Kkhermstead
In the Brooder
- Jan 14, 2025
- 4
- 20
- 24
Hi! I started raising chickens and ducks in the spring of 2023, so relatively new to all of this, but quickly experiencing and learning from the standard issues: predators, mites, bedding battles, choosing a feed that works for everyone or not, scams, poopy butts, ups and downs of egg production, cockerel and drake overload, selecting breeds and then selecting again, raising and incubating chicks, processing our own meat, falling in love with egg colors and all the genetic possibilities, expanding for chicken math, etc! We started out with 3 Ancona/magpie ducks, a duckling and a chick. Then were gifted a barnyard mix of chicks that turned out 8 cockerels and 2 pullets.
We now have have 6 ducks (a black Swedish drake with blue Swedish and Ancona ducks); 5 roosters (bantam blue Cochin, blue English orpington, black Ameracauna, black laced red Wyandotte, and chocolate English Orpington); and 24 hens (black and blue English Orpingtons, chocolate and buff Orpingtons, splash Wyandotte, light Brahmas, Ameracaunas, easter eggers, olive eggers, black copper marans, and a sapphire gem).
I have the chickens divided up into 5 breeding pens. I really enjoy the Orpingtons and the Ameracaunas. My little bantam Cochin rooster is adorable with his little big man ego. My goals for the 2025 spring and summer season is to create some more olive and blue/green Easter eggers to sell, sell Orpington chicks/eggs, and test out crossing my super large blue English Orpington with my light Brahmas to see if it helps create more breast meat.
We have about 5 acres, soon to increase to 15, with 3 kids (8, 6, and 1). We’re getting caught up in ALL the projects of trying to establish our “homestead.” I took a break from working to be at home with the youngest kiddo, and enjoy baking when I have the time.
I’m actually in the process of trying to sort out whether we want to add Delawares, bielefelders, Cornish, or Bresse to our dual purpose flock for eggs and meat. It’s hard to decide on which breeds would work best for us, and then to find local breeders vs large hatcheries to get quality stock.
We now have have 6 ducks (a black Swedish drake with blue Swedish and Ancona ducks); 5 roosters (bantam blue Cochin, blue English orpington, black Ameracauna, black laced red Wyandotte, and chocolate English Orpington); and 24 hens (black and blue English Orpingtons, chocolate and buff Orpingtons, splash Wyandotte, light Brahmas, Ameracaunas, easter eggers, olive eggers, black copper marans, and a sapphire gem).
I have the chickens divided up into 5 breeding pens. I really enjoy the Orpingtons and the Ameracaunas. My little bantam Cochin rooster is adorable with his little big man ego. My goals for the 2025 spring and summer season is to create some more olive and blue/green Easter eggers to sell, sell Orpington chicks/eggs, and test out crossing my super large blue English Orpington with my light Brahmas to see if it helps create more breast meat.
We have about 5 acres, soon to increase to 15, with 3 kids (8, 6, and 1). We’re getting caught up in ALL the projects of trying to establish our “homestead.” I took a break from working to be at home with the youngest kiddo, and enjoy baking when I have the time.
I’m actually in the process of trying to sort out whether we want to add Delawares, bielefelders, Cornish, or Bresse to our dual purpose flock for eggs and meat. It’s hard to decide on which breeds would work best for us, and then to find local breeders vs large hatcheries to get quality stock.
Good luck with all your plans! 
to have you here with us. Enjoy your time here at BYC!
