Uh oh... found an egg today! ... - A journal of sorts, from finding eggs to hatching them... Update

[PeepsCA]

I'm keeping 10 keets from this hatch, lol... UGH! I'll end up keeping them until they mature, then sell the extra males.

I'm thinking about selling off my light colored and Pied flock after this breeding season is over... IF I find the right home/right person for them to go to. That's a big if... I'm highly picky, cuz it'll be like adopting out my kids! These birds come when I call them, stay inside my fence line, lay their eggs in the coop and coop up every night on cue. Not your average flock by any means, I've put a lot of work into them so they need to go somewhere where they will be cared for and appreciated for what they are... sigh.

 

[perchie.girl]

I'm keeping 10 keets from this hatch, lol... UGH! I'll end up keeping them until they mature, then sell the extra males.

I'm thinking about selling off my light colored and Pied flock after this breeding season is over... IF I find the right home/right person for them to go to. That's a big if... I'm highly picky, cuz it'll be like adopting out my kids! These birds come when I call them, stay inside my fence line, lay their eggs in the coop and coop up every night on cue. Not your average flock by any means, I've put a lot of work into them so they need to go somewhere where they will be cared for and appreciated for what they are... sigh.

How much will you want for them. I have a cousin that lives on your end of the state that I need to visit. They live in Red Bluff. Is that any where near you like on the way to or fro. Sheesh what am I thinking I cant do it but would in an instant if I could come up with the money. and you werent like eight hours away.

deb

 

[PeepsCA]

Ugh, I haven't even thought about a price on them yet. What they are worth to me, and what they are worth to someone else are 2 entirely different amounts, lol. I can't let them go cheap tho, cuz I can make more money off them if I just keep them. There are 16 birds; 11 Hens, 5 males. They are just over 2 yrs old.

Red Bluff is 2 or 2.25 hours past my area.

 

[perchie.girl]

Ugh, I haven't even thought about a price on them yet. What they are worth to me, and what they are worth to someone else are 2 entirely different amounts, lol. I can't let them go cheap tho, cuz I can make more money off them if I just keep them. There are 16 birds; 11 Hens, 5 males. They are just over 2 yrs old.

Red Bluff is 2 or 2.25 hours past my area.

What ever you do offer them as proven breeders and well socialized. They are worth more for sure than just a flock to take down the ticks.

deb

 

[PeepsCA]

AHA! Finally found one free range nest in my front horse pasture today ('skuze the horse poop!), but it's too close to the fence/road... any predator cruising by on the road or in the adjacent thick brush will smell the Hen and eggs and breach my fence to get them/her, so... I took the 13 eggs, put em in the fridge (after I candled to confirm no development) and salted the nest with 11 marked incubator duds. Hopefully this is an active nest and I'll be able to collect free range eggs for breakfasts and baking again. And I'm hoping but doubt this is a shared nest, otherwise there are still 2 more nests SOMEWHERE on this 10+ acres, I just have not found them yet (I just have 4 free range Hens but one is recovering from a broken leg so she's probably not laying yet). At least if one Hen disappears I know the first place to look finally. I do a head count each night to make sure none have gone broody.




And this is where my youngest flock has been laying lately, in a recycling bin where I usually give them their alfalfa hay... (sorry Nev Co Waste Management, lol). This is right inside the door to their coop, makes collecting their eggs quick and easy! (Tho sometimes I have to dig for the eggs).

 

[perchie.girl]

Right in the Thistles..... My first horse used to love eating those. The big purple blue flowers at top she would pick with just her teeth to keep them from stabbing her lips. she would smash them flat then gently move them to her jaws and chew with a dreamy look on her face.... LOL. I am hearing they supposedly taste like artichoke.

Mine have begun laying in their lean to.... Yay. I am leaving those eggs as encouragement.

deb

AHA! Finally found one free range nest in my front horse pasture today ('skuze the horse poop!), but it's too close to the fence/road... any predator cruising by on the road or in the adjacent thick brush will smell the Hen and eggs and breach my fence to get them/her, so... I took the 13 eggs, put em in the fridge (after I candled to confirm no development) and salted the nest with 11 marked incubator duds. Hopefully this is an active nest and I'll be able to collect free range eggs for breakfasts and baking again. And I'm hoping but doubt this is a shared nest, otherwise there are still 2 more nests SOMEWHERE on this 10+ acres, I just have not found them yet (I just have 4 free range Hens but one is recovering from a broken leg so she's probably not laying yet). At least if one Hen disappears I know the first place to look finally. I do a head count each night to make sure none have gone broody.




And this is where my youngest flock has been laying lately, in a recycling bin where I usually give them their alfalfa hay... (sorry Nev Co Waste Management, lol). This is right inside the door to their coop, makes collecting their eggs quick and easy! (Tho sometimes I have to dig for the eggs).

 

[TarheelBirdy]

They love the prickly stuff.

 

[PeepsCA]

And poison oak too

 

[TarheelBirdy]

Luckily I don't react to poison ivy or oak.

 

[Country Chickens]

Hey all! We got our first purple keet from last week's hatch--isn't she cute?



I say she cause she's already peeping round the clock if necessary to keep the flock close together, so I'm hopeful. Not the most rare of colors, but at least it's one I can keep, and I've always loved purple. We also had our pied girl go broody again, and seem pretty determined about it. This is her third attempt this spring so I decided to let her try and quietly put a wire cage over her last night to protect her from predators. I also slipped some of my extra guinea eggs in there (she only had a few plus golf balls) and she seemed cool with that. Took the eggs under her and tucked them in, then settled back down for the night. But, this morning she was off the nest and anxious to join the flock once they came out. :/ Maybe a no go after all.

Peeps, I was wondering how you house your flocks that are specialty colors? Do they get to free range at all during the day, and if so, how you keep them from hooking up with the wrong flock? I'm contemplating maybe a small chocolate and blonde flock (yes, counting my keets before they hatch! lol) and picking your brains as the first step. Pics would be great, too!!!