Thistlewick Smallholding - Chickens & Sheep (for now)

[thistlewick]

So I had 20 hatching eggs to start with, 8 Ameraucana (lol) and 12 Welsummer

Over the incubation period, 4 Welsummer were duds. So it was 8 and 8 by lockdown of each; at hatch: 7 mixed (some ARE Ameraucana and some are not) and 6 Welsummer hatched - one is busy trying to zip - I went in to take them out to the brooder this morning and checked the 3 eggs leftover... and one was trying to zip! I left it in the incubator. I considered actually taking it outside to let it hatch in the brooder LOL its humid enough outside and hot enough but nah, but I will take out the hatchling asap to be with it's brood mates.

We have 19 (will have 20?) chicks in that brooder and that is TOO MANY. It is a brooder meant for max 10 really for 2 weeks. UGH

Talking to the gal now who sold me the eggs, she's SO embarrassed lol she said she has some in the incubator now and she will replace with black - but honestly it's not the end of the world. We will see how they all feather out.

 

[TwoCrows]

So I had 20 hatching eggs to start with, 8 Ameraucana (lol) and 12 Welsummer

Over the incubation period, 4 Welsummer were duds. So it was 8 and 8 by lockdown of each; at hatch: 7 mixed (some ARE Ameraucana and some are not) and 6 Welsummer hatched - one is busy trying to zip - I went in to take them out to the brooder this morning and checked the 3 eggs leftover... and one was trying to zip! I left it in the incubator. I considered actually taking it outside to let it hatch in the brooder LOL its humid enough outside and hot enough but nah, but I will take out the hatchling asap to be with it's brood mates.

We have 19 (will have 20?) chicks in that brooder and that is TOO MANY. It is a brooder meant for max 10 really for 2 weeks. UGH

View attachment 4158953

Talking to the gal now who sold me the eggs, she's SO embarrassed lol she said she has some in the incubator now and she will replace with black - but honestly it's not the end of the world. We will see how they all feather out.

A bowl of fluff there.

 

[thistlewick]

A bowl of fluff there.

YES they are so cute, I fall in love with all of them

One more hatched, the one that was trying to zip, so a grand total of 14 -- 2 were left, one was a complete unfertilized dud that I apparently missed during the candlings and one looked good but there was not even an internal pip.

I don't do egg topsies. I don't mind seeing photos of other people's, I just cannot bring myself to do it as well and neither can my husband.

14/15 is a good outcome anyway!

I brought it right out to the brooder, even kinda halfdry, because being with your sisters and brothers is WAY better than being alone in an incubator!

I took photos of all the Lollipops today, they need names because we absolutely adore them. We are working on it.

I cannot decide if this one is a cockerel; all signs would point to yes because of the 'brown/red on shoulders and wings' but there is no comb to speak of -- but it's only 5 and a half weeks old.

While every other little cockerel is showing themselves off quite nicely;

^^^ miss pecky 10 days ago, the pic I took of him today wasn't that great, but his comb is GIGANTIC lolol

 

[TwoCrows]

YES they are so cute, I fall in love with all of them

One more hatched, the one that was trying to zip, so a grand total of 14 -- 2 were left, one was a complete unfertilized dud that I apparently missed during the candlings and one looked good but there was not even an internal pip.

I don't do egg topsies. I don't mind seeing photos of other people's, I just cannot bring myself to do it as well and neither can my husband.

14/15 is a good outcome anyway!

I brought it right out to the brooder, even kinda halfdry, because being with your sisters and brothers is WAY better than being alone in an incubator!

I took photos of all the Lollipops today, they need names because we absolutely adore them. We are working on it.

I cannot decide if this one is a cockerel; all signs would point to yes because of the 'brown/red on shoulders and wings' but there is no comb to speak of -- but it's only 5 and a half weeks old.

