***OKIES in the BYC III ***

[TRUE5]

Woot woot!! I had no idea there was a valentines day hatch but I was counting days and mine should be hatching the day before. Super excited!

29 black copper, black, blue and splash eggs in the bator...! My first time with shipped eggs. Wish me luck.

Sorry I know that was a random post. Lol. Just eggcited!! Anyone know anything about candling maran eggs? They seem a little dark.

Good luck with candling them. Some people will set a regular egg to see how they progress. What I did was go by the shadow. There are youtube videos that help as well with this. My first and only hatch so far were the Splash Marans. They were so dark I had to take them into a closet that was super dark to candle them. You can't see the veins but the darkening inside of where they should be at that point in time is or isn't there. Also pencil the air cell. Keep an eye on it to make sure it is going down like it's suppose to and that helps tell you how things are moving along as well. I didn't weigh like some people. I was able to differ on where the "see through" parts were and only had one egg get so far it was NASTY when I broke it open (not fertile and in the bator for 16 days. Yuck!

). You will know. If you are iffy then leave it in and keep an eye on it. My biggest fear was an exploding egg. I was pretty successful with a "dry hatch". Out of 12, nine hatched. Two died unfortunately. Good luck! I look forward to a valentines hatch myself! I put some more of mine I just got in the bator tomorrow.

Its a just a waiting game now.

 

[TRUE5]

Woohoo good luck! On Marans eggs, when you candle at day 10 the clears (undeveloping) will light up like a Christmas tree light. The developing ones will look dark. At about day 15 sometimes you can candle from the bottom and pull out early quitters but not always. Most of the time anything that I don't pull out on day 10 stays in until after lockdown.

Sorry I didn't include this in a multi quote. Sure thing on the cockerels! I will give you your pick on them because I don't want to keep any boys. She is located in Bella Vista Ar. so since I was already only 30 min away I figured "why not?". I found her listing on ebay. She also has her project of Frizzles x SFH thus making "Flower Frizzle". I was just telling someone on here about that and posted a link. She said her SFH were Greenfire stock. I only saw one crested in the group photo of her flock. I will let you know as soon as I start to thin out my chicks on what I keep. Crossing my fingers that I get a good hatch rate from all that I have!!!

 

[hotcurltr]

I do sort of feel like I am in a candy store - I want one of each! :0) Anyone have a Wyandotte, Cochin, or Faverolle, pullet they want to sell?

I like my Americauna the best. She is super sweet. Of course, she is only a week and a half old... they are all sweet. (Except the RIRs... grrrr.)

I need to put my 2 cents in. I have a Heritage RIR rooster that is wonderful, w\sweet, tame, great daddy etc, I have 8 RIR hens I bought from Cackle Hatcherie. I raised some under a hen and some in a brooder. They are all sweet. I can't tell that they are more aggressive than any of the others. I feed treats and they all come. One of my tamest is aRIR that will get on my shoulder etc.. In fact she's a pest. I just think that they are all individuals and can't make a general statement about hatcheriesl I do think some hatcheries will try to improve their breed where others do not. I do like Heritage breeders, but I have a hard time finding them. Buff Orps and Australorpesaregreatand I know a breeder. The cochin dotte mixes ipurchased from NanKat are great. She also raises Wyandottes. Give her a pm and OldCampCook, I'm sure they both have some available. I love Lonny and Rindas birds but they are just rare and pricey so I have no business with them unless I canbuild some big pens where they couldn't get out. But I'd love to have some. Someday maybe. If I get the money and my anxiety gets better so I don't worry about them. I allready worry too much over what I have. Anyway, If you don't find what you want, let me know, I have some mixed pullets I would let go. PS I'm trying to get speckled sissex along with ShelbyDog and not so wonderwomen, they are gentle breeds too.

 

[Ksane]

True, on the Spitzhauben eggs-you're welcome to as many as you want.
They lay religiously every day when they're laying. They'll start back up again soon. I'll gladly share them!

