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

[ozexpat]

Well done lad!!

 

[EverMystique1]

Awesome turn out!

 

[Bens-Hens]

Thanks team, not sure if it's the lack of sleep or stress of staring into that machine, but I am bushed today!

We are approaching the end of Day 21, not quite over yet but pretty much done I think.

47 Starters,
17 Clears,
1 Blood ring/early death,
24 are out,
2 have pipped
2 are yet to pip.
Deaths, just the one.

Should also note that many of those clears were ours, coming from pullets and a young cockerel, it was always going to be hit and miss with fertility mating youngsters.

I will give a break down of breeds when the final count is in, not sure which way the last two will go, one was the biggest egg we had in there and the other was not far off it, so might take a bit longer to grow those two monsters.

The only other complication experienced so far, was doing my head in counting chicks. I counted them all up, and the colours did not match up to the breeds, Alicia double checked all my counting, she could not figure it out (although she does enjoy a wine or 9 at weddings lol) EVENTUALLY, I realised we must have had a miss labeled egg, and that's why I could only count five yellows when I was expecting 6....the Salmon Fav I was desperately looking for had hatched out as a Black Australorp!

I did get a couple of teaser phone shots, but will naturally get more later.

Instanap #47

Ara's are so small compared to the heavy breed chicks

The two middle are suspect Blue Australorps

Thinking we may have hit the Welsummer roo jackpot, need to sit down and compare day olds to some other pics to be more certain.


More tomorrow with that final break down table. Phew.....nearly there, then one more to go in a couple of weeks

EDIT: Had to adjust my numbers, was out by 1!

 

[Wrightsx4]

Excellent turnout - And a surprise black australorp. Have a good recovery sleep!

 

[CB and CG]

Yay babies!
Have all of your Australorps hatched yet? Sometimes it is very difficult identifying colours in Australorps as blue comes in a wide range of shades. From almost looking black to almost looking splash. If you need help identifying colours I can have a go. Fingers crossed for lots of blue pullets. Now you will need to wait at least another 3 weeks to begin to sex them lol.

From my Australorp hatching 6 weeks ago I ended up with 2 blue pullets, 2 black pullets, 2 blue cockerels and 3 black cockerels. Very happy that I got 4 girls to add to my breeding stock. They are already looking good and shaping up nicely.

 

[joannefiddler]

Thanks team, not sure if it's the lack of sleep or stress of staring into that machine, but I am bushed today!

We are approaching the end of Day 21, not quite over yet but pretty much done I think.

47 Starters,
16 Clears,
1 Blood ring/early death,
25 are out,
2 have pipped
2 are yet to pip.
Deaths, just the one.

Should also note that many of those clears were ours, coming from pullets and a young cockerel, it was always going to be hit and miss with fertility mating youngsters.

I will give a break down of breeds when the final count is in, not sure which way the last two will go, one was the biggest egg we had in there and the other was not far off it, so might take a bit longer to grow those two monsters.

The only other complication experienced so far, was doing my head in counting chicks. I counted them all up, and the colours did not match up to the breeds, Alicia double checked all my counting, she could not figure it out (although she does enjoy a wine or 9 at weddings lol) EVENTUALLY, I realised we must have had a miss labeled egg, and that's why I could only count five yellows when I was expecting 6....the Salmon Fav I was desperately looking for had hatched out as a Black Australorp!

I did get a couple of teaser phone shots, but will naturally get more later.

Instanap #47

Ara's are so small compared to the heavy breed chicks

The two middle are suspect Blue Australorps

Thinking we may have hit the Welsummer roo jackpot, need to sit down and compare day olds to some other pics to be more certain.


More tomorrow with that final break down table. Phew.....nearly there, then one more to go in a couple of weeks

Congratulations Ben! I just revisited your very first post...You guys have come a long away and accomplished much! Get a nap

 

[babyfoot]

I just read your first post, very impressive and also sad to hear about the mareks disease. Haven't worked my way through the posts yet to see how it all worked out. Good luck though

 

[Bens-Hens]

Excellent turnout - And a surprise black australorp. Have a good recovery sleep!

Thanks mate, I am not complaining about a healthy chick..but honestly I wanted the Fav hahahaha

Yay babies!
Have all of your Australorps hatched yet? Sometimes it is very difficult identifying colours in Australorps as blue comes in a wide range of shades. From almost looking black to almost looking splash. If you need help identifying colours I can have a go. Fingers crossed for lots of blue pullets. Now you will need to wait at least another 3 weeks to begin to sex them lol.

From my Australorp hatching 6 weeks ago I ended up with 2 blue pullets, 2 black pullets, 2 blue cockerels and 3 black cockerels. Very happy that I got 4 girls to add to my breeding stock. They are already looking good and shaping up nicely.

Thanks CB, when they are proper fluffy I will try get some good picks and let you have a stab, I was just coming on here to look for some splash chick pics and do an early comparison. So far a couple look blue grey, but only one looks proper grey.

All out Australorp x ARA's are similar in colour, so I have to be sharp on which one is which, Lucky Luna's chicks all got pea combs.

Congratulations Ben! I just revisited your very first post...You guys have come a long away and accomplished much! Get a nap

Thanks Joanne, yes we have come a long way, am a regular chicken nerd now hahaha if there is such a thing.

I just read your first post, very impressive and also sad to hear about the mareks disease. Haven't worked my way through the posts yet to see how it all worked out. Good luck though

Hi babyfoot, welcome. There are a fair few pages to work through now...I kind of like to talk about our chickens hahaha. MD nearly knocked us for a six, was touch and go for a little bit if we were going to stick it out. Now, our four non vaccinated test birds are all laying and everyone is healthy as apple pie, even the flies that come visit seem a bit too healthy! I am confident to declare we are MD free.

 

[babyfoot]

I just read your first post, very impressive and also sad to hear about the mareks disease. Haven't worked my way through the posts yet to see how it all worked out. Good luck though

Hi babyfoot, welcome. There are a fair few pages to work through now...I kind of like to talk about our chickens hahaha. MD nearly knocked us for a six, was touch and go for a little bit if we were going to stick it out. Now, our four non vaccinated test birds are all laying and everyone is healthy as apple pie, even the flies that come visit seem a bit too healthy! I am confident to declare we are MD free.
I laughed at the healthy flies. My visiting troop of kangaroos (wild) are also incredibly healthy as I feed them D.E in their feed ( I am a sucker for Australian wildlife) and also spread it around to keep the ticks down. I am positive the Gallahs, Blue Wrens, Doves and various other birds that feed in the run are equally healthy especially when I have worming water down. I have a motley crew of hens, maybe only a coup,e of thoroughbreds in there but I love em all to bits. Even the ****** mice seem well.means the monitors get a good healthy meal at least hahahaha

 

[babyfoot]

whoops, I must have used a normal word around these parts but forgot it isn't normal elsewhere, sorry guys