Tis Time for a March 2020 Hatch-a-long!

[CluckNDoodle]

Here's my March babies now. I ended up with 3 males 3 hens and a silver that I'm not sure of the sex yet. The white hen is from the February hatch along.

View attachment 2109037

View attachment 2109038

View attachment 2109040

View attachment 2109042

View attachment 2109043

They're very pretty quail!

 

[UThobbyfarmer]

@Jules929 Sadly I had an attack a few days ago. Our fault. We'd pulled off panels to use the tractor to till the garden and never got around to putting them back up.

It took out 5 birds from the March group. Including 3 birds from Foxfire and 2 of the local mixes I'd hatched (RIP Tom Petty!). From Foxfire I lost both roos I'd retained (1 Isbar, 1 Wyandotte) and 1 pullet (Isbar). It happened during the day. Not sure what it was I'm just grateful it didn't take more birds.

I have 6 pullets remaining from the March hatch. The 4 Foxfires are 1 Isbar, 1 DSL Barnevelder, 1 Cream Legbar, and 1 mixed Marans. Also an Orpington/Barnevelder and a Olive Egger/Barnevelder from the local eggs I hatched at the same time.

This is still pretty fresh and upsetting. We have a lot of predators and stray dogs in our area. I knew better and should have protected them better. That's just something I'll have to live with. Here's a few pics from today of what's left in that pen. Their pen need to be cleaned so please forgive the messiness.

The CCL from Foxfore has a much larger crest than your does. It was pretty noticable from a week on. I wonder what the genetics are on this.

 

[ShannonsChimkens]

This means I’ll need to get up and let them out! Darn it... was feeling lazy today. But I guess it’s not fair to them.

So I don’t remember who hatched in March

 

[ShannonsChimkens]

I think these were from March... Silver Deathlayers, only 3 out of 12 hatched. A lot of Silkie Bantam/Sebright crosses and Russian Orloff/Sebright crosses. Two Silver Spitzhaubens. They’re all outside in a small tractor thingy for now.

I love my Foxfire chimkens. These are my original Foxfire babies from November. I got rid of a lot of cockerels, but the pullets are coming along nicely. So much friendlier than the second batch. The second batch contained so many birds that we couldn’t spend much time individually with them.

Here’s a long drawn out video of everyone so far

I think I’m more excited about the new shipment coming from Foxfire than the first time. Have no clue what birds I get to add this time

 

[CluckNDoodle]

@Jules929 Sadly I had an attack a few days ago. Our fault. We'd pulled off panels to use the tractor to till the garden and never got around to putting them back up.

It took out 5 birds from the March group. Including 3 birds from Foxfire and 2 of the local mixes I'd hatched (RIP Tom Petty!). From Foxfire I lost both roos I'd retained (1 Isbar, 1 Wyandotte) and 1 pullet (Isbar). It happened during the day. Not sure what it was I'm just grateful it didn't take more birds.

I have 6 pullets remaining from the March hatch. The 4 Foxfires are 1 Isbar, 1 DSL Barnevelder, 1 Cream Legbar, and 1 mixed Marans. Also an Orpington/Barnevelder and a Olive Egger/Barnevelder from the local eggs I hatched at the same time.

This is still pretty fresh and upsetting. We have a lot of predators and stray dogs in our area. I knew better and should have protected them better. That's just something I'll have to live with. Here's a few pics from today of what's left in that pen. Their pen need to be cleaned so please forgive the messiness.

The CCL from Foxfore has a much larger crest than your does. It was pretty noticable from a week on. I wonder what the genetics are on this.

View attachment 2109095View attachment 2109096

I'm so sorry that happened! When you have chickens long enough you will eventually encounter something no matter how hard we try to prevent it. I had a teenager chicken that was a straggler going into the coop every night and liked to sleep in the run. I waited too late to close the door that evening and an owl got it. Accidents happen, don't beat yourself up!

 

[UThobbyfarmer]

I'm so sorry that happened! When you have chickens long enough you will eventually encounter something no matter how hard we try to prevent it. I had a teenager chicken that was a straggler going into the coop every night and liked to sleep in the run. I waited too late to close the door that evening and an owl got it. Accidents happen, don't beat yourself up!

I agree it's inevitable to lose birds. Still heartbreaking when it happens. Thank you for the kind words. It means a lot to me.

We're in the process of remodeling our house and building a new barn. Also designing and building a beautiful new coop with run (similar to a Carolina coop). Honestly I think that's the most exciting part of the whole project for me . I just need to limp this flock along for another year. Then we'll have an amazing all season predator proof chicken area. It'll be amazing.

 

[Jules929]

@Jules929 Sadly I had an attack a few days ago. Our fault. We'd pulled off panels to use the tractor to till the garden and never got around to putting them back up.

