- Jun 2, 2011
- 5,346
- 219
- 291
Hi all,
I can see a larger incubator in my future. For now my passion for chickens, learning and trying to build two separate flocks of layers for personal enjoyment first and formost, and learning about raising and keeping chickens healthy. My intention is to have two separate flocks in two coops and runs, that can possibly co exist in two individual flocks. I free range most of the days, and have been very fortunate to after 2 years, haven't lost one to a predetor yet. I know the day will come, but for now, enjoying that between trying to be on the lookout while I am working with my horses in the barn, and a livestock guardian English Shepherd who is intact and patrolling the territory, so far, lucky. My current flock was hatchery stock from Meyer, and ordered 10 pullets, 2 of each of the 5 breeds I picked from what was available. I wanted as many eggs as I could possible get, and no way Jose did I want a rooster constantly mauling my girls, making their backs bare, and crowing all day. Well, thanks to Meyers seemingly consistent 90% rate of sexing, I received a Columbian Wyandotte roo, and 9 girls. He turned out to be a very human aggressive dude, but in the almost 10 months he lived here, he did teach me the importance of having a rooster with hens, and I learned an awful lot. He was a wonderful watch roo, and was always alerting the girls to get on the move and the one time I witnessed a stray dog wander in I got my first lesson in how they will put themselves in the line of danger to give the girls a chance to run. Thankfully I was there, and let my dog out of the house as I had just come home, and the stray ran off. The day I saw him fly up at my daughter he was gone from here. I replaced him with a very respectful Ameraucana. He is different, but just as wonderful a protector and the girls finally accepted him. I bought a hen home with him, and have enjoyed her blue eggs. Thus began my quest for the rainbow basket. I all ready had all varying shades of light to mid brown eggs. Now I had blue,, but now also dreamt of having some white, (for my husband who just can't get past the brown eggs,, what is that?), green, olive and those delicious looking dark browns. Since none of the girls stayed true to the development of hatchery intentions went broody, suddenly I wanted to get on board to experience what so many on here chat about.. the insatiable yearn to witness and learn about hatching my own. I wanted my 12 year old daughter to experience it as well.. In April of this year, I set 6 of the bluest Ameraucana eggs from my black hen Vivian, and 1 of my Barred Rock eggs, which will be my first EE since she was crossed with Clark, my black/lav split Ameraucana. I was excited to learn that any of this crossing would give me auto sexed chicks.. I was perhaps more excited about the EE egg than my pure Ameraucana! I bought a Brinsea Mini Advance so that I wouldn't be tempted to hatch more than 7 at a time. I was convinced that I would have no success, or have on ly one hatch and be lonely, so I decided to make use of a credit I had with Meyer, and bought their minimum 3, (I hope one of them is not a roo), and picked three breeds I didn't have. A white maran, a speckled Sussex and a Austra White for that one white egg layer! I quickly learned the importance of having a proper Candler a week in, and sent off for one of those. On Day 10 I realized that I had one infertile egg and 2 early deaths. 4 eggs made it to lockdown and 3 hatched textbook style, pips, chirps, zips, and out! An EE female, and two beautiful black Ameraucana. the last Ameraucana hatched but had a rough navel, and other issues I am too uneducated to know about. He died in a week, and learned the lesson of realizing when a chick should be culled humanely instead of wishing and knowing that the constant chirping was distress and not calling to his hatchmates. So from my first attempt, three chicks. The three Meyer chicks arrived a day later and the six of them have thrived.
