Straub’s search for colored eggs

[Tstraub]

When I went outside to check on the chickens this morning both Bresse cockerels were pretty bloody and it was clear that they had been fighting. I’ve never seen them fight before and they were getting along just fine even when I found them bloody.

I’ve been considering splitting them up for breeding purposes anyway but I didn’t really want to move one out into a tractor until the weather warmed up a bit. Now seems like the time I guess. Neither of them looked too injured just minor damage to combs a wattles. But on a pure white bird it doesn’t take much blood to look horrific. I cleaned the wounds but decided it best to not worry too much about their feathers I really didn’t want to get them wet in freezing temperatures.

The cockerel with the crooked toes, the Bresse pullet with the feathers on her leg, and one the olive egger pullets have been moved to a chicken tractor. I didn’t want to leave one cockerel by himself I figured they would do better in the cold if they had someone to cuddle up with.

This leaves my best Bresse cockerel and my two best Bresse pullets in the breeding pin along with 2 olive egger pullet just to share the love and hopefully not overbreed the Bresse pullets.

 

[WingItRanch]

When I went outside to check on the chickens this morning both Bresse cockerels were pretty bloody and it was clear that they had been fighting. I’ve never seen them fight before and they were getting along just fine even when I found them bloody.

I’ve been considering splitting them up for breeding purposes anyway but I didn’t really want to move one out into a tractor until the weather warmed up a bit. Now seems like the time I guess. Neither of them looked too injured just minor damage to combs a wattles. But on a pure white bird it doesn’t take much blood to look horrific. I cleaned the wounds but decided it best to not worry too much about their feathers I really didn’t want to get them wet in freezing temperatures.

The cockerel with the crooked toes, the Bresse pullet with the feathers on her leg, and one the olive egger pullets have been moved to a chicken tractor. I didn’t want to leave one cockerel by himself I figured they would do better in the cold if they had someone to cuddle up with.

This leaves my best Bresse cockerel and my two best Bresse pullets in the breeding pin along with 2 olive egger pullet just to share the love and hopefully not overbreed the Bresse pullets.

Sounds like quick thinking on your part and a good plan.

 

[Tstraub]

Just some random updates.

The 3 chickens I moved to the tractor seem to have adjusted well to their new housing. They all three roosted together in the covered portion of the tractor. This morning I let them out into electric poultry netting.

I bought the semi automatic egg turner for my free Brinsea incubator. This does limit its capacity to 7 eggs. It’s is advertised as holding approximately 10 chicken eggs without the turner but it looks more like 8 to me unless you’re willing to pile the eggs tight against each other and the sides. I purchased the kit with an Amazon gift card I received for Christmas so it’s still $0 out of pocket


We’re getting overrun with eating eggs around here getting a dozen or more every day. My wife and I got a freeze dryer as a gift to each other on Christmas. Today I loaded it up with six dozen eggs. We’re excited to see how that turns out.


Physical therapy released me as a patient yesterday and said my knee measures as 80% as good as the other one and 100% functional. They said if I continue my exercises at home I should be able to get more strength out of it but there isn’t a need to make more appointments. I will return to work on Monday the 19. My normal work schedule is Saturday, Sunday, Monday but I asked the doctor to release me on a Monday so I could start with just one day then have 4 days to recover before going at it full force.

 

[Tstraub]

I think the Bresse pullet wants back in her old coop. I probably shouldn’t have set the tractor so close to the old home but it’s winter and I only have so many places to plug in heated drinkers and I want to keep my chores as simple as possible. She has been moved back inside the fence I guess we’ll see if she tries it again

 

[Tstraub]

The weather forecast is calling for 9-11 inches of snow 20-25 mph winds and temperatures below 0F. The IBC tote tractor that was housing a cockerel and 2 pullets could potentially be completely buried in a snow drift if the prediction is accurate so yesterday evening I moved the trio into the grow out pin.

This means I had to close the door between the two runs and take some space away from the egg laying flock. It’s not ideal but it’s the best I could do on short notice. It’s not the first time these chickens have been separated by only a fence. I often let groups free range next to each others enclosures so they are somewhat familiar with each other. The cockerel showing off his best dance moves for the girls next door but they seem mostly unimpressed.

Nobody wanted to come outside and pose for a picture in this weather this morning

 

[Tstraub]

Two new layers today both are BYM being housed with my Bresse. One from the breeding pin the other from the grow out pin. Sort of boring color but at least they can’t be mistaken for Breese eggs.