Our introduction to keeping chickens, the high's, the lows and pics of our journey.

[lindz8504]

Amazing!

 

[NovaAman]

x2! I love your set up. If I were ever to be forced to move to a res area, and it would have to be where I could have hens, I'd have to import your set up here. LOL

Got some pics today... Was a spastic pic day too. I haven't played with the pan veiw on my camera yet. I am still learning it though...

 

[Bens-Hens]

Some great shots, loving the Fav's. Alicia was not a fan but she is warming to them with each pic, although the feathered shanks aren't scoring any points with either of us.

They are on today's shopping list I have a big day ahead, time to get to it!

 

[NovaAman]

You might think that they'd get dirty real quick, or hold poo easier, but they really don't. A good fav foot feathering isn't too heavy. It seems really heavy when they are young like the ones pictured, and they can break off easy on the roos, but, its really not bad.

In the first pic, the hen on the left is the pullet, the hen on the right is her mom. you can see by moms feet that the feathering on her feet is really quite a bit less than on her daughters.

 

[Wrightsx4]

I wasn't a feathered foot fan either - thought I wouldn't want the mess I assumed there would be. Now between the favs and the marans I have quite a few feathered feet and I was nicely surprised at how clean they stay. When they get wet they dry quickly and always look clean - and I have a dirt pen that tends to get muddy.
Nice set up Ben - great use of space! I'm glad that Smudge will get to live a good life with Jewel by his side.

 

[Bens-Hens]

Well, that day almost was here, planned to pick up eggs today, set tomorrow, but who was I trying to kid? Eggs are in the 'bator and coming up to temp lol

Been a busy morning.

Volunteered at a community run this morning, then went for my own run, then shot to the breeders to grab 2 dozen eggs, then come home to a lovely lady and her kids to buy Smudge and Jewel. They are off to their new 9 acres. The AFL footy grand final is playing (Freo vs Hawthorn for Oz) while I was weighing and cataloging our eggs ready for the incubator. Finish this post then start my 'nerdy documentation and spread sheets'

We have some digital scales now so plan to track the egg weights (Pam, your methods are rubbing off on me!)

Now, we had 47 eggs set aside or purchased, and an incubator turner that holds 36 normal sized eggs....Hmmmmm what's a man (and wife) to do? Turn some smaller eggs sideways, disconnect the turner, promise to do it by hand and thin the crowd down when we remove the first lot of clears!

47 eggs in a 36 slot 'bator!

So we have our mixes which I have talked about endlessly, plus 4 more pure breeds.

Images for your perusal

Hehehehehe




'lorp's are a gauntlet, black, splash and blues, pot luck. Was short on the Fav's, so got an extra Maran and Wellie.




Our mixes, squeezed them all in. Keen to see how Smudge performed!


I was ready to shut the lid and walk away, but Alicia stared at me in shock "You can't have some x's and some o's!" So after this pick they all became o's lol Have to hand turn the rack to make sure nothing goes wrong with this expensive bunch of eggs.


21 days to go!!!

 

[ozexpat]

go freo

and the eggs look good!

may the hatch be with you

 

[CB and CG]

Good luck with your hatch Ben!
Hope you get six blue Australorps
If you are recording weight loss remember that 13% is the ideal weight loss for an egg.

 

[Bens-Hens]

Thanks guys.

Freo went down to the Hawks Oz. I ended up watching a little window for most of it hahahaha

Thanks CB, I had read 'about 15%' so seeing 13% as ideal is a good margin. I have not tracked them that way before so thought I would see how they go.

How often do others weigh in? Each candle jut take a sample and track them on a line graph?

 

[joannefiddler]

While on the subject of layer's, Lavern has thrown 3 double yolkers 3 days in a row! I could not sell her, and definitely not Baby so Jewel it was.

Well done Lavern and as always, well done Ben! Do you see any correlation between diet and double yolkers? I think I am seeing high protein one day seems to make double yolker more likely the next. This is purely casual observation, nothing scientific.

Time to settle in and watch the bator fun!

Wishing you all the best!