Wisconsin "Cheeseheads"

[friskebluegills]

I think we are going to order from Welp's hatchery. They seem to have a big variety and decent prices. Anyone know of anyone just as good. Ideal looks nice, but they're from Texas and I'm afraid that the shipping distance might be to far. I know Murray McMurray is another popular one with good quality.

 

[Sweetfolly]

Quote:
If I had an incubator that held 500 eggs, I wouldn't be ordering from a hatchery at all! I'd be sending off e-mails to breeders and getting eggs from better-quality stock. But, if a hatchery is the way you want to go, I'd also check out Sandhill Preservation Center. They have a lot of the more rare breeds...I don't have any chickens from them, but I have some gorgeous ducks from them; you have to order early because they sell out quick, but it was definately worth the wait, they were great to work with. The only thing is you can't order chicks sexed from them...but I wasn't going to order from a hatchery that sexes and then kills thousands of extra male chicks every year anyways. And as far as Welp being close, in Iowa - depending on what you order, your birds may actually ship from New Mexico - this quote is directly off their website:

Cornish Rock Broiler chickens are our specialty, and we offer a wide variety of chickens and other poultry which we ship from our shipping points in Iowa, New Mexico, and Minnesota.

And it's the same with pretty much every hatchery. Sandhill Preservation Center hatches all their birds right there on their farm though, so they'd all be shipped from Iowa. Okay, I'll shut up and stop pushing Sandhill on you now.

Anyways, we went driving around Amish country yesterday - made a big circle from Lyndon to Elroy, then to Wilton, then down to Ontario where we checked out Wildcat Mtn. State Park and dipped our feet in the Kickapoo - we were going to go swimming, but it's WAY too high right now, so we headed down towards La Valle and went swimming at Lake Redstone County Park instead.

Here's the Kickapoo River:

We thought this sign was funny in Wildcat Mtn. State Park, because there was NO WAY two cars were going to fit on that road at once:

The kittens are all doing great - eye infections are almost all cleared up and not a sign of yellow mucus anywhere, but I still have to keep them on the antibiotic for another week.

At least they're getting better about taking it.

 

[Hens and Roos]

It is a haul from the garden Raiquee- but hard to get everything used before it starts going bad or more is in the garden! Of course we did try some of the squash last night and it was yummy! Will have to see about grating, cubing and freezing some too!

We are making pickled onions today - DD is doing most of the work so that I don't have to stay standing very long. Then she can use this as a possible fair project for next year

to everyone new!

friskebluegills- I agree with Annarie and Terry O about looking and talking to different breeders about the types of breeds you want to raise, my DD showed chickens for the 1st time this year through 4-H and we took the advise of the poultry leader and went through breeders for the birds she wanted to try- very nice quality and her Blue Andalusian pullet took standard champion at the Dane Co Fair this year!

Best go check on how the brine is coming for the onions!

 

[Dr HaHa]

fm will get a pic posted but they like hide from the heat under the hazelnut bush by the coop at this time of the day. It has to be a roo 2 longer feathers that are starting to curl. fb agree with annarie but I've ordered from Meyer in Ohio and Sunnyside in Beaver Dam and am very happy with their chicks. That's all I can speak for. Have the 3 qts of dills soaking in ice water and everything is ready to go and then read that I have to wait 8 weeks to raste them. Won't use that recipe again unless they turn out really good. Raimnel so sorry about your underwater garden that really sucks!

 

[friskebluegills]

In response to Annarie:


The only thing that I'm afraid of with ordering eggs is that they'll get ruined in shipping. Not cracked or anything, but shaken up to much. The lady that we got our cochins from has ordered somewhere close to 4 doz eggs and only been able to hatch 3. She said that she has heard that shipping to WI has been difficult for some reason. I don't know if it's the x-rays or what, but I'm afraid to spend that much money and be out. There are some really nice breeds from a breeder around NY I think that sells eggs. I've seen them on ebay and they have Blue laced orpingtons and stuff.

 

[Terri O]

Yeah DrH--where are the pics??? All the turkeys were out again this morning with the guineas...they know the routine though; I open their coop and feed them and they all file in. I must not get up early enough for them!

Got a great score just now! I went to this construction site near me where they are making a barn/shed/house? They said I was welcome to whatever was on the scrap pile! Got a bunch of short length 2x6s, furring strips and 4' cut-offs that I can make roof trusses out of for my new coop! All that talk of winter made me think "what in the world are you going to do with all these birds when they have to spend time inside???"

SO since I am low on $$ for my projects

I decided to take the challenge and try to build a "scrap coop." I know what it looks like in my head....I just hope I can make it look half as good in real life!

My parrots are SO FUNNY! I made them a puzzle where they have to chew open a box to get the treats inside...they are having a blast with it! I thought for sure it would be totally chewed up by the time I got home but there are only a few bites out of it. They are so mad...shoving the box with their beaks to get the treats to roll out the little hole. I wish I had access to a clear thing that they could manipulate--they want big bucks for them at pet stores!

Well--i am dying of sweat...loading all that would about did me in! Now I have to unload it; but first I will make a "plan" on paper so I know what other materials I need!

OUr little town down the river is pretty flooded...tomorrow I get to drive through the water on Black Hawk Island I am sure...Weeeeeeeee! Terri O--taking the truck to work tomorrow!

 

[Terri O]

I think we are all on here at the same time!!! Anybody for the chat? T

 

[Hens and Roos]

We have eggs shipped to us from OK and 8 hatched out of 18 total which was pretty good and the ones from TN 4 out of 10 hatched-I think it just depends.

 

[Sweetfolly]

Quote:
Yep, I always say that successful hatching of shipped eggs depends on three factors: 25% the eggs themselves (proper nutrition, strong shells, size, etc.), 25% the way the shipper packs them, and 50% how the postal service treats them en route. After that, it's all up to you and your incubator. I don't factor that in because if none of the other variables affected the eggs, you should only expect the same hatch rate you're getting with your own eggs.

Of three batches of shipped eggs this year, I hatched 8 of 12 (67%), 2 of 13 (15%), and 5 of 16 (31%). The first two batches were from the same breeder, but the USPS sent the second one all the way down to Florida, where it sat for two days, before coming to me. Those were some of my Columbian Cochins, and I was REALLY mad - but, you know what? The two chicks I hatched from that batch ended up being a pair, and so far, they look like the two BEST Columbian Cochins I hatched all year, and I had another breeder compliment me on them the other day and tell me they might very well be show-quality. So it worked out, even though the hatch rate was bad.

I dunno. I like getting shipped eggs - it's an adventure. And I'm starting to realize that if I really want a hobby that's going to support itself, I need to get into either the rare breeds, or exhibition-quality lines - otherwise you saturate the local market with "run of the mill" chicks pretty quickly, and selling eggs barely covers the feed bill (unless you raise meat birds organically to butcher age - now there's a niche market). Hatching eggs are a good way to get started - most of the "better" breeders don't sell chicks, and adult pairs cost a small fortune to ship. BUT, I'm getting into the little, cute Bantam breeds that are super-competitive. I feel like if I don't invest in good-quality stock, no one will take me seriously. I don't think the bigger, dual-purpose breeds are quite as cut-throat.

 

[Terri O]

That makes me kinda scared to get shipped eggs Annarie! 15% is not too good! I sure wish there was an easier way...maybe a looong road trip! Or an egg train...T