***OKIES in the BYC III ***

[erinszoo]

Not sure what's going on near my house but we've had a helicopter flying about. At first I thought they were going to the hospital but they've never landed. Now I'm kinda worried about the noises I heard in the living room and upstairs since I went out there and found my door standing open. I thought it was just the wind or the cats.

We've found out that our redcap roo, Chili, can predict earthquakes this week. He never makes a fuss about anything unless his girls are missing or someone is messing with them, but lately he's been crowing for seemingly no reason and within 15 minutes we have an earthquake and then he shuts up. It's like having our own warning system ... but it's also a little unnerving.

 

[cathiesue]

Dan you sure ask a lot of questions! Here's what I've got. I've purchased "hatching eggs" that never developed. I'm ok with that. That said, some were shipped, some were local. But, it's not a big deal. IMHO.
If you need "test hatchers" I'm sure you'll get tons of volunteers from fellow Okies!
I sell my eggs to family and friends for $3/doz.

 

[SharkmanDan]

@erinszoo & @cathiesue
Thanks. I'm completely new to this. When we moved from L.A. to here, I intended to get into raising poultry, slowly. After being here, I was still very hesitant, and my wife kind of forced my hand, and it all moved rather rapidly, since then. However, as much as I want to get into breeding myself, money is extremely tight, for now, and I simply cannot afford incubators. Even the inexpensive ones. Priorities, are still priorities. Even though I sneak in more chickens, now and then-usually, through someone's generosity. I've now performed more surgeries on fowl, than I ever imagined I could, let alone would. I am infinitely more familiar with chicken and turkey anatomy, than I ever conceived. But, there are just some aspects of this hobby/avocation, that I am completely at a loss for understanding. And, that where I rely on you good folks. I need guidance, on things that don't necessarily equate to other things in life, for me.
So, once again, thank you, to Okie's in the BYC, helping a newbie, oft times over his head, to understand this wonderful world of fowl.

 

[Rayanne]

What is POOPs?

 

[SharkmanDan]

If I recall the nomenclature properly, it is "Poultry Owners of Oklahoma Poultry Swap".

 

[lonnyandrinda]

I want to ask a little advice from y'all.
Thanks to some guidance from local friends, my egg production is back, way up, from a month ago. Add in the 36 new adult birds I recently picked up (29 hens, 7 roos), and My wife being out of state, visiting family, and I have eggs coming out of my ears.
So, I started advertising "Farm Fresh Eggs" for sale, at what seems like the going rate, for most of the folks I know, selling eggs. $2-12/$2.75-18 medium to large and $3.50-18 XL to jumbo. Not a lot of response, so, I'm finding things to do with the eggs. Hard boiled, and chopped, they get gobbled up, by the chickens.

I have had, though, a few requests, for fertile eggs, in order to hatch.

Several of my chickens, I have segregated by breed, and have been keeping some of the eggs of those whose breeds are known, marked, with the breed, and date laid. Cuckoo Marans, Ameracaunas, Speckled Sussex's, Golden Lakenvelders, RIR's and Australorps, are all breeds, which because of the breed separations, would breed true, if incubated.
Others, like Delawares, Jersey Giants, Euskal Oiloas, Swedish Flowers, hybrids, dominickers, Barnevelders, and brown leghorns, will all be crossed with the Australorp rooster, who watches over them, with vigilance.

First question. Would it be considered a faux pas, to breed tthe mutts, strictly for their capability as either egg layers or meat birds?

Second, if I were to sell the bred true eggs, how can I be certain that they're fertile? I'm not THAT good at candling, that I can tell a fertile egg, from one that isn't.

Third, if I sell eggs, is there a standard price? Does it vary by breed, like I would expect? Again, the "not being certain of fertility" issue, makes me concerned about selling. I see my roosters doing "the deed", but, I've never hatched any, and I don't know how to check for fertility, until the egg is out of the shell. Now, most eggs I crack open, show fertility, so, I would expect the same rate, but, I don't know what to expect, and I want to be ethical.
I have a woman, today, wants two dozen of my Ameracauna eggs, for hatching. Since I am not certain, I'm simply going to charge her the dozen eggs price, then ask her to report back, after hatching, what her results were, and use that, as my guideline, on what to expect, in the future.

