hobbyCTfarmer, I know that it isn't as common as it once was, but ducklings and chicks were once sold around Easter by various retailers. In many areas this has ended due to health and humane reasons. If you are in a more rural area, you might find a small store that still does this as a "chick day" promotion. Some require pre-ordering, but others buy and sell on speculation. I saw where one mid west hatchery offers mixed orders of birds; a pair of geese, a pair of turkeys, a pair of ducks, and so many chicks. I also saw where some offer free ducks or exotic chicks with an order. Check on the internet and see what kind of deals they are offering. You might be able to get your ducks and a neighbor the chicks they want this way. Of course you can always buy one of those dome incubators and order or get some fertilized duck eggs via mail order or from someone locally.

I just had to jump in and agree with the previous poster who mentioned the great book "Gardening with Guineas" and the awesome message board moderated by the same author (known as "Frit"); http://guineafowl.com/board/list.php?2 I found the book first as I was interested in guineas because they would NOT SCRATCH at dirt/plants like my chickens do. (We practice organic gardening and love the help w/pests.) I provided the guineas a mirror and dust pit which also keep them happy and away from my house. I must also mention that I find their poop much less icky! ;-) I love my chickens but they make me insane when they scratch all my mulch out of the beds and eat my flowers. I've finally made a run to keep the hens locked up more (tho they are still let out frequently). I LOVE the silly silly guineas tho - they do not hurt my plants and are so entertaining and helpful as they roam our pastures eating bugs and weeds. We do have a large farm, set well back from the road so neighbors aren't really a problem. Their noise only bothers me occaisionaly if they come up and interrupt a conversation by "barking" at the stranger to our farm. I did follow all of Frit's great advice; started keets in my house w/handling, transitioned out to "nursery" pen in my chicken coop for another 6 wks, then allowed them out. They share the coop nicely w/my hens, eat the same layer feed (now that they are grown - turkey starter w/AMP as keets)although in early spring hormones(?) made my dominant cock a bit mean to the lowest ranking hens and scary for my small kids. They are very good about "going to bed" but they'd like me to close them in earlier than my chickens. On the rare occasion I've left them out too late they have had predator loss so I feel that following Frit's set-up works best. I do gather their (many)eggs to eat. It can be hard to get them to lay in the coop as they want to be more secretive and make nests in tall grass. Right now we've even got a bunch of eggs in an incubator and are eager to see if they hatch. If we get many keets I'll be sharing with all my chicken friends who are now excited to try guineas too. I highly recommend guineas and wish you much fun with them!

There is a great page from the Univ. of Georgia on fertile/infertile eggs here, tons of info, some of it a little heavy on the science... :) http://pubs.caes.uga.edu/caespubs/pubcd/b1166-w.html The presence of a blastoDISC indicates infertility, the presence of a blastoDERM indicates a fertile egg. Both are essentially white spots, but the fertile Blastoderm is more defined with a 'donut' shape to it. The blood spots in eggs, contrary to popular belief, have nothing whatsoever to do with fertility. They are just a broken blood vessel that occurred when the egg was forming. If you see blood STREAKS, that's different--the blood ring indicates a dead and probably abnormal embryo from a fertile egg. You don't want to eat these eggs, as they have been outdoors for a while and partially incubated. Great site here from UC Davis, lots of pics: http://animalscience.ucdavis.edu/Avian/pfs32.htm The thin strings you sometimes find attached to eggs yolks are called Chalaza--ropey strands of egg white which anchor the yolk in place in the center of the thick white--kinda like shock absorbers. :) They are neither imperfections nor beginning embryos. The more prominent the chalazae, the fresher the egg. Chalazae do not interfere with the cooking or beating of the white and need not be removed. Fertile or infertile, eggs will taste the same--as long as they are fresh. Old eggs of either persuasion are going to be just plain bad food that can make you sick. *L* The taste difference comes when you compare supermarket eggs--from battery hens kept in cages--to your own free-range chicken eggs. Your own eggs will have a richer, more golden yellow yolk that stands up higher and a less watery white, and will taste AMAZING. Also, if you have fed your hens correctly, your hens' egg shells will be stronger and thicker than supermarket eggs. Velvet ~:>

Congrats on the chicks and enjoy them! :) I've never ordered from a hatchery myself--I've gone the feed store route, too--but McMurray and Ideal are both long-time hatcheries with great reputations. Both have websites, so you can look through them for more info. Usually chicks are shipped via the USPS, and it's a good idea to notify your local post office that you are expecting a shipment of live animals--chicks. They are usually pretty good about notifying you right away when the chicks come in, whether it's Sunday, 3AM or whatever--so have your brooder box warmed up and ready! :) I'd also have some unflavored Pedialyte on hand to give the chicks an electrolyte boost, it's a good thing after the stress of shipping. Be prepared to worry about the little ones while they are in transit, though. If you do a search on something like 'ordering chicks' on the Farm Forum you should find several threads from past hatchery clients--it'll give you an idea of what others have experienced. Most hatcheries have a minimum order of 25 chicks, with extra chicks added "for warmth"...guess which sex the extra chicks are? :) They won't do less than 25 because they need to ship that many so the chicks don't get chilled and die. Steel yourself to some losses no matter what, though, it happens. Enjoy! :) Velvet ~:>