Not a city kid any longer!!

[IonaFarm]

Anytime people ask me about my little farm I tell them I'm still just a city kid. Well not any more. March I went to a feed store a got a few chicks. Went back the next week and got a few more. This went on till mid April, ended up with 14 chicks and a baby turkey. Well I saw something I have never seen in my 53 yrs. Chickens mating! If I hadn't been outside with the lawn chair watching the chicks forage I would have missed it. They haven't layed any eggs yet, hopefully soon. So could they be fertilized eggs when they do get here? Then what do I do? I don't know. (Maybe I still am a city kid.)

 

[gryeyes]

Just gather 'em like you would any non-fertilized egg. There's no difference in taste, and the only visible difference is that white spot on the yolk will be a small bulls-eye. The egg won't develop into a chick unless it's incubated; you can leave 'em on the kitchen counter for a month and there'd never be a chick.

Because I, too, have changed from a sorta-city girl into a "chicken farmer" - HA! - in my fifties, I bet I can guess at your surprise when you witnessed that 5 second deed. When the chickens are older, a rooster will do a bit of a courting dance first, and wait for the pullet to submit in a squat. At least, if he's a gentleman roo.

 

[Terri O]

CONGRATULATIONS! I too am a transplanted city dweller. I have had my little farm for 23 years...I love not being in the city any more...Can I sell you a goat or two?

Terri O

 

[Happy Chooks]

And now you're hooked.

Yes, it's possible for the first egg to be fertile. As for what you should do with it........eat it of course!

If the females are submitting to the roo, you'll have eggs soon. I noticed my roo mating my BCM girl about a week ago. Her first egg came yesterday at 19 1/2 weeks.

 

[IonaFarm]

Thanks everyone for the info. Terrie O if their fainting goats we need to talk. Especially if thats Madison IN.

My kids (adults) think I've gone a little over board or nuts depends on the day . My son wants to know when we're going to get just Normal pets. When we moved here 10 yrs ago it was DH, a hairy ragdoll cat, and two mutt pups.

Since then we have acquired: 2 llamas, miniature horse, miniature donkey, 2 hailess cats, miniature doxy, 12 NHR(down to 4 thanks to coyote) 14 new chicks(2 polish, 2 bantam cochins, 2 silkies and assorted others) and 1 turkey, still don't know if its a tom or not.

My grandkids love it here. there's always some animal to play with or just pick up and hug. This year they have gotten to see 3 dayold chicks grow up. Collect eggs, feed animals run and play outside. No worry about cars or strange people in the neighborhood.

Again thanks everybody!

 

[Terri O]

Sorry...it is Madison, WI! LOL! There is another member near me who has fainting goats though

MIne are dairy goats...sorry. Terri O