Next I wanted some lovely lavender Ameraucana hens to cross with my beautiful Black/Lav roo. I ordered my first batch of shipped eggs, from a lavender breeder. The post office was not kind to the box, and the air cells were either diplaced or detached. I read up on here about that, and decided to set them anyway.and set those early May, with 6 making it to lockdown. 4 beautiful little lavs hatched out, but the remaining 2 eggs sat motion and pip less. I opened them up on Day 24 to find perfectly formed little chicks that did not absorb their yolks. Not sure why, but will hope to read up on that too. I quickly started to become aware of the pitfalls of chicken math, and started to panic that I may have too many on my hands but remembered about my original goal of a second flock of 10/12 girls with another roo. Of course I have no idea if any of the six Ameraucanas are females, and only time will tell. I have 4 girls for certain, the three Meyer girls, (hopefully) and my one EE. But... I want more breeds. So, I reached out to a friend I have made here on BYC, who breeds Swedish Flower Hens, who was selling hatching eggs. Yet again, I sent away for eggs, and today, I set 7 beautiful Swedish Flower Hen eggs, and will be praying for all 7 to hatch. Egg cells were in much better shape than the first shipped eggs, but not losing sight of the % with shipped eggs. I was told that Swedish Flower Hens roos are tolerant of other roos they are raised with, so perhaps I will keep two if I get some. They are beautiful, and good foragers, and I love that. I may set one more batch of Barred Rock eggs that I am lusting for... some beautiful birds I admire with that gorgeous lacing that my hatchery BR's just don't have. I have a dream to keep these two different flocks going, changing out girls as they don't lay any more, and having young girls ready to take over the job. I am fortunate to live in a rural place where I know of two chicken sanctuary's close by who take in girls who don't lay as much any more. I am interested to see how the hatchery girls produce. They are on their second laying season and doing just about as good as the first. I am told the third season is when one notices a marked drop off. I have a friend who wants me to hatch my eggs for her after these are finished to have a flock of EE's. That will be fun for me too. Perhaps some auto sexing breeds in the future, that sure takes the waiting game out of it.
Thanks for taking the time to read my little story. I know newbies don't have much to offer, but I am so very thankful for all you experienced, knowledgeable peeps who take the time to answer my questions, care about when I am worried about some issue, or just offer up advice when needed. I have learned from you and enjoy reading your stories, and seeing your pictures. I am always amazed how the internet can be so positive sometimes, and we can "meet" people we normally never would have had the privilege of knowing.
Good Luck to all of you, and blessings to you, and yours. Here's praying for all the animals health in your lives.
Carmela, aka,
MB
I can see a larger incubator in my future. For now my passion for chickens, learning and trying to build two separate flocks of layers for personal enjoyment first and formost, and learning about raising and keeping chickens healthy. My intention is to have two separate flocks in two coops and runs, that can possibly co exist in two individual flocks. I free range most of the days, and have been very fortunate to after 2 years, haven't lost one to a predetor yet. I know the day will come, but for now, enjoying that between trying to be on the lookout while I am working with my horses in the barn, and a livestock guardian English Shepherd who is intact and patrolling the territory, so far, lucky. My current flock was hatchery stock from Meyer, and ordered 10 pullets, 2 of each of the 5 breeds I picked from what was available. I wanted as many eggs as I could possible get, and no way Jose did I want a rooster constantly mauling my girls, making their backs bare, and crowing all day. Well, thanks to Meyers seemingly consistent 90% rate of sexing, I received a Columbian Wyandotte roo, and 9 girls. He turned out to be a very human aggressive dude, but in the almost 10 months he lived here, he did teach me the importance of having a rooster with hens, and I learned an awful lot. He was a wonderful watch roo, and was always alerting the girls to get on the move and the one time I witnessed a stray dog wander in I got my first lesson in how they will put themselves in the line of danger to give the girls a chance to run. Thankfully I was there, and let my dog out of the house as I had just come home, and the stray ran off. The day I saw him fly up at my daughter he was gone from here. I replaced him with a very respectful Ameraucana. He is different, but just as wonderful a protector and the girls finally accepted him. I bought a hen home with him, and have enjoyed her blue eggs. Thus began my quest for the rainbow basket. I all ready had all varying shades of light to mid brown eggs. Now I had blue,, but now also