If you get fall chicks you will have pullets ready to lay by spring! They may be more trouble for a while, especially if you live in a colder climate, but I think it would be worth it to have pullets ready to lay all next summer and fall!
Expanding the flock questions
- Thread starter mtn_penny
- Start date
My girls and roo have a hatch date of 28 Sept 2009. The roo is in a hard molt, and is molting in reverse order, started with his wings and tail, and today I noticed he has lost a lot of his hackle feathers and yet, his wings are done. I would say he has been at this for 3 weeks now. He still whines, and is halfhearted in his attention to the girls (to their relief). He is a Speckled Sussex, but I hesitate to breed him, I question his fertility and I know he is stupid. I ordered 2 roos from which I will select his replacement.
I also have the Speckled Sussex hen molting, she lays no more than 2 eggs a week, and her comb is pale along with one of the EEs that hasn't laid in two weeks. These girls were "6 eggs a week" layers. The other three girls are still at that pace and will probably molt in a few weeks.
I deliberately order my girls so I don't have to brood chicks when the temps are 90+ in the summer, and besides, I am too busy planting gardens in the early spring to devote time to chicks. I will be getting 34 chicks the first week in Oct, so I can expect eggs in March/April if last year is an indicator. The order is giving me small breeding flocks of my favorite breeds; Speckled Sussex, NHR, Delaware and EE (1 roo and 5 hens) and of course I had to get the walking incubators, Black Silkies. I am trying Naked Necks, they are sweet, mellow little chicks-not hysterical like the Speckled Sussex was the first couple weeks. Any how, this year goal is to have a self replacing rate of hatching. That gives me a year to learn the genetics for more intensive breeding plans.
It is starting to cool down from the heat of summer, current evening temperature at 8:04 PM is 90F with a low of 70 foretasted. Seems that the seasons follow the calendar so it will be down in the 80's by the time fall equinox is here. Got to love Texas, so I am told....
I also have the Speckled Sussex hen molting, she lays no more than 2 eggs a week, and her comb is pale along with one of the EEs that hasn't laid in two weeks. These girls were "6 eggs a week" layers. The other three girls are still at that pace and will probably molt in a few weeks.
I deliberately order my girls so I don't have to brood chicks when the temps are 90+ in the summer, and besides, I am too busy planting gardens in the early spring to devote time to chicks. I will be getting 34 chicks the first week in Oct, so I can expect eggs in March/April if last year is an indicator. The order is giving me small breeding flocks of my favorite breeds; Speckled Sussex, NHR, Delaware and EE (1 roo and 5 hens) and of course I had to get the walking incubators, Black Silkies. I am trying Naked Necks, they are sweet, mellow little chicks-not hysterical like the Speckled Sussex was the first couple weeks. Any how, this year goal is to have a self replacing rate of hatching. That gives me a year to learn the genetics for more intensive breeding plans.
It is starting to cool down from the heat of summer, current evening temperature at 8:04 PM is 90F with a low of 70 foretasted. Seems that the seasons follow the calendar so it will be down in the 80's by the time fall equinox is here. Got to love Texas, so I am told....
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