NOTE: We are taking a break on hatching eggs this upcoming season, due to the Spring birth of our mini foal. We will NOT BE OFFERING HATCHING EGGS for the 2021 season. We will open up our waiting lists again in January 2022 for Spring 2022 shipping with new breed varieties available as well.
We will do periodic hatching of live chicks in Spring 2021, which will be available for local pickup at our farm in Texas (sorry, no shipping). Join our newsletter or watch our social media accounts for Spring hatch dates.
Placing Your Order
We highly recommend creating an account with us when ordering hatching eggs. This allows you to login anytime to view the status of your order or any notes placed on your order, such as when you are next on the waiting list, when your order has shipped and tracking information on your package. We don’t have time to respond to all inquiries regarding where they are on the list, so having an account will give you piece of mind that you know when to expect your order.
Our Process
As orders for hatching eggs are placed, eggs are gathered separately each day and carefully stored to keep the air cell in it’s proper position. When the order is complete, the eggs will be packaged and shipped to you. We are no longer shipping to post offices as “hold for pickup” as many post offices were holding the packages and not calling the customer right away, prolonging the shipping process. We are now shipping directly to your shipping address.
This process of gathering specific eggs that are ideal for hatching (such as: clean eggs, no calcium deposits, no double-yolkers, perfectly positioned and healthy air cell, and of course the best coloring) can take anywhere from 1-4 weeks before your eggs are shipped. Please be patient. We will be sure to communicate fully during this process.
Waiting Lists
Because we are a small farm breeder and NOT a large scale hatchery, our supply can be limited at times. Our breeding birds are not kept confined in cages and are allowed to free range on their own fresh pasture whenever they please, just like our other flocks. We believe that just because we are using their eggs for hatching, doesn’t mean they shouldn’t still live the lavish and peaceful life of a farm chicken. Treating our breeding flock(s) this way creates happy hens and healthy offspring and increases the hatching rate of our fertile eggs. The downside of this freedom, however, is that even with our careful precautions and best efforts, these birds are still susceptible to prey attacks and we do lose a few of our breeding hens per year. During a time of low supply or large amounts of orders we are filling, we will have waiting lists available to allow you to still purchase hatching eggs if you are willing to wait in line for these exceptionally healthy eggs.
**As orders come in and the waiting lists spots are filled, our breed lists will close temporarily with a high volume of orders. As soon as the orders are filled and shipped, the waiting lists will open back up again. Keep checking back as dates will be listed on the website. Please do not email us and ask when the lists will open back up again.**
CANCELLATION/REFUND POLICY: Please note that orders placed on a waiting list cannot be refunded after one week of purchase. If you need to cancel your order that is on a waiting list, for any reason, please do so within one week of placing your order. Orders cancelled within the one week time period will receive a full refund. Orders cancelled beyond one week will not be refunded because your order/name has taken up a spot that another customer could have had, and we may already be gathering eggs for your order by that time. If the eggs we have started saving for your order cannot immediately be sent to another customer instead, the eggs have to be tossed as they will become too old. Therefore, we cannot issue refunds after this period of time. We appreciate your understanding on this. By placing an order for Hatching Eggs, you automatically agree to this refund policy.
Our Packaging
We take great care to ensure the eggs are as safe as possible during their journey from our farm to your home. Each egg is wrapped individually in a double layer of bubble wrap. The wrapped eggs are grouped together in a flower or honeycomb pattern to create a stronger structure for shipping and then “pressure packed” inside a small box. The small boxes are then tightly placed into a larger shipping box and padded to avoid any movement.
With all of the preventative precautions we take for careful handling of our shipping boxes, once the package leaves our care and is handed over to the postal carrier, we have no control over how the box is actually handled. We make sure to label the outside of the box as best we can to keep the box upright and handled carefully during shipping. Still, there are bound to be eggs that arrive cracked, broken or crushed despite our best efforts because that is just the nature of mailing fragile items. Please do report these instances to us and send pictures if you can, so that we can investigate what may have happened and further improve our shipping methods.
Note: we do not offer refunds for eggs that arrive damaged and can offer no guarantee that all eggs will arrive intact after they leave our hands. We do try to include a few “extra” eggs in each order if we have any available to increase your hatching odds and to make up for any that may arrive cracked or broken.
Unpacking Your Eggs
- Make sure to wash your hands before handling the eggs as you don’t want any oils from your skin clogging the tiny pores on the egg shells
- Carefully unwrap each egg and set them into an egg carton FAT SIDE OF EGG UP. The larger end of the egg is where the air cell is located and if it moved or detached during shipping, letting the egg settle and rest can help get it back to its proper position before incubating. Do NOT lay an egg with a detached air cell on it’s side. Keep egg upright and slightly tilted
- You’ll notice our marking(s) on each egg “TLB” for Three Little Blackbirds and an abbreviation of the breed. Before preparing the eggs for shipping, we candle each egg to check for a healthy air cell and mark the breed on the side where the air cell is located. We recommend you candle each egg again, before you incubate or place under a broody hen, to check the air cell is still located where we marked and hasn’t shifted during shipping
LA = Lavender Ameraucana, BCM = Black Copper Marans, EE = Easter Egger, OE = Olive Egger, AE = Avocado Egger, F5 = Fifth Generation
- Inspect each egg carefully for any hairline fractures that may have occurred during shipping – if found, discard any of these eggs
- Leave the eggs in a cool environment (65-70 degrees is ideal) to settle for 24 hours after unpacking them
Our Available Breeds
LAVENDER AMERAUCANA
Lavender Ameraucana (also called self blue) are a favorite among the Ameraucana breed of recognized colors. After owning and breeding every color of Ameraucana, we feel that the Lavenders have the best personalities and temperaments. They are very docile and sweet and can be quite friendly. Broody hens are gentle and non-aggressive towards human handlers.
