Simply a Hip Hillbilly Acre update

[Hip Hillbilly Acres]

It's been a while and we need to reconnect.

Our latest batch for this season/year is 10 straight run black australorps from Mt. Healthy. All ten arrived healthy and thriving and are to this day. We have them in a pet playpen turned brooder in my sewing room. Oh, and we also ordered three Barnevelder pullets who are also doing well. They hatched May 23, were shipped May 24th and arrived next day. So, the babies are two weeks old yesterday. And, as you know, they are growing exponentially.

As always I can't wait to see who is a pullet and who is a cockarel. Not in a rush though, so I just feed and clean, feed and clean.

Here are some then and now photos.

 

[Hip Hillbilly Acres]

We have three Easter Egger pullets arriving in about 6-8 weeks. Actually, just in time to put these babies out into the coop. Guess what . . .

They are FRIZZLES!!!!!

 

[Sally PB]

Another happy Mt. Healthy customer, like me.

Adorable chicks.

 

[Iluveggers]

Hi @Hip Hillbilly Farm ! Missed you!

Congratulations on your chicks! How are their personalities so far? Did you get an extra chick with your order?

My Mt. Healthy order is coming in 2 weeks, super excited! We have 2 Australorps in our order.

 

[Hip Hillbilly Acres]

Hi @Hip Hillbilly Farm ! Missed you!

Congratulations on your chicks! How are their personalities so far? Did you get an extra chick with your order?

My Mt. Healthy order is coming in 2 weeks, super excited! We have 2 Australorps in our order.

No extra chicks which is cool for we have enough and three more on the way from some hatchery, I forget right this sec.

These australorps are loooudd and skiddish. I always feel kinda bad when they run from me when I put food and water in their brooder. But, it's okay. Patera from Appalachian's Homestead recommended australorps and we finally ordered some.

We are coming up on a year of chickening (well, HE was raised on them, but they are new to me).

It has been an interesting and active chicken year. We lost some due to neighborhood dogs, and even once our own dog (now gone, hubby don't play that). We now have pyrs and no problems (so far). One that we lost was my frizzle, grrrrrrr. I guess she did not get away quickly enough. Moving on, keeping it positive . . . I have three frizzle easter eggers coming in July. YAY!!!!!

The 13 will do it for me this season. I don't want too many that I can't care for them properly. Chicks at local TSC go lickety split. Next year we may have to incubate. I have mixed feelings about it. I kinda want to order, wait, pick them up and keep it moving. I work part time now (which I didn't when I first joined here) so my time is stretched.

We still have not moved onto the "farm" yet (thank goodness). I want to stay right here where we rent in the country, hubby wants to leave asap to his lil farm land which is where I call deeper country, LOL.

Stay tuned as this brood hatch grows and we find out who is Mister Cockarel and Miss Pullet.

 

[IvyBeans]

Did you order straight run?

 

[Hip Hillbilly Acres]

Did you order straight run?

Yup, for the Aussies; not the frizzle EE's from another hatchery which will arrive end of July..

 

[BastyPutt]

Another happy Mt. Healthy customer, like me.

Adorable chicks.

Have they developed yet? Mt Healthy has been horrendous at sexing chicks this year.

Mentally begin preparation for some cockerels.

 

[Sally PB]

Have they developed yet? Mt Healthy has been horrendous at sexing chicks this year.

Mentally begin preparation for some cockerels.

I ordered 3 Bielefelder and 1 Blue Australorp pullets. Got 4 Bielefelders, which is fine with me, as I lost one of my hens.

Bielefelders are auto-sexing at hatch, so I'm confident I got 4 pullets. The Blue Aus isn't sending up cockerel vibes, but they're only 3 weeks old.

 

[IvyBeans]

Have they developed yet? Mt Healthy has been horrendous at sexing chicks this year.

Mentally begin preparation for some cockerels.

I really don’t want to hear this. I have an one week old Easter egger with suspiciously thick legs.

Both my Easter eggers seem bigger than the orpingtons that came with them. Hopefully they are just big pullets.