The Old Folks Home

[pennyJo1960]

Okay will admit I am going to get the 9 raised but then hatch a few more .. My french bread is on the first rise now

 

[CSolis]

I can hardly wait to get the incubator cranked up. Looked at it yesterday and asked myself if I was rushing things if I got it out and cleaned it, LOL.

It's still too cold for me to put the bachelors out in the old coop. Once this way too cold weather breaks I can think about doing it. Maybe another week. Then get the bantams into what is now the bachelor pen. I have a pretty small BBR boy that is a cross between one of my two BBR hens and one of my smaller Amish barnyard cross boys. The question is should I put him in with the SDW roosters and bantam/little hens or just shoot for SDW BBR crosses. Given that I have a dozen SDW roosters and 6-7 small/bantam hens and only one pure bred SDW hen (the other hens is slightly larger but not by much) it becomes a big decision. My other pure bred SDW hen was killed by two young cockerels last year......they were delicious, the dogs said after I cooked them and mixed them with their dog food.

I now have Barred Bantams and BO Bantams. I took 4 of the Barred Bantam eggs to incubate for Tiny Dancer. He's still in the house. He keeps pretty much to his own area near the feed bins with an occasional wander into the LR. He's standing right behind me now as I type. While I was on the papasan resting, Gator was laying on the floor in front of me on his blanket, and Tiny was busy grooming at the edge of the blanket. He's still checking out whether Gator and I are companionable or not. It's funny to here him finding crumbs on the kitchen floor. He just talks away at each piece he finds. He's in the house because he doesn't have a proper coop, and I didn't want to keep him in the dog cage by himself out there. He needs ladies to cuddle with as cold as it is!

 

[CSolis]

Okay will admit I am going to get the 9 raised but then hatch a few more .. My french bread is on the first rise now

As soon as this batched is finished hatching I have 4 cochin eggs, 2 mystery eggs, and 4 Bantam BO/Silkie eggs to put in the incubator, then I'm done for the year.

 

[microchick]

As soon as this batched is finished hatching I have 4 cochin eggs, 2 mystery eggs, and 4 Bantam BO/Silkie eggs to put in the incubator, then I'm done for the year.

Anybody want to lay down any bets about that? I've learned never to say that. Although I have to give myself credit, I did keep my word to myself when I said no hatching last year. But it took me 6 years to reach that level of self control.

 

[pennyJo1960]

I will grow the 9 but the 12th I will take 3 boys to Auction.

 

[CSolis]

Anybody want to lay down any bets about that? I've learned never to say that. Although I have to give myself credit, I did keep my word to myself when I said no hatching last year. But it took me 6 years to reach that level of self control.

I don't have enough pens for more than the second hatch. All the females will put in one pen or another with the Bantam Boys or Silkie Boys so they have enough 'wives'. All of my Biggie Boys have sufficient wives to 'care' for.

 

[pennyJo1960]

Smudge does well carring for his girls. A good Rooster is great for them to have.

 

[microchick]

So logically you need more pens? So do I.

But I hear you. I would love to have one more coop. I'm seriously thinking about pulling my flock master from the main coop, Trubel along with any other rooster that winks at a hen and dances for her so Tut can have control of the hens again. Getting him was so he would cross with my Amish Barnyard Crosses and increase their Marek's Disease resistance. I saw Trubel go after him the other day when he (Tut) had the audacity to get down off the roost bar. Tut will not fight with another rooster. His whole attitude is you want them, okay they are yours. I recently read that Fayoumi roosters are very accepting of other roosters. I can sure attest to that.

Taking all the roosters out of the coop except for Tut and the old roosters would be the easiest way for me to get Pure Fayoumi eggs to hatch.

 

[CSolis]

Smudge does well carring for his girls. A good Rooster is great for them to have.

I agree 100%. All of my boys were kept based on their ability to care for their ladies. Most of mine will take treats from my hand then hold them so the ladies can have them. It amazes me because they rarely eat the treats themselves.

 

[CSolis]

Yes, I currently have 8 pens, 7 if I don't count the one Prince is in all by himself. And 2 more under construction. That's enough! Then there's always reconstruction or fixing up something I don't like about a pen. Plus summer time mowing. But I've been expanding all of the free ranging areas so I don't have to mow so danged much.