Meyer Hatchery Chicken pics anyone??

[Brookshire11]

Silkies lay small eggs in general. I don't think that Meyer's silkies lay any more or less than any other silkies - they aren't great egg producers. You will get 1, maybe 2 eggs per week on average. But silkies are adorable and oh, so much fun!

For hat it's worth, my Silkie recently started laying about a week ago. I've gotten 4 eggs from her so far. And they are so teeny!!


Here's her first egg next to my EE's egg

Ok, once again it is a duck and not a chicken but our Meyer Cayuga Duck just laid her first egg! Definitely easy to tell cause of it's color (blackish one on the left).

On the chicken front all of the girls are now in the yard with the rest of the flock and there has been no problems, thank God! Everyone is getting along fine. They still sleep in a pile in a corner but a few of the bigger ones like Lunkhead are starting to try and get on the perches at night. They have started to enjoy their treats of salad mix and compete with the ducks to try and snatch up the cucumber first.

So pretty! I didn't think about ducks laying different colored eggs...
I've heard good things about Cayugas

I'm going to take pics really soon. I just got finished moving my 4 1/2 month olds into the big coop... boy were they upset about that!! And getting the little coop cleaned out and moving the little ones out there hopefully tomorrow. I NEED them out of the garage desperately. LOL.... box to small and they are pooping everywhere!! They are a mix of 3 1/2 and 4 1/2 week olds. My OE has a single comb so I don't hold out to much hope for an olive egg.



OH... I forgot to mention .... my other CCL laid her first egg today!!! It's olive green... so either the breeder 'tricked' me when she said they laid sky blue eggs or she didn't know either?? I'm thinking the first. But, the eggs are beautiful and the girls are just so pretty in person. The pics don't do them justice.

Here are my 2 CCL eggs. The one on the left is my newer layer... they are very small (NOT Meyer Girls...)



And a few pics of them today...

Bonnie Blue who laid today...


group shot...


Leyla... her comb just popped out overnight and turning red!!

Sorry the eggs aren't blue. They are still lovely though!

And as for Leyla, that's what happened to one of my EEs (the one who laid the egg above). I really thought she'd be the last to lay, because she wasn't really squatting and her comb was still so pale compared to ALL my other girls. Well she surprised me and within a week she started squatting, reddened up (almost overnight), an laid her first egg. She was my 2nd layer

 

[Eepster]

Called Meyer Hatchery about ordering chicks for July. They were very helpful and answered all of my questions. (Including when was the earliest I could order!) I have ordered from Meyer before and have no complaints except two Welsummer Roos turned out to be hens. The main thing was that they arrived healthy.

 

[Melabella]

Called Meyer Hatchery about ordering chicks for July. They were very helpful and answered all of my questions. (Including when was the earliest I could order!) I have ordered from Meyer before and have no complaints except two Welsummer Roos turned out to be hens. The main thing was that they arrived healthy.

Now there is a switch! It's usually the other way around!! How many did you order?

 

[Eepster]

I ordered 20 chicks it was my first time with chickens so I ordered 10 different breeds (I know)

 

[trsturself]

Complain some more... it's always worked for me!!! We won't mind

I never saw the breeders stock since she brought them into the feed store to sell. I'm glad you got to see their eggs first and you can say with all honesty they lay blue eggs. I have to assume she duped us when she said they were blue layers. Sad how many chicken people are dishonest out there. Although I probably would have bought them anyway but not paid $20 each. Maybe that's why they were $20 instead of $50? How much do you think you can get out there for a CCL?
I do have too many birds though so I will have to sell 3-5... if my CCL's continue to lay a dark green maybe I will sell my OE since I'm not sure if she will lay olive or not.




I'm wondering if my CCL is a mix of Ameraucana and Cuckoo Marans... she looks to have a light barring like the CM... anyone know if Meyer does that cross for OE??

I was thinking $20/ea for the CCL. I bought the pair for $20 but she felt bad and gave me a deal since I had already tried to hatch 20 eggs of hers and only had 1 hatch. She was also super nice and gave me the second batch of eggs for free since the first batch was a dud. I'm sure it wasn't the eggs fault, but she still only charged me $3 for gas.

I think I read somewhere that they do use that mix.

Called Meyer Hatchery about ordering chicks for July. They were very helpful and answered all of my questions. (Including when was the earliest I could order!) I have ordered from Meyer before and have no complaints except two Welsummer Roos turned out to be hens. The main thing was that they arrived healthy.

Funny. I'd much rather it go that way than the other.

 

[MamaShell]

Called Meyer Hatchery about ordering chicks for July. They were very helpful and answered all of my questions. (Including when was the earliest I could order!) I have ordered from Meyer before and have no complaints except two Welsummer Roos turned out to be hens. The main thing was that they arrived healthy.

So, let us in on the secret. What's the earliest that you can order for next year?

 

[NotableNancy]

I understand your disappointment and feeling like you've been tricked, but they are beautiful side by side and this way you know who is laying which egg. And $20 is a much better deal than $40 or $50. While some breeders may be able to control their egg color through serious selection and culling, I think that if you got a CCL from any hatchery you would run the risk of getting green eggs, even though they advertise blue.

I don't want anyone to think I don't like my green eggs.... I LOVE them But yes, just surprised and a little disappointed they aren't blue that's all. I am still waiting for my 2 EE's to lay so you never know!!

My girl looked exactly like that at your age. I am going to try and find a photo. I am leaning towards pullet for you because of my experience, your birds body length is of the rectangular shape as mine was. The tail scares me a bit.. but she is still very young. My girls comb was actually larger at that age.. but then just stopped. Going to look for a picture by comaraison...