I really respect so many of you folks. Your generosity with knowledge and experience, has been truly wonderful, and I value your opinions. Your guidance, to me, means a great deal. I want to try to make a little money, out of my little farm, but, I want to be ethical about it, too.
Thank you, one and all.

Nothing wrong with mutts at all- with full disclosure of course. Just label them as "barnyard mix hatching eggs" and you are good to go. As long as you have a good roo to hen ration anyway.

Most people incubate a set or two to check fertility- you could always open a days' worth of eggs from one pen to eat and check fertility that way. Reasonably you want at very least 10/12 to be fertile. If you don't want to eat them right away you can put one egg in each compartment of an ice cube tray and freeze them, then pop into a freezer bag for baking with later. If you have a good hen to roo ratio and nothing has upset the pecking order lately everything should be fine.

Eggs are usually sold "as is" with no guarantee. There are so many things that they can do wrong during incubation that is out of your control. That being said, personally if someone had a crappy hatch rate with hand delivered eggs I will work with them, either a replacement set or maybe a few starter chicks. Especially if it is one of the more expensive rarer breeds. Now on shipped eggs- I rarely do refunds at all unless the box or eggs are damaged upon arrival- the handling of the post office is bad on eggs and completely out of my control.

Price is going to depend on the rarity of the breed and the quality of your birds. Hatchery stock are going to be cheaper than breeder quality or show quality stock. You can also do a google search for the kind you are wanting to sell and get an idea of what others are charging for theirs.

If I recall the nomenclature properly, it is "Poultry Owners of Oklahoma Poultry Swap".

X2. Ususally held in the spring-ish, March to May. I haven't heard any rumblings of the gathering this year. @Poco Pollo was the coordinator last year and it was fabulous. The hard part is finding a location, as most public gathering places won't allow us to bring chickens.

 

[ftpagain]

I want to ask a little advice from y'all.
Thanks to some guidance from local friends, my egg production is back, way up, from a month ago. Add in the 36 new adult birds I recently picked up (29 hens, 7 roos), and My wife being out of state, visiting family, and I have eggs coming out of my ears.
So, I started advertising "Farm Fresh Eggs" for sale, at what seems like the going rate, for most of the folks I know, selling eggs. $2-12/$2.75-18 medium to large and $3.50-18 XL to jumbo. Not a lot of response, so, I'm finding things to do with the eggs. Hard boiled, and chopped, they get gobbled up, by the chickens.

I have had, though, a few requests, for fertile eggs, in order to hatch.

Several of my chickens, I have segregated by breed, and have been keeping some of the eggs of those whose breeds are known, marked, with the breed, and date laid. Cuckoo Marans, Ameracaunas, Speckled Sussex's, Golden Lakenvelders, RIR's and Australorps, are all breeds, which because of the breed separations, would breed true, if incubated.
Others, like Delawares, Jersey Giants, Euskal Oiloas, Swedish Flowers, hybrids, dominickers, Barnevelders, and brown leghorns, will all be crossed with the Australorp rooster, who watches over them, with vigilance.

First question. Would it be considered a faux pas, to breed tthe mutts, strictly for their capability as either egg layers or meat birds?

Second, if I were to sell the bred true eggs, how can I be certain that they're fertile? I'm not THAT good at candling, that I can tell a fertile egg, from one that isn't.

Third, if I sell eggs, is there a standard price? Does it vary by breed, like I would expect? Again, the "not being certain of fertility" issue, makes me concerned about selling. I see my roosters doing "the deed", but, I've never hatched any, and I don't know how to check for fertility, until the egg is out of the shell. Now, most eggs I crack open, show fertility, so, I would expect the same rate, but, I don't know what to expect, and I want to be ethical.
I have a woman, today, wants two dozen of my Ameracauna eggs, for hatching. Since I am not certain, I'm simply going to charge her the dozen eggs price, then ask her to report back, after hatching, what her results were, and use that, as my guideline, on what to expect, in the future.

