Peeps in Europe!

[Imse]

Well, most likely they won't go broody... but they may. I breed Sulmtaler for show... I can't wait for them to go broody. One or two broody hens would also not give me enough chicks... that is the downside. I would love to just let the hens do it.

Do you have many chickens? Sulmtaler sounds like a nice breed❤ Breeding for show sounds like a nice hobby. Is chicken show a big thing in Germany? I don't think I have ever heard about that here in Norway, only in other European countries.

Our hedemora lays on 11 eggs... We do have chickens mostly for eggs, so we just need to sustain our flock to have enough egg layers. Luckily I know other with hedemora, so we can exchange eggs for incubation, when the chickens go broody.

 

[BDutch]

@Imse, I love to have a few chickens that go broody. But I find it not convenient if having too many. I like a mix with the broody type and another that is not going broody.

You don’t have to worry much about a rooster that is family. Use one rooster daddy for you’re offspring. Only a repeat of brothers and sisters is not a very good plan if its correct what I have read. And changing a rooster after several seasons is better too. The breeders who breed for show use relatives on purpose for a better predictable outcome.

If you have 2 breeds with distinctive eggs there will be no problem with hatching just one breed. E.g. if you choose the eggs from the hedora hens with the hedora rooster. If you like to mix the 2 breeds that’s another (unpredictable) possibility .

Black is a dominant colour. So mixing black x black you can get other colour offspring.

 

[abpatchy]

Do you have many chickens? Sulmtaler sounds like a nice breed❤ Breeding for show sounds like a nice hobby. Is chicken show a big thing in Germany? I don't think I have ever heard about that here in Norway, only in other European countries.

Our hedemora lays on 11 eggs... We do have chickens mostly for eggs, so we just need to sustain our flock to have enough egg layers. Luckily I know other with hedemora, so we can exchange eggs for incubation, when the chickens go broody.

I don't have that many chickens at the moment... 5 hens and 3 roosters... one of the roosters only gets to stay to be babysitter to the young roosters. But I do have 53 chicks as well as 55 eggs in the incubator hatching tomorrow.... getting ready to put 40something eggs in the incubator tonight.
I can't say poultry shows are a big thing.... but there are large shows...like in Hannover. So if you ever get to go south in December... it is well worth seeing! They are always in fall when the spring chicks are grown.
I do love my Sulmtaler. I like their personality... their looks. Just about everything. But every breeder and owner says that about their chickens! And that is the way it's supposed to be.

 

[chickengr]

Hello from Norway

Today we are watching our hedemora Persille, who is hatching eggs. We are on day 21, and can hear chirping under her. We are so excited, because it's been over 10 years since we've had chicken breed that go broody.

So, after many years with RIR and Lohmans, we decided we had to get a more sustainable breed and started looking for hedemoras. It took us 2 years, but in February we found a rooster and 3 hens for sale. The white hen on the picture is our last Lohman, Lucky.

View attachment 2622754

Persille on work. We are curious if we get any black chickens, one of the hens are all black. And the rooster seem to have a gene for wooly feathers.

View attachment 2622757

nice to see you here! for the black chick.

 

[abpatchy]

chicks are hatching!!! I think I got 5 of them. Most of them will hatch tomorrow.
And... 44 eggs went into the setting incubator this evening. Last hatch for this year... and hopefully they will do well.

 

[Imse]

@abpatchy so fun to actually watch the hatching. It is a little miracle every single time

We woke up to this sight , at least 1 chicken has hatched. Now we are waiting for the rest. Mama Persille is clearly saying; let me be alone, I'm busy.

 

[abpatchy]

yes, it is like a miracle. Three weeks prior they were just eggs.
And within such a short time they are up and running... eating, drinking and cleaning themselves... Like someone taught them.... and before you know it they are grown so fast and laying eggs and crowing.

 

[BDutch]

Have you tried your cell phone light? They are usually very strong and do not heat up. Cut a piece of the cardboard of a toiletpaper roll so the egg sits on it and that way the light is concentrated. Works very well!
If you haven't seen any veins by day 8 you can toss the egg.
Good luck!!

A toilet paper roll is too big for bantam eggs.
But I’m prepared now. I have a selfmade paper roll in the right size. Now I’m waiting till the pirates fall a-sleep to steel their precious marbles.

 

[abpatchy]

A toilet paper roll is too big for bantam eggs.
But I’m prepared now. I have a selfmade paper roll in the right size. Now I’m waiting till the pirates fall a-sleep to steel their precious marbles.

I didn't even think about that! Of course it would be too small!

 

[chickengr]

@Maiahr do you have barbeziuex chicken in bulgaria?