This picture is just a little bit older than your bird. See her next to her two hatchmates. Now I know they are different breeds... but her comb and wattles scared me to death!

MB

Thank you ... just gotta watch and wait. I would have though boy on yours as well!!
I may not even keep her but I can certainly sell her easy if she is a she ... harder to find a home for a boy.

I'm sure you could sell her quite easily if you don't want olive eggs (I think they're beautiful!) ,especially given that olive eggers cost more than EEs everywhere I've looked.

I love olive eggs... and green eggs... I was just not knowledgable enough and thought all CCL's laid blue so I was very surprised. Right now I'm getting 2-4 eggs a day and 3 of those are shades of green so I'm happy about that!!!

Sorry the eggs aren't blue. They are still lovely though!

And as for Leyla, that's what happened to one of my EEs (the one who laid the egg above). I really thought she'd be the last to lay, because she wasn't really squatting and her comb was still so pale compared to ALL my other girls. Well she surprised me and within a week she started squatting, reddened up (almost overnight), an laid her first egg. She was my 2nd layer

My first batch of chicks that happened as well. My RIR laid first at 18 weeks and the very next day I was shocked to see a green and a brown egg in the nest! She was my 2nd layer. Of course one of my others took 10 months to lay!!! You just never know with EE's!!

I was thinking $20/ea for the CCL. I bought the pair for $20 but she felt bad and gave me a deal since I had already tried to hatch 20 eggs of hers and only had 1 hatch. She was also super nice and gave me the second batch of eggs for free since the first batch was a dud. I'm sure it wasn't the eggs fault, but she still only charged me $3 for gas.

I think I read somewhere that they do use that mix.

I think $20 to start is good and see if you can go up from there. That was nice of her to not charge you... very good business person!

I have to get pics of my OE... She just had a little puff form on her head so now I'm thinking she may be a CCL mixed with Cuckoo Marans... it's adorable. And then the single comb would make sense if that was the mix... right?? Time will tell with that one too.

I'm going to take pics really soon. I just got finished moving my 4 1/2 month olds into the big coop... boy were they upset about that!! And getting the little coop cleaned out and moving the little ones out there hopefully tomorrow. I NEED them out of the garage desperately. LOL.... box to small and they are pooping everywhere!! They are a mix of 3 1/2 and 4 1/2 week olds. My OE has a single comb so I don't hold out to much hope for an olive egg.
Best of luck with the move out of the garage and transition for all the girls!

OH... I forgot to mention .... my other CCL laid her first egg today!!! It's olive green... so either the breeder 'tricked' me when she said they laid sky blue eggs or she didn't know either?? I'm thinking the first. But, the eggs are beautiful and the girls are just so pretty in person. The pics don't do them justice.

Here are my 2 CCL eggs. The one on the left is my newer layer... they are very small (NOT Meyer Girls...)


I love the olive green it is so pretty. Maybe they switched off and your Olive Egger will lay a blue? That is very frustrating though. I hate it when people take advantage like.

Bonnie Blue who laid today...

She's a pretty lady

All your chicks looks great. I wish I had a separate grow out coop like you for transitioning younger chicks. My chickens are doing great too, Egg production is a little better and they're finding special spots in the run and seem pretty content.

Still hoping one of my EE's lay a blue egg... that would be cool. But I do love my green eggs too!!
Glad production is up. My RIR stopped laying a few weeks ago but I wasn't seeing any feathers of hers flying around so I was getting concerned it was something else going on. Today, lots of red feathers so just the normal molt. Thank goodness. I miss her dark brown eggs though. My skelter is all pastel shades. Hopefully my GB add some dark eggs to the mix.

 

[rnchick74]

Ok, so I see on FB this announcement from Meyer: Big announcement via email tomorrow. Are you signed up and ready to hear the news?

Anyone have any idea what it is???


Just an update from my crew - the girls are all loading themselves into the coop at night each night & roosting up!!! My rooster is being a pain!!! He wants to sleep outside and pecked at me tonight when I went to pick him up! I usually leave a security light on at night to ward off predators (it hits the side of the coop without any windows), but tonight I left it off...let's see how he likes being locked out of the coop AND in the dark!

Don't worry, the run is predator proof and locked up tight...he will just be sleeping alone tonight.

My friend who was going to re-home him for me has had a major issue - apparently a mink got into her coop a decimated all of her hens. She only has 3 roosters left out of 30. So I don't think sending Coco there would be good - no hens to play with. He will have to stay with me for right now.

Other than that, everyone is loving their coop & run!

 

[The Howards]

@christine9 If it helps at all this is the brahma pic taken sept 5th, she was 4+ months old at this point and everyone else had already feathered out completely. Penelope feathered so slowly in fact that I had to remove her from the other 2 for a while so she could get some rest. The others picked on her too much. I had to do the same thing with the light brahma we go this last may/june and she still isn't fully feathered either.





@NotableNancy i say girl, I would think her comb be redder if it was a male.

 

[christine9]

@christine9 If it helps at all this is the brahma pic taken sept 5th, she was 4+ months old at this point and everyone else had already feathered out completely. Penelope feathered so slowly in fact that I had to remove her from the other 2 for a while so she could get some rest. The others picked on her too much. I had to do the same thing with the light brahma we go this last may/june and she still isn't fully feathered either. @NotableNancy i say girl, I would think her comb be redder if it was a male.

Thanks! That definitely helps. I can't believe how slows she's feathering out! Keeping my fingers crossed.