Should I buy eggs or wait it out?

[BullChick]

<sigh> I still have a holdout, and the broody is the scatter brained one from last year. She will keep the other broodies company, and take care of a few chicks, but she isn’t reliable for hatching them. She had no interest in the chicks I brought her.
Now about the one pullet that hasn’t laid. What is her problem?!

 

[cluckcluckhens]

I have never had to buy eggs since we started our small farm in 2012. Before our girls started laying we went without eggs. Now, we have eight hens. As of today I have 10 cartons in the fridge. Tomorrow I will fill another carton of eggs. We did not want to buy white eggs at the store so we waited for our only girl at the time to start laying. We had a sex-link that was a talker and cried when she saw me eating in front of her. I had to give her some. She was begging for my food. She was so cool.

When you girls start laying and you get lots of eggs as your neighbors for their egg cartons. One neighbor does not return our cartons so we might have to ask for them back if they still have them. Good luck!

Hope your girl starts to lay soon.

 

[BullChick]

Yeah, they can guilt you for sure!

 

[BullChick]

Two broodies in a cage... Instead of incubating eggs, I’m going to buy chicks/poults/ducklings. It was the original plan, but I wasn’t sure. My eggs only cost the incubator electricity.

 

[Wishing4Wings]

Two broodies in a cage... Instead of incubating eggs, I’m going to buy chicks/poults/ducklings. It was the original plan, but I wasn’t sure. My eggs only cost the incubator electricity.

Do you have a plan for what breeds and how many?
Nice thing about buying chicks is you don't have to deal with all the cockerels.

 

[BullChick]

We agree we miss ducks. I want Call, but Pekin (they are usually actually Muscovy mismarked) is more common around here. The chicks would be EE sold as Ameraucana. We also like Welsummer, and my one is in her third year. More Welsummer is very likely. The number? I can’t say. 6-9 probably.

 

[Wishing4Wings]

EEs and Wellies are favorites of mine. The Wellsummers can be pretty vocal and mine have both gotten significant spurs, but other than that, I really like them.
Muscovies and Pekins mixed up? I guess when they're babies it would be hard to tell. Call ducks a very noisy and they fly, but are supremely cute.
What about poults? Getting ready for Thanksgiving?

 

[BullChick]

Yes, I want poults for Thanksgiving.
I know the difference immediately, but they deny it. I’m especially confused about how it was a common thing 5 years ago. Across the country, BYC members were complaining about it. There’s at least one thread about it.

 

[BullChick]

That was my only yellow headed Muscovy too. Her brothers (I assume that was the hen) had black splotches.

 

[BullChick]

Last year I bought White Rocks marked as Leghorns. They were too round to be lightweight Leghorns. It was the only reason I got them.