Wanted Idaho Eggs

[idahodebra]

I seem to have the best luck if the eggs come from across the country as opposed to from south of us. They get here faster. I had duck eggs arrive in 2 days from New York. Texas seems to take the longest.
A lot of the viability issues I partially attribute to lack of experience. As I'm getting better, my hatches are improving. Also, how the sender packs the eggs makes a big difference. The Postal Service gets a bad rap, but I've had some wonderful packing jobs, and some very lousy packing jobs. It's no coincidence that viability is directly related to the packing efforts.

I think it's worth the risk, though, for the rarer breeds. People are charging $10-15 per chick, unsexed, with a minimum order of 20. Then you pay express shipping, and have to wait until at least April before they can safely ship. This way, I'll have a nice flock of dark egg-layers actually *laying* when most people are just getting their chicks.

 

[idahodebra]

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Thanks. Thanks a lot!

 

[idahodebra]

Carolyn, what do you have due to hatch? My Silkies are taking their sweet little time, and I finally have a BC Marans pip. Right now I have a Serama, and 2 Silkies running, er waddling, around the brooder. Let me tell you, an anxiety disorder + caffeine addiction + hatching = OMG!!!!!

 

[Buster]

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I've had the opposite experience. I have had eggs come from Texas in a flat rate box faster than priority from Alabama in the same time frame. It seems that it always takes a day or two longer for me to get eggs from back east.

 

[BawGock]

Thanks Buster and Idahodebra for sharing your shipped egg experiences, it makes me less worried about taking that next step of ordering eggs.
I'm doing a practice hatch for my own eggs right now. My birds are all from hatchery stock, so nothing fancy. I have a BO rooster and a EE cross rooster. My hens are Australorp, EE crosses, RIR, BO, BR, gold sex link, EE and a RIR cross. They all run together and I'm assuming that the BO roo is the dad to most of my eggs but that EE cross rooster can be a sneaky guy!

I have 11 eggs that are due on Sunday, I started with 12 but one formed a blood ring. I candled them when I took them out of the turner and they all had good-sized moving embryos so I'm keeping my fingers crossed. The chickens did their job it's my hatch to either succeed or mess up.
I would like to buy hatching eggs in the future, interested in BBS orpingtons so Buster I may have to buy mine from you!
I like the Speckled Sussex, too.
Also, like most folks would like to try some of the dark egg breeds like Marans and Welsummers.
Hey which one of you guys made it snow!?!

Carolyn

 

[Buster]

Wasn't me that made it snow- I hate that stuff.

I should have BBS Orps available by late spring. If I can grow out a nice cockerel this year I will have Speckled Sussex by late fall.

I will have dark egg-laying sex-links as well because I'm putting a Welsummer rooster over Cuckoo Marans hens soon.

More to come too.

 

[BawGock]

Wow Buster you have all my favorite flavors!

Carolyn