 

[TRUE5]

On Speckled Sussex I found this in Arkansas:
http://shop.gabbardhatchingeggs.com/collections/hatching-eggs/products/speckled-Sussex

This one is a little farther in WI:
http://ourflybabies-chickensforsale.com/sussex_chickens.html

Some breeds are harder to find out of a breeder than hatchery. Don't know when these breeders have any available but I guess if you called or emailed they can tell you or possibly point you in the direction of another breeder. Just thought I would post these. The breeder I saw today for my Light Sussex eggs didn't mention a breeder for Speckled and it totally slipped my mind. If you want to I can hit him up again after tonight. They sure are pretty!

 

[Mattok1]

Woot woot!! I had no idea there was a valentines day hatch but I was counting days and mine should be hatching the day before. Super excited!

29 black copper, black, blue and splash eggs in the bator...! My first time with shipped eggs. Wish me luck.

Sorry I know that was a random post. Lol. Just eggcited!! Anyone know anything about candling maran eggs? They seem a little dark.

Awesome!! I think this will be my first project when I find/buy my house. I've become fascinated with marans and my mom has an incubator I can borrow plus some experience to help me along the way. I would like to start at the very beginning to 1) gain the experience and 2) bond with the chicks from the earliest point possible
I am not in a hurry for egg-laying-hens. I'm in this for the fun lol.

 

[hotcurltr]

On Speckled Sussex I found this in Arkansas:
http://shop.gabbardhatchingeggs.com/collections/hatching-eggs/products/speckled-Sussex

This one is a little farther in WI:
http://ourflybabies-chickensforsale.com/sussex_chickens.html

Some breeds are harder to find out of a breeder than hatchery. Don't know when these breeders have any available but I guess if you called or emailed they can tell you or possibly point you in the direction of another breeder. Just thought I would post these. The breeder I saw today for my Light Sussex eggs didn't mention a breeder for Speckled and it totally slipped my mind. If you want to I can hit him up again after tonight. They sure are pretty!

by all means, Please do so. I'm not looking for show quality, but I don't want bad quality either. Welp hatcherie has the best so far but I'll look these up. Thanks a bunch. I need to post picks of the cochin dotte crosses I purchased from Nana KaT yesterday. They are precious. Hubby fell in love with her Columbian Wyandotte roo. He is absolutely beautiful. Her chickens are huge. And you can tell they are very happy and healthy.

 

[TaraBellaBirds]

Well, i'd agree on hatchery birds to a point- my girl Donna RIR was real standoffish till she started laying, i didn't think she'd ever tame down, now she is one of the friendliest, not a lap bird, bt will come and visit, same as Tick, my black astralorp. BUT, every hatchery orp i have had, (except Sugar, lost her right after she started laying, she was like a puppy), is not friendly at all- -

Donna


it really is iffy i think, when i started getting breeder birds, what a difference!





@KSANE Sonny is getting spoiled fast- he loves fermented feed!!

She is gorgeous. She is also A LOT darker than my RIRs, more like the heritage RIRs that I have seen. What hatchery did you get her from?

 

[muesky]

I am enjoying reading this. I hope to hatch eggs in the future. I care for 8 chickens now and hope to expand in the future. I'd love to have an Easter Egger or five. I love finding the eggs and pretty colors makes it even more fun. Some cute chickens would be nice too. The silkies are precious and the all of the chickens with afros and such are gorgeous.

Okie style... I have ameraucanas and cochins, and am planning on starting my ameracochin project this spring so it will be the best of both worlds...

This is Josephine Peckers. She lays lovely brown eggs.

That is a sweet picture!!! I love the name..

Rebecca, I thought Gregory the 1st was a splash. Was he the color of Lillith? That's cool, that color seems hard to find in LF Cochins.

Kass, those NN's crack me UP! They get big, don't they?

Cayuse, anytime you want Spitz eggs let me know lol

Kim, you're braver than me still hatching :-O I think I have around 30 chicks give or take a few that I've hatched since Sept. It's been really tough trying to keep them warm when it go below freezing. Thank God I could put a lot of them in the heated RV. A little cramped in dog crates but it sure beat 15 below zero (or whatever god-awful temp it was).

