Thistlewick Smallholding - Chickens & Sheep (for now)

[Shadrach]

Do you still have your Black Coppers? Would love to see a recent pic if you do and care to share?

Unfortunately not. I left them behind when I had to move back to the UK from Catalonia.

 

[thistlewick]

You just know this morning I am vigilant as all heck on my cameras to catch anything lol eggs should hatch tomorrow -- even possibly tonight.


I haven't candled - there are six left. I scoured the bedding yesterday through the entire hen house and couldn't find that other egg.

 

[thistlewick]

Well looks like today was hatch Day

Supposed to be Lavender and Chocolate Ameraucana

Third chick hatched looks Blue not lavender.

So

Yet again I got mystery eggs.

3 more eggs, but none of them pipped. Technically tomorrow was hatch Day. So we will see what happens this afternoon and overnight.


Also missing one Dorking. No sign of her. Will see if she comes back to roost but it's more likely she got eaten/taken bc that batch is 7 weeks old and they stay near the hen house.

Will take a headcount tonight.

 

[thistlewick]

68 chickens at the head count tonight at roosting time. Hung out with them for quite awhile beforehand and had a lovely evening, quite a calm forage compared to how it was with Chuck and Oscar.

68 is 1 down (I think? I didnt really have a solid count. But I do now), so we did lose the One Dorking at some point. I did see a bunch of feathers a couple days ago, thought it could have been the duck (it was near her pond). Must have been the Dorking.

Disappointed it's one of the special breeds I got but what can ya do.

I think I ended up with only own Welsummer.

Out of 12 eggs. 8 of which were fertile. 7 of which hatched. Most were boys. I thought I kept one but apparently not.

But I do have a girl

Pretty sure that's a Welsummer lol

Tilly has 3 babies so far. Will be interesting to see what happens in the morning. Everyone is being mindful of her and leaving her alone.

Dolly, our cute golden Campine

And Daisy, our other Dorking with a better sense of hiding lol came to visit for the first time tonight. She saw Scarlett, Hunter, Whoopie and Miss Pecky have a visit and she decided I guess that she wanted one too

 

[thistlewick]

More pics just because

Scarlett - my absolute favorite bc she's a cuddle bug

And this one cracked me up - they look like they're gossiping hahaha

My head is apparently the *best* place to preen, Whoopie says... She stayed up there for quite some time and Scarlett and Hunter both decided to come up and visit as well. They are almost 13 weeks old LOL