Peeps in Europe!

[abpatchy]

@Erba has the bird flu effected you at all. There are so many new cases in Ba-Wü.

 

[Erba]

Nope, but three small chicken farms in Lörrach, with bird numbers ranging from 5 to 40 all bought birds from a mobile Chicken trader from NRW, you know those ones that travel around with birds in the back and you can order from their website and they bring them to you, often post the places they wil be, Anway they got it from those birds. Far enough away still, thank goodness. I tell you in times like these, it should be the last place to buy chickens from. It didn't come from wild birds this time, it was in the handlers flock.

 

[abpatchy]

Nope, but three small chicken farms in Lörrach, with bird numbers ranging from 5 to 40 all bought birds from a mobile Chicken trader from NRW, you know those ones that travel around with birds in the back and you can order from their website and they bring them to you, often post the places they wil be, Anway they got it from those birds. Far enough away still, thank goodness. I tell you in times like these, it should be the last place to buy chickens from. It didn't come from wild birds this time, it was in the handlers flock.

So true!!! I heard about this case. But not too many people know about the bird flu. So many people I talked to were not aware that the bird flu was around. I would never buy hybrids anyways... and definitly not off the truck. I don't want to support that industry.
I am glad your birds are not under lockdown either.... it's enough that we are!
Hopefully it stays that way!!

 

[abpatchy]

Happy Easter!! I know things are rough at the moment. Try to have a nice Easter anyways!! Enjoy the small stuff...

 

[abpatchy]

I candled m 76 eggs today. 61 are still in the game!
My yellow group that did so poorly last time are doing much better 20 out of 30 are still in the game. My green group did fantastic as well... 30 out of 31 are fertile. My blue group did ok... out of 14 eggs 11 are still in the game. I only have 1 egg from the red group and I have 100% fertilization!
I have decited to do one more hatch after this one. Just from my yellow group... maybe I move one hen of my blue group to the back and leave the rooster with just one hen. I'd really would like to have eggs just from her. And then I am done hatching for this year!

The chicks are growing like weeds and got their wing feathers already. They got their coccidia immunization today and doing well. In about a week they will be moving into the coop already. They turn into monsters when they get meal worms!! Talk about little dinosaurs!! They are so adorable!! Most of the time just little chirps... very quite bunch this time. Litte eating machines!! Boy, they can devour some feed!!

Happy Easter everybody!!!

 

[BDutch]

Happy Easter to you all. Somehow I missed a few pages with news last weeks.

Therefore a late welcome @Kk Augy from Ireland and Europe fan @riss.

Great to hear about all you’re hatching projects @abpatchy @Erba and @chickengr .

My project starts a bit later, which is better with natural hatching.

Yes, Bantam RIR.
Beginning of april I’m going to prepare the hatching nestbox on the ground in the second run. I put 4 eggs in it and just wait until I have a broody. It should be no problem to get a broody within one or two weeks. Then I can call the breeder to make an appointment to collect the eggs.

Last week the weather was splendid to clean out the coop and to make this hatching nestbox in the second run ready for a broody to be. My curious chickens all inspected the new nest box. A great place to raise chicks, just 10 cm off the ground. The other nest boxes in the old coop got fresh sand and hay too and just one pingpong ball each.
Friday I spotted my Dutch ‘Black’ sitting in one of the old coop nestboxes. I put her in the new nest box with the 5 fake eggs. But she wasn’t interested to stay in there. Last night she moved one ping ball ball to the other nestbox in the coop and decided to go broody in this coop-nest.

So now I do have a broody, but not in the place where I wanted one. . Well, I can let her stay where she likes to have have a nest. I had broodies in there before with some adjustments but without problems. So now I hope to be able to pick up some fertilised eggs on monday or tuesday and move her downstairs after the chicks have hatched.

 

[abpatchy]

I have heard that broodies have a mind of their own.

Good luck! Hopefully you'll get lots of little

 

[BDutch]

I have heard that broodies have a mind of their own.

Good luck! Hopefully you'll get lots of little

Thanks. Eventually I can keep only 2-3. My coop and run are too small for more then 10 chickens. So I’m already pleased if I get 2 pullets. If I’m successful, I have to sell some. The cockerels will be for the owner of the fertilised eggs or for free when selling surplus pullets.

 

[Maiahr]

Well, OK , here I am thanks @BDutch for pointing me to this thread. I am from Bulgaria...
I am hatching chicken (in incubator) for charity and I give them away to poor people - mainly RIR over Leghorns and RIR over ISA-Browns.
Apart from that I hatch various breeds for myself, just to watch and enjoy them. So I am looking for interesting breeds around Europe.
I have a broody Silkie which is due to hatch 4 Cochins on April 8th. And I have another 10 Cochin eggs in the incubator expected the same day, I am planning to put the incubated chicks under the Silkie. She is a wonderful mother, though she has been sick and not sure how long she will survive... The broody Silkie is in my kitchen, inside the house, she feels safe there, as the cocks do not give her a moment of peace outside.

 

[Maiahr]

@abpatchy please can you tell me about the Marek vaccine? We do not have it here and MANY people are losing their whole flocks to Marek. I have lost my whole Cochins flock + wonderful pullets last year as well to Marek. Where do you buy it from? I may try to order online.