Maine

[buckabucka]

I'm not looking to raise Exchequers, LG. I'd just like to keep some white eggs in my assortment. I got two white leghorns 5 years ago. They were super-productive. One had to wear pinless peepers all the time because she was a feather puller. I gave her away last summer, still laying. The other one is still here and lays eggs occasionally, but how long can that go on?

Two years ago I picked up three brown leghorns (regular comb) at Longhorn (from Cackle). I love the coloring of the birds, but they don't produce like the whites. One is pretty runty. So I'm looking again. I wouldn't mind a California white or an Austrawhite, although they seem harder to find. The Exchequers are so pretty, and production is supposed to be excellent (although I've never had one), and I imagine they don't stand out to predators as much as the whites do. I'm not sure if they are worth pursuing though.

 

[lazy gardener]

Have you considered Hamburgs? Their eggs aren't as big, but they have a great rep as being the "egg a day" bird.

 

[buckabucka]

I'm not sure Hamburg's are quite as productive. Do you have Hamburg's?

 

[lazy gardener]

No, I don't but someone on the Maine Thread has a Gold Spangled H. I think It might be Island girl. She's quite impressed with that little bird. They were listed in the older catalogs as the "egg a day" birds because they were such reliable layers. With the rose comb, what's not to like? I'd give up egg size any day of the week with the white leghorn and her huge floppy prone to frost bite straight comb, and gladly trade it for a smaller, rose comb Hamburg with her delightful feather pattern.

 

[striperon]

My blrw's have a rose comb. I don' think they win prizes for productivity, but there has been no frostbite yet.

 

[islandgirl82]

Yes, I adore my Hamburg! She'll lay for 8-10 days straight before having a day off. Her eggs are small so I do use twice as many when I'm baking (or pair them with a medium sized egg from one of my EEs to make the equivalent of an extra large egg) but that's not an issue for me. She was later to mature than the two EE pullets I got at the same time/age but even though they're decent layers, she's twice, even three times what they are - they'll lay for only two or three days then have a day off.

I also have a SLW who is now somewhere between 4 and 5 years old (she was a rescue I got 3.5 years ago so I'm not certain on her age). She was the first to start laying again after a moderate molt and I've been getting 5 eggs each week from her since 1/1 and I don't provide any heat or light in my coop as I do like to give them the winters off (pretty darn good considering how cold it's been since the start of the year). She took about a month and a half to two months off as she does every year but she'll continue on until sometime in early to mid November depending on how cold and how heavy her next molt is - like clockwork she and my Hamburg are my most consistent/predictable layers.

All of my flock members have either a rose or pea comb and I wouldn't have it any other way in our climate - especially because they don't have heat in their coop.

Lazy Gardener, my cockerel who is an EE rooster over my SLW hen has finally filled out and settled down - he has what has turned out to be a nice rose comb like his mum. He hasn't won over my oldest girls and I'm confident my top hen will never submit...he's my third boy and she never submitted to my previous two - but he's won over the pullets with the good eats. He was rough enough on my Hamburg that she avoids him and he now leaves her alone completely...thank goodness! So thank you for being my sounding board...giving me a boost of patience with him. I know now that I prefer acquiring mature boys over raising them from babies at least until I have the kind of set up where I can raise flocks of cockerels separately and can choose the best and cull the rest.

 

[lazy gardener]

I'd love to see a pic of that cockrel's comb. Pea x rose is supposed to = walnut. I bet he's a pretty boy. Pic of the whole package would be greatly appreciated! I'm glad he's working out for you. My roo was actually an accident, though I'd have kept one of the others if he'd not found his way back into my flock. I traded him to Dow Girl for one of her SLW chicks, when I thought he was really a she. About a week later, Dow Girl called me and told me that she thought the cute little EE was actually a boy. She called it right! So, I took him back, and kept the SLW. He's been such a fun boy to have around. So, I got the best end out of that deal!

You have me thinking that I need some Silver Spangled Hamburg pullets to play in my gene pool!

 

[Hiltonizer]

Hey All,

I've been planning out my purchases for spring and put hatchery prices into a spreadsheet for a few breeds. Since I included shipping prices to Maine I thought this table might be of interest to some of you. Enjoy.

Black Sex Links Price Each at Qty 25 Shipping Notes Total

Hoover $ 2.12 $ 20.35 (includes small order fee) $ 73.35
Ideal Hatchery $ 2.52 $ 10.75 (includes small order fee) $ 73.75
Welp $ 2.96 $ - Free Ship $ 74.00
Hoffman Hatchery $ 2.60 $ 12.00 $ 77.00
Estes $ 2.42 $ 17.50 $ 78.00
Cackle $ 2.55 $ 20.00 $ 83.75
Mt Healthy $ 2.84 $ 13.00 $ 84.00
Murray $ 2.78 $ 20.00 $ 89.50

Cornish X

Welp $ 1.85 $ - Free Ship $ 46.25
Hoover Hatchery $ 1.23 $ 20.35 (includes small order fee) $ 51.10
Hoffman $ 1.84 $ 12.00 $ 58.00
Moyer $ 2.00 $ 10.05 vaccinated $ 60.05
Ideal Hatchery $ 2.06 $ 10.75 (includes small order fee) $ 62.25
Mt Healthy $ 2.36 $ 13.00 $ 72.00
Estes $ 2.22 $ 17.50 $ 73.00
Murray $ 2.30 $ 20.00 $ 77.50
Cackle $ 2.25 $ 21.75 $ 78.00

Freedom/Red Rangers

Ideal Hatchery $ 2.06 $ 10.75 (includes small order fee) $ 62.25
Welp $ 2.57 $ - $ 64.25
Hoffman $ 2.25 $ 12.00 $ 68.25
Hoover Hatchery $ 1.95 $ 20.35 (includes small order fee) $ 69.10
Murray $ 2.30 $ 20.00 $ 77.50

BBW Turkeys

Hoffman $ 4.88 $ 13.75 $ 135.75
Ideal $ 5.68 $ 12.00 (includes small order fee) $ 154.00
Hoover $ 5.35 $ 21.25 $ 155.00
Welp $ 7.41 $ - Free Ship $ 185.25

 

[islandgirl82]

Not super close ups and he was being a bit of a ham in the second photo, even despite being cold. He has kept a respectful distance from me since that one incident with my dog. He'll rush up to me and stop dead in his tracks a couple of feet away only when I pick up his favorite girl.

Even with the temps the way they've been, they refuse to stay in the coop but when it's time to put them in for the night they all gather on the back deck and tap on the door until I go out and carry them one by one back to the coop (I'm a sucker, I know). He won't let me pick him up but he'll wait until I've picked up his girl and then run ahead of me to the coop so he's not panicking anymore when I handle her. He learns quickly! He's also very quiet like his mum and only crows when he starts seeing lights come on in the mornings at neighboring houses and he warns us all when there are strange vehicles that are stopped in the neighborhood instead of just passing by.

 

[CoopChick719]

He is very handsome, islandgirl! I would love to have another roo! DH is not too fond of them since our last guy started crowing at 3am in the middle of winter. I'm going deaf in one ear so I never heard him