When I told her that I had 100% fertility (on 42 eggs) she laughed and said ya, she has too many roos. I get 100% fertility out of my own at the moment, but I have to change things around cause my big ole roo-cockerel actually is starting to cause damage to the back feathers of my girls. I need to seperate the hens out for the fall and winter give them a break until I get more than the 8 girls in there since I am not going to be hatching again until spring. I have my adolescent chickens in another coop and hoping to be able to combine some of those girls in the adult (almost adult) coop when I get the toddlers that are in the brooder out to the adolescent coop.That makes sense. Do you mind me asking the difference in price between your "eggs" and your "hatching eggs"?
We have a lot of farms in my area too. But I have 3 kids in the car with me most times so stopping to ask can be difficult. That is a good idea, I will have to look and see if there are any Facebook groups for my area. The closest I have found on Craigslist are 30-45 min away, and there are lots of farms within 5 min of me. But there are a lot of Amish in my area and they don't use the Internet, so maybe o will just have to stop. I noticed the neighbor around the corner has an egg sign up. Maybe I will ask them. Wow, 100% fertility is amazing! Do you think she had more roosters in her flock?![]()
Yeah, I am one of those who not only doesn't mind mutts, I prefer mutts![]()
Yes, I agree and I can see paying that locally for a breed that I really want. It's also my goal to just be able to cover feed costs because I'm not in it for the money, but just the enjoyment of hatching and raising chickens. The same thing has happened with the spitz and the leg coloring.Yes a pure standard bred source. The variety I got is rare and why I believed it an incredible deal. Obviously there are extremely rare breeds and varieties out there, to see some of those just look at Greenfire Farms newly imported birds and eggs. Now that's a company that prices for a profit and nothing wrong with that. Many breeders are in it for the joy of husbandry and satisfaction of producing birds near SOP (no bird looks like the SOP prints but we work toward it). They don't even consider profit and are elated to cover feed costs, love of birds and spreading of their line to keep a variety sustainable. The blue variety in almost all breeds is lost and that's such a shame as it's my favorite variety. Poor breeding practices has lost the lacing in blue over the years in America. Won't be for another 4 years probably when a project flock I know of will produce proper Blue Plymouth Rocks.
I agree.Even common breeds are worth money, if they are of uncommon quality. Just thought I would point that out.
I was willing to drive an hour and half to get the showgirl (possible showgirls since they aren't penned out) eggs that were the only I could find anywhere near me, but at the time I wanted them, her's weren't laying well. Ditto on the area...you have to drive 40min-hour to get to a mall or even a walmart from my town....lolThere are a lot of us who don't sell eggs regularly, don't advertise, and aren't in it for profit.
Ask at the places that have eggs at the farm. Many will keep a dozen back. Since I don't sell eggs (yet) for consumption, I just give them to friends and relatives, I often have a dozen or two that haven't been refrigerated yet. If someone wants some to incubate, I can generally just grab them if they want mixed eggs.
If they want a particular breed, it may take a day or two to collect them, especially when 1/3 of my flocks are broody.
Started chicks and pullets, of course cost more, I've had to feed them and care for them.
Eta: many don't consider 30 minutes far too get eggs/ chicks/ birds. Where I live, it's that far to the mall (if I shopped at the mall). I found turkey poults 30 minutes away and felt lucky it was so close.