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I am the proud mother of 15, just pulled out of the incubator, SOP Black Australorp chicks. The Hot Hands hand warmers, (I used 4 of them) wrapped in a towel, kept them comfy cozy, all the way home. In addition, I have 8 eggs to hatch, that I'll put in the incubator shortly. That was a bonus. I'm so pleased.

In the meantime, back on the ranch, while I was on my road trip, the little chick in the coop, managed to get out. Dh heard horrible noises coming from the coop, and went to investigate. Every chicken out there was pitching a fit. Baby escaped. He scooped up baby, put it back with mama, and got some scrap lumber, and put a bit higher border around the coop/run, so it can't escape again.

When I got home, around 2:45 am, I got the chicks situated in their brooder, then went out to the coop. The light I had put in there, needed adjusting. I took care of it.

When I got done with all that, I sat in the recliner, intending to relax a few minutes, then do a few other things. I fell asleep straightaway. I have to admit, I was exhausted.
 
getaclue said:
I am the proud mother of 15, just pulled out of the incubator, SOP Black Australorp chicks. The Hot Hands hand warmers, (I used 4 of them) wrapped in a towel, kept them comfy cozy, all the way home. In addition, I have 8 eggs to hatch, that I'll put in the incubator shortly. That was a bonus. I'm so pleased.

In the meantime, back on the ranch, while I was on my road trip, the little chick in the coop, managed to get out. Dh heard horrible noises coming from the coop, and went to investigate. Every chicken out there was pitching a fit. Baby escaped. He scooped up baby, put it back with mama, and got some scrap lumber, and put a bit higher border around the coop/run, so it can't escape again.

When I got home, around 2:45 am, I got the chicks situated in their brooder, then went out to the coop. The light I had put in there, needed adjusting. I took care of it.

When I got done with all that, I sat in the recliner, intending to relax a few minutes, then do a few other things. I fell asleep straightaway. I have to admit, I was exhausted.
Click to expand...
I bet that rest was good!

Congratulations on the Australorps! Are they going to help with the breeding progaram?
 
ronott1 said:
I bet that rest was good!

Congratulations on the Australorps! Are they going to help with the breeding progaram?
Click to expand...
Yes, they are. My line has almost become extinct. When I bought my breeding trio, years ago, I hatched some chicks. I had limitations on what I could do at the time, but of the ones I hatched out, and showed, 1 pullet got first place, 1 pullet got second place, and the cockerel, got second place. I had hatched a few more, but those were the ones I showed, to help me establish I was doing the right things, in keeping the line up.

Later, I hatched another small batch. Things appeared to be going along as planned, when I discovered that all the subsequent male offspring, from my original rooster, were infertile. Not impotent, but infertile. In the beginning, I blamed it on something I was doing wrong. I bathed them all, making sure the hen's vents were all perfectly clean. That didn't help. I trimmed vent feathers. That didn't help. I dusted them, and wormed them. I thoroughly cleaned the coop, and everything in it. I sprayed, to make sure there were no creepy crawlies. That didn't help. I added a little nutri-drench, and electrolytes to their water. That didn't help. I changed from Manna Pro feed, to Purina Flock Raiser. That didn't help. I rotated the roosters to different hens. That didn't help. The original rooster was still fine, and potent, so I came to the conclusion, it had nothing to do with anything I had done.

In the meantime, the hens from the original trio, which were already a bit on the old side, had not completely stopped laying, but had slowed way down, I wasn't getting but 1, or 2 eggs from them a week. I got a few females in the hatches, but a poisonous snake got into the coop, and killed all but one of them. That's been dealt with. With her contribution, I could get enough eggs for multiple small hatches, which under normal circumstances would have brought back my line, BUT I still only had the one fertile rooster, and his offspring had the fertility issue. You can't continue a line without a good rooster. I did manage to get an excellent cockerel just before winter set in, and everyone stopped laying. In the meantime, the old hens (5+ years old) have pretty much stopped laying, and the one younger one is 4 years old, and not really cranking out many eggs now either.

I had reached out to the original breeder. He's one of the last few in the US that has the breed, and quality. He only hatched enough chicks last year, to cover his own needs, so he had no extras. He's the one I got the young cockerel from. He had some eggs, but wouldn't ship. Last year, I could not take the trip up there. When he mentioned he was hatching, and had extras, I put in my order for 15 chicks. BTW, they were NOT exactly cheap, either.

While it all might seem like too much bother, to others, it's worth it to me.
 
CapricornFarm said:
We had several inches of rain last night. It will be good for all my plants. Now if it will dry up a bit, maybe I can go out and get something done. I have more chicks to take outside :gig
Click to expand...
It is important to get the chicks outside!
 
getaclue said:
Yes, they are. My line has almost become extinct. When I bought my breeding trio, years ago, I hatched some chicks. I had limitations on what I could do at the time, but of the ones I hatched out, and showed, 1 pullet got first place, 1 pullet got second place, and the cockerel, got second place. I had hatched a few more, but those were the ones I showed, to help me establish I was doing the right things, in keeping the line up.

Later, I hatched another small batch. Things appeared to be going along as planned, when I discovered that all the subsequent male offspring, from my original rooster, were infertile. Not impotent, but infertile. In the beginning, I blamed it on something I was doing wrong. I bathed them all, making sure the hen's vents were all perfectly clean. That didn't help. I trimmed vent feathers. That didn't help. I dusted them, and wormed them. I thoroughly cleaned the coop, and everything in it. I sprayed, to make sure there were no creepy crawlies. That didn't help. I added a little nutri-drench, and electrolytes to their water. That didn't help. I changed from Manna Pro feed, to Purina Flock Raiser. That didn't help. I rotated the roosters to different hens. That didn't help. The original rooster was still fine, and potent, so I came to the conclusion, it had nothing to do with anything I had done.

In the meantime, the hens from the original trio, which were already a bit on the old side, had not completely stopped laying, but had slowed way down, I wasn't getting but 1, or 2 eggs from them a week. I got a few females in the hatches, but a poisonous snake got into the coop, and killed all but one of them. That's been dealt with. With her contribution, I could get enough eggs for multiple small hatches, which under normal circumstances would have brought back my line, BUT I still only had the one fertile rooster, and his offspring had the fertility issue. You can't continue a line without a good rooster. I did manage to get an excellent cockerel just before winter set in, and everyone stopped laying. In the meantime, the old hens (5+ years old) have pretty much stopped laying, and the one younger one is 4 years old, and not really cranking out many eggs now either.

I had reached out to the original breeder. He's one of the last few in the US that has the breed, and quality. He only hatched enough chicks last year, to cover his own needs, so he had no extras. He's the one I got the young cockerel from. He had some eggs, but wouldn't ship. Last year, I could not take the trip up there. When he mentioned he was hatching, and had extras, I put in my order for 15 chicks. BTW, they were NOT exactly cheap, either.

While it all might seem like too much bother, to others, it's worth it to me.
Click to expand...
I completey understand a road trip to get new birds for your breeding program! With the 15 and hatching eggs you are on your way again for sure
 

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