Peeps in Europe!

[BDutch]

Great news @abpatchy and @Papa John59.

Today we have a Feiertag here. Kings day. Without festivities and the request to stay at home/ near our properties if we go out.

I had 2 broodies yesterday. One is already back to normal now. The other one is more persistent. I have no fertile eggs. Black is ’kicked’ out of the laying nest every hour.

And tonight she has to sleep on the roost again. If I am lucky that’s enough to break her broodiness.

 

[abpatchy]

oh... too bad... little chicks running around would be so cute. Can't you get her a couple of hatching eggs?

 

[BDutch]

oh... too bad... little chicks running around would be so cute. Can't you get her a couple of hatching eggs?

There is not enough space for more chickens. And I have enough eggs for me and my family this year/next year. Next year I want to buy fertile eggs again.

 

[Papa John59]

@abpatchy
You're in the money! Well done! The guy drove 5 hours one way? WOW! 15 minutes at your place then a 5 hour drive back! Now there is a guy who wanted chickens! So glad you are able to find homes for them.
My girls are not well behaved as you think....yesterday, they realized that they could swing. I put the (home made) swing in the coop last July after we go them. But they never took an interest in it. Yesterday D1 heard them squawking and went to see what was going on...all 3 were jumping up on the swing and were jousting for position! It's only about 30cm long so only one could swing.
@BDutch
There is always room for more! I love Black and the way she is holding her tail feathers up. What breed is she?

Well today I just laid down a boat load of money and bought an automatic door opener for the new coop. It will arrive Monday, so that means I have a few days to finish everything. Just hoping that the rains come, but that it is not raining all day long.

Stay healthy friends!

 

[BDutch]

@Papa John59

What breed is she?

She is a Dutch Bantam. Her father was a pure bred pyle /white partridge color Dutch and the mother a lavender Dutch (too heavy for standard size and probably not pure bred). The black color is dominant, crossing these colours. Her tail is painted white at one spot to keep my two black Dutch apart.

I rather have 8 happy and healthy chickens than getting a crowded coop/run.

Of course I could build another coop and run. But I only have a garden of about 200m2 and I like my garden as it is now. With a setup of about 18 m2. And letting the flock free range several hours every day.

More chickens probably don't give more joy, will cost more and I don’t want to sell eggs. If I have too many eggs I rather give them to neighbours, friends and family.

Of course it’s nice and exiting to let one or two broodies hatch a couple of eggs. And it’s lovely to have chicks. But not very predictable what will happen.

Last year I started with 8 hens and a young rooster. The rooster did his job but was too loud and not friendly. I gave him to a hobby breeder who was very pleased with him.

2 hens hatched 8 eggs. Planned to keep 2 pullets. And sell the other chicks with one of the mothers. This seemed a good idea for fun and maintenance because my flock is ageing and I don’t want to kill my chickens.

But only 5 chicks hatched, and there was only one pullet. I sold one of the mothers and gave away the 4 cockerels. I intended to keep one cockerel. But the man who collected the last cockerel I wanted to give away, had two sons. And they both wanted one. So I let them have both my cockerels. This was truely a mistake. I hadn’t foreseen that the pullet who was about 12 weeks old would be bullied so much every evening when she wanted to roost, after the cockerels left. She even stopped roosting for a long time.

It was not an easy year for the pullet. And now I am glad she finally is accepted in the flock.

But next year. .... ???

 

[abpatchy]

I understand about space and feed. I was told to hatch 120 chicks per breeding group. That statement made me laugh out loud! I do not have the space for 240 chicks plus adults. As it is I have 76 chicks (not counting the Bielefelder which is leaving tomorrow) I feel the space! Wish I had at least another coop to give them more space.
I don't believe in killing chicks either (like another breeder told me this morning, he had to kill over 70 chicks because they were not up to standard). I at least raise them to a certain size and then butcher them to have a use. It is shameful in my eyes to kill an animal just because it is not perfect and have no use for it.
At any rate... don't feel like you have to explain yourself because we said why don't you let her have chicks.
I'm glad your hen finally got excepted into the flock. Single birds usually have a hard time. Adding 2 is the minimum. Chicken psychology.

 

[Erba]

I haven't been getting notified??? so just did some catch up reading...

Last week one of my original hens passed away. So from my original flock it's just the rooster and one hen now, who is no longer really laying. So my eggs are all from the two daughters now, so about two a day. Seems like I am fighting an uphill battle with my egg supply. My pure light Sussex Pullet will be 13 weeks old on Friday, normally they start to lay at about 17-19 weeks. The two chicks that hatched at the end of March, I am sure are a cockerel and pullet. So eventually 4 laying hens. That is not enough, so I've got the incubator going again for a first of May hatch. 16 eggs out of 18 made it to lockdown, I really noticed that younger hens, make a big difference, as far as developing eggs goes.

First pic is the cockerel that I have named Muffin, second the pullet, I've named her Betty Boop

 

[abpatchy]

yeah... notification has some issues.
Sorry about your hen...
That is quite an early laying age. It will get better... and when you have more hens you'll have lots of eggs. Patience! Says the one who has none.
Good luck with the hatch!!! For me it's over for this year. Done enough chicks. Thoroughly cleaned and desinfected the machine. I mean it was running for 3 month straight... 4 hatches.

 

[BDutch]

At any rate... don't feel like you have to explain yourself because we said why don't you let her have chicks.

I know I don’t have to. But sometimes it just feels good to tell such experiences to people who probably understand. And if someone learns from mistakes some else made its even more than a blow in the wind.

 

[DutchChickMom]

Nice, an EU part, so this Dutchy checking in here too