Homesteading
for Heart and Home
Welcome to Lily Creek General Store
Welcome to Lily Creek General Store
Hatching Eggs
All eggs are wrapped well and reinforced as much as possible. We are not responsible for broken eggs with shipping. We do send extra eggs to offset any breakage. We do not clean our eggs as the bloom on the egg protects the embryo inside. Please have your incubator ready to receive the eggs. It is recommended that you wait 24 hours before putting them into the incubator, for the eggs to settle after shipping. All sales are final
Hatching Eggs
All eggs are wrapped well and reinforced as much as possible. We are not responsible for broken eggs with shipping. We do send extra eggs to offset any breakage. We do not clean our eggs as the bloom on the egg protects the embryo inside. Please have your incubator ready to receive the eggs. It is recommended that you wait 24 hours before putting them into the incubator, for the eggs to settle after shipping. All sales are final
American Bresse Hatching Eggs
American Bresse Hatching Eggs
Bresses are considered the most delicious chicken in the world nicknamed “Queen of Chickens”. They are mainly raised for meat, but also produce a good amount of medium cream-colored egg. However, it’s their tastebud-exploding meat that has been sought after for centuries. With light, thin, skin and firm yet luxurious meat, it is said that the flavor is nothing like the commercially raised poultry from the local grocery store.
What Makes Them Different?
The Bresse has a genetic lineage that allows them to metabolize their food in a unique way which helps to create a different flavor as well as meat, and fat, growth pattern. Additionally, the meat-to-bone ratio is vastly different from traditional meat chickens because their bones are quite thin and dainty.
The Bresse chicken is under a very regulated diet scheme in France and the French consider them a delicacy, demanding in excess of $50 per chicken.
Our birds have been raised on an organic diet with their favorite being fruit and vegetable scraps. We have one rooster (Jaques Roosteau) and his flock of seven beautiful females. All of the birds are white with dark blue legs and bright red combs.
You will receive 12+ fertile eggs.
Black Java Hatching Eggs
Black Java Hatching Eggs
Our Signature breed, Black Java hatching eggs are almost impossible to find. Camille(pictured) is our eleven year old rooster and the whose image our logo boasts. You can't ask for a better bread. Great temperament, and if you are looking for a self sustaining flock they are wonderful mothers going broody in early spring. We have had girls on clutches of over twenty eggs. Roosters are very watchful and protective of their females in the wild.
Wikipedia says: After the Dominique, the Java is the oldest breed of chicken created in the U.S. Though its name would suggest a Javan derivation, it is not known exactly where in Asia its ancestors came from.[3] It was first mentioned in print in 1835, but it is thought to have been present well before this time. Javas were especially notable as meat production birds throughout the 19th century, with their popularity peaking in the latter half of that century.
The Java is a key foundation breed for the American class of chickens, having contributed significantly to major modern fowl such as the Jersey Giant, Rhode Island Red and Plymouth Rock. They are also likely to be the source of the yellow skin in contemporary Dominiques, which once had white skin.
The Java was first recognized officially by acceptance in the American Poultry Association's Standard of Perfection in 1883.The White, Black, and Mottled varieties were all originally described in the Standard, but the White was removed in 1910 because it was thought to be too similar to the White Plymouth Rock.[3] It eventually disappeared in the 1950s. There was also an Auburn type which was the basis for the Rhode Island Red, but it died out by 1870.
Javas had nearly vanished by the end of the 20th century, having been pushed to fringes of the poultry world by the intense focus on one or two breeds by commercial growers, and the introduction of innumerable new and exotic breeds to poultry fancy. Beginning in the 1990s, breeders and conservation organizations began to make a more concerted effort to save the Java. In particular, the Garfield Farm Museum in Illinois has played a pivotal role in the preservation of Javas in the 21st century. Beginning with Mottled and Black Javas, sports from the Garfield flock have revived the White variety. The Garfield Farm was also supported by the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago, which hatches Java chicks as part of their exhibit on genetics.
The American Livestock Breeds Conservancy continues to list Javas as Critical on its watchlist, meaning fewer than 500 breeding birds from five or fewer primary breeding flocks are known (this does not take into account the population of non-breeding flocks). The breed is also listed as part of Slow Food USA's Ark of Taste, a catalog of heritage foods in danger of extinction.
Characteristics
Javas are heavy chickens, with roosters weighing around 4.3 kilograms (9.5 pounds) and hens 2.9–3.4 kg (6.5–7.5 lb). They have a very long, broad back and a deep breast, which makes for a solid, rectangular build. They have small earlobes and medium size combs and wattles, all of which are red in color. Javas have single combs, but they have a shape which suggests the influence of a pea-combed breed in their development.
Javas appear in three color variations today: Black, Mottled, and White. The Black has black shanks and beaks, though some yellow may appear in the legs. The plumage is a uniform black hue that has a dark green sheen in the light. The Mottled and White have mostly yellow skin, with horn colored beaks. The plumage of the Mottled is a black base with white markings on the tips of feathers, which imparts a spotted appearance.
Use
Javas are valued for their dual-purpose characteristics. Though they are slow-growing compared to the broilers used by the commercial chicken industry today, they produce a good carcass. Hens lay a respectable amount of large, brown eggs and will go broody. Javas are particularly known as good foragers, needing less supplementary feed than many breeds when allowed to free range Like many large breeds, they are known to be docile in temperament, and hardy in inclement weather. In general, Javas are particularly suitable for keepers of smaller flocks who require a good dual-purpose chicken.
