First of all, I came to be a chicken keeper because of the educational system! 15 years ago, my daughters grade two teacher hatched eggs in the classroom. After a successful hatch and period of brooding, she needed homes for the combo ducklings/chicks. Yes they came to my property as I had a pond on a then 1 acre lot (now I have 5 acres). The chicks thought they were ducks and even went in the pond. At night, they roosted up a tree until a raccoon made dinner of them.
For a number of years, I kept ducks, turkeys, pheasants, quail and decided that ducks were the least amount of work and rarely were lost to predators. So I was a duck keeper until 2010, when a friend, raised chicks for educational purposes for his grandchildren, and you guessed it- they ended up at my place. I had a flock of red sex link, black sex link, columbian rock, barred rock (hen & roo), and an adorable silkie frizzle roo. And yes, I got a Brinsea incubator for Christmas........ Made myself a candler....... I've hatched two batches, both have their own pages here.
I love the eggs the gurls lay for me everyday- in fact, I display them on the kitchen counter while I cook dinner and ooh and ah over them! I make my neighbours and friends happy with lots of eggs.
Itching to hatch my first batch, but have to find someone willing to take the day olds. I WILL NOT increase my flock! UPDAte: MY FIRST HATCH HAS IT'S OWN PAGE!!!!!!!Heather
Feb 19, 2011
Yesterday was a beautiful day- the sun was shining, the snow was gone, it was 10c when I left for work. My barred rock roo was taking a dust bath and when I called to him he shook his feathers free of the dust looking magnificent for the first time this winter. The girls were happily wandering around the yard, scratching in the soil, pecking at hidden treasures. Fast forward the day to my return home from work. I saw a barred rock roo tail feather in the drive. I immediately knew that wasn't good! My son pulled in and ran in the house to let our two dogs out. Although we have a hunting breed, we have trained our dogs to leave our chickens and ducks alone. Everything else is fair game. Our dogs immediately ran behind a building, following I found a hen in the throes of an agonizing death. My son kindly put it out of it's misery. The dogs tracked and found 5 other bodies for me. I still hadn't found my rooster so I walked over to the neighbours to see if they had noticed a ruckus. They told me there was a stray dog sitting on another neighbours porch and I went over there. Sure enough there was the culprit with my roo's body. That home owner came out of the house and told me the stray had been hanging around her garage for a couple of days. I asked her to call the humane society and have it picked up immediately. So I'm down to 4 hens, 1 silkie frizzle roo and a very empty coop. But I have 8 eggs laid yesterday and am thinking of firing up the bator......
The lost girls were 8 months old and had laid religiously for me all winter. The roo was 11 months old and was quite the character. When predatory birds flew overhead he always hurled himself in the air after them!
I love dogs and I understand their nature, but I am very sad at the loss.
Two weims, siamese cat, 4 hens,1 frizzie roo and 6 Campbell Khaki ducks
2:30 p.m. Saturday Beb 19, 2011
Just set 7 eggs laid the day my flock was dessimated. Hoping the barred X barred brings me a roo!. Guess I need to start a new page as this starts a new chapter!
For a number of years, I kept ducks, turkeys, pheasants, quail and decided that ducks were the least amount of work and rarely were lost to predators. So I was a duck keeper until 2010, when a friend, raised chicks for educational purposes for his grandchildren, and you guessed it- they ended up at my place. I had a flock of red sex link, black sex link, columbian rock, barred rock (hen & roo), and an adorable silkie frizzle roo. And yes, I got a Brinsea incubator for Christmas........ Made myself a candler....... I've hatched two batches, both have their own pages here.
I love the eggs the gurls lay for me everyday- in fact, I display them on the kitchen counter while I cook dinner and ooh and ah over them! I make my neighbours and friends happy with lots of eggs.
Itching to hatch my first batch, but have to find someone willing to take the day olds. I WILL NOT increase my flock! UPDAte: MY FIRST HATCH HAS IT'S OWN PAGE!!!!!!!Heather
Feb 19, 2011
Yesterday was a beautiful day- the sun was shining, the snow was gone, it was 10c when I left for work. My barred rock roo was taking a dust bath and when I called to him he shook his feathers free of the dust looking magnificent for the first time this winter. The girls were happily wandering around the yard, scratching in the soil, pecking at hidden treasures. Fast forward the day to my return home from work. I saw a barred rock roo tail feather in the drive. I immediately knew that wasn't good! My son pulled in and ran in the house to let our two dogs out. Although we have a hunting breed, we have trained our dogs to leave our chickens and ducks alone. Everything else is fair game. Our dogs immediately ran behind a building, following I found a hen in the throes of an agonizing death. My son kindly put it out of it's misery. The dogs tracked and found 5 other bodies for me. I still hadn't found my rooster so I walked over to the neighbours to see if they had noticed a ruckus. They told me there was a stray dog sitting on another neighbours porch and I went over there. Sure enough there was the culprit with my roo's body. That home owner came out of the house and told me the stray had been hanging around her garage for a couple of days. I asked her to call the humane society and have it picked up immediately. So I'm down to 4 hens, 1 silkie frizzle roo and a very empty coop. But I have 8 eggs laid yesterday and am thinking of firing up the bator......
The lost girls were 8 months old and had laid religiously for me all winter. The roo was 11 months old and was quite the character. When predatory birds flew overhead he always hurled himself in the air after them!
I love dogs and I understand their nature, but I am very sad at the loss.
Two weims, siamese cat, 4 hens,1 frizzie roo and 6 Campbell Khaki ducks
2:30 p.m. Saturday Beb 19, 2011
Just set 7 eggs laid the day my flock was dessimated. Hoping the barred X barred brings me a roo!. Guess I need to start a new page as this starts a new chapter!
