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Three Little Blackbirds

Organic Farm | Artisan Bakery | Graphic Design

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  • Fresh Eggs

Hatching Eggs

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.

Hatching Eggs

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.

Lavender Ameraucana eggs

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.

Lavender Ameracauna Chicks

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.

Three Little Blackbirds - How to Wallpaper a Chicken Coop

Lavender Ameraucana

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.

 

Lavender Ameraucana

Lavender Ameraucana

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.

FBCM Hatching Eggs

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.

Black Copper Marans

BCM Laying Hen

Black Copper Marans

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.

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farmer & baker & designer

From Graphic Designer to Pastry Chef to Chicken Farmer, my career path has been quite the squiggly line. But today, I am able to use all of those crafts and knowledge at Three Little Blackbirds to offer rare breed hatching eggs, artisan bakery recipes, custom graphics and logos, and goods for the home and farm. All designed and packaged beautifully with love and care. Read More...

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Chamomile + Licorice (then and now). Just remini Chamomile + Licorice (then and now). 

Just reminiscing back to their kid days as they will be having kids of their own in the next 3-4 weeks 💕
Little Stella trying to decide if the cats are fri Little Stella trying to decide if the cats are friends or foe. She had a couple of not so friendly encounters with our female cats, so now she keeps a healthy distance. Our only male cat, Milo, couldn’t care less about her, but she figures if she sits like a good girl and doesn’t make direct eye contact - maybe they can be best friends. 🐱🐶
Gina of Terra Linda Farms is a new chicken mama in Gina of Terra Linda Farms is a new chicken mama in TX and used our chicken coop as the inspiration for her new build. She also wanted her cute new coop as the focal point in her logo along with some florals, berries and veggies that she grows. I loved drawing this sweet little one up, it was so close to my own heart & farm! 

What do you think of Gina’s #logo set in hand sketched with watercolor style? ✍🏻🎨
It’s a cool rainy day in the garden and I hope i It’s a cool rainy day in the garden and I hope it doesn’t end up hailing on my roses that just opened up! 😳🤞🏻
#ohhailno 

#texasweather #frontyardgarden #raisedbeds #raisedbedgardening
No chickens to be found in the coop this time of y No chickens to be found in the coop this time of year. They get in, quickly lay their eggs and get out to free range. The coop stays clean and I only have to pick up 💩 from the dropping boards every couple of days, which takes me about 5 minutes. So nice! 

By the way, I have a post on my blog with other tips and tricks on how to keep your coop clean as well as how to wallpaper a chicken coop, if you’re into that sorta thing 😄
It’s days like these when you just want to be ou It’s days like these when you just want to be outside all day.

But the bad part about both you and your husband being constant “doers” is that we run ourselves ragged working from sun up to sun down and then are too tired to make dinner. We just want to shower, crawl into bed and veg - not move a single muscle. We fantasize about our teenagers making us dinner and serving us in bed and sometimes they even do and it feels like we won the lottery for the night. But the other nights we lay there unable to move, hungry, and thinking why are we so tired all the time??? And duh it’s because we don’t know how to slow down. Like ever. 

We’re trying... and we may even get there. Until then, we eat sandwiches or cereal for dinner and fall asleep 10 minutes into our Netflix show, cause it’s just our life right now. 

Be easy on yourself, even if you don’t make dinner all week long, and the dishes are piling up and you’re tired and you’d rather garden than do laundry. 

#tuesdaymood
Slowly but surely the front yard garden is coming Slowly but surely the front yard garden is coming along for this growing season. Winter storm Uri really set things back this year and everything is about 2 weeks behind, not to mention all of our losses (herbs, citrus trees, roses, lavender, several palms, and all of my succulents including my huge aloe Vera plants 😭). But that’s what happens with storms that only come every 100 years or so, and you have no choice but to dig up the dead and replant new. 

Excited to add new cutting roses to my front yard garden as well as two new peach trees that are already producing TONS of baby peaches 🍑🌿 and the blackberries this year are going to be 🔥 they are already loaded up with blossoms and tiny blackberries and covered in busy honey bees 🐝 yay!
It’s wildflower season! 🌿🌸 After a very r It’s wildflower season! 🌿🌸

After a very rough day yesterday spent in the ER due to faulty ovaries and complications from endometriosis, I am ready to feel human again today!!Trying to get caught up on some business orders falling behind from being too ill to work, and looking forward to spending time in the garden and with my chickens this weekend. 🪴

Speaking of chickens...have you guys seen this incredible chicken GIVEAWAY that my friends and I have put together? The prizes are really fantastic and it’s going on today and tomorrow with the random winner being announced on the 11th! Head to my story to check out all of the details 🐔✨
My favorite kind of chocolate filled Easter basket My favorite kind of chocolate filled Easter basket 🧺 

Happy Easter everyone! 🌿🕊🐇🥚
When you already have natural Easter Eggs from you When you already have natural Easter Eggs from your Easter Eggers, hand painted eggs are a fun alternative to died eggs! 🖌

These were painted on #blowneggs so we could keep them, but you could paint on hard boiled eggs too with non-toxic paint. 

It’s a fun project! Have you ever painted eggs for Easter? 🥚🥚🥚
Only 4 more weeks to go until Ginger foals. I am k Only 4 more weeks to go until Ginger foals. I am keeping a close eye on her udders for the beginning signs that she is getting ready. I’ve noticed her getting a little more clingy, following me around and just kind of hovering and not wanting me to leave. She will stop eating her hay to come and stand by me and just hang out. This is out of the ordinary for her so I’m just going with it and spending extra time with her. 🥰

The countdown to Ginger bean has begun!
The logo that made me obsessed with this breed. 😩 #prettiestcow 
Go to her post to see the real heifer behind the drawing 🥰

#Repost @calfvet_
・・・
March 31, 2020 - It’s been 1 year since Rona was born! 

Rona was the first British White Park born on our farm and we were OVER THE MOON with this perfect little heifer. She’s still our favorite calf in our heifer pen.🖤

Rona was the inspiration behind the “Proverbs 12:10” design - the Bible verse that has long been my motivation. 

When times get confusing. When the day is long. 
When we need to make a tough call. 

It all boils down to doing what’s right by our animals. 🖤 

(Rona is out of our cow Rose, whose set to be out first cow to calve again this year!)
Spring feels like it’s arriving ever so gently a Spring feels like it’s arriving ever so gently and slowly this year. The oak trees are taking forever to fill in and the wildflowers are just starting to pop up. Maybe I’m just more anxious for it than normal or maybe it has something to do with the deep freeze we went through, but I’m noticing things budding a little later than usual. Anyone else? 

Happy Sunday from Cooplandia 🐓🐔🐥
It doesn’t look like much now, but these are the It doesn’t look like much now, but these are the bones of our barn going up! We’ve been working hard creating and designing the barn plans and Corey has been getting his crew together and sourcing all the materials. 

But today and yesterday we FINALLY broke ground and it feels so good to get started on what feels like years worth of planning and dreaming. #soexcited #buildingabarn 💪🏻🛠🪚
So excited to start adding more live growing thing So excited to start adding more live growing things to this area now that it’s getting nice out. 

We built our pool shed and outdoor shower area back in November, so I wasn’t really able to plant anything or add live plants at the time. I envision climbing roses over the pergola and I hope I can make that happen with the partial afternoon sun we have in this space. We will see! For now, I’m just adding lots of Mediterranean plants that smell good and don’t require a lot of fuss or watering because this year I am all about saving myself a little bit of time AND stress. And finding more time to relax.... because ANXIETY! right!? 😩🥴😵

And I just so happen to be reallllly good at adding more projects onto our plate. Hello LGD doggie pen/enclosure at the same time we are building a barn AND remodeling a bathroom AND building a big bridge across our ravine. 🤯

P.S. have you seen how the cost of building materials have TRIPLED!? $$$ ouch!!
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About the owner

My name is Erin. I am a mother of three, chicken farmer, gardener, pastry enthusiast, and self-proclaimed food snob. I love to dig in the dirt. I love to ride horses. I love the smell of lavender and roses and lilacs and hay. I am a dreamer, but kneading bread dough keeps me Earth bound. Im glad you're here! Read More...

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