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[Yorkshire Coop]

Hi there everyone!
How are all you peeps on this thread? It has been a little quiet for a while on here, just wondered how you all are?

 

[rebrascora]

Hi

Mostly good with me thanks. The majority of my pullets from last year have come into lay now.... I got a record 11 eggs yesterday! I just have a few of the exchequer leghorns to start and some are still a bit young yet. I have one young pullet who has totally stolen my heart and is a real charmer (cream legbar x RIR). Great personality(a bit cheeky but really friendly), looks pretty and she is laying avocado/olive coloured eggs almost every day. Sadly her sister is not doing so well. She is on her second attack of Marek's and can barely stand for more than a few seconds . She's bright enough in herself though and eating well and I'm feeding her turmeric and black pepper in the hope that that will help. She hasn't got any worse in the past week or so and I'm thinking of rigging up a sling for her. I had psyched myself to cull her but she's holding her own and she made a full recovery from her first attack a few months ago, so I'm loath to call it a day with her yet.

My cockerels from last year are still to process and I must stop shirking that job. They had been living in total harmony in the batchelor pad until yesterday when the two top dogs had an altercation and the alpha male lost. I'm hoping that doesn't cause unrest further down the ranking, but I really need to bite the bullet and start the chicken dinner process. Time is the main problem but it is rapidly becoming a priority job. Wish I wasn't such a soft mush! It was easier to contemplate it when they were gang raping my hens, but now that they are in the batchelor pad, I feel quite sorry for them.

Looking forward to my first new batch of chicks as soon as I have a broody in the mood. Both of my broodies from last year are now laying, so I'm guessing it will only be a matter of time. I really want some more of those legbar/rhodie crosses but my RIR hasn't come back into lay yet and I have another rooster in the flock now as well as the legbar. He's supposed to be a welsummer but he's more like an extremely handsome brown leghorn I think. Anyway, it will be a bit of a lottery what I get chicks wise as a result, but then that is part of the fun isn't it. He has the Marans in his harem and the welsummer I think and he may have poached the legbar hen which might be an interesting cross. He has also been mating my araucana cross broody when Harry the legbar isn't looking. So it's all going on here!

How are things in your flock?

What plans do you have for the coming year with them?

Regards

Barbara

 

[Yorkshire Coop]

Hi Barbara!
Sounds like you are busy up there! Some interesting mixes that you should get from the chicks. The unknown is always a bonus, I too have just had a hatch of the unknown. Got some 2 week old polish from the first incubation of my own eggs. Have got a two groups one with a new blue splash cockerel in and wasn't quite sure what I was going to get. He has produced all blue chicks, some a more darker blue and some lighter. All from gold lace girls.
The other group has my silver lace frizzle cockerel in with gold lace, chamois and white crested black girls. Got chamois, a gold lace and a weird silