jdfog2
Songster
Hi all. I was on here a few times in the spring and time has gotten away from me. Been very busy building chicken living structures, gardening, etc.
We started on the 28th of Feb with a trip to TSC "to see what kind of poultry supplies they have" because I had ordered 17 Bielefelders for late April delivery. So of course we left TSC with 10 chicks. Five were Buff Orps and 5 were Gold Laced Wyandottes. 3 pullets, 2 rosters of each breed.
Just processed 3 of the 4 roosters from that original 10 on Sunday. One of the GL Wyandottes turned into a very aggressive young Roo "overnight" (almost) and seriously tore up necks of two of the Buff Orp pullets. I decided I might as well thin the flock of 2 more while all the work with heating water, getting stuff out, cleaning up, etc. The two injured ladies received first aid and are living in large cages in the barn and seem to be doing well.
In between the TSC purchase and the ordered Bielefelders arriving we put 30 Barred Rock eggs in our incubator. 28 made the cut when candled at the 8th day. 27 hatched on the 18th of March. All 27 are thriving. (We didn't expect that much "success" )
So the ordered Bielefelders arrived in late April and of course the hatchery sent a couple extra so we ended up with 19. Only 3 are Roosters. All of those are thriving.
So of 56 total chicks, some purchased locally, some hatched at home, and some purchased by mail, ALL survived until the 3 "went to freezer camp" on Sunday.
Having a blast so far with our chicken journey but having heard all the things that can go wrong we didn't expect to have so many survive "chickhood"
But we'll take it!
We have 11 total cockerels/roosters so several will be processed. We'll likely sell some pullets because it seems like a waste to process them and 42 hens will be more than we need.
I'm looking forward to the adult phase of our chickens.
I'm also planning to raise 25 or 30 Cornish X or "Rangers" to process before the snow flies.
Sorry for the "novella"
I hope everyone is blessed
JD
We started on the 28th of Feb with a trip to TSC "to see what kind of poultry supplies they have" because I had ordered 17 Bielefelders for late April delivery. So of course we left TSC with 10 chicks. Five were Buff Orps and 5 were Gold Laced Wyandottes. 3 pullets, 2 rosters of each breed.
Just processed 3 of the 4 roosters from that original 10 on Sunday. One of the GL Wyandottes turned into a very aggressive young Roo "overnight" (almost) and seriously tore up necks of two of the Buff Orp pullets. I decided I might as well thin the flock of 2 more while all the work with heating water, getting stuff out, cleaning up, etc. The two injured ladies received first aid and are living in large cages in the barn and seem to be doing well.
In between the TSC purchase and the ordered Bielefelders arriving we put 30 Barred Rock eggs in our incubator. 28 made the cut when candled at the 8th day. 27 hatched on the 18th of March. All 27 are thriving. (We didn't expect that much "success" )
So the ordered Bielefelders arrived in late April and of course the hatchery sent a couple extra so we ended up with 19. Only 3 are Roosters. All of those are thriving.
So of 56 total chicks, some purchased locally, some hatched at home, and some purchased by mail, ALL survived until the 3 "went to freezer camp" on Sunday.
Having a blast so far with our chicken journey but having heard all the things that can go wrong we didn't expect to have so many survive "chickhood"
But we'll take it!
We have 11 total cockerels/roosters so several will be processed. We'll likely sell some pullets because it seems like a waste to process them and 42 hens will be more than we need.
I'm looking forward to the adult phase of our chickens.
I'm also planning to raise 25 or 30 Cornish X or "Rangers" to process before the snow flies.
Sorry for the "novella"
I hope everyone is blessed
JD
.
