Quail_Antwerp: Words from the Barnyard...

[Quail_Antwerp]

One of our neighbors has one hanging on the side of their house as a decoration!

Hey ya'll, our Baby Boy will be ONE year old tomorrow!!!!!!! I can't believe it's been a year already!

We're throwing him his party on Saturday. He gets his own little 4 inch cake to demolish with Winnie the Pooh on it.

 

[Farmfresh]

Congratulations! A milestone has been reached!

It seems only yesterday that my baby was turning one.

He and sister just returned from a few days at our family lake cabin. He has grown into a good man - spending time with his lonely sister while her husband serves in the Navy.

They sure grow up fast. Enjoy the day tomorrow and take LOTS of pictures!

 

[Henrietta23]

Happy Birthday to your little guy! My son's first birthday cake was a Winnie the Pooh cake too.

 

[Henrietta23]

I kick myself now. My dad had THREE sickles that he had purchased at farm sales over the years. He auctioned them all off when he moved and I DID NOT buy one.

I could have had my grandfather's but my cousin snagged it. Grrr!

 

[Farmfresh]

I would be good with a cousin getting it ... IF he is going to use it.

I think all of the ones we had are rusting away on a decorative wall somewhere!

 

[Quail_Antwerp]

Since we do talk alot about chickens in my journal, I wanted to discuss my Buff Brahma Bantams.

Currently I only have a laying pair, but we do have an extra roo and I hatched out 5 babies from my pair (lost 2) so I can build my flock up.

DD and I are actually raising the Buff Brahma Bantams together. We both really love this breed, and we're very proud of our small pair, as they are quite beautiful in our opinion.

Do we sound like chicken snobs???

Well this morning I sold some mutt bantam eggs on our sister site. I was quite pleased with how fast they went, and I'll be shipping them out soon. I've also sold several batches of my Buff Brahma Bantam eggs and actually have a couple people on a wait list for them. So far everyone's been pleased with the eggs from me.

This morning I noticed another seller listed Buff Brahma Bantam eggs. I thought..hmm new bloodlines maybe? Well I've not bought the eggs, but I was curious as to how his flock look because people for show pay a lot of attention to bloodlines, etc.

This seller made a point of listing the lines his chickens are from, even stated that there is a good possibility of getting show birds from his eggs...GREAT I mean, that's just wonderful! I was a little excited at the idea of maybe putting some show quality into my flock... So I get to the pictures and..................his show quality birds from specific lines look exactly as my little pair from hatchery stock

So either I got some really good Bantam Brahmas last year from McMurray, or I've not a good eye and can't tell the difference between his show quality stock and my hatchery stock...

I'm really hoping it measn I got some good birds.....

The only difference I can see is he's able to charge more for his eggs than me because of their origination. I don't think I'd get what he's asking for my eggs. I know I did consult other experienced sellers regarding my Brahma eggs before I listed them, and they felt the price I listed was fair.

I dunno. This whole selling eggs thing gets confusing to me. It's hard to determine a price, but then when I do, someone is like, "Oh that's so cheap!" and then others charge so much, it almost makes their eggs unobtainable!

I mean, what's wrong with offering quality birds to the average person at a price they can afford?

Sometimes I think the hatching egg market is going crazy like the dog breeds...I mean, $3000 for a yorkie just because it is from show stud etc...I can't eat that yorkie! (ok well, I could technically eat it, but at 3-5 pounds wouldn't feed my entire family, considering the first two pounds is hair!)

Some people have Lavendar Orpingtons....and they are charging $160 a dozen!! Those be expensive eggs!!!

Hmmm maybe I should see about importing some chocolate orpingtons... I'd have the US Market cornered and could get $200 a dozen!! Do ya think????

Sorry, I'm not trying to make light of the Show Chicken world or Egg Hatching Business. I hope no one's offended. I'm just astounded at what people will pay for hatching eggs (and I'm happy to oblige them!) when the same eggs would be sold for eating at $2-$5 a dozen

 

[Henrietta23]

I would be good with a cousin getting it ... IF he is going to use it.

I think all of the ones we had are rusting away on a decorative wall somewhere!

He is a landscaper by trade so there's a chance he may. That was his excuse for taking it anyway. :/

 

[BeccaOH]

Speaking of hatching eggs -- thanks to you, I think I have a hatching addition.

But eggs are such a gamble. Some come and never develop. Some stop halfway. Then if the incubator (and the operator "me") work perfectly you end up with a few chicks.

I got 8 guinea eggs from a good BYC seller and 7 were clear and culled at 20 days.

I really wanted some Gold Laced Wyandottes for a breeding set (I wasn't interested in breeding before you either!). I couldn't find a good set of eggs, so I ordered chicks from a hatchery. I get a guarantee on live chicks unlike I could get with eggs.

But I'll still buy more eggs in the future, because I guess I do like to gamble a bit. But to through down $100 or more on a dozen eggs is too huge a risk for me.

 

[lorihadams]

Okay Aly, downsizing.......If I ever hear you say you are downsizing again I am gonna give you one of these

You are killing me girl! I love it, though! DH keeps saying that we don't need to get any more animals and we just had two chicks hatch and we're getting ducks soon. Then he wants to get meat chickens in August. And he wants more laying hens.......it really is an obsession, they're like chips, you just can't stop when you get started!!! Me, I want Javas. I think they are soooooo pretty. There is just no where around here to get them. Boy would I love a whole flock of them though.

 

[Quail_Antwerp]

Okay Aly, downsizing.......If I ever hear you say you are downsizing again I am gonna give you one of these

But but but...I did downsize the number of breeds I have! (and then added two! ROTLF)

I sold off all the Light Brahmas...have none! I sold off all the EE's (but now I've 8 EE eggs ready for the 'bator here from another BYC'er ). I sold off all but 2 silkie hens, and only kept them for brooding.

Only breeds I've added are the Porcelain d'Uccles, which won't be old enough to breed until next year, and my pair of Wheaten Ameraucana Bantams....

So I did downsize........a little.......and I'm not keeping all 7 of my newly hatched ducklings...........just 2.............and I'm really trying to only add birds that I already have some of....expanding my flocks, ya know?

I mean, Jett, my Black Sumatra, really needs a girl or two...and the Pheonix girls, Pheobe and Phyllis, really need a male of their own breed instead of Jett.......



Oh I forgot I was trying to get Black Copper Marans and BBS Orps....

Forget it. I don't think downsizing is an option....sigh...