I AM GETTING WELSUMMERS!!!!

[keljonma]

If you are using chicken feathers, you have to have a good heavy ticking to prevent them from poking through the fabric. You also have to use only "soft" feathers from close to the body, as the guard feathers have a harder shaft than the softy, curved ones. Those guard feathers will make your pillow a prickly head rest, at best! I kept the same feather pillow for 22 years while growing up!!! I loved that thing! It finally just disintegrated!

I was reading a book about the Washingtons which stated that at Martha's death they found a number of pillowcases filled with loose chicken feathers. According to the family, Martha would save all the feathers, wash and dry them, then strip the larger feathers from the quills. This way she could use all the feathers.

 

[Beekissed]

Now THATS frugal!!!

 

[keljonma]

Well, my Welsummer eggs are sitting down at the post office

And of course you find this out at the end of the day with weather like we're having! Will you be able to get them in the morning?

We were without power since around 8 am this morning. Which was AWFUL! BUT, I spent some quality time with my family, made a few calls to some hatcheries, asked some questions of them...and finally did what I always do, called McMurray back and placed in order. Sigh. I don't know why I check out other hatcheries when I always go back to MM regardless.

Sooooo I ordered 6 New Hampshire Red hens and 1 rooster, 6 Black Australorp Hens and 1 rooster, 1 Rhode Island Red Hen, and 10 Red Stars. This is the start of my layer flock!! They will be here March 30!

Sorry to hear about the power outage. So far we've been lucky. I can't blame you for calling around. We've had good luck with McMurray too.

 

[Quail_Antwerp]

I am getting eggs from two other BYC'ers as well...one person I'm getting pure breed eggs of Salmon Faverolles, Welsummers, and either Buttercups or Lakenvelders, which ever she tosses in.

QA, we have one Silver Lakenvelder hen, Martha. Their white and black feathering is beautiful, imo. Martha is chatty, but doesn't especially like to be held. Her eggs are white, but have a very faint pinkish tint and a matte finish to them. Martha was the earliest to lay in our flock.. 4 months 18 days. I haven't updated my flock journal this month, so I don't have an egg total, but Martha has been averaging 120 eggs a year.

Our Buttercup hen, Ellen, was very friendly, loved to chat and occasionally be held. I think the Buttercup hens are beautiful. She was the 9th in our flock to lay, at 5 months and 5 days of age. Her eggs were pale white with a matte finish. Ellen laid 40 eggs between Nov 29, 2006 and Mar 19, 2007. She died at 8 months and 23 days.

Oh poor Ellen! Such a short life! Do you have any idea why she died so young? Or is it something prone to the breed?

 

[Quail_Antwerp]

And of course you find this out at the end of the day with weather like we're having! Will you be able to get them in the morning?

I'm hoping to go in the morning. It is going to depend on our driveway. They were only 2 days old when she shipped them on Monday, so they should be Ok.

Sorry to hear about the power outage. So far we've been lucky. I can't blame you for calling around. We've had good luck with McMurray too.

I was a little concerned because last year there were people getting chicks from McMurray that were ill. I asked the lady at McMurray today if they knew what the problem was, and if it was a concern this year. Turns out, there were two hatches affected by a bad batch of vaccines!! That's why people were getting sick and dead chicks last spring! My chicks were spared because I NEVER get my chicks vaccinated!

 

[keljonma]

I am getting eggs from two other BYC'ers as well...one person I'm getting pure breed eggs of Salmon Faverolles, Welsummers, and either Buttercups or Lakenvelders, which ever she tosses in.

QA, we have one Silver Lakenvelder hen, Martha. Their white and black feathering is beautiful, imo. Martha is chatty, but doesn't especially like to be held. Her eggs are white, but have a very faint pinkish tint and a matte finish to them. Martha was the earliest to lay in our flock.. 4 months 18 days. I haven't updated my flock journal this month, so I don't have an egg total, but Martha has been averaging 120 eggs a year.

Our Buttercup hen, Ellen, was very friendly, loved to chat and occasionally be held. I think the Buttercup hens are beautiful. She was the 9th in our flock to lay, at 5 months and 5 days of age. Her eggs were pale white with a matte finish. Ellen laid 40 eggs between Nov 29, 2006 and Mar 19, 2007. She died at 8 months and 23 days.

Oh poor Ellen! Such a short life! Do you have any idea why she died so young? Or is it something prone to the breed?

We think she just wasn't strong enough .. maybe a heart issue. We had a really rough winter that year. She was fine the day before, the snow was mostly gone, and the entire flock was outside enjoying the sunshine. The next day the temps dropped drastically, and Ellen died the next morning. It was our first loss of a grown pullet. I cried all day. Anyway, I don't think it is a breed problem, as I know others who have had Buttercups for years.

 

[Henrietta23]

And of course you find this out at the end of the day with weather like we're having! Will you be able to get them in the morning?

I'm hoping to go in the morning. It is going to depend on our driveway. They were only 2 days old when she shipped them on Monday, so they should be Ok.

Sorry to hear about the power outage. So far we've been lucky. I can't blame you for calling around. We've had good luck with McMurray too.

I was a little concerned because last year there were people getting chicks from McMurray that were ill. I asked the lady at McMurray today if they knew what the problem was, and if it was a concern this year. Turns out, there were two hatches affected by a bad batch of vaccines!! That's why people were getting sick and dead chicks last spring! My chicks were spared because I NEVER get my chicks vaccinated!

My McMurray chicks came after they seemed to have resolved the problems. I got them vaccinated and they were fine! I wouldn't hesitate to order from them again this year. : )
I was actually think about maybe some Buttercups for my flock too. I had a half Buttercoop roo that I hatched last year. He unfortunately turned aggressive on us and we gave him to a local farm. But when he was young he was really sweet and cuddly.

 

[Quail_Antwerp]

I GOT MY EGGS I GOT MY EGGS!! I GOT MY WELSUMMER EGGS!!



Here's a pic of them "resting" before I pop them in the 'bator!!

I ordered 6, and she sent 7, and none of them are broken!!

WHOOOHOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[keljonma]

COOL BEANS!

 

[farmerlor]

Woot!!! Good for you! I got MY eggs today too so we'll be hatching on the same day. I've got 18 Frizzles and Silkies and 23 mixed.