Pennsylvania!! Unite!!

[dheltzel]

Had someone ask me the other day if I knew anyone that had blue egg layers for sale.

Thought I'd throw it out here since I now some of you raise them. I don't know the person who wants them, but @galgo98 is in contact with them. If you have some, you can contact her. I "think" they want a bunch. They sell eggs and have a demand for blue.

Thanks

I'm gonna have lots of chicks later, but getting very few eggs now, and even less that I believe will produce good blue egg layers.

My second "wave" of CCL pullets seem to be laying mostly olive colored eggs. The best explanation I have is there was some "interaction" with the Welsummer roos next door

and those hybrids are simply laying first because of the hybrid vigor, at least I hope that is what is going on. I made some intentional Olive Eggers with those 2 breeds, but a CCL roo and the pullets look a lot like a CCL. All the pullets in my CCL pen seem to be barred and they should not be if their sire was a Welsummer. Their older siblings laid nice blue eggs so I'm a little peeved that I have olive eggers in my CCL flock.

I will message them and suggest if they can't find any now, that I can help them out in the spring. CCL's are neat, but for a production flock of blue egg layers, I will recommend the black sexlinks with an Ameraucana as the sire. I have about 10 of those in our laying flock and the ones that have started laying are fantastic producers. Really pretty jet black and as calm as an Ameraucana, just sexable at hatch (and they lay more eggs than the purebred Ams).

 

[dheltzel]

Congratulations! How many eggs are in the bator? Do I remember 9? Of course we expects pics very soon....

8, well 7 set Sat night and an 8th one I found Sun AM and stuck in also, so one might hatch 12 hours behind. I have 5 chicks out in the brooder now. They all look like pullets, but it may be the head spots are just not showing until they are all fluffed out. All 5 being pullets seems unlikely, but that would be great.

Thanksgiving day I got 3 eggs from the 6 Reese pullets, all very blue, though a little on the small side, being from young pullets. Yesterday I got 2. Now that I have a decent hatch and their lay rate is increasing, I am hopeful about having a lot of these to get out there this year. By this time next year, Reese line chicks might be plentiful and cheap.

 

[BullChick]

You might have all pullets. I was lucky enough to have a BCM rooster from beaglady that only fathered girls. I hated that I had to give him up last year. Especially since I was back here within four months.

 

[dheltzel]

You might have all pullets. I was lucky enough to have a BCM rooster from beaglady that only fathered girls. I hated that I had to give him up last year. Especially since I was back here within four months.

In birds, the female parent determines the sex of the offspring (the opposite of mammals). So, it would be truer to say that your hen produced all girls, since the roo had nothing to do with the sex of the offspring.

The first Ameraucana chicks I ever bought were 6 males and no females, so maybe this is what statistically balances that out.

 

[BullChick]

Well, heck. You are right. I just never connected the two (the fact and what I thought). Well, four hatches with various hens, and 100% girls.

 

[Blarneyeggs]

Beautiful pics Fisherlady! Always love the chick pics!

Thanks! And I did get a few more...the chicks are still mostly under Gracie, but did coax them out with the assist of scrambled eggs and dried meal worms.

You take the best photos. Thanks so much for sharing, really lightens my spirits.

 

[Blarneyeggs]

Hey all:

Suggestions needed....I have 10 birds at present with two roos...the slightly older roos is blind and really just hangs out....well, over the past week the younger roo has really taken control over the flock and now will not let the blind roo near the girls....they all still roost together....so

1)is this an acceptable situation?

2) I have a second coop/pen that I could put a couple of younger girl in with the blind roo and keep them penned.....this just might make the dominant roo ****** off....also the blind roo knows his way around the other pen and coop and I think learning a new situation would be very stressful....

Lastly, I intend to enlarge the flock in the spring and I think the added girls may make the situation more acceptable....

Your thoughts???

Wow, that's quite a situation you've got. I remember your blind boy, pretty fellow. My thoughts, whatever they're worth, are that if there is not excessive blood shed, leave things alone -especially since you think a change may work against your blind boy. He may actually be content with no ladies -women are trouble. Am I right?

 

[beaglady]

I have blue egg layers for sale. They're Ameraucanas from my late summer hatches who should start laying around February. Shoot me a pm if you want more info.

 

[dheltzel]

Wow, that's quite a situation you've got. I remember your blind boy, pretty fellow. My thoughts, whatever they're worth, are that if there is not excessive blood shed, leave things alone -especially since you think a change may work against your blind boy. He may actually be content with no ladies -women are trouble. Am I right?

I agree, I'd leave them as they are unless you are certain you have a problem like the blind roo getting injured. I have often seen 2 roos cooperate when guarding a group of hens. As long as the subordinate one doesn't try any "funny stuff", the dominant one seems to accept him as part of the flock. They all benefit from the extra set of eyes in the flock.

 

[dheltzel]

For those of use that love our turkeys: http://www.businessinsider.com/heres-why-americans-dont-eat-turkey-eggs-2015-11

I'm currently medicating our turkeys so we can't eat the eggs for a while. What to do with all those nice turkey eggs . . .