dreamt of having some white, (for my husband who just can't get past the brown eggs,, what is that?), green, olive and those delicious looking dark browns. Since none of the girls stayed true to the development of hatchery intentions went broody, suddenly I wanted to get on board to experience what so many on here chat about.. the insatiable yearn to witness and learn about hatching my own. I wanted my 12 year old daughter to experience it as well.. In April of this year, I set 6 of the bluest Ameraucana eggs from my black hen Vivian, and 1 of my Barred Rock eggs, which will be my first EE since she was crossed with Clark, my black/lav split Ameraucana. I was excited to learn that any of this crossing would give me auto sexed chicks.. I was perhaps more excited about the EE egg than my pure Ameraucana! I bought a Brinsea Mini Advance so that I wouldn't be tempted to hatch more than 7 at a time. I was convinced that I would have no success, or have on ly one hatch and be lonely, so I decided to make use of a credit I had with Meyer, and bought their minimum 3, (I hope one of them is not a roo), and picked three breeds I didn't have. A white maran, a speckled Sussex and a Austra White for that one white egg layer! I quickly learned the importance of having a proper Candler a week in, and sent off for one of those. On Day 10 I realized that I had one infertile egg and 2 early deaths. 4 eggs made it to lockdown and 3 hatched textbook style, pips, chirps, zips, and out! An EE female, and two beautiful black Ameraucana. the last Ameraucana hatched but had a rough navel, and other issues I am too uneducated to know about. He died in a week, and learned the lesson of realizing when a chick should be culled humanely instead of wishing and knowing that the constant chirping was distress and not calling to his hatchmates. So from my first attempt, three chicks. The three Meyer chicks arrived a day later and the six of them have thrived.
Next I wanted some lovely lavender Ameraucana hens to cross with my beautiful Black/Lav roo. I ordered my first batch of shipped eggs, from a lavender breeder. The post office was not kind to the box, and the air cells were either diplaced or detached. I read up on here about that, and decided to set them anyway.and set those early May, with 6 making it to lockdown. 4 beautiful little lavs hatched out, but the remaining 2 eggs sat motion and pip less. I opened them up on Day 24 to find perfectly formed little chicks that did not absorb their yolks. Not sure why, but will hope to read up on that too. I quickly started to become aware of the pitfalls of chicken math, and started to panic that I may have too many on my hands but remembered about my original goal of a second flock of 10/12 girls with another roo. Of course I have no idea if any of the six Ameraucanas are females, and only time will tell. I have 4 girls for certain, the three Meyer girls, (hopefully) and my one EE. But... I want more breeds. So, I reached out to a friend I have made here on BYC, who breeds Swedish Flower Hens, who was selling hatching eggs. Yet again, I sent away for eggs, and today, I set 7 beautiful Swedish Flower Hen eggs, and will be praying for all 7 to hatch. Egg cells were in much better shape than the first shipped eggs, but not losing sight of the % with shipped eggs. I was told that Swedish Flower Hens roos are tolerant of other roos they are raised with, so perhaps I will keep two if I get some. They are beautiful, and good foragers, and I love that. I may set one more batch of Barred Rock eggs that I am lusting for... some beautiful birds I admire with that gorgeous lacing that my hatchery BR's just don't have. I have a dream to keep these two different flocks going, changing out girls as they don't lay any more, and having young girls ready to take over the job. I am fortunate to live in a rural place where I know of two chicken sanctuary's close by who take in girls who don't lay as much any more. I am interested to see how the hatchery girls produce. They are on their second laying season and doing just about as good as the first. I am told the third season is when one notices a marked drop off. I have a friend who wants me to hatch my eggs for her after these are finished to have a flock of EE's. That will be fun for me too. Perhaps some auto sexing breeds in the future, that sure takes the waiting game out of it.
Thanks for taking the time to read my little story. I know newbies don't have much to offer, but I am so very thankful for all you experienced, knowledgeable peeps who take the time to answer my questions, care about when I am worried about some issue, or just offer up advice when needed. I have learned from you and enjoy reading your stories, and seeing your pictures. I am always amazed how the internet can be so positive sometimes, and we can "meet" people we normally never would have had the privilege of knowing.
Good Luck to all of you, and blessings to you, and yours. Here's praying for all the animals health in your lives.
Carmela, aka,
MB
I didn't quiet understand you didn't set a broody right? You just bought an incubator?
