Chick and Egg NZ

16/06/2026

Some of the birds enjoying the sunset. You’ve got to love the buff boys when that late afternoon sun shines on them!

15/06/2026

Fertile Egg Pre-Orders are officially open!

Once again we will be running fertile egg pre-orders for the 2026 season. If you don’t want to make a Pre-Order egg sales will commence on the 13th of July (for breeds that are available). Link at the bottom of the post!

How it Works:

Head over to our website and read through the Fertile Egg Pre-Order page. Once you understand how the process works chose what breed/colour you’re wanting, then head over to the online store. At the top of the store you’ll click on catergories and then select Fertile Egg Pre-Orders. This will show you the full available range, as well as photos of them all. Simply order what you’re after, in the quantities you want (weekly amounts are next to each breed on the Pre-Order page, if you order more than this amount the order will be split across weeks). You will pay a 10-20% deposit and no shipping cost.

Once you’ve placed an order it will be logged into our system. Once the hens start laying and eggs have been fertility tested we will start supplying orders for those breeds. FIFS where possible, although if you order (for example) 3x Olive Eggers and 3 Barred Rocks first, and someone else orders 6 Olive Eggers, and the Olive Eggers are laying but not the Barred rocks then the next person will receive their eggs first. You will be contacted a week out from when your order will be ready. If you’re unable to take the order at the time you can delay it.

Once your order is ready you will be asked to pay the outstanding amount, the rest of the egg cost and shipping (if applicable). Your eggs will then be sent or can be collected.

Deposits and Cancellations:

This year we will be testing this out. Our hopes is that it stops people ordering without intent to purchase. At the time of ordering you will pay a 10% or 20% deposit. The cancellation policy is available on our website.

Dates:

Orders have partially been open for the past few weeks but will fully open on the 16/06/2026. Eggs will become available on the 13/07/2026 (if ready). From the 01/09/2026 pre-orders will close for breeds/colours with no available orders. All pre-orders will close on the 1/10/2026. Once closed eggs will be solely available for weekly ordering. All pre-orders will be filled by the 31/10/2026 or full refund.

For all information regarding Fertile Egg Pre-Orders check out our website.

Https://chickandegg.co.nz/fertile-egg-pre-orders

11/06/2026

The Blue Orpingtons are coming along very nicely this year. I’ve definitely achieved a type in them now. The new cockerel is still young but he’s shaping up very nicely and two of last seasons Pullets are looking absolutely amazing. Can’t wait to see how they do at the next few shows!

They’re starting to colour up in the face so I don’t think it’ll be long till they’re laying. Time to clean out the nesting boxes (the old boy loved to sleep in them 🙄 and they’ll be good to go!

11/06/2026

We’ve been getting a lot of queries lately re chicks. Most of the hens are still not laying but a fair few groups are starting to come back in.

Below is some chicks from our latest batch. We will start posting weekly with what’s available now that we’ve gotten back into weekly hatchings.

Chicks will need heat for about 10 weeks this time of year, or at least inside for that time and heat for a month (this is what we’re doing currently). They will need chicks starter for 8 weeks and then moved onto a grower feed. Getting chicks this time of year will get you pullets that start laying later in the season and through the time your hens are moulting.

Collection only from Helensville, Auckland. Chicks will be in a box ready to go in. Unsexed but roosters can be returned.

Chicks are 15 each atm and the silkies 20.

Bantam Frizzles (50% will be frizzled) x4
Olive Eggers x 5 (mix of brown, white, Columbian, red and birchen)
Wyandotte Bantams- 1ea Black, Blue, Crele and Millie Fleur Project
Silkies- 1x Splash and 1x blue, although weird chick colouring.

10/06/2026

Save the date! There will be hundreds of chickens, ducks and pigeons on display as well as plenty of birds for sale!

05/06/2026

Sunday the 14th of June will be our next rooster return day, and then we will not be having another one till July the 26th.

The two rooster return days in between those days I’ll be away at the Hastings show then the Waikato show. During this period I’ll also be away for a weekend, as well as prep for the Auckland show so there will be limited Emergency rooster return slots.