YOU WILL RECEIVE 12+ HATCHING EGGS
Delaware Hatching Eggs
Taken from the Live Stock Conservancy: livestockconservancy.org
The Delaware chicken breed, originally called the “Indian River” chicken came about as a result of “sports” in a breed improvement program in the 1940s. George Ellis of Indian River, Delaware was breeding Barred Plymouth Rock roosters to New Hampshire hens to develop a chicken that was a good layer and also quick maturing to be used for broiling chickens.
A few off-colored sports were produced that were white with black barring on the hackles, primary and secondary feathers, and tail. This coloration is similar to the Colombian color pattern, but with barring in place of the black sections. Mr. Ellis became interested in these birds and worked hard to improve and refine them, and so created what eventually became known as the Delaware chicken.
For about twenty years, the Delaware and the Delaware/New Hampshire crosses were the most popular broiler chickens on the Delmarva Peninsula because of the breed’s ability to produce offspring with predominately white feathering. This is an advantage for carcass appearance because white feathers don’t leave dark spots on the skin when they grow in. Delaware and the Delaware/New Hampshire crosses were replaced in the late 1950s by the Cornish/Plymouth Rock crosses (solid white) that now dominate the broiler industry. Because the Delaware was bred specifically for the broiler industry they were not well known on many small farms or homestead, so their decline in popularity was quick. Although the breed is very rare, it is being rediscovered by today’s young farmers with whom it is becoming more popular.
Although its economic dominance was short-lived, the Delaware still makes an excellent dual-purpose bird for today’s small farms. They are low maintenance, requiring just food, water and shelter, and they are a healthy breed.
The breed is noted for its rapid growth and fast feathering. They are medium-sized with a deep and broad body that gives a robust appearance. From the side, the body is shaped like an inverted triangle with a “U” indentation in the back. The keel is also long, extending well to the front at the breast and rear of the legs. They have moderately large single combs with five points, and a medium-sized head and neck. Their comb, wattles, and ear lobes are red, their eyes are reddish-bay, and their beak is reddish horn or yellow. The legs are well set apart and are large and muscular, and shanks and toes are yellow. Males grow up to 8 lbs. and females 6 lbs.
Delaware males may be mated to New Hampshire or Rhode Island Red females and will produce chicks of the Delaware color pattern. Delaware females mated to New Hampshire or Rhode Island Red males produced sex-linked offspring: the males have the Delaware color pattern and the females have the solid red color of their sires. Chicks from this second cross can even be sexed by their down color when they hatch.
Hens lay about 4 large to jumbo, light brown eggs a week – up to 200 a year. This is not generally a broody breed, so you would need to use a hen from a broody breed or an incubator to hatch eggs.
They are curious and like to explore, and although they are white, they are predator-savvy. They are calm and friendly and like to chatter and follow their people around, though generally aren’t considered a “cuddly” breed. They are assertive, but not bullies. They can be loud, so may not be a good choice if you have close neighbors who aren’t interested in chickens. They don’t mind being confined if they have something to do as they really prefer being out and about, exploring. They do not fly, so a four-foot fence would keep them enclosed.
Lavender Orpington Hatching Eggs
The Orpington chicken was created in the 1880s with the intention to create a hardy dual purpose breed.
The Lavender Orpington is a new variety, from England, created in the 1990's.
The pale lavender/pearl grey/light blue coloration of the feathers is a rarity in the chicken world and an uncommon color.
She is a steady layer of light brown eggs and will lay somewhere between 3-4 each week(150-200/year) and a great brooding hen.
The are a quiet breed and keep to themselves, they are gentle and friendly. They do not fly so a low fence keeps them in place.
The have a lifespan of 5+ years and weigh in at Hen (8lb) and Rooster (10lb) and are known as a hardy dual purpose breed.
Whilst they are a large bird their feathers make them appear larger than what they are. Their comb, wattles and earlobes are all red. The comb has five well defined points, the eyes should have a reddish tone, the beak a dark brown/black color and the legs a slate blue. They are a beautiful and graceful bird.
They can be easily free ranged in the yard. Mine never stray very far from the coop. They do enjoy table scraps and most of the time are the first to the pile.
Overall the Lavender Orpington is a healthy chicken that is not prone to any particular disease or health conditions. I use a little diatomaceous earth in every feeding and have never had worms in any of my animals.
Feeding
Orpington chicks will need to be fed a high protein crumble.
This crumble should be 20% or more protein for the first few weeks of their life. During this time they grow incredibly fast and need lots of energy.
Once your chicks reach the 16 week mark they can gradually be transitioned over to layer pellets.
In addition to the feed you will need separate bowls for oyster shell and insoluble grit – both are essential for the wellbeing of your hens.
Oyster shell should always be served separately from the main feed as not all hens will require it. Those hens that need it will take what they need. The insoluble grit helps the chicken to digest their food properly and makes the absorption of the nutrients easier for the gut.
Most essential of all is clean and fresh water – this should be available for Lavender Orpingtons at all times.
Coop Setup and Roaming
Orpingtons are large chickens so they will each need 8 square feet of coop space – 10 square feet would be better especially if they are sharing with more aggresive breeds.
.Allow 10-12 inches per chicken on the perch for roosting space. Because they are so large, perches should be placed lower to the floor to avoid injury to their legs when hopping off the perch.
The standard 12×12 nesting box is tight for an Orpington but it will still do the job. If you think they are too cramped then you can supply them with a slightly larger open style nesting area such as a crate or a box.
From our Greenhouses
From our Greenhouses
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