I decided maybe I should make a thread about my family’s flock. We are rebuilding...
The Phoenix
These 2 girls were hatched in 2020. Both are Bantam Phoenix. We had several other Phoenix pullets hatch and some absolutely stunning sweet roosters both from the hatching eggs and from Cackle hatchery. However 2020 and now 2021 has been rough. In 2020 a respiratory disease struck the flock, all the Cackle Phoenixes died despite attempts to treat them. The Phoenixes from the hatching eggs were kept in separate pen but our kids (niece and nephew) were not good at following biohazard protocols despite us trying hard to teach them basic hygiene since they moved in the year of 2019 and we also have been trying to teach them how to follow directions... they are getting better. So despite my attempts to quarantine birds, the kids would handle sick birds then go handle healthy birds... despite this the Hatching Egg Phoenix did not get sick. When the kids favorite hatchery birds of other breeds including ones they picked out as their own died from the respiratory disease they spread refusing to listen to me they finally started listening to me about biohazard stuff.
Many of our Phoenixes from the hatch were very tame and gorgeous birds. The roosters were stunning. Anyway one day someone stole the majority of our surviving mixed utility flock and the bantam Phoenix Roosters, a well as few D’Uccles we had as those birds were super tame. Basically only the birds that don’t like being handled or do not like strangers were not taken. These Phoenix girls are the more flighty ones and liked to hang out with some of our all black girls away from the main flock. They sort of had their own mini flock complete with their own favorite rooster. So we lost all but one Phoenix Rooster and the other hens from the hatch to theft... along with our laying hens and a few other bantams.
Then most recently a hawk showed up and killed our Phoenix Rooster. He was a stunning Red Blue Breasted fellow too. So we will have no chicks bred this year as planned. We have put in a order for more long tails. We ordered a few more Bantam Phoenix Straight Run, Yokohama, Sumatra, Saipan as well all to be delivered latter this year along with Laying Hen replacements Egyptian Fayoumis, Marans, Legbar, EE/OE and D’Uccles.
The Black Hens
We hatched from eggs a few Black Swedish (Svart Hona) and Ayam Cemani. We only got hens from the hatching eggs and only a few birds from each. The hen with the largest comb is an Ayam Cemani. A few of the black girls we hatched liked hanging with the main flock so a few got stolen as well. This leaves us just three all black girls.
The egg picture shows the sort of eggs these 5 girls lay.
Yard Improvements
We are putting up some seriously Fort Knox run and pen to prevent hawk, and land predators including deterring humans. I am sick of the panic behaviors and bad behaviors of people because of COVID. Stealing our flock because the news media said there might be a food supply chain issue was uncool. The girls we have left are strong flyers and won’t have anything to do with strangers... so I am not too worried about them while we tear down, improve and rebuild stuff. The little back up coop we are using for them will work for now.
Anyway that is were we are right now...
The Phoenix
These 2 girls were hatched in 2020. Both are Bantam Phoenix. We had several other Phoenix pullets hatch and some absolutely stunning sweet roosters both from the hatching eggs and from Cackle hatchery. However 2020 and now 2021 has been rough. In 2020 a respiratory disease struck the flock, all the Cackle Phoenixes died despite attempts to treat them. The Phoenixes from the hatching eggs were kept in separate pen but our kids (niece and nephew) were not good at following biohazard protocols despite us trying hard to teach them basic hygiene since they moved in the year of 2019 and we also have been trying to teach them how to follow directions... they are getting better. So despite my attempts to quarantine birds, the kids would handle sick birds then go handle healthy birds... despite this the Hatching Egg Phoenix did not get sick. When the kids favorite hatchery birds of other breeds including ones they picked out as their own died from the respiratory disease they spread refusing to listen to me they finally started listening to me about biohazard stuff.
Many of our Phoenixes from the hatch were very tame and gorgeous birds. The roosters were stunning. Anyway one day someone stole the majority of our surviving mixed utility flock and the bantam Phoenix Roosters, a well as few D’Uccles we had as those birds were super tame. Basically only the birds that don’t like being handled or do not like strangers were not taken. These Phoenix girls are the more flighty ones and liked to hang out with some of our all black girls away from the main flock. They sort of had their own mini flock complete with their own favorite rooster. So we lost all but one Phoenix Rooster and the other hens from the hatch to theft... along with our laying hens and a few other bantams.
Then most recently a hawk showed up and killed our Phoenix Rooster. He was a stunning Red Blue Breasted fellow too. So we will have no chicks bred this year as planned. We have put in a order for more long tails. We ordered a few more Bantam Phoenix Straight Run, Yokohama, Sumatra, Saipan as well all to be delivered latter this year along with Laying Hen replacements Egyptian Fayoumis, Marans, Legbar, EE/OE and D’Uccles.
The Black Hens
We hatched from eggs a few Black Swedish (Svart Hona) and Ayam Cemani. We only got hens from the hatching eggs and only a few birds from each. The hen with the largest comb is an Ayam Cemani. A few of the black girls we hatched liked hanging with the main flock so a few got stolen as well. This leaves us just three all black girls.
The egg picture shows the sort of eggs these 5 girls lay.
Yard Improvements
We are putting up some seriously Fort Knox run and pen to prevent hawk, and land predators including deterring humans. I am sick of the panic behaviors and bad behaviors of people because of COVID. Stealing our flock because the news media said there might be a food supply chain issue was uncool. The girls we have left are strong flyers and won’t have anything to do with strangers... so I am not too worried about them while we tear down, improve and rebuild stuff. The little back up coop we are using for them will work for now.
Anyway that is were we are right now...
