Spring Granny Square Swap

[rancher hicks]

Oh yes, I hatch. I haven't used my incubator in a few years, but have some broody girls that I've used to hatch some bought Ameraucana eggs or eggs from my own flock. A few years ago the broodys had an unplanned hatch that resulted in all cockerals. That was a big pain getting rid of extras. I kept one beautiful blue Ameraucana boys out of the batch. What happened is I went out of town and DH didn't collect the eggs all week and one of Am hens went broody. I found her sitting on a ton of eggs. I candled and there was about 7 or so already developing. I teased DH that they were his babies.

You do know that I have Dels? In fact they are my main breed. I have chicks ordered from Paul Harter to increase the weight of my birds. I like my Dels and they are good layers. I'm setting the incu with more eggs so I can switch out the old girl. My only real complaint and I expect anyone who lives in the colder states is the frost bite. I'm still working on the humidity thing to see if I can prevent it. I've done the vaseline and bag balm but haven't had much success. I think it's something you have to do every night.

 

[Smitty's Farm]

I have no idea...just know that 27 are all brown egg layers

And the other 20 all had the same daddy (a barred rock) and 6 different mamas......they are straight run so its gunna be interesting to say the least. Two of the girls have feathered feet, and two are naked necks......thats all I can tell right now.

Awwwwwww!!! I love hearing about other people's flocks. Are the 27 brown layers from a hatchery and the other 20 hatched out from your flock? I've only had one feathered footed babe. It was a Cuckoo Maran I picked up from Rural King last spring, but it disappeared free ranging last year.

The past few years if I hatched from my own flock it was kind of the same thing where I knew that Edwin (Blue Ameraucana) my head roo was the dad and who knows who the mom was. I named it Who's yo Mama Hatch? My flock is all mixed together from hatchery EE, barred rock, 1 del, RIR, SLW, Cuckoo Marans & Ameraucanas. I keep saying I'm going to move forward w/ my breeding program, but it's been a hectic few years.

 

[Smitty's Farm]

You do know that I have Dels? In fact they are my main breed. I have chicks ordered from Paul Harter to increase the weight of my birds. I like my Dels and they are good layers. I'm setting the incu with more eggs so I can switch out the old girl. My only real complaint and I expect anyone who lives in the colder states is the frost bite. I'm still working on the humidity thing to see if I can prevent it. I've done the vaseline and bag balm but haven't had much success. I think it's something you have to do every night.

No, I didn't know that until I saw your post today about having them. I just love our girl, Lucy! She is the sweetest, most affection hen ever. She really loves to be held and will just lay her little head on my shoulder. Extremely smart. I love to watch her. I think it's amazing being a heavier breed the amount of yard she will cover free ranging. She's an excellent forager!

 

[rancher hicks]

One thing I noticed with my Dels is they lay better when allowed to range. While they are ok confined if necessary, they do better out of the run.

I sometimes think we don't realize that the old breeds were raised free ranging and not inside.

 

[dascountry]

Quote:

The 27 are from McMurries and the other from a local flock. I have no grown chickens right now just the chicks. We havehad chickens in the past but not this many. DH (once the snow is gone) is going to inlarge the coop. Starting at 11 tonight till Saturday afternoon 10-15 more inches expeced in my area

 

[Smitty's Farm]

The 27 are from McMurries and the other from a local flock. I have no grown chickens right now just the chicks. We havehad chickens in the past but not this many. DH (once the snow is gone) is going to inlarge the coop. Starting at 11 tonight till Saturday afternoon 10-15 more inches expeced in my area

Cool!!! Well it's fun to raise the babies. They grow so fast and will be popping eggs for you soon enough. I have grown chickens and most of mine are senior citizens and not laying.

Thank goodness we picked up some babies last spring or we wouldn't have had any eggs this winter.

Now that there is a little more sun light some of the old girls are starting to lay again.

 

[baustin]

I have a batch in the Brinsea going into lockdown this evening. They belong to a friend. She has Easter eggers and polish in there and a few silkies. My last hatch didn't do well so I have one frizzle hen about 6 weeks old. I have some Old English Game bantams and one silkie/OEG mix and an old Polish hen, in the bantam pen and I have a Silkie/Maran rooster, a black silkie hen, two silver laced Wyandottes, a Plymouth Rock, a Wellsummer, and an Americauna in the other pen. All seem to do well her in the desert and they've laid eggs pretty good all winter. There's too many eggs just for the two of us and family lives a distance away so my neighbors get fresh eggs from me. They're all colors but mostly brown and one blue. My grandsons like the blue eggs when they come to visit.

Everyone has been contacted now and I still have two that haven't answered so we can use the count posted and if they opt out then I'll divide the blocks accordingly. There will be plenty of blocks so we should do all right. I am working on a third set since I don't have any other crocheting to do right now and I get withdrawals if I don't crochet something.

 

[SunnyDawn]

I have a batch in the Brinsea going into lockdown this evening. They belong to a friend. She has Easter eggers and polish in there and a few silkies. My last hatch didn't do well so I have one frizzle hen about 6 weeks old. I have some Old English Game bantams and one silkie/OEG mix and an old Polish hen, in the bantam pen and I have a Silkie/Maran rooster, a black silkie hen, two silver laced Wyandottes, a Plymouth Rock, a Wellsummer, and an Americauna in the other pen. All seem to do well her in the desert and they've laid eggs pretty good all winter. There's too many eggs just for the two of us and family lives a distance away so my neighbors get fresh eggs from me. They're all colors but mostly brown and one blue. My grandsons like the blue eggs when they come to visit.

Everyone has been contacted now and I still have two that haven't answered so we can use the count posted and if they opt out then I'll divide the blocks accordingly. There will be plenty of blocks so we should do all right. I am working on a third set since I don't have any other crocheting to do right now and I get withdrawals if I don't crochet something.

lol I have some eggs going into lockdown tonight as well. There are only a dozen of them that survived an earlier temp spike but I'm keeping my fingers crossed for the rest. Six of them are Yokohamas that I have been wanting for ages and the rest are a mix of very beautiful EE and OEs plus 1 marans egg. That one is hard to see into, I can see a large shadow filling up most of the egg but impossible to see any more than that.

Good luck with your hatch Betty!

 

[Smitty's Farm]

How EGG-CITING!!!!

Good luck Betty & Sunny on your hatch. Please keep me posted. I want to see pics!

Oh I think I'm going to have to break down and go look for my incubator stored in the basement.

I haven't had time to crochet the past few days. I went to The Garden Blitz at the Missouri Botanical Garden today. Really enjoyed the lectures. Tonight we are going to a friend's surprise 50th B-day party.

I hope everyone else is having a wonderful weekend.

 

[SunnyDawn]

Oh how cool! I love to tour gardens!!!

Did I hear someone ask for pics?

They are really starting to take off and fly. The run is covered so no wing clipping necessary for these guys.

This is a lavender ameraucana (with a wheaten Ameraucana cockerel ducking for cover)


This little fella made a break for it (with the help of the lavender pushing from behind lol). Hubby scooped him right up though and back in he went.


Really curious about the big black box stuck to my face!


Total camera hogs these babies are but the edge made them think twice about trying to crowd in any closer. (lavender Am again and 2 wheaten girls)

OK the Polish babies are at that awkward adolescent phase but here ya go...

This little boy and girl seem to have quite a bit more fluff on top than most of them. DH is very proud of his new babies (the polish were his special request).