We had a great return day last Sunday, some good quality, healthy breeding boys.

Rooster Returns offer our customers a way to bring back any unwanted roosters to be used for breeding. Read on to see how the process works and fill in the form!

05/06/2026

A wee accidental project that I’m quite excited about for this season! Buff Partridge Wyandottes!

I had been wanting to make Large pile Wyandottes and was told breeding partridge to white would make them. I didn’t think it would, it shouldn’t genetically speaking but often it’s best to trust and experienced breed than a book. I crossed my partridge Plymouth Rock cockerel (very Wyandotte like) to a nice white Wyandotte near the end of last season. I only got a few eggs before the hen started moulting but it was definitely worth it!

The cockerel is pretty damn big, especially considering he got out and has been free ranging since about 10 weeks old. He’s still pretty skinny but I can see him fulling out quite a bit as he ages. He also has very nice colouring. He will be split for the white base so should produce 50% of the buff partridge to the pullet.

The pullet is a bit younger and not mature yet, but she looks just like the White Wyandotte mum shape wise. She has a nice Wyandotte head (minus the single comb). She’s now moulting in her adult feathers and they’re coming in fairly well marked, not the nice Pencilling you see on the Partridge bantams but considering the cross it’s pretty good.

I’ll pair them up shortly and hatch out as many eggs as I can. Depending on how they mature it may not take very long to get the Wyandotte type in them, and using the black partridge females to buff males I should be able to get a decent pattern colour over a few generations.

The white Wyandottes are also excellent layer so I’d say the daughter will follow suit. It’s always good having a pretty bird that lays lots of eggs!

05/06/2026

Been a pretty wet week here but good to see most of the birds coming out of their moult!

I’ve started moving and repenning groups up again ready for the 2026-27 season. I had let a fair few of the smaller groups out and about 20 of the Pullets up in the top runs had made their way across about 10 different breeding groups 🤣. Fences have now been fixed and the little💩 have been moved out…

Unfortunately with the two shows, work and sorting out this stuff I haven’t had the time to get all the Pre-Order listings up and running. I was also hesitant to do some breeds as I wasn’t sure what numbers there would be in the groups. I’ve now done a fair amount and I’ll get the last listings up and running on the website so Pre-Orders will be properly open early next week!

A breed and colour list for this season will be out soon too.

24/05/2026

Well another great show up at Whangārei this weekend!

A bit less competition as well as better birds meant for many more wins. The Orpingtons definitely showed their full potential (at the moment, some are still young) so quite proud with them, especially with the feedback the judge gave me on where they’re at and what my blue hen could’ve done if she had fully finished moulting.

I took up a total of 20 birds after a few scratches, and I definitely preferred having multiple birds in the same breeds rather than all over the place.

I got a lot more knowledge on how to judge, a massive thank you to Mark Lilley from Christchurch, it was also good to get a different view from a judge from a different island.

Next off will be Hastings (skipping nationals) and then Auckland and lastly Waikato. All within a week of each other so it’ll be a busy late June and July! I think for the rest of the season I’ll focus mostly on my BBS Orpingtons as I still have a few more young birds coming through and some others still moulting. The Campines and my Wyandottes I need to have a good look over once they’ve all finished moulting and pick out the best ones as I don’t really have anything good from them yet. I do have a few nice white leghorns and bantam Wyandottes but the competition for them is pretty hard and I can’t really be bothered washing Leghorns again 🤣

18/05/2026

Beautiful Blue Laced Red Wyandotte Pullet I’ve bred this year, quite an improvement from the parent stock. Seems to be a mix of the best hen shape and lacing wise and rich red of the dad. The hackles are also looking quite good I think, following off the other laced colours and the proposed new APA standard for them they’re the correct colour. But they still look like the nice slate blue neck from a distance.

She’s only 7 months old so it will be interesting to see how she fills out. Lacing will be the next priority but that’s hard when it’s mucky on the back as you don’t know what your rooster is going to throw.