May 15, 2007:

Hey everyone, I haven't completely fallen off the face of the earth.  Maybe 99% fallen off...  ;-)  Anyhow, I'm done hatching for the season (I've lost count but I think it'll finish out at a little over 200 birds) so starting in a week I'll be ready to start collecting eggs for shipping.  It's really hard for me to ship adult birds, I haven't done it for 7 years and am not eager to try again, but eggs are fine, and the reports I heard last year were pretty good as far as hatch rates go.

You have to understand up front that buying eggs is a risk.  I cannot guarantee fertility, hatchability, or quality, and there are no refunds.  Shipping takes a toll, and individual differences in handling and incubation make a difference.  My hope is that buyers get some great birds, but there's no way to promise that.  These eggs are from the same breeding pens I've used, and my breeder birds are the absolute best birds I have.  That said, you WILL get culls, it's just the nature of the beast.  But hopefully you'll also get some great ones, and then it's a bargain!  ;-)

What's available:
Black Breasted Red (waiting list)
Black
Brassy Back & Blue Brassy Back (both colors from one breeding pen) OR Brassy Back only (VERY limited number of eggs if you choose that option, I don't recommend it)

Everything $3 per egg, mix-and-match if you want.  Priority shipping $12 for up to 2 dozen.  Overnight shipping available but much more expensive.  Payments must be received and cleared before shipping.  Money order or paypal preferred. Contact me to order, katherine@rosecomb.com.

I catch a lot of flack for not selling all that many birds. Well...I don't quite know what to say. Let me give you my philosophy on raising birds though. I raise Rosecombs because they interest me, I enjoy showing, and I like to work with the rare colors in this breed. I do not raise birds for the sole purpose of selling them. I hatch enough to improve and propegate my own bloodlines. If I happen to have enough to sell a few, that's like frosting on the cake...it's a nice bonus. But I am not and probably never will be one of those people who has lots of fabulous birds for sale all the time. I'm not equipped to raise or house that many, nor do I want to. I also CULL pretty ruthlessly. If a bird isn't one I'd consider for my own breeding pen, it goes off to auction. Probably I could really sell a lot of those birds, but I don't want to do that. If I wouldn't consider them for my own breeding pens, I will not sell them as such.

I know there are a lot of people out there looking for these colored Rosecombs and I'm sorry I can't help you out. In the past I have tended to sell myself short, and I'm not going to do that anymore. I wish that more people who I have sold birds to in the past were actually making an effort to raise them (that's why I've gotten pretty strict about who I'll sell birds to!) Seems like when I have an abundance of birds I can hardly give them away, but when I don't have enough then everyone wants them.

If you are looking for Rosecombs right now, go to http://www.rosecomb.com/federation/members.html If you think you have the patience to raise colored Rosecombs then PLEASE consider making your own strain. It takes a few years (ok, more than a few...it's a never-ending thing...), but you're not going to get instant perfection out of mine or anyone else's anyway. Truth be told there really need to be more strains of these birds out there. I've already run into some major inbreeding problems, and spreading that around really isn't going to do much good!

That said, I truly appreciate the people out there who are actually dedicated to raising these birds!

1) I do not sell chicks. I have sold eggs. I may do it again late in the spring, but no promises and I'm not taking orders for anything.

2) That means I sell "adult" birds (over ~4 months old). I no longer ship birds, it is too much of a hassle. If you are in CA, I can deliver to shows that I attend.

3) I reserve the right to refuse sale, but I've never had to do that. :-)

4) My birds are NOT perfect. Please don't expect perfection.

5) I will ONLY sell top quality birds to serious breeders. I have sold far too many birds to people who were not serious and they gave up and sold the birds without even bothering to contact other breeders. These are not easy varieties to find, and I won't put up with that anymore. You'll have to convince me you're very serious and not just a "chicken collector." Unless it's just my cull birds for pets, in which case it's no big deal.

6) Here's a new one: please do not ask me to sell you something that is "guaranteed to win" regardless of how much you are willing to pay. I have always hated that sort of attitude that pops up from time to time in the fancy, and besides that if I was lucky enough to have a bird that fabulous, I sure as heck wouldn't sell it! :-)