Backacre Chickens
It all started with me reading a poultry forum on a gardening web site. Everyone seemed to enjoy their chickens so much, especially hatching chicks from eggs. My uncle had chickens (RIR and bantys) when I was a kid. I remember collecting eggs and feeding them corn. So I thought, how hard can this be. I did some more research and found this site. Read some threads on incubators and got the Brinsea Eco when it was on sale.
Then I won eggs on ebay. Received 20 but one was cracked.
Then I won eggs on ebay. Received 20 but one was cracked.
When I candeled at day 12, I found another cracked one and discarded it. Only 5 looked like they had chicks in them. On day 19 (4/19/2009), the first chick hatched and 4 more followed. Link, Joey, Pern, Matilda and Johnny5/Emo. Link, Joey and Pern pictured here.
Their first brooder was a rubbermaid tub. At 2 weeks, they were moved to a homemade brooder.
Here they are at 6 weeks.
Link Joey
Pern Matilda
And Johnny5/Emo
As you might have guessed, these birds were named by different people in my family with different interests. At this stage we know that Joey and Pern are roosters because they are crowing. We think Link and J5/Emo are pullets. Most people who have looked at pics of Matilda think it is a roo also, but I'm still holding out for a girl. They are supposed to be Wyandottes or probably Wyandotte crosses, so they have rose combs.
Here they are at 6 weeks.
Link Joey
Pern Matilda
And Johnny5/Emo
As you might have guessed, these birds were named by different people in my family with different interests. At this stage we know that Joey and Pern are roosters because they are crowing. We think Link and J5/Emo are pullets. Most people who have looked at pics of Matilda think it is a roo also, but I'm still holding out for a girl. They are supposed to be Wyandottes or probably Wyandotte crosses, so they have rose combs.
