Already Thinking About Spring...

[TheLaboratoryBF]

Just pre-ordered chicks for spring 2019; German Bielefelder and Crested Cream Legbar from Alchemist Farm in Sebastopol, CA! Excited to add some unique breeds and colorful egg layers to my small flock.

How about everyone else? I would love to hear what you're planning on adding to your flocks!

 

[AlleysChicks]

I’ve been planning for spring since last spring lol I’ll probably get some more bantam Cochin colors and maybe a few more silkies. And some blue layers and marans. Oh and well whatever catches my eye when placing the order lol

 

[SoCalChickenista]

I put in my order too. We have 7. I ordered 4 more. Our small coop and run are going to be FULL.

So what will I do next Spring when I start thinking about all the feather and egg colors I don't already have... Still, can't wait to see the new ones grow and make the flock all that much more interesting and diverse.

 

[TheLaboratoryBF]

I put in my order too. We have 7. I ordered 4 more. Our small coop and run are going to be FULL.

So what will I do next Spring when I start thinking about all the feather and egg colors I don't already have... Still, can't wait to see the new ones grow and make the flock all that much more interesting and diverse.

Same! The two I'm adding will bring my flock to 6 which is tiny compared to others but the most I've had since starting this hobby four years ago...I'm already thinking about how to expand our current coop and run to accommodate just a few more.

Which breed(s) did you order?

 

[TheLaboratoryBF]

I’ve been planning for spring since last spring lol I’ll probably get some more bantam Cochin colors and maybe a few more silkies. And some blue layers and marans. Oh and well whatever catches my eye when placing the order lol

I love it! I thought I lucked out with the EE I added this spring as her first couple eggs were a beautiful blue, but as it turned out the brown "ink" hadn't quite kicked in yet so all of her eggs since have been a pale minty green...gorgeous on it's own but didn't fulfill my blue egg desire. Marans are also on my list but hard to find sexed super dark layers from reputable breeders (since we're in town, can't chance cockerels). Someday!

 

[AlleysChicks]

I love it! I thought I lucked out with the EE I added this spring as her first couple eggs were a beautiful blue, but as it turned out the brown "ink" hadn't quite kicked in yet so all of her eggs since have been a pale minty green...gorgeous on it's own but didn't fulfill my blue egg desire. Marans are also on my list but hard to find sexed super dark layers from reputable breeders (since we're in town, can't chance cockerels). Someday!

Yeah I know, I’m out of town but I have too many boys. There are at least 10 that I know of. I’d love a super dark egg but I think I may get cuckoo so I can cross a blue layer over it and get sex links. And a Olive egg. I have a outline on my goals but I keep getting sidetracked. I already have 3 coops with chickens it’s a pain. I’m forever moving them around.

 

[Compost King]

Yeah I know, I’m out of town but I have too many boys. There are at least 10 that I know of. I’d love a super dark egg but I think I may get cuckoo so I can cross a blue layer over it and get sex links. And a Olive egg. I have a outline on my goals but I keep getting sidetracked. I already have 3 coops with chickens it’s a pain. I’m forever moving them around.

I can totally relate to that post, this was my goal last spring. unfortunately the male Blue eggers all ended up dead, most of the females survived. Another issue I had was that out of 5 Cuckoo Marans only one had a dark enough egg. I sold 4 of them and kept the one. I made black sex links with her using a Black Copper Maran and now I am breeding her son back to her in an attempt to get a flock of Cuckoo marans with darker eggs. I have big dreams with olive eggers and sex links but I have even bigger obstacles. Eventually I want to stabilize the Olive egg color in Columbia, Red, and Cuckoo/Barred patterns. Then have the makings for some stable sex links Both Red and Black.

Planning for spring is something I do as soon as the hatcheries sell out of all most their breeds. I go to criagslist and buy higher quality birds but the local selection is not always great. by Fall that dries up and I spend hours going through all the breeds the hatcheries have. Then read reviews on the hatcheries combined with learning the hard way that hatcher stock is often subpar. I learned the hard way that Delaware chickens are not going to be very meaty if you get them from a hatchery that doesn't specialize in breeding them for meat qualities. But they lay well. This spring I find out if Leghorns from a hatchery are any good.

 

[AlleysChicks]

I can totally relate to that post, this was my goal last spring. unfortunately the male Blue eggers all ended up dead, most of the females survived. Another issue I had was that out of 5 Cuckoo Marans only one had a dark enough egg. I sold 4 of them and kept the one. I made black sex links with her using a Black Copper Maran and now I am breeding her son back to her in an attempt to get a flock of Cuckoo marans with darker eggs. I have big dreams with olive eggers and sex links but I have even bigger obstacles. Eventually I want to stabilize the Olive egg color in Columbia, Red, and Cuckoo/Barred patterns. Then have the makings for some stable sex links Both Red and Black.

Planning for spring is something I do as soon as the hatcheries sell out of all most their breeds. I go to criagslist and buy higher quality birds but the local selection is not always great. by Fall that dries up and I spend hours going through all the breeds the hatcheries have. Then read reviews on the hatcheries combined with learning the hard way that hatcher stock is often subpar. I learned the hard way that Delaware chickens are not going to be very meaty if you get them from a hatchery that doesn't specialize in breeding them for meat qualities. But they lay well. This spring I find out if Leghorns from a hatchery are any good.

none of my duel purpose birds from the hatchery are meaty. I have 1 leghorn from Tsc and she laid everyday until recently when she decided to molt. She’ll be 2 in the spring. I was supposed to have 3 pullets but 2 were boys. Love my little Sue, she doesn’t have the typical leghorn personality.

 

[Compost King]

I have had TSC white leghorns before, first flock I ever had ended up having about 30 to 40 of them. Most people do not like their personalities but I like chickens that keep to themselves and do their job which in my nursery is find their own food and scratch up the leaf composts. Very hard bird to contain. Feeders are rarely touched by them and still lay large eggs every day. February I find out about the more ornamental breeds of Leghorns, I am getting breeding trios of Red of Silver leghorns, going to cross them too in an attempt to make Columbian Leghorns in a few generations. If they lay well I will use them with a a Red Rooster (still debating which) to make red sex links. I am considering a Rhode Island Red Bantam for this project because these are supposed to be my feed efficient sex links... I might just cross a Bantam with a full size red... depends on what I have and what I can get. I won't be going or maximum egg size as much as the smallest amount of feed eaten. If the columbian Leghorns are not good enough layers I will have a breeding project with them and white leghorns until I get a Columbian with better egg laying qualities. I don't care if the pattern makes it to the standard of perfection as I am going for productive sex links but if I get a beautiful columbian pattern I will work towards something that looks really nice too. I may even give away nicer looking Columbian Patterns to people who know what they are doing. Unless of course the nicer patterns are the most productive.

 

[aart]

Now have 4 CCL girls for the BCM cock to make me some Olive Eggers!
Sexable at hatch so hope to sell day old pullet chicks.