Kristen’s Chickens and Farming Ventures

[rjohns39]

Good morning Kris

So sorry about Mr Eyebrow's

X3 on the pour

 

[Wee Farmer Sarah]

Sorry for your loss @Kris5902. Best of luck with the final pour. Hopefully your FIL's good mood will last a while.

 

[Ribh]

So sorry to hear about Mr Eyebrows. He was a lovely boy. At least you have plenty of likely lads to choose from!

So exciting about the pours! Things are really starting to get a move along & shortly waaay beyond FILs control!

 

[Kris5902]

Thanks everyone. I have to say I was looking at that cockerel I mentioned earlier today... and he has blue earlobes! He’s also Andrew’s favorite in the bunch, I just may have one less chicken in the freezer than I planned! I’m not sure if the girls will accept him though.

It looks like the pour might be happening this Friday, but no guarantees where the weather is concerned. @Ribh, And all my other Aussie friends... I’m doing my best to send the rain your way for what it’s worth. You need it more than we do, and if any of that dispicable white stuff comes you’re welcome to it as well.

 

[BlueBaby]

Thanks everyone. I have to say I was looking at that cockerel I mentioned earlier today... and he has blue earlobes! He’s also Andrew’s favorite in the bunch, I just may have one less chicken in the freezer than I planned! I’m not sure if the girls will accept him though.

It looks like the pour might be happening this Friday, but no guarantees where the weather is concerned. @Ribh, And all my other Aussie friends... I’m doing my best to send the rain your way for what it’s worth. You need it more than we do, and if any of that dispicable white stuff comes you’re welcome to it as well.

You won't find out if they will accept him or not until you try at a time that you can observe how it goes.

 

[rjohns39]

Good morning Kris

 

[Kris5902]

Good morning Kris

Good morning Bob! I’m trying to take it a little easy this week, so I’m hoping to be online a bit more

 

[BlueBaby]

Good morning Bob! I’m trying to take it a little easy this week, so I’m hoping to be online a bit more

Good luck with that! Every time I want to take it easy, something else that need's to be done will pop into my head!

 

[Kris5902]

You won't find out if they will accept him or not until you try at a time that you can observe how it goes.

I’m a little leery of putting him in there, but he’s bigger than everyone in there except Chickie Hawk’s daughters from his First clutch, and he’s certainly fast. I like to put them in at night, then get up before them and see how it goes in the morning. So far I’ve found that to be the easiest way to integrate them, my only real issues have been with mid-day “here’s your new girlfriends” integrations. And that one time I was going to give Bob the meat girls, I did that at night but it didn’t work out as well I’m hoping he will pass on blue egg genes. I’m set for olive eggers with Chickie Hawk, but would really like to increase the number of blue Layers. I was originally thinking of getting a CCL to cross to the Sapphires, but figured I’d work with Mr Eyebrows instead as he was a sure bet with wheaten ameraucana x Isbar parentage.

The easiest way to go of course would be to order in a whole batch of Ameraucana chicks. That was my original plan, but the hatchery I was going to order from (a smaller family run business) closed out their season early. I had planned on adding 25 Ameraucana and 25 Barred Rocks of a large sized line, expecting to keep 8-10 hens and a Rooster from eachbreed, and 50 meat bird Hybrids to supplement the meat bird breeding program I’m trying to start. I had planned on filling out my single breed flocks, getting all my desired genetics, (so one more line of BCM’s from a different breeder) and closing it down so I wouldn’t need to constantly bring in new chicks to maintain the flock numbers. If only there was some sort of reward for grand plans, I’d be set for life

I’m quite impressed by how well Barney is behaving in with 20 teens (about 12 weeks old) in a fairly small (8x8x2’) tractor. I’m almost more afraid to put him in with the “now single” ladies. If it is some sort of male-tail-feather envy combined with it being “that time of the year” (molting) for the girls... well Barney is pretty flashy looking.

Last night the girls were all peacefully settled for roosting in all the tractors by 4:15 pm! It gets dark here way too soon now. The older single ladies (being mostly smaller) were all jammed 4 + 1 of Chickie Hawk’s daughters across the 3’ of the top roost, with Princess and the other 3 of CH’s one rung down. Mr Marans and ladies were more spread out on all the roosts “personal space thank you very much!” And CH +3 on the top roost and 3 more together one rung down..

 

[Kris5902]

Good luck with that! Every time I want to take it easy, something else that need's to be done will pop into my head!

True! I was just thinking I really should start working on those next chicken tractors while it’s reasonably dry... are the “Littles” really 12 weeks already? I’ve got a bit of time until they start getting really obnoxious, but some of those cockerels are already feeling their hormones! “Don’t you flare your hackles at him! That’s my boot! Do not peck the feeder’s face when she’s adjusting you roosts for the day!!!” Naughty boy who escapes every day and runs off to get pecked off by the free range girls (Sammy doesn’t even bat an eye and lets the girls handle the little punk) and he’s easy to put back in after one of the girls shows him who’s really the boss.

However I’m really feeling the last week of hard work... so maybe... I might stick to cokoking and a little cleaning up (very overdue)