Meyer Hatchery Chicken pics anyone??

[autumnhearth]

I thought Michigan was doing pretty well, then as soon as we started looking for a house, the news about the Right to Farm Act dropped and now we've had to change our plans. Still getting a house, just looking in different areas.

You would think, Michigan being so wooded and outdoors-y, that a couple chickens wouldn't bother people. But the amount of tourist homes in this state is ridiculous and they bring all their hare-brained ideas with them.

Hopefully the individual towns in Michigan get on with writing their individual ordinances. We are lucky to live in a small college town on the edge of suburbia with no limits on poultry they just can't roam at large, make too much noise or smell or be abused like any other animal the ordinance covers (livestock is different you have to have a permit but poultry is defined separate from livestock). I was really surprise by how vague the rules were and had fully expected there would be a limit on the number of hens you could keep or a limit on lot size. I called the animal warden just to make sure. Several of the other suburbs near us have similar statues and even Cleveland itself now allows chicken keeping. There are a few larger suburbs in the area that are debating the laws and the news has been in the paper every week with several articles getting residences opinions. We have 5 pullets but would like to get a few more in the spring. We would like to find land and start a homestead in the next four years. I am actually envious that you live in an apartment now, I really wish we were first time home buyers again, the hardest part is going to be selling our house, there's so much that needs to be done and so little money to do it with.

 

[jonsccm]

So one of my Marans layed Her first egg! Not as dark as I dreamed of but still egg cited!!!

Silkie egg, barred rock egg, and BCMs egg! All from Meyer!

 

[2boys1homestead]

Hopefully the individual towns in Michigan get on with writing their individual ordinances. We are lucky to live in a small college town on the edge of suburbia with no limits on poultry they just can't roam at large, make too much noise or smell or be abused like any other animal the ordinance covers (livestock is different you have to have a permit but poultry is defined separate from livestock). I was really surprise by how vague the rules were and had fully expected there would be a limit on the number of hens you could keep or a limit on lot size. I called the animal warden just to make sure. Several of the other suburbs near us have similar statues and even Cleveland itself now allows chicken keeping. There are a few larger suburbs in the area that are debating the laws and the news has been in the paper every week with several articles getting residences opinions. We have 5 pullets but would like to get a few more in the spring. We would like to find land and start a homestead in the next four years. I am actually envious that you live in an apartment now, I really wish we were first time home buyers again, the hardest part is going to be selling our house, there's so much that needs to be done and so little money to do it with.

I'm hoping everything goes well with our home-buying. I don't think it will be our "forever-homestead" but it will give me the opportunity to learn and grow for a few years before we find that "perfect" place. Hopefully, by then, the economy will have turned around a little bit.

 

[christine9]

So one of my Marans layed Her first egg! Not as dark as I dreamed of but still egg cited!!!

Silkie egg, barred rock egg, and BCMs egg! All from Meyer!

Yay! What a nice color still!! I think I would be pretty happy with that color considering these are hatchery birds.

 

[The Howards]

She is beautiful!

I still drool every time I see that lovely lacing. I wanted one so bad in my flock.



Update:
I emailed both people back at Meyer with detailed pics of the boys. I can say I was wrong in thinking the CW was a male. Luckily the pointiness of the feathers faded and more rounded ones came in so it is DEF a girl!, Yay!!
The other 3 are for sure guys though. The Partridge Cochin, who seems to be taking the more agressive dominant role, the Delaware, who seems to be in the middle, and the Light Brahma, who is the bottom of the trio. So tomorrow I am taking the cochin and the delaware to a local flock swap to try and rehome. I am keeping the LB since he seems to be more docile at this time and enjoys a good cuddle. The roo I just rehomed last month was a cochin and he was not the friendliest fella. He constantly charged the backs of my legs. Not wanting to take any chances with this one. He is lovely but I don't need that many roos.

 

[ChickyChickens]

She is beautiful!

I still drool every time I see that lovely lacing. I wanted one so bad in my flock.



