Russian Orloffs

[desertmarcy]

I am really pleased with the hatchability of my Orloff eggs. This last batch, 20 of 24 fertile eggs hatched. Only one that made it to lockdown didn't hatch. I think my next 3 batches of chicks are up for grabs. I don't want to get myself overwhelmed with raising too many this year. I set on Sundays so the chicks are ready to go out early in the week. PM me if interested.

 

[Cknldy]

"don't want to get myself overwhelmed" describes it well After doing chicks and chicks and chicks I am starting to feel like just taking a break and enjoying the big chickens! It seems as though I am constantly waiting for the chickens to lay but (boot to the behind) I sold almost every layer last Fall to make room for all the breeds ordered last October. So, again, there are so many girls that I am driving myself crazy waiting for them to lay. I guess a major part of raising chickens is the waiting game if you're starting again with chicks;-) Reading about how much less money it is to keep layers- most of those articles don't include the money for the chick-to-layer phase! Add to that constantly telling dh the chickens have to be laying before they can help pay for themselves and it starts to get to the mind....

 

[desertmarcy]

Yes, the chick to layer phase is a good chuck of money, especially if you are feeding expensive feed. I don't know about inexpensive to keep layers, though, mine sure eat a lot. If you can free range them, that will help a lot, but has it's own set of problems. Mine are getting extra greens from our garden plus weeds that I pull for them, but pretty soon, all will dry up in the desert. I have got to get some Armenian cucumbers going. They grow like crazy in the heat here and produce a lot of huge cucs. They are not the chicken's favorite, but better than no greens at all.

 

[JWEBB]

Taken me a few years to figure out how to grow stuff up norith here in the short season and weird summer. (vs the west coast where I could anything) I'm hoping my chickens like Cilantro fodder , I can grow it up here easy and just trim it up with scissors and it grows more, would that grow well where you are Marcy?

 

[JWEBB]

CHICKS ARE HERE!!!

 

[JWEBB]

Couple more pics I'm SO tickled with them!!! NO FATALITYS!! Marcy put sliced oranges in the box for week olds and they devoured it on the trip. It took them less than 48 hours to get here Express. There are five babies a week old in the group of day olds... they made it perfectly across the country literally AZ to NY.

LOTS OF COLORS- will be so fun to see how they develop their markings and color are so neat already.
To say I am happy with these chicks is a UNDERSTATEMENT. They were not afraid of me, they came out of the box all cocky and hit the water and food even zipped around flapping and giddy with happiness to be free lol... so freaking cute.

 

[desertmarcy]

Taken me a few years to figure out how to grow stuff up norith here in the short season and weird summer. (vs the west coast where I could anything) I'm hoping my chickens like Cilantro fodder , I can grow it up here easy and just trim it up with scissors and it grows more, would that grow well where you are Marcy?

Cilantro and other greens like lettuce, beets, chard, etc. are only winter vegetables here--late fall through early spring, then it gets to hot for them. In the summer, we can grow the warm season things like melons, cucumbers, tomatoes, squash, sweet potatoes, beans, corn. Speaking of which, I am late getting my spring garden in. March 15th is our official last freeze date, but this winter has been so warm, I could have put spring seeds in the ground in Feb!

 

[desertmarcy]

Couple more pics I'm SO tickled with them!!! NO FATALITYS!! Marcy put sliced oranges in the box for week olds and they devoured it on the trip. It took them less than 48 hours to get here Express. There are five babies a week old in the group of day olds... they made it perfectly across the country literally AZ to NY.

LOTS OF COLORS- will be so fun to see how they develop their markings and color are so neat already.
To say I am happy with these chicks is a UNDERSTATEMENT. They were not afraid of me, they came out of the box all cocky and hit the water and food even zipped around flapping and giddy with happiness to be free lol... so freaking cute.

Yeah

I am so glad they made it okay!

 

[JWEBB]

Ah I see, yes I bet it does get very hot. OH I miss hot and dry. I am from East San Diego, you could see the ocean, the mountains and the desert all in one day. Won't be going back there though its too cray cray now.

I want peace and quiet and no hoodlums. My DH has 3 more years till retire, then we are outa here to warmer/dry climate!

Okay just ONE MORE LOL. This little golden one in the middle decided the Accurite was the best place to take a nap

little smarty. I wonder what color those little golden ones are going to be!

They zip around, sugar water high probably

then take a power nap and the zip around more... o so cute I can't stand it.

 

[desertmarcy]

Ah I see, yes I bet it does get very hot. OH I miss hot and dry. I am from East San Diego, you could see the ocean, the mountains and the desert all in one day. Won't be going back there though its too cray cray now.

I want peace and quiet and no hoodlums. My DH has 3 more years till retire, then we are outa here to warmer/dry climate!

Okay just ONE MORE LOL. This little golden one in the middle decided the Accurite was the best place to take a nap

little smarty. I wonder what color those little golden ones are going to be!

They zip around, sugar water high probably

then take a power nap and the zip around more... o so cute I can't stand it.

Keep us updated on how they change. I am wondering about that myself. Last year, all of mine hatched looking like the dark ones. I also had Buff Rocks hatch and was kicking myself for not marking the lighter colored Orloffs, because I was really staring at those chicks when I was boxing them up, to make sure I was seeing muffs so I didn't send you a Buff Rock by mistake! They looked very similar. If I find an Orloff left in that brooder as they grow, I will let you know that you must have a Buff Rock

but I don't think so.