Went to the Fowl Fest in Birch Run, MI last weekend and had a light hen take Best of Breed. I was quite impressed with how well she did. Most of my birds are either coming out of molt or going into molt. Next show will be the Ohio National. I'm picking up a trio of light brahmas from Mark...
I caved today and started collecting more eggs to hatch. This is going to be more of a trial batch of eggs. I have a pen of lights with a buff male. Hoping for some nice buff females! When I get my Peterson lights I'm going to breed them to a buff male once I get I sufficient amount of light...
I got best of breed in the open show with a light cockerel. There was one other person that showed two buffs in the open show. My light female took reserve variety and my buff cock also got reserve variety. In the junior show I got reserve variety in both the lights and buffs with cockerels. Did...
I would just like to elaborate on the last part here. If anyone plans on breeding for awhile without new stock being added you'd probably want at least three or four pens of each variety/breed. Keeps the genetics nicely mixed up for longer.
Seems like this year has shifted from looking like a light year to being a buff year. I have been having a hard time getting a lot of eggs from the lights and the ones I have been getting are hit and miss with fertility. They were laying quite a few at the beginning of the season but now they...
I'm making progress on getting chicks for this year! I have one buff chick out in the garage from last week and currently have some hatching in the hatcher. The incubator right now has eight eggs in it and I am adding at least 37 more buff and light eggs today. I shall see what I get from today...
For anyone who bred their birds this spring...Any promising birds popping up? I've got a few lights and buffs that don't look too bad. All of mine are on the young side since I got a late start. Tails are starting to come in on some of the buffs which will give me a better idea on who to keep.
Ended up with four out of eleven. Two more started, but never actually hatched. Found it interesting that all six of the eggs from one pen didn't hatch and that the other two pens I had 2/2 and 2/3. Still not great, but better than 0/6. I'm wondering if they are a little on the too inbred side...
Ugh, my hatcher decided to sky rocket up to nearly 106 degrees last night! I hurried up and cranked the temperature down and am hoping for the best. Thankfully my spot check thermometer said the temp by the eggs was about 103. Crossing my fingers they hatch. The bright side is that I only have...
I think PA ended up cancelling their's and so didn't Michigan. I think there are a few more too. I decided that I'll just go ahead and implement a closed flock for this year. Would rather not lose all my birds again.
My biggest concern with all this is my ability to sell birds. Anyone who is...