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

[Fancychooklady]

Yes it was overcast here too. I went to bed and was cross with the girls for not coming to get me when the skies cleared. She took heaps of pics but that was the best one. Could be a month before she hears back on the audition. She has another one here this weekend. Hubby and our ' horsey ' girl are off to the longford show and I'm going on a ' girls ' weekend up north. We have a photographer coming to take pics of the farm on Friday for the mercury so I'd better get back to cleaning coops.

Sometimes I feel like a POIF, prisoner of inlet farm.

 

[Bens-Hens]

I know the POIF feeling, the last two weekend the family have gone away and I have been home feeding a dog I didn't ask for and chickens I didn't want (to begin with anyway!)

Thems the breaks I guess. A small sacrifice for fresh eggs.

Speaking of eggs, I just went to have a look about the nest boxes and we lost a Coro egg. Looks like it had been stood on as it was flat and matted into the bedding. I tried to see if I could spot any veins but I could not see anything other than yolk and white among the mess.

Down to 11 at Day 6.

 

[satay]

Yes it was overcast here too. I went to bed and was cross with the girls for not coming to get me when the skies cleared. She took heaps of pics but that was the best one. Could be a month before she hears back on the audition. She has another one here this weekend. Hubby and our ' horsey ' girl are off to the longford show and I'm going on a ' girls ' weekend up north. We have a photographer coming to take pics of the farm on Friday for the mercury so I'd better get back to cleaning coops.

Sometimes I feel like a POIF, prisoner of inlet farm.

If you have to be a prisoner anywhere Fancy I would think your place would be the place to be

 

[Fancychooklady]

I know the POIF feeling, the last two weekend the family have gone away and I have been home feeding a dog I didn't ask for and chickens I didn't want (to begin with anyway!)

Thems the breaks I guess. A small sacrifice for fresh eggs.

Speaking of eggs, I just went to have a look about the nest boxes and we lost a Coro egg. Looks like it had been stood on as it was flat and matted into the bedding. I tried to see if I could spot any veins but I could not see anything other than yolk and white among the mess.

Down to 11 at Day 6.

Oh well that happens here too. I cracked a couple open before I sent those to check for fertility cause I was a bit worried that KG might be a little ' off his game ' after the flogging he got and they were definately fertile. Fingers crossed , you get a few pullets out of this.

 

[Bens-Hens]

Well, not the best of broodie days here today.

Yesterday I noticed one of the Rock sisters looking more fluffy than usual and today she 'turned'. Refusing to get out of the nest with 5 eggs in it. At great risk to fingers and hands I moved her to some temporary nests on the other side of the coop. WHen I checked the clutch for any extra eggs I found a Coro egg with a small crack in it. Surely from the real estate battle earlier in the day. I decided to leave it under Rosie, silly mistake.

Tonight I went down for Day 7 Candle, and the egg was broken, a sticky mess under one very large fluffy RIR. Among the mess, clearly visible was an embryo

So I cleaned up the nest as best as possible and got on with the candle, 10 left. I am confident 8 are clear and 2 have embryo's. I have left them all in until the next candle to be sure. FIngers crossed at least one of the two are a pullet!

No sale of the NH or BA roo's yet, might drop their prices as they are getting more bold with their crows now, even Dusty gets in on the symphony.

 

[vehve]

Ben, that's too bad

Hopefully it was at least a roo, and you're left with pullets. Our broodies have finally snapped out of it, and we already have 4 out of 6 laying.

 

[Fancychooklady]

Oh poo, oh well depending on the outcome of our audition we could be making regular trips to WA. We will get some coro in your flock, one way or another.

 

[K Spot]

Bugger - sorry to hear Ben. My silly Dorking cracked one of her Ara eggs which are 17 days in. Not very nice cleaning up a half formed chick that's for sure

 

[Bens-Hens]

I guess thats just how this stuff goes. I was not ready to separate the broodies from the main flock yet so shared nests was going to be a risk.

The broody Rock is not quite sure what she wants to be, one second she is docile and lets me check under her, the next she is a tiny feather T-Rex doing her best to remove portions of my hand. I presume she is hungry!

The Tas the 'Wylkie' is looking very nice, great Coro colours but a bit flighty. I have noticed she is very red in the face, but had not squatted for anyone yet. She look like she should be laying, yet she is still quite young at 17 Weeks. Ginger the Cochin is no where near as far along in the redness. I picked up Tas this morning and checked her 'hip bones', not much doing there still quite narrow but when I put her down she went into a squat! I even got to give her a pat before she shook herself off and walked away! SHe may be laying sooner than I first thought.

The new nest bx was in use too this morning, one of the Ara's was in it, so good to see going to 8 nest boxes has helped relieve congestion at peek hour.

Finally, I have to say that having four broodies is bad for egg production, but very good for feed bills an dhow much night fall there is!

 

[K Spot]

Finally, I have to say that having four broodies is bad for egg production, but very good for feed bills an dhow much night fall there is!

I'm hearing you there Ben, with 4 broodies myself I'm getting maybe 4 eggs a day if I'm lucky.