The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[delisha]

I was thinking that they might do better if they were in an incubator so they'd be less jostled around by momma after having been shipped.

naaaa
they do so much better under mamma..but if you get an incubator i will send you more than enough to do both.

 

[Leahs Mom]

Del ... on my first eggs I set 7 eggs from 2 different shippers. Only 1 hatched.

On the second, NONE of the shipped eggs developed. The three that hatched were from my own eggs. 100% of my eggs hatched.

 

[SallyinIndiana]

That's a pretty little kiddo.

Did he ship hatching eggs? I have had about zero luck with shipped eggs from anywhere.

Yes, He only ships eggs not chicks. I can't blame him as numerous chicks die in the mail. Still Shipped eggs are not great hatchers for me even if fertility is great. This is the second time I got eggs from him. I paid for faster shipping this time but I'm thinking that might have backfired if they were flown. The first batch was doing great until I went and baked something in the oven and forgot to vent the incubator. Those eggs got too hot as the incubators have no cooling function and the oven can quickly heat up the house. This time I think it was the PO.
Stony packs the eggs great. They are wrapped and doubled boxed but shipping is a gamble more than a risk.
If I just knew someone that traveled to and from Stony's farm all of the time I would buy chicks and skip the shipped eggs. But I have 3 chicks from this set of eggs. Once they are older i will be better able to decide about a need for more sumatra chicks. My goal is really just to have a few for looks and broodyness.

 

[delisha]

Del ... on my first eggs I set 7 eggs from 2 different shippers. Only 1 hatched.

On the second, NONE of the shipped eggs developed. The three that hatched were from my own eggs. 100% of my eggs hatched.

I know..I have had horrible experience with shipped eggs
I know a better way to ship eggs and I have had great success with hatch rates..well about 60% if they ship the correct way. Most of it is post office and not fresh eggs, or shells fragile when shipped. They have to be shipped right away, kept cool, wrapped correctly, placed in the box correctly, labeled correctly. Even than it is not always right. Sometimes that Post Office just has to X Ray those eggs and that does it too.
If you want to try it..just let me know.

 

[lalaland]

She's Ameraucana. Her tail just hasn't developed fully yet by the looks of it. She looks like Margaret did, but bigger!

Quote:
thanks, Justine and Vicky. She has a sibling, Coco Chanel who has a big tail, and is grey shaded, plus a brother who reminds me of It from the Adams family. Long shaggy beard, muff, the longest hackles on his neck, grey and white. kind of striking, but he is a bit mean. Chases two of the smaller pullets and pulls their feathers out. hasn't crowed yet.

 

[lalaland]

I think we need a map of everyone, so we can do relays to get chicks to each other. You know, someone takes the chicks the first days drive...to the next person, who then takes them the next day's drive...get to visit....ok, I can see it won't work. but it would be fun!

 

[Kassaundra]

No special equipment on the necropsy.

 

[Leahs Mom]

I think we need a map of everyone, so we can do relays to get chicks to each other. You know, someone takes the chicks the first days drive...to the next person, who then takes them the next day's drive...get to visit....ok, I can see it won't work. but it would be fun!

I had suggested that a long time ago on the SFH thread. One of the folks (Karen I think) set up a map that showed where everyone was. I don't think anyone ever did it, however.

I had thought that it might be possible to drive less than 2 hours each to relay but everyone with sfh was pretty far away from me! I guess it doesn't matter who has what breed, it just takes a willing courier!

 

[mlowen]

Has anyone heard from Mumsy lately?

 

[SallyinIndiana]

Quote:
The road trip was mentioned in the RIR thread too. Did not seem to work out.
But I would like it very much if chicks had a better way of getting from one place to the next.