The Aloha Chicken Project

[alohachickens]

It's here! The new "Backyard Poultry" magazine with a three page spread on the Aloha project!

I am hoping that this will bring new members to the project! How exciting!!!

 

[HEChicken]

Congratulations Alohachickens!

 

[alohachickens]

Congratulations Alohachickens!

Thanks HEChicken!

What are your plans for this season's hatch? How are the gals laying with the cool / damp weather?

 

[Deerfield Acres]

Absolutely alohachickens... C o N g R a T u L a T i O n S!

 

[myfivegirls]

Congratulations! That's a great accomplishment and hopefully it'll spark new interest for more "help".

 

[HEChicken]

What are your plans for this season's hatch? How are the gals laying with the cool / damp weather?

Good questions. I wish I had answers - haha. Actually, I really have no idea how they are laying as I have one coop and all of my birds free-range and return (hopefully) to lay their eggs. I'm collecting plenty of eggs every day but don't know which hen laid what for the most part.

Our wet weather continues. I'm starting to think they relocated Kansas to the Pacific North West while we were sleeping. Consequently I have not yet segregated them to begin phase 2 of my experiment. You'd have to see my property for it to make sense but it is on a slight slope, and the chicken yard is at the bottom of the slope. This location makes perfect sense in summer as it is inside a hedgerow so provides plenty of shade. However in spring when it rains the most, it is wettest and muddiest in the chicken yard. Last week the whole yard was under 2" of water for a brief period. The only way I can separate birds is to put them into my hoop coop but I don't feel right doing that when the hoop coop is under water. The main coop sits up on a concrete block so stays reasonably dry but the hoop coop does not have the same benefits. So - until the rain lets up, I can't proceed. I really will though. I am anxious to do it as soon as we dry out somewhat.

 

[Veer67]

It's here! The new "Backyard Poultry" magazine with a three page spread on the Aloha project! e I am hoping that this will bring new members to the project! How exciting!!!

Wow, congratulations! I've been watching this thread for a while now, and it's been very interesting to see you progression with the project. I recieved the same magazine a few days ago, and just haven't had time to check iit out yet.

 

[alohachickens]

Good questions. I wish I had answers - haha. Actually, I really have no idea how they are laying as I have one coop and all of my birds free-range and return (hopefully) to lay their eggs. I'm collecting plenty of eggs every day but don't know which hen laid what for the most part.

Our wet weather continues. I'm starting to think they relocated Kansas to the Pacific North West while we were sleeping. Consequently I have not yet segregated them to begin phase 2 of my experiment. You'd have to see my property for it to make sense but it is on a slight slope, and the chicken yard is at the bottom of the slope. This location makes perfect sense in summer as it is inside a hedgerow so provides plenty of shade. However in spring when it rains the most, it is wettest and muddiest in the chicken yard. Last week the whole yard was under 2" of water for a brief period. The only way I can separate birds is to put them into my hoop coop but I don't feel right doing that when the hoop coop is under water. The main coop sits up on a concrete block so stays reasonably dry but the hoop coop does not have the same benefits. So - until the rain lets up, I can't proceed. I really will though. I am anxious to do it as soon as we dry out somewhat.

When you do proceed, what are your plans? Cross the Exchequers with the NHR rooster again to make more chicks? Try to get more hens and a roo for the back-crossing phase? (Which at this point, the best we could hope for is next spring. Even if your coop was functional tomorrow, it would take a few weeks for the DNA to set, a few weeks to hatch the chicks, and then at least five months to grow the babies to laying. Sooooo . . . like they'd be mature next December maybe? At that point you'd have to wait until Spring to hatch more! Argh! The waiting is so ughhhh.

 

[draye]

When you do proceed, what are your plans?  Cross the Exchequers with the NHR rooster again to make more chicks?  Try to get more hens and a roo for the back-crossing phase?  (Which at this point, the best we could hope for is next spring.  Even if your coop was functional tomorrow, it would take a few weeks for the DNA to set, a few weeks to hatch the chicks, and then at least five months to grow the babies to laying.  Sooooo . . . like they'd be mature next December maybe?  At that point you'd have to wait until Spring to hatch more!  Argh!  The waiting is so ughhhh.  

ughhhh, I agree. I'm so anxious for mine to start laying also. So ready to proceed with mine.

My plans are to cross an NN rooster to the Alohas (non NN) and an Aloha to the NN pullets. Keep an extra NN rooster to put over the NN's from the previous breedings. Then start crossing into my other flock of NN.

 

[alohachickens]

ughhhh, I agree. I'm so anxious for mine to start laying also. So ready to proceed with mine.

My plans are to cross an NN rooster to the Alohas (non NN) and an Aloha to the NN pullets. Keep an extra NN rooster to put over the NN's from the previous breedings. Then start crossing into my other flock of NN.

Draye, what was the hatch rate again on the eggs I shipped you? I can't remember. A friend of mine on FB was asking about shipping eggs, and I was wondering how that went again.

I can't wait to see if Deerfield gets a decent hatch.

AND . . . speaking of hatched eggs. The Speckled Sussex (from the Ebay auction, seller who has super spotty ones of average quality but FLASHY) the first batch I ordered and paid $15 for the dozen, the box arrived with a huge dent in the corner. Only about 6 made it to lockdown and none hatched.

This time around, the box arrived with no damage, and I had 18 eggs in there, all unbroken. I just candled the eggs. All were fertile and began development. Two stopped and are now blood rings. BUT - the other 16 eggs are developing! A couple have messed up air cells that look kind of "wonky" but many look fine. So, I guess there can be a lot of differences between how two boxes are handled, even to the same address . . . can't wait to see if this hatch works. Would be a new super spotty Sussex line, to cross with the Buff Sussex rooster that carries Mottling.