Time to give up?

[Haviris]

Sorry I just need to vent alittle!

During most of my chicken owning life, I've had various purebreds and several mixed breeds, just going w/ what I like. I'd often pick out chicks based on their colors. The last few years I've got bit by the chicken bug. The very 1st breed I became interested in was the Ameraucana!

I ordered the first ones from a hatchery, not realizing they wouldn't be purebred, no problem I enjoy my EEs. So anyway when I saw my first pic of a blue bird I knew that is the color I wanted! I managed to find two breeders and ordered a half dozen from each. Got them a week apart. 1st batch 7/8 developing, things went great for the first 18 days, then I ran into temp problems. Still managed to hatch 5, 3 or 4 were blue, and 1 or 2 were black, unfortunately they were weak and all ended up dying. Next batch 5/6 developed, temp problems in the last 3 days again, 3 hatched, all black (lost one around a week old). No problem, atleast I got some live chicks! Got more eggs from the 1st breeder, 7/8 started developing, one quit along the way, once again everything went smoothly, this time until day 19 and the power went out, took them to my dads, still hatched on time! 4 hatched, two died in their shells, ALL BLACK (including the two that died in their shells). Lost one a day later. Is it to much to ask for some blues and splashes? And really if I could have gotten just one blue I would have been happy, wouldn't even care if it was boy or girl as long as it's BLUE! I'd even have settle for a splash (then I could atleast breed it to the blacks and get blue).

So that wasn't the end, I've heard all along about Eggbid so thought I'd check that out, found someone selling blue/splash ameraucanas, no chance for anything, but blues and splashes, sounds perfect! Try to sign up, but it won't let me use a yahoo email, that's all I have. I email the breeder to see if they would sell me some, but they only sell through Eggbid. My aunt lets me use her email and I set it all up yesterday, the auction is ending today, I waited til the last 5 minutes and everytime I try to bid it says there is an error! Auction has ended now, it even went below what I was willing to pay.

I didn't want a large flock, originally I would have been happy w/ one blue roo, 1 blue hen, one black hen, and one splash hen, I later desided two of each hens, but it seems the powers that be do not want me to have that! I've added other breeds since, but this is the 1st breed I really wanted!

So sorry I am venting, I'm just really getting frustrated.

 

[MissPrissy]

If you want blues and splashes you have to take the blacks with them. That is the way it works. Perhaps you can find one of the breeders here on BYC who is selling blue chicks of the breed you prefer and get on their waiting list for live chicks.

Ther fetility is really hard to predict when you are trying for the blues. Something about the blue gene in some breeds makes it really hard to have viable hatches on shipped eggs. I have had 4 complete failures of a total of 76 eggs before I ended up with my newest 12 blue/black/splash orpington chicks.

So to answer your question - "Is it too much to ask for some blues and splashes?" for most of us, yes, it is too much to ask. LOL We are all trying for those same colors.

Let the weather warm up, get on a good breeder waiting list and be patient. The eggs and the chicks will come.

 

[Haviris]

I like the blacks, I want the blacks!! I just don't want ALL blacks! The eggs on Eggbid were blue and black hens w/ two splash roos, so only blue and splash chicks, I would want blacks to, but now I have blacks, I just need some blues and splashes to ad to the mix.

I know there is nothing anyone can do, I just have to keep trying. It's just frustrating, and I needed to vent.

 

[kayri]

Think how happy you'll be when you get the blues!!!

 

[Haviris]

That's the truth!