Washingtonians

[Illia]

Quote:
You know most fertile eggs are shipped, right?

So, really, you could ask anyone around the US for some. . . Granted, times are cold, but if you ship from and to a decent weathered place, you're fine.

 

[ByN8ureHomstead]

Quote:
You know most fertile eggs are shipped, right?

So, really, you could ask anyone around the US for some. . . Granted, times are cold, but if you ship from and to a decent weathered place, you're fine.

I have better luck with local pickup.

 

[Illia]

I find it is 50/50 - There are a LOT of really good packers and shippers out there, and there are of course a lot on unreliable "local breeders," too. I've had 3/13 hatch from eggs that I drove home before.

Honestly, about 90% of all my birds came from either shipped eggs or parents that hatched from shipped eggs.

 

[4cats3kids1hubby2many]

Quote:

You are way too funny. Poor fly. Not really - I don't feel sorry for the fly, they are so incrediblly annoying that I will not feel sorry for it. Take it home to your ducks....I bet they will "hug it and love it and keep it warm and take care of it and hug it some more"....

 

[ReiMiraa]

i could try and have my bf send some of my chicken eggs. i have many breeds of hatchery standard but are really good. healthy
they would all be crosses with the only chance of pure being EE, Jersey giants or brahmas. even then its still unknown since all hens are visited by different roosters....


Hey illa, here is a genetic/ reproductive question, a what if question because i honestly do not know how many times my hens are visited by different roos or the same:
if a hen if visited by roo A and later in the day visited by roo B and then C, and at the end of the day visited again by roo A
and then isolated to lay eggs for a few days.
what could the parantage of the eggs be?
do rooster 'donations' compete inside the hen for access to fertilize the egg?
or when a hen is visited does the new roo's donation becomes the dominate stuff in the hen?
in the scenario all the roosters are quite fertile and active.

i am in biology class but this is one aspect not covered in reproduction
mammals do have a method to remove a previous male's 'donation' but i do not think birds do.

so here is the challenge for you illa.

btw, where did you learn all your chicken stuff? experience or a textbook. cos i been looking at a poultry genetics/ husbandry textbook. even though it is aimed towards the commercial industry some practices can be applied. and i would think its a better more in depth resource than chicken books found in stores....

 

[ReiMiraa]

Quote:

You are way too funny. Poor fly. Not really - I don't feel sorry for the fly, they are so incrediblly annoying that I will not feel sorry for it. Take it home to your ducks....I bet they will "hug it and love it and keep it warm and take care of it and hug it some more"....

Name the fly George! and keep it forever and ever and ever and feed it and love it!!!!

(loony toon cartoon reference from ~20 years ago)

 

[Rainwolf]

Quote:
Fertility is way better then that. so far I have had only 1 clear egg.
I think the problem was the cold snap and my foam bator not being able to keep up with the right temps. I then went and bought a space heater and that brought the temps back up quicker then I'd have liked in the room

I'm hoping that some are late but I've a feeling my bator struck again. I'm going to give them a few more days then do eggoptsy and tell you the true fertility.
I'll be making the turner etc for the wine bator before I hatch more as the wine bator has been stable even during the cold snap.

 

[DIYSeattle]

There are a lot of differences in animal husbandry from commercial operations and backyard flocks. For one commercial operations do a lot of things to counter overcrowding, like debeaking, preventative maintenance that we as small flock owners wouldnt need to do. I have read some older commercial egg and chicken information but nothing newer than the 1980's and I am sure that things have changed a lot in that time.

I have had very poor hatch rates from most of the shipped eggs that I got. Some were from here in the state, and some from across the US. They are all about the same, poor. I would guesstimate it safe to say that about 20 percent or less hatch rate for chickens for me with shipped eggs. I have had dozens not hatch and were clear when I candled or eggtopsied them. I would rather get local fertile eggs if I could. Shipping I think takes too much of a toll on them. I got lots of scrambled eggs, and you can see the yolks floating around inside when candled on some. Regardless of how they were packed, poorly or good.

 

[4cats3kids1hubby2many]

Quote:

You are way too funny. Poor fly. Not really - I don't feel sorry for the fly, they are so incrediblly annoying that I will not feel sorry for it. Take it home to your ducks....I bet they will "hug it and love it and keep it warm and take care of it and hug it some more"....

Name the fly George! and keep it forever and ever and ever and feed it and love it!!!!

(loony toon cartoon reference from ~20 years ago)

Thank you ReiMiraa: This is what I was thinking of and could not remember it.

Takes a younger mind.

 

[TheReidHomestead]

Terrie needs to make George the fly her new Avatar!!!! Too funny!!!

Cowgirlgrace and Wthchristi
I am also planning to work the Lavender Orp project and am glad to find others in the area doing so as well! I got my first Lav Orps from Mary / Backyard Farm down in Vancouver WA who got hers from Jodie / Hinkjc. That was in May and unfortunately I only hatched two Roo's who are currently for sale if you know of anyone who needs another!

Then I got live chicks from her in August, and I have two new cockerels and one pullet in lavender, and I also have one black cockerel, two black pullets (and a blue pullet) from her as well. The Black and Blue Orps are from Julie / Bamachickens line and they are just to die for! I love love love these and cannot wait to get the lav's up to their standard!

I also know there is another infrequent post on this thread working on them, Mark from Whidbey Island. I babysat his chicks for him for a few days.

Anyway, if either of you plan to be at the show on Saturday, I am still trying to get there that day but we have been having car issues this week. Hope to meet you there!

Jbear, I will look for you if I get there! I will PM you my cell!