Surviving Minnesota!

[duluthralphie]

My day just got better!


I went back to accuweather and this is what I found:


No precipitation for at least 120 min



I just looked at the radar, there is snow north of us and south of us. We live right in that little corridor with no snow! My Grandma always told me I would be rewarded for living a good and clean life, Who knew it would be today!

 

[Bogtown Chick]

I ordered hatching eggs once.


Once.

Their journey is too unpredictable and winter conditions??? Emm. No.

If I get hatching eggs for my broody it's a stop at the breeder or someone picking up for me. No more handling by the usps.

 

[jerryse]

I ordered hatching eggs once.


Once.

Their journey is too unpredictable and winter conditions??? Emm. No.

If I get hatching eggs for my broody it's a stop at the breeder or someone picking up for me. No more handling by the usps.

I have bought and sold hatching eggs . It is a gamble . I will not buy or sell in winter or the heat of summer . I have done chicks but people want them too early and then complain about losses . So I have pretty much stopped offering chicks . Eggs are easier . The big thing on shipped eggs is freshness . Good results on a 3 day gather . So if the seller has 2-3 hens and offers a dozen eggs they are not fresh enough . By the time they spend 3-5 days in transit your chances are small . I have people want 2 eggs shipped . Hard to get them to understand that not every egg will hatch .

 

[duluthralphie]

I have never done shipped eggs, but I am going to give it a try.

I am planning to trade turkey egg with people that have some colors I want in my mixes. I did send some that failed to hatch, but there were some incubator problems on their end. Also I think the eggs have to rest once they make the journey for a good day or 2. (which gets back to why they need to be fresh) BUT I have not had an experience with them yet.

 

[jerryse]

I have never done shipped eggs, but I am going to give it a try.

I am planning to trade turkey egg with people that have some colors I want in my mixes. I did send some that failed to hatch, but there were some incubator problems on their end. Also I think the eggs have to rest once they make the journey for a good day or 2. (which gets back to why they need to be fresh) BUT I have not had an experience with them yet.

Fresh allows for better travel . The air cell can detach on older eggs with larger air cells . Pullet eggs seem to travel better also . Good nutrition is a must .

 

[Rhetts]

I have had my fill of broody hens!! Just after I get one broke and on the road to recovery I discover another one in the boxes way too often!! It is exhausting. Of course since I am going through broody after broody, I am guaranteed to NOT have one this spring/summer when I will WANT one. Any advice on how to ward them off or is it completely random? Can you encourage them into broodiness?

Super frustrating!

 

[Rhetts]

Also I was wondering what your guys' thoughts were on hens to eggs ratio. If I wanted to get about 24 eggs a day how many hens and what range of ages should I shoot for? I know the molt comes into play. And production slowing down over time. So keeping young ones every year is what I was thinking. I would like to not keep 40 birds just to get 20 eggs. I can't afford the feed. I would like optimum output if possible. So breeds of birds is also important. I just want to stream line the coop, any advice?

 

[jerryse]

Also I was wondering what your guys' thoughts were on hens to eggs ratio. If I wanted to get about 24 eggs a day how many hens and what range of ages should I shoot for? I know the molt comes into play. And production slowing down over time. So keeping young ones every year is what I was thinking. I would like to not keep 40 birds just to get 20 eggs. I can't afford the feed. I would like optimum output if possible. So breeds of birds is also important. I just want to stream line the coop, any advice?

Leghorn are laying machines . Not broody . The whites are the smallest bird that lay medium - large eggs . Best feed to egg ratio .

 

[duluthralphie]

Rhett.

Pullets seem to lay better (after they get going) than older hens. When my hens were young I had 30 hens and got 26-27 eggs a day. Now I have 16 hens (layers) and get 10-12 a day. Only three are pullets.

Even my Creamettes are laying good now 7 hens 1 old hen 6 pullets) and 5-6 eggs a day.(



I have heard the sound of chicks chirping can bring a hen into broodiness. The mother instinct kicks in. I have no idea if it is true or not. I was told that by a Veterinarian on here that ran some bird wing in a zoo somewhere..( my memory fails me on the other things he said)

 

[Bogtown Chick]

My shipping egg scenario was end of April early may. 4 Eggs were wrapped in paper towel- I thought bubble wrap may have worked better. But I'm no expert. In tact but I suspected a broken air sack on one that never recovered after setting an extra day. They were BLRW from Kentucky. Too far away to northern mn. Too many hands. I know the weather was ok in mn but I don't know about Kentucky, Indiana, Illinois, or Iowa. I think it's good Jerry you gave a shippers perspective as well. What a pain for the breeders to sell that way as well. Shoot...

Anyways the broody kicked them all out in a matter of a week or two. I tucked them back under her in case she was wrong. She wasn't. No development...egg slurry soup. Ha. Live and learn and $20 up in the wind.