I really respect so many of you folks. Your generosity with knowledge and experience, has been truly wonderful, and I value your opinions. Your guidance, to me, means a great deal. I want to try to make a little money, out of my little farm, but, I want to be ethical about it, too.
Thank you, one and all.

That's what I've done. I bought fresh eggs that were not refrigerated from locals. They sold them to me for 2.50-3$$ per dozen just like they would sell to anyone else. I hatched and got about 70%. And the chickens are looking pretty good. what u get is barn yard mixes. To me, it's too expensive to pay for fertile eggs 2,3,4 and so on dollars when I can get chicks for near that price. Plus I think personally since I'm not specifically after high yields of meat or eggs, barn yard mixes are just as good as pure breds. But if u know that your eggs will hatch pure breeds I would charge a little more

 

[BetsyOK]

The original POOPS, started in Choctaw in 2009 (I think) was People Of Oklahoma Poultry Swap. When it started being held in the eastern part of the state, it was changed to the new name in deference to the original organizers. A lot of the same people have been involved in both.

It is a wonderful, family-oriented gathering. The original one had two auctions of poultry and related items; one to benefit the group to keep it going forward, the other to benefit the people who brought birds, etc. to sell, as well as the drawings. There were several "booths" of information, including a demonstration on processing and a booth on bee keeping. It was basically a two-day event, involving a sit-down buffet complete with table decorations and a program with entertainment at night. It was a lot of fun but required a lot of work.

The one that is ongoing is also well-handled and a lot of fun, but not quite so much work, nor as many people involved.

 

[SharkmanDan]

Rinda & FTP,
Thanks, so much. I was concerned that someone was going to tell me that either I was crazy for asking too much, or crazy for asking too little. It sounds like I've about figured it out, with a bit of guidance, and a whole bunch of encouragement, from y'all. As I get some feedback on my eggs, and their hatch rate, I'll have a somewhat better idea, what to charge in the future.
I am a bit concerned about my barnyard mixes, though, as far as fertility. I'm probably over reacting, but, the thought is there. For my laying flock, I have about 40-45 hens and pullets, in my big pen, with my main man, Bob-a-Roo. He is a very large, assertive, Australorp. If I put any other roo in there, he doesn't harm them, but spends his time chasing them away from the girls. He still gets busy with the girls, pretty frequently, but he has been behaving strangely lately.
Their coop is a 12'x12' floor, with 22 nest boxes. We WAY overbuilt this thing, because we built it, before really researching much about what was needed. The attached pen, is 75'x50'. The older girls, and heavier young ones, as well as the "yard art" birds, tend to stay in the pen. But, a few of the young Delawares, Jersey Giants, Brown Leghorns and Blue Andalusians, fly out of the pen, in search of wild food, under the plentiful leaves on the ground. Therein lies the problem. I have a small coop, of RIR's, for breeding, that get get free range most days. Because Rudy is out, and Bob's girls now have access to Rudy, or should I say, Rudy has access to them, Bob, has figured out, how to fly. He flies well enough, that his nearly 10# self, can fly to the top of the 5-1/2' fence around the laying flock pen, then fly down, to the ground. He takes care of breeding the 5-7 girls that typically escape daily, and occasionally, I see him get himself back in the pen. But, usually, he waits for me, to go out, collecting eggs, where he can just walk right in the front door of the coop. So, he gets back in the coop, 3-5 times a day, at least, but, it doesn't take him long,mand he's back outside the coop, keeping Rudy and Willie, from getting with any of his girls.
So, I wonder, if he actually has enough time and energy, left, after spending all that time, out of the pen, to breed with that many girls? Maybe I should put Willie in with them. He doesn't show any inclination to fly, there are PLENTY of girls, and it might give Bob reason to stay in the correct pen.
It's strange, though. Bob, doesn't seem to try to get with any of Rudy's girls, ever. He's just out there, to keep Rudy, from getting with HIS girls.
What I really need, is to put netting over the pen for the laying flock, to keep chickens in, and Hawks and Owls out. I already lost one gorgeous Marraduna Basque rooster, to a flying predator. I just can't afford the netting, just yet.