Our stock comes directly from the show-quality Paul Smith line.
EGGS
Our flock of LA lay a beautiful “robin egg” blue colored egg that can be small compared to some breeds, but have no trouble hatching out lovely baby chicks. The shells of the eggs are rather porous which can create a blotchy pixelated look to them as soon a 1 day after they are laid. Because of the large pores on the shells, which can draw in more moisture, high humidity after lockdown can affect your hatch rate and the health of the emerging chicks. Make sure not to operate your incubators above 65% humidity for this breed.
The shells and inner membranes of this breed are also very strong and can be quite thick. They are tough to break just to crack an egg, so you can imagine that it might be difficult for a baby chick to get out of the shell. We have hatched hundreds of babies from these eggs, and the simple truth is that some babies of this breed just don’t make it out on their own. It is not because they are weak or malnourished or unhealthy, it is simply because the shells of these eggs are tough and finicky! Don’t be tempted to help the chicks out of the shell, as some babies of this breed take a long time to hatch (longer than other breeds) but they will make it on their own and it’s important that they do for a strong, healthy start.
CHICKS
Chicks of this breed hatch out grayish in color , some with yellow down on their faces and bodies as they dry out and fluff up. They will have black beaks and tiny pea combs. Slate gray legs and feet with some yellow/orange tones on the toes. Legs and feet will turn to all dark slate color as they grow.
ROOSTERS
Roosters of this breed are quite large and have a protective yet gentle demeanor. They should have a big, bright red pea comb, cheek muffs and fluffy beards. Their light gray/lavender feathers are extremely soft and can have some silver or yellow undertones on the hackle and saddle feathers.
HENS
Hens of this breed have a soft, full appearance. Light gray/lavender super soft feathers. Hens should have a pea comb, cheek muffs and beards. Hens have a tendency to go broody quite often and make wonderful mothers.
BLACK COPPER MARANS
This breed originated in France and is named after the historic port town of Marans. Therefore, even a singular bird is called a Marans (with an s)
The TLB BCM flock is a purebred line of birds with no hatchery bloodlines. Our flock is a combination of the best bloodlines from Bev Davis, Little Peddlers Marans and Greenfire Farms. BCM chicks hatch black with white bellies and mixed black and white faces, lightly feathered shanks and toes.
We are constantly working to further improve our BCM flock. We breed for temperament and overall health as number 1 priority, egg color as number 2 priority, and breed SOP (Standard of Perfection) as number 3 priority. Breeding for dark egg color alone can result in birds that lack appropriate temperament or display disqualifying physical features. We strive to breed to the French standard AND consistently desirable egg color.
EGGS
Eggs can be solid dark chocolate brown, dark reddish brown or any of the above with speckles. A pullet’s eggs when she first comes into lay will be the darkest and will gradually lighten in color until her first molt, after which they will become dark again. We don’t use a hens eggs for hatching until she has laid dark eggs consistently for around 4 weeks for this very reason. The eggs this season have been very good. Not quite as dark we we would like, but the hens we are using for breeding this year are exceptionally beautiful and fit the breed SOP (standard of perfection). Our roosters come from dark egg genes.
The eggs you will receive for hatching are from our carefully selected established layers of high quality BCM eggs. These hens have proven to be the strongest and healthiest of the flock that lay the darkest eggs consistently over time (this is important). The offspring you hatch should lay eggs that are 1 – 2 shades darker than the eggs from which they were hatched (when they first begin to lay) and can be quite large. Since the dark chocolate brown color is essentially like “paint” that is applied to the egg as it’s being laid, egg color will gradually lighten as the hen lays more eggs. After a period of rest, such as a seasonal molt, egg color should darken up again.
Our BCM hens begin laying again after their molt or yearly “rest” as early as the first week of January. Their eggs are rich and dark in color and the more eggs they lay, the more the pigment gets lighter. By the time you receive your hatching eggs, our hens are well into their laying schedules. This means that you can’t necessarily judge the color of the offspring eggs by the color of the hatching eggs you receive, as its simply a case of “low ink” not color genetics.
CHICKS
Chicks hatch out all black or black and white with dark beaks and tiny single combs. Feathered feet.
ROOSTERS
Roosters of this breed are large and robust. Very protective of their hens, but non-aggressive towards humans. They should have a big, bright red single comb, and shiny copper feathering on their saddle, hackle and wing feathers. Feathered shanks and toes with dark legs. Some young cockerels may exhibit a single white feather or two, but they usually fall our during the first molt.
HENS
Our BCM hens can be quite friendly and will follow you around everywhere you go, or they can be quite aloof and mind their own business! They have beautiful shiny black feathers with tones of blue that sparkle in the sunlight. Anywhere from heavy to very light copper coloring on their necks, feathered feet, and single combs. They don’t tend to go broody, but when and if they do, they make wonderful mothers.
BCM Laying Hen
BCM Pullet
COLORFUL LAYERS
Our colorful layers are a combination of Lavender Ameraucana (light blue eggs – smaller in size), BCM (deep chocolate/reddish colored eggs – some with speckles), Second-third Generation F3 Olive Eggers (green eggs), Fifth Generation F5 Olive Eggers (Darker olive colored eggs), Avocado Eggers (bright Avocado colored eggs), and Easter Eggers (Large vibrant blue, greenish blue, and sometimes pink eggs). We will try to provide the most variety, but will ship any combination of these eggs that we have available at the time.
do you have questions?
Please check out the Frequently Asked Questions page before contacting us.