It took out 5 birds from the March group. Including 3 birds from Foxfire and 2 of the local mixes I'd hatched (RIP Tom Petty!). From Foxfire I lost both roos I'd retained (1 Isbar, 1 Wyandotte) and 1 pullet (Isbar). It happened during the day. Not sure what it was I'm just grateful it didn't take more birds.

I have 6 pullets remaining from the March hatch. The 4 Foxfires are 1 Isbar, 1 DSL Barnevelder, 1 Cream Legbar, and 1 mixed Marans. Also an Orpington/Barnevelder and a Olive Egger/Barnevelder from the local eggs I hatched at the same time.

This is still pretty fresh and upsetting. We have a lot of predators and stray dogs in our area. I knew better and should have protected them better. That's just something I'll have to live with. Here's a few pics from today of what's left in that pen. Their pen need to be cleaned so please forgive the messiness.

The CCL from Foxfore has a much larger crest than your does. It was pretty noticable from a week on. I wonder what the genetics are on this.

View attachment 2109095View attachment 2109096

I am so sorry to hear that. I wish we were closer, I am sure to have a few males out of the Foxfire group (at least 1 each of SDLB, CCL, and SLO) but they are much younger than yours.

I only had 4 adult females, and I took them to a friend a week ago. After years of no trouble at all a fox found a narrow weakness in their coop and they only had one hen left. She is a hen that I gave them 7 years ago! And, yes, they fixed the issue with the coop. When my March group is old enough, I will be taking them another female and a male.

Regarding the CCL, it is quite possible that I lost track of which female was the Foxfire hatch, lol, as I had 15 CCL eggs from a BYC breeder in the EHAL, too. I will take a look at them. I didn't include pics of every one of the chicks.

Good luck with the all the build projects! Wow, you are busy!

 

[UThobbyfarmer]

I am so sorry to hear that. I wish we were closer, I am sure to have a few males out of the Foxfire group (at least 1 each of SDLB, CCL, and SLO) but they are much younger than yours.

I only had 4 adult females, and I took them to a friend a week ago. After years of no trouble at all a fox found a narrow weakness in their coop and they only had one hen left. She is a hen that I gave them 7 years ago! And, yes, they fixed the issue with the coop. When my March group is old enough, I will be taking them another female and a male.

Regarding the CCL, it is quite possible that I lost track of which female was the Foxfire hatch, lol, as I had 15 CCL eggs from a BYC breeder in the EHAL, too. I will take a look at them. I didn't include pics of every one of the chicks.

Good luck with the all the build projects! Wow, you are busy!

You're so sweet. That's so kind to offer your roos! I love good roosters. They add so much to a farm.

I have 6 CCL that hatched a week ago! 3 male, 3 females. I purchased the eggs locally. Beautiful blue ones. After this last attack I'll be growing them all out and hope for 2 keepers.

Predator issues seem cyclical for us. We had loses the first couple of years. Then no problems for about 5 years. Then more issues last year. Now this. So ready for the new coop!

Couple of pics of the new Legbars. They sure are cute! And the pretty blue eggs they hatched from next to some duck eggs.

 

[Jules929]

You're so sweet. That's so kind to offer your roos! I love good roosters. They add so much to a farm.

I have 6 CCL that hatched a week ago! 3 male, 3 females. I purchased the eggs locally. Beautiful blue ones. After this last attack I'll be growing them all out and hope for 2 keepers.

Predator issues seem cyclical for us. We had loses the first couple of years. Then no problems for about 5 years. Then more issues last year. Now this. So ready for the new coop!

Couple of pics of the new Legbars. They sure are cute! And the pretty blue eggs they hatched from next to some duck eggs.
View attachment 2109530View attachment 2109531View attachment 2109532

Beautiful eggs!

I wish I could keep a rooster, but it would cause trouble for all of my neighbors. Someone down the block likes to call code enforcement on a regular basis, and she reports everyone each time, even though the claims are false.

Last year she claimed that a rooster was keeping her up at night. My immediate neighbors said they never heard him unless they were already awake and outside. So, my beautiful FBCM, Murph, went to auction.

I just sold my little frizzle OE cockerel on Friday, only ~12 to go, lol!

 

[ShannonsChimkens]

You're so sweet. That's so kind to offer your roos! I love good roosters. They add so much to a farm.

I have 6 CCL that hatched a week ago! 3 male, 3 females. I purchased the eggs locally. Beautiful blue ones. After this last attack I'll be growing them all out and hope for 2 keepers.

Predator issues seem cyclical for us. We had loses the first couple of years. Then no problems for about 5 years. Then more issues last year. Now this. So ready for the new coop!

Couple of pics of the new Legbars. They sure are cute! And the pretty blue eggs they hatched from next to some duck eggs.
View attachment 2109530View attachment 2109531View attachment 2109532

Those eggs are so pretty!