Peeps in Europe!

[abpatchy]

@abpayou prodicted right I came home with 3 Dutch bantams. They are 4-5 weeks old.View attachment 2540979

Congratulations!! Yeah, I would have come home with more than three... who can resist those cute little chicks???

 

[abpatchy]

standard for Light Sussex. Nice and spikey must be evenly spaced. But he is still quite young.

View attachment 2541177

I checked... you're (well, he) is allowed 4 to 5 spikes or ridges or whatever you call it. That means yours has too many. Something you might want to watch for in the future. If you care to keep with the standard that is. He is still beautiful. And your birds are definitly improving!

 

[chickengr]

So I replaced the dudd rooster almost 2 weeks ago. Since then I have seen the new rooster mate with one hen. I also saw an attemt to mate with one or two others.
Over the past weekend one of the hens layed an egg that was not suitable for hatching (rough and thin shell) and when I opended it I could see it was fertilized. Such a good boy!!! I can look forward to get chicks today in 5 weeks from him.
I just can't tell you how relieved I am! They are the best hens! And yes, they get calcium treatment as soon as I see an egg with issues.

I also turned off the incubator with 26 eggs. None!!! were fertile. When I butchered him, his testicles were really small. I have butchered 11 or 12 week old cockerels with larger ones! One even ripped while I pulled them out. His organs did not look sick though. He seemed to have feather mites... the only one in the whole group! I checked and treated them all just in case. Something was off with him, just don't know what.

I know the door looks poopy but it's not. Pre previous user of the coop had pigeons. and I guess their poop bleached out the wood. It really isn't poopy.

I have 2 friends that have bad luck with hatching this year. some roos might be to blame but not all. maybe cold weather should be blamed instead? the breeds with unfertile eggs are marans, bresse, la fleche and australorp. I know that french people don't hatch maran's eggs before march.

 

[abpatchy]

I have 2 friends that have bad luck with hatching this year. some roos might be to blame but not all. maybe cold weather should be blamed instead? the breeds with unfertile eggs are marans, bresse, la fleche and australorp. I know that french people don't hatch maran's eggs before march.

Weather could definitly be the reason... age another. But my other roosters had no issue mating. Just this guy. I will be incubating in March... March 8th is when the eggs go in the incubator. I am just collecting now. So exciting! My chicks from last year having chicks!
Yesterday I got an email announcing the specialty show for Sulmtaler and Altsteirer in November. I was so excited last night... thinking that these eggs would eventually go to show in November... Oh I am so crazy!!! Let's hope it can happen!

 

[AnnaWolf]

All partridge coloured? Bit early to see but I do hope you have at least 2 girls !

Yes they are, I am so exited to see how they turn out

 

[Erba]

Yesterday while I was counting my chickens, I noticed I have a second Light Sussex rooster! I don't know how I missed him, but I did.
He is younger than the first.

 

[abpatchy]

Yesterday while I was counting my chickens, I noticed I have a second Light Sussex rooster! I don't know how I missed him, but I did.
He is younger than the first.

oops..hahaha

 

[AnnaWolf]

First time sleeping on the roost

 

[Erba]

So I found a buyer for my five mixed brown hens. I can sure use the money at the moment and I am planning to slaughter all the mix cockerals this weekend, and then the following weekend, the three older ones. I am a one woman circus here, so it's too much work to do them all on one day. I will miss the chaos of having so many chickens, but they will eat me into the poor house soon, if I don't get rid of the freeloaders. The hens are going to a good home together, so they will be fine.

 

[abpatchy]

So I found a buyer for my five mixed brown hens. I can sure use the money at the moment and I am planning to slaughter all the mix cockerals this weekend, and then the following weekend, the three older ones. I am a one woman circus here, so it's too much work to do them all on one day. I will miss the chaos of having so many chickens, but they will eat me into the poor house soon, if I don't get rid of the freeloaders. The hens are going to a good home together, so they will be fine.

I understand. Just butchered 2 roosters (the one who wasn't fertilizing and my back up rooster who developed white feathers and made himself a no-go for breeding). Once breeding season is over I will have to butcher 2 hens...and probably find homes for a couple of hens (or butcher if she doesn't start laying soon). I need the space with all the chicks coming. Speaking of which... I guesstimated that I'll be setting about 110 eggs on Monday. And that is just the first of three!! 25 white Sulmtaler eggs are coming my way this Saturday. The other 2 hatchings will probably not be as big... but probably still around 80 or so. Yes, I am the crazy chicken lady!!

Anybody else doing some hatchings soon?