 

[ftpagain]

Rinda & FTP,
Thanks, so much. I was concerned that someone was going to tell me that either I was crazy for asking too much, or crazy for asking too little. It sounds like I've about figured it out, with a bit of guidance, and a whole bunch of encouragement, from y'all. As I get some feedback on my eggs, and their hatch rate, I'll have a somewhat better idea, what to charge in the future.
I am a bit concerned about my barnyard mixes, though, as far as fertility. I'm probably over reacting, but, the thought is there. For my laying flock, I have about 40-45 hens and pullets, in my big pen, with my main man, Bob-a-Roo. He is a very large, assertive, Australorp. If I put any other roo in there, he doesn't harm them, but spends his time chasing them away from the girls. He still gets busy with the girls, pretty frequently, but he has been behaving strangely lately.
Their coop is a 12'x12' floor, with 22 nest boxes. We WAY overbuilt this thing, because we built it, before really researching much about what was needed. The attached pen, is 75'x50'. The older girls, and heavier young ones, as well as the "yard art" birds, tend to stay in the pen. But, a few of the young Delawares, Jersey Giants, Brown Leghorns and Blue Andalusians, fly out of the pen, in search of wild food, under the plentiful leaves on the ground. Therein lies the problem. I have a small coop, of RIR's, for breeding, that get get free range most days. Because Rudy is out, and Bob's girls now have access to Rudy, or should I say, Rudy has access to them, Bob, has figured out, how to fly. He flies well enough, that his nearly 10# self, can fly to the top of the 5-1/2' fence around the laying flock pen, then fly down, to the ground. He takes care of breeding the 5-7 girls that typically escape daily, and occasionally, I see him get himself back in the pen. But, usually, he waits for me, to go out, collecting eggs, where he can just walk right in the front door of the coop. So, he gets back in the coop, 3-5 times a day, at least, but, it doesn't take him long,mand he's back outside the coop, keeping Rudy and Willie, from getting with any of his girls.
So, I wonder, if he actually has enough time and energy, left, after spending all that time, out of the pen, to breed with that many girls? Maybe I should put Willie in with them. He doesn't show any inclination to fly, there are PLENTY of girls, and it might give Bob reason to stay in the correct pen.
It's strange, though. Bob, doesn't seem to try to get with any of Rudy's girls, ever. He's just out there, to keep Rudy, from getting with HIS girls.
What I really need, is to put netting over the pen for the laying flock, to keep chickens in, and Hawks and Owls out. I already lost one gorgeous Marraduna Basque rooster, to a flying predator. I just can't afford the netting, just yet.

omg. i just wrote like a book to this and my internet quit and it disappeared .
anyway... so i was asking the same questions just recently and this is what i learned: some people say 9 to 1 some 10 to 1 some 8 to one and so on and so forth. so the ratio varies. also if a rooster successfully spends time with a hen she is fertile for about a week. so the eggs that you are getting from her that week should be fertile. that gives that rooster a week to chase other girls before having to come back to first one. but sometimes of course they miss.
In my opinion it really all depends on the chicken politics you have within your flock. there are hens that just don't like the rooster and won't give in without some serious effort and some are the opposite. sometimes one rooster is enough to go around many hens and sometimes you need more. and sometimes you have to break up the hens in groups because of the aggression. it's just all different. i have one group where there is only 1 hen, 1 turkey and 4 roosters. they always stick together but they are all free range so she can get away if she is being harassed too much. another group i have is 1 roo with 3 hens. before i had 2 roosters with 7 hens. but then again i am sure there are differences when they are confined and are in larger numbers. i know a lady who does all kinds of pure breeds and she has 1 hen and 1 rooster per cage. so...
if i would to sell eggs for hatching that come from pure breeds i would use internet prices for reference and go from there. different breeds have different prices per egg.