View attachment 4159107

While every other little cockerel is showing themselves off quite nicely;

View attachment 4159111View attachment 4159112View attachment 4159113

^^^ miss pecky 10 days ago, the pic I took of him today wasn't that great, but his comb is GIGANTIC lolol

Beautiful birds in your photos!

Sounds like a successful hatch to me! Yes, I don't do eggtopsies either, pretty gruesome stuff there. As long as I've got the right settings on my incubator, I've done everything correctly before and during the cycle and the machine is running correctly, I have to assume the chick didn't make it because of something out of my hands. I certainly don't need the graphic image of an eggtopsy keeping me awake at night.

 

[thistlewick]

I need to think about how I want to do this chicken keeping thing all moving forward.

Do I want to breed a *breed* of chicken to make a small business/hobby out of it?

Do I want to just continue to sell eggs at my local farm store and donate any they cannot take (I will eventually be having A LOT) to the local food bank?


No particular breed of chicken has hit me with absolute obsession yet. I love them all. But nothing snatches my decision brain with "THIS is the breed I want to focus on"


What sells locally? I notice on Facebook people are always asking for silkies and bantams, silkies and bantams, silkies and bantams... I have less than zero interest in those breeds.

But when people offer up Black Copper Marans, either eggs or chicks, people *snap* them up.


I have 4 hens and 1 Rooster, all beautiful birds where I could put them in a pen (I HATE this idea but like... I would have to) and make that my little hobby business.

Also I'm not the only person breeding these breeds it is not like they're rare??


I'm just ruminating. We have a bunch of EE chicks we need to sell (about 17) and then any uneeded Welsummer and Ameraucana / EE (that whole kettle of fish kinda irks me, maybe I should get some more actual Ameraucana hatching eggs)

I just always need a project.

Really honestly today I need to clean my incubators, I'm so lazy

 

[WingItRanch]

I need to think about how I want to do this chicken keeping thing all moving forward.

Do I want to breed a *breed* of chicken to make a small business/hobby out of it?

Do I want to just continue to sell eggs at my local farm store and donate any they cannot take (I will eventually be having A LOT) to the local food bank?


No particular breed of chicken has hit me with absolute obsession yet. I love them all. But nothing snatches my decision brain with "THIS is the breed I want to focus on"


What sells locally? I notice on Facebook people are always asking for silkies and bantams, silkies and bantams, silkies and bantams... I have less than zero interest in those breeds.

But when people offer up Black Copper Marans, either eggs or chicks, people *snap* them up.


I have 4 hens and 1 Rooster, all beautiful birds where I could put them in a pen (I HATE this idea but like... I would have to) and make that my little hobby business.

Also I'm not the only person breeding these breeds it is not like they're rare??


I'm just ruminating. We have a bunch of EE chicks we need to sell (about 17) and then any uneeded Welsummer and Ameraucana / EE (that whole kettle of fish kinda irks me, maybe I should get some more actual Ameraucana hatching eggs)

I just always need a project.

Really honestly today I need to clean my incubators, I'm so lazy

Silkies are an acquired taste, I think. One I've never acquired haha.

Bantams seem popular but you have to make adjustments for their small size (as you would silkies).

Personally, if I was so inclined to breed, I'd go with Ameraucanas and Black Copper Marans. They're all the rage right now and they're LF like the rest of your breeds so you wouldn't have to make concessions for their size. Downside is you don't know how long this popular trend will last.

 

[thistlewick]

Silkies are an acquired taste, I think. One I've never acquired haha.

Bantams seem popular but you have to make adjustments for their small size (as you would silkies).

Personally, if I was so inclined to breed, I'd go with Ameraucanas and Black Copper Marans. They're all the rage right now and they're LF like the rest of your breeds so you wouldn't have to make concessions for their size. Downside is you don't know how long this popular trend will last.

This is great advice, because as it happens, I really do LIKE Marans and Ameraucanas.


I also really really want some Salmon Faverolles SO MUCH but I worry about this heat.


But we are thinking about installing an AC unit in the hen house lol