California - Northern

[zooweemama]

 

[chiqita]

I can't believe how hard it is to find black copper marans hens or pullets around here! I've been looking for a month and no luck everyone wants to keep them, even their culls:/ I need another project haha. My husband is on a 4 hour trip to pick up my silver laced wyandottes! That might keep me busy for a bit

The problem is you want sexed older chickens. If you really want marans you almost have to get eggs or chicks. I have never had them last past 5-6 weeks. All sold at that point but the extra boys.

Omg, this weather is amazing today! Enjoying some time with our "chickies".

So cute! I have never seen a silkie give skunk eye before.

Boy am I tired. Tomorrow is the big move day but I did take a few loads today but the main goal of today was the 2 breeder pens for the Crele's and the Emp's. I put up 18 more 5" x 8 ft peeler cores and used 36 bags of 50 lb cement today. I still need to turn the coop more north and level the coop and add the No climb fence and poultry netting on top. This will happen tomorrow if the concrete cures enough after I move all the heavy stuff into the house. Here is the first run. We decided on a name since we are also going into the Blueberry Business. Hangtown Farms ( since Placerville was once called Hangtown )

huzzah!

 

[Miss Molly]

I found an egg in my purse once.  I was at back to school night and another parent asked me for a spare pen so I reached into my purse and started laughing as  I pulled out an egg.  Earlier in the day an egg carton had tipped over.  I searched the car for a missing egg and could not find it.  Stumped but in a hurry I decided to look for it later and forgot.  I guess it had fallen into my purse and I carried it around all day without breaking it.  Good thing.  

Oh gosh, that's a good one. Those silly eggs just pop up in the oddest places. You've got to love it.

 

[Happy Chooks]

Well I couldn't take it any longer and helped the third one out. She was shrink-wrapped pretty good. Many q-tips and tweezer work later it is now in to dry with the other two. No blood or yolk problems. Took me 20 minutes to free the right eye from the membrane. Looks good so far, she was fiesty but stuck.

Not sure why i've got such goofy margins tonight.

Watch it's legs. I've only had shrink wrapped chicks a few times, but everytime they ended up with leg issues. (I assume from pushing to try to turn in the egg)

Double blue laced Barnies

I hatched these from Trisha's eggs...thanks again Trisha!

Where's the splashes? How many cockerels/pullets did you end up with?

I ended up with 2 blacks, and 6 blues. Both blacks were pullets, but one disappeared when I started integration. I think she got through the fence, she just vanished and my run is covered, so the only way she could get out is through the fence. (she was the runt and a tiny little thing) Of the 6 blues, 3 are pullets and 3 are cockerels. The cockerels are looking really nice that I'm contemplating keeping one. I go back and forth on whether to keep him or only keep pure barnie roosters.

Mine are fully integrated in the flock now, but they still mostly hang out inside the coop. I'm waiting for them to really start venturing outside so I can get some good pictures of them.

 

[debs_flock]

We decided on a name since we are also going into the Blueberry Business.

Hangtown Farms ( since Placerville was once called Hangtown )

It looks great Jason, wow, you've really been working. Is it going to be a self pick operation? I'll look forward to it. I'm a home canner and always looking for quality produce.

On another note, I candled your crele pene egg last night and the chick was still waving at me from inside the shell It will be due to lockdown on Friday. I haven't candled the four I picked up from your wife.

Deb

 

[Miss Molly]

Amy Beth, you have always taken the best pictures... They are all beautiful. That little show boy is priceless. I have five silkies in lock down...

 

[liz9910]

You need to put some fertile eggs under her....

Are roosters fertile in January? She's a very small hen prob 4 lbs if that.

 

[OR4-hmom]

Good morning Molly,
While freeing it I got a little nervous when I got down further and found a big yellow spot. I was afraid it was yolk. So far legs seem well set under it's body and feet are looking good also. It seemed to be doing alot of deep knee bends compared to the other two. Looks like only 50% hatch. Learned alot though.

 

[Miss Molly]

The problem is you want sexed older chickens. If you really want marans you almost have to get eggs or chicks. I have never had them last past 5-6 weeks. All sold at that point but the extra boys.
Quote:

Yes, I agree. I have customers come to my house all the time and start pointing at the hens they want. I tell them I have those in chicks or I can incubate you anything you want. They look at me like I'm crazy. Why won't you just sale me those ones? I say, those are my breeding stock or I'm growing that one out for myself. Again, I get that..... I don't get it look. I have to band chicks for myself or I would ever get new ones. The chicks sale themselves. I rarely have to grow extras out. Plus, I already have hundreds of chickens. I can only grow out so many extras.

 

[OR4-hmom]

Are roosters fertile in January? She's a very small hen prob 4 lbs if that.

Crack one of the eggs and check for a bullseye in the blastoderm.
I"ve got some 8 month old boys, one I'm sure is feetile, but the other two don't seem to be. The old barred rock is fertile now also.