good for you, frustrating the inspector LOL nexty time i have poopoo on eggs, i will do the soak thing in hot water. generally we have just kept the eggs which were stained. i appreciate the description on how you wash them. my cutomers just roll their eyes, they don't think i should "take the time" to wash the eggs LOL not that you can tell much difference...
would love that info. i know my investigator [who is also an inspector] said there is plenty of that info on the web, just don't have time to hunt it down right now.
i gave up sorting the eggs. just keep the ones that are too big, and donating the large cartons to our church food pantry. the other day i delievered eggs in the basket i gathered them in [best customer anyhow] and she didn't mind, but still forgot to save me her cartons!
I have heard good things about Comets. Because of our little boy on the way, i decided [and DH was relieved] that i wouldn't hatch out or order chicks or turkeys or guineas or anything else this year. so will just stick with what i have. and i prefer to order from South Texas, Iowas IS c loser!!! The Texas Animal Health inspector is happier when i do, since we supposedly have the strictest guidelines, and some states, like NM don't have any for their hatcheries...
tf
What breeds of chickens give the biggest white & brown eggs?
Sorry I am so late responding. My hens have nest boxes in their coop, which is portable. Wherever the coop is, they go to roost in it and go lay in their nest boxes. The hens adapt much more quickly than one would think. I wash my eggs with a very dilute solution of organic soap and water. I keep the nest boxes bedded with wood chips, and then hay on top. the hens seem to like the hay best. The boxes stay very clean but I add fresh hay when they have wallowed down to the chips. The free range eggs are awesome and so easy to do. I really enjoy my hens!
Yes, another Canadian here and they sure don't make it easy on us to acquire the "speciality" breeds. I am in Ontario Canada and have only been able to find "Ameraucanas" in Alberta. I just sent them an email to see if they can fly them into the Ottawa airport for me to pick them up. I would also love to get some Marans but I doubt I can find any in Canada at any of the hatcheries. How frustrating!!!
MBShafeena - are there any Hutterite (not sure of the spelling) colonies near by? - Or are they a just Western Canadian thing? I think if you do they would probably have some really nice breeds suitable to your area, I think you would be surprised how common Ameraucana are. Its Aracuna's (sp?) that are very rare - just my understanding of it could be wrong (have been before & will be again)........I would check it out for a couple of things, they would also do any butchering and dressing out for you at very reasonable prices.
D'OH - MBShafeena - just had reality jolt, where do you planning on buying your feed from? I was just at a local feed store and guess what they had...........Araucana - though I have learned through this forum they probably really are Americauna, bu they had half a dozen of other varieties, might not hurt to call around or even try putting up a notice at your local feed store, that way you are buying locally, and again have a breed suitable to your region.
Just a thought, I am getting mine @ my feed store this weekend - I will be keeping them in a brooder in the house until my Eglu arrives. Tad excited can ya tell?
No problem with getting feed. I have many critters as it is, I breed miniature horses, have 7 of them at this point, 2 mares, 2 stallions, 1 gelding, 1 yearling colt and a 1 yearling filly with a new addition due sometime in May. I also own 2 arabians and an American Saddlebred, 3 muscovy ducks (had 6 of them but the darn racoons got to 3 of them, needless to say racoons are no more), and of course 4 cats and one dog, lol. I get my horse feed and duck feed at the local feed store and they carry feed for all critters. The problem with getting the more exotic chickens is as previously mentioned by another poster is in Canada we just don't have the variety that you can get in the U.S. I am only 30 minutes to the U.S. border (New York) so the weather isn't a problem in having these breeds, no different than someone in the upper U.S. You just ensure, like my ducks, that they have insulated housing. I brought my ducks into the barn for the winter, instead of their "summer" housing, and they did very well and I added heat lamps for the dear little darling so they were quite comfortable all winter. No, as I said the problem is finding a hatchery that supplies these breeds. I called McMurray in the U.S. and they told me they would indeed ship to me BUT I would have to get a P.O. Box in the U.S. and I would have to go and get them there and that they would supply the vet certificate. Now if this hatchery in Alberta will ship to me its easier in the sense I don't have to cross the border and the chicks could be shipped by plane so they would be here in less than 6 hours, I just don't know if they do it, so will await their email. Frey's Hatchery brings day old chicks directly to our feed store BUT they have no selection really, well not what I am looking for which is ashame because it would solve alot of problem. I did speak to the feed store and I have posted ads in case someone has this breed of chicken but alas it's been a few months and nobody has come forward.
Where is the best hatchery to buy Golden Comets? Thanks for any imformation.
MQN, I have never heard of Hutterites but I am a total newbie to poultry per say but I have not heard of them. I will have to do a search and see what I can find. I know they aren't offered at the hatchery that does a personal delivery (they drive the day old chicks here).
Stlhead, you can try Fairview Hatchery out of Remington, Indiana. I think they will ship them to you next day air. The best comets we ever got were from them.
www.fairviewhatchery.com I think.
Hope this helps.
:) Kathy
MBS - Hutterites kinda like Amish colonies, a religious group - there where lots in AB (where I am from originally). Good luck.
Nadine
Hi Nadine, thanks for the explanation, now I feel really stupid, lol. When I was in university, many, many years ago :-) I resided in Kitchener/Waterloo area which is very much Amish country.
Well I have spent considerable amount of time online this morning trying desperately to find a supplier Araucana and Wilsummers but I am having absolutely no luck whatsoever. I can't believe how limited we are here in trying to get these breeds. I was thinking of only getting a few but perhaps I should consider getting a few more and offering them up around my area so it won't be so frustrating to people to acquire some of these breeds. It's that or I am going to have to take a drive over the border and deal with vet checks in order to be able to raise these. Calgon take me AWAY!!!
Danielle
Well at least I will be getting one breed from Berg's Hatchery. They will be shipped from Manitoba to me at the Ottawa airport. My husband is going to think I am insane having these flown in, lol. Minimum order is 10 of them but I am thinking I should get double that and won't have any problems finding others that may like some in my area. It's an additional $60 to ship them but then once I have them that's it!
Misty,
Fairview is out of business!
Right, I remember reading that saga on Garden Watchdog. A lot of people were upset with that hatchery.
We just talked to Fairview a few weeks ago. Hmmm.
Let me check on a few things and I'll get back to you.
:) Kathy
We had excellent service and excellent birds from Fairview. The only problem was that the birds weren't always available.
I will be so glad when we get a bigger place out of town. I want some chickens. Any of you use a chicken tractor?