T-Chicken, Josephine Peckers looks like a Red Star, is that what she is? I'm pretty partial to Red Stars.

That was Gregory II who I got from you.. Gregory the first was a golden laced, he was old, blind in one eye and I loved him dearly and miss him a lot..

Got 6° windchill and no power

I am glad that your got your power back on.

Ok. I plan on ordering from Ideal Nursury or McMurry's. Unless you have another place your recommend? They don't seem to be available unitl April or May???

So we will have to wait a few months.

I can place the order. I live in Tulsa, and my transportation is very limited so we would have to figure out how you all are going to get them. But I live withing walking distance to the post office so I can pick them up and get them in the brooder right away when they arrive at the post office. If it is bad weather I will make my hubby go get them before work.

Any other places you can recommend to order? I don't need show quality, I just want some pretty heritage breeds.

I like Welp Hatchery.. They even have LF cochins which I am considering on placing an order this spring.. They have sussexs.

Great. I wish I had gotten on here and found all of this out before I ordered from a hatchery!! What are the breeds with the best temperaments? Once I get rid of my two RIRs I will have a Brahma, Americauna, Barred Rock, and a couple of Silkies. What would be a good fit with them? Should I stick with more of what I have or can I add new ones? (I have heard Wyandottes are good and calm...)

It is okay, be patient.. Your babies should be fine.. Just be the kind loving chicken mama and they will be okay.

Those are so cool!!!

I want to go in with ya'll on the speclkled sussex. I have found that Welp Hatcherie has better qualitie birds and excellent customer service. They have all the brreds I want. I haven't compared prices because i like cackle hatcherie too. Their birds a good but maybe not the quality whelp has. Take a look at Whelp and see what you think. You have to have a minimum order of 25, but can mix and match breeds. I would be willing to go with 10 unless ya'll want more or less, but I am willing to make up the differnce.

I maybe interested in adding some cochins to that list but I want about 10-15..

Good luck with candling them. Some people will set a regular egg to see how they progress. What I did was go by the shadow. There are youtube videos that help as well with this. My first and only hatch so far were the Splash Marans. They were so dark I had to take them into a closet that was super dark to candle them. You can't see the veins but the darkening inside of where they should be at that point in time is or isn't there. Also pencil the air cell. Keep an eye on it to make sure it is going down like it's suppose to and that helps tell you how things are moving along as well. I didn't weigh like some people. I was able to differ on where the "see through" parts were and only had one egg get so far it was NASTY when I broke it open (not fertile and in the bator for 16 days. Yuck!

). You will know. If you are iffy then leave it in and keep an eye on it. My biggest fear was an exploding egg. I was pretty successful with a "dry hatch". Out of 12, nine hatched. Two died unfortunately. Good luck! I look forward to a valentines hatch myself! I put some more of mine I just got in the bator tomorrow.

Its a just a waiting game now.

Just a warning, an exploding egg is one of the grosses things I have ever smelled..

Awesome!! I think this will be my first project when I find/buy my house. I've become fascinated with marans and my mom has an incubator I can borrow plus some experience to help me along the way. I would like to start at the very beginning to 1) gain the experience and 2) bond with the chicks from the earliest point possible

I am not in a hurry for egg-laying-hens. I'm in this for the fun lol.

It is a good thing to have a couple of older chickens to help start out.. It is a great learning curve..

 

[TaraBellaBirds]

Jack, (my neighbor), has some heritage RIRs in his flock. Right now all the roosters are together in a huge pen without the girls and the RIR roo is the dominant guy among all the roosters but is far and not harsh in his leadership and is super friendly to me. The hens are curious and will jump in the feed bucket. They are a beautiful, deep red too.

Oh wow, the difference in heritage RIR's and production RIRs is huge. I love the deep reds. One day I hope to have some REAL RIRs!!! Does he breed and sell LOL?