The Zen Hen Hatchery??

[ChickyCh00k]

Has anyone heard of or had experience with The Zen Hen?
Prices are $$$ (and 8 is the minimum for shipping!), but it seems as though they are working on a number of colored Eggers that are sexable at hatch, which is a desirable quality (for me).

Anyway, just wondered if anyone knows about this place...

https://thezenhenandthehoneybee.com/

 

[SourRoses]

Thank you for posting this because I searched the name in the past as two separate breeders, "ZenHen" and "Honeybee", and didn't find anything. The breeder I got my English Orpington from got his stock from there. He gave me those names, which I now realize I heard as two because of the "and".

I lost half of the chicks early on due to general thriftiness issues I put down to inbreeding. Of course, I can't say for sure, and I didn't get them straight from the source, so this may not be fair.
I did get one keeper roo who has been our favorite chicken of all time. He's a beautiful sweet EO, and very healthy.

The prices, though! It's excessive.
If sexable is what you're after, consider - welbars.com - (dheltzel is a member here), he has multiple breeds he's working with that on, and much better prices.

 

[sybonbon]

Has anyone heard of or had experience with The Zen Hen?
Prices are $$$ (and 8 is the minimum for shipping!), but it seems as though they are working on a number of colored Eggers that are sexable at hatch, which is a desirable quality (for me).

Anyway, just wondered if anyone knows about this place...

https://thezenhenandthehoneybee.com/

They sound creative in their experimental breeding but keep in mind, most creations are not real breeds and they are pricey for being just mixed breeds. Also, you do not know how healthy the lineage will be.

 

[ChickyCh00k]

They sound creative in their experimental breeding but keep in mind, most creations are not real breeds and they are pricey for being just mixed breeds. Also, you do not know how healthy the lineage will be.

True. I'm not necessarily concerned about them being "real breeds", but I am concerned about overall health and hardiness. I'd be mighty irritated if I spent that kind of money for unhealthy birds. I appreciate your insight!

 

[Auntiejessi3]

Those prices are crazy! You'd never recoup from spending that kind of money on chicks. Maybe buy your own stock and make your own beautiful colored layers.

 

[ChickyCh00k]

Those prices are crazy! You'd never recoup from spending that kind of money on chicks. Maybe buy your own stock and make your own beautiful colored layers.

I know, right? Sooo expensive. I think I'm just too new at chickening to breed my own. I also don't want roosters, like, at all, lol! That's why the sexable at hatch breeds they're producing were attractive to me. But, yeah, if I purchased 2 of each of the sexable chicks, for the minimum of 8 (excluding the Lavender Legbar, because $95 ) it would be $480 with shipping!!
I probably couldn't justify that. I'd really try though!

 

[ChickyCh00k]

Thank you for posting this because I searched the name in the past as two separate breeders, "ZenHen" and "Honeybee", and didn't find anything. The breeder I got my English Orpington from got his stock from there. He gave me those names, which I now realize I heard as two because of the "and".

I lost half of the chicks early on due to general thriftiness issues I put down to inbreeding. Of course, I can't say for sure, and I didn't get them straight from the source, so this may not be fair.
I did get one keeper roo who has been our favorite chicken of all time. He's a beautiful sweet EO, and very healthy.

The prices, though! It's excessive.
If sexable is what you're after, consider - welbars.com - (dheltzel is a member here), he has multiple breeds he's working with that on, and much better prices.

I'm glad my post was helpful to you in finding the name, and sorry you lost those chicks (that info is valuable to know). Your response was very helpful to me! Thank you for the suggestion as well! I will definitely check out welbars.com.

Do you have a pic of your fave roo? I'd love to see him!

 

[ChickyCh00k]

consider - welbars.com -

I went to the website and prices are MUCH better. Unfortunately, they aren't NPIP so can't ship chicks out of state (or they just dont ship chicks - I guess I'm not certain about the law, but the website only mentions pick up and that they aren't NPIP cert). That's a bummer because I'd be really interested in some of those breeds!

 

[Sally PB]

For sexable at hatch, Bielefelders are another breed. I got mine at Mt Healthy and am very pleased with them. Because I only wanted 4 birds total last spring, there was a "small order" fee tacked on. I don't have a problem with that. I couldn't order 10 or 15 birds, I only had room for a few.

 

[Sally PB]

My Biels are only 13 weeks old, so no eggs yet.

Oh, I'd LOVE a blue egg layer, but color of the egg is not high on my list of practical features. Maybe someday.