Update:
I emailed both people back at Meyer with detailed pics of the boys. I can say I was wrong in thinking the CW was a male. Luckily the pointiness of the feathers faded and more rounded ones came in so it is DEF a girl!, Yay!!
The other 3 are for sure guys though. The Partridge Cochin, who seems to be taking the more agressive dominant role, the Delaware, who seems to be in the middle, and the Light Brahma, who is the bottom of the trio. So tomorrow I am taking the cochin and the delaware to a local flock swap to try and rehome. I am keeping the LB since he seems to be more docile at this time and enjoys a good cuddle. The roo I just rehomed last month was a cochin and he was not the friendliest fella. He constantly charged the backs of my legs. Not wanting to take any chances with this one. He is lovely but I don't need that many roos.

Have they replied to your email yet??

 

[christine9]

Update:
I emailed both people back at Meyer with detailed pics of the boys. I can say I was wrong in thinking the CW was a male. Luckily the pointiness of the feathers faded and more rounded ones came in so it is DEF a girl!, Yay!!

The other 3 are for sure guys though. The Partridge Cochin, who seems to be taking the more agressive dominant role, the Delaware, who seems to be in the middle, and the Light Brahma, who is the bottom of the trio. So tomorrow I am taking the cochin and the delaware to a local flock swap to try and rehome. I am keeping the LB since he seems to be more docile at this time and enjoys a good cuddle. The roo I just rehomed last month was a cochin and he was not the friendliest fella. He constantly charged the backs of my legs. Not wanting to take any chances with this one. He is lovely but I don't need that many roos. 

Soo glad at least one of them is a girl!! Still that's a crazy ratio of missexed chicks. Hope you get a response soon. Keep us posted!

 

[The Howards]

Have they replied to your email yet??

Soo glad at least one of them is a girl!! Still that's a crazy ratio of missexed chicks. Hope you get a response soon. Keep us posted!

Yeah they did. They had already given me credit for the difference in the cochin and brahma. After this last group of pics they gave me credit for the delaware. So now I have a small credit on my account. They have done wonderful at sexing the ducks we have ordered in the past so maybe a few years from now I will order some ducks. A few years because we will be moving in a year or 2 and I don't want to get anymore until after we have everyone situated in their new home. Yeah, @christine9 , The ratio sucks this go around. Guess that is the numbers but still upset with the situation.
The cochin gave us his first crow this morning!

Ya'll have a good day, I am off to the flock swap

 

[wermnmnmnm]

Soooo.... Almost 2 weeks ago, I found the first egg of my tiny flock of 4... just 1 day after I put the golf balls in the nest. I knew who laid it because she came up into the coop when I got it and she told me all about it... My son's Dominique, Bobbie at exactly 19 weeks was the first to lay.... Pretty early,.. then a week and a half passed until the next egg was laid... that was Wednesday... I believe it was her again... then... another day passes and egg #3... I was thinking it could be my Black Australorp, Edna, because she is very interested in the nesting boxes and was talking to me as well... then today, another egg... I cleaned the coop, run and boxes today and kept checking on them after that because my Mommie senses were tingling... nothing at the next 2 checks, but I went out at 5 and heard BOCK< BOCK< bock, bock,bock, BOCK< BOCK! over and over all the way to the coop.... I arrived seeing 3 hens in the run staring into the coop with looks of fright in their eyes.... Bobbie is sitting, quietly now, in her nest as I open the top... there is her little brown egg, still nice and warm.... I pet her until she got out of the nest telling her what a great chickie she was and thanking her... i ran the egg into the house so that my 9 yr old son could still feel how warm his egg from his chicken was... we passed it to everyone in the family... now I want to quit my job and stay home, outside with my chickens all day so I can be there with them when they lay eggs.... I am surprised I am not lactating... hahahahaha As a newby, one of the best days ever. All four are Meyers babies.

 

[autumnhearth]

Nothing quite like a warm egg freshly laid As a stay at home mom looking for work (or at least supposed to be) I can tell you, you can waste a lot of time and get quite anxious waiting for them to lay!