up at the post office with your phone number (ie not sitting outside to freeze) you should be fine. Have them slowly come up to room temp.

 

[annabananaandfamily]

Excellent. Thanks all! I work from home, so i will be here to get them whenever they do get here. I am trying to be patient and remember i am still fairly new to hatching so i shpuldnt expect too much...but i cant wait to get the incubator going again this year!
And ash- i am working on getting some breda eggs! I want to try a hatch or 2 of some less expensive eggs before i spend the serious money on the breda eggs!

 

[hoppy]

if it's at all possible for you, have them hold the eggs at your PO. that way they don't get cold, warm up, get back in the truck, travel all over your town and then finally , arrive at your box. if they are held, you will get a phone call and they will be kept warm until you arrive.
I've had my best hatches in the winter from shipped eggs.

Excellent. Thanks all! I work from home, so i will be here to get them whenever they do get here. I am trying to be patient and remember i am still fairly new to hatching so i shpuldnt expect too much...but i cant wait to get the incubator going again this year!
And ash- i am working on getting some breda eggs! I want to try a hatch or 2 of some less expensive eggs before i spend the serious money on the breda eggs!

 

[hoppy]

too much time to kill apparently. this is on a marans egg.

 

[buckabucka]

Nice. I like the Marans egg, Hoppy. I don't have too much time on my hands, but I haven't been sleeping well, so I have too much time to think, which is a dangerous thing.

My spring hatch plans continue to evolve. I thought I wanted to order 15 birds from Meyer, as they have both Welsummers (ok quality, I found) and Exchequer leghorns. But part of me wanted to try Estes Hatchery, since their Welsummers came from a good breeder when he died (although he died in 2007, so things may have changed), and they have California whites to replace the Exchequers. But their minimum order is 25. Too many for me.

My new evolving plan involves buying nice Welsummer chicks from a breeder. Minimum order is 10, straight run, so hopefully I get at least 4 nice pullets. If I really want to breed them, I'm thinking I could throw together a seasonal coop. I've got these 2x4 walls someone ws throwing out. I think they make a 6'x6 square. If I could add a roof and some wire, they could spend the summer there, and in the winter, I'd have to house them in the fairly dark back half of my regular coop. It is insulated, and I don't need a third coop to haul food and water to in the winter, hence the seasonal idea.

Does anyone know of a store in central Maine where you can order a few birds of a particular breed? I still want white eggs, and I thought I could order 3 leghorns, and maybe a couple of NH's from Longhorn. I like going to Portland, but it seems silly to drive all that way for the birds. I just don't know of another place that takes specific small orders like that.

 

[Mainechick168]

Bucka, Last year I ordered from Paris Farmers Union in Winthrop and the minimum order was 6 I think....They have stores all over- Jay, Lewiston, Newport...other places....haha. Agway also had a min. order of 6 I think....

 

[hoppy]

I have a friend that raises welsummers here in maine. I can see if she has any hatching eggs she is willing to sell.

My new evolving plan involves buying nice Welsummer chicks from a breeder. Minimum order is 10, straight run, so hopefully I get at least 4 nice pullets. If I really want to breed them, I'm thinking I could throw together a seasonal coop. I've got these 2x4 walls someone ws throwing out. I think they make a 6'x6 square. If I could add a roof and some wire, they could spend the summer there, and in the winter, I'd have to house them in the fairly dark back half of my regular coop. It is insulated, and I don't need a third coop to haul food and water to in the winter, hence the seasonal idea.

 

[MustardTiger]

Hrm thanks for the reminder about Paris farmers union. I think I may just see if I can order through them in Portland.
I wonder if I can get Chanteclers from them...the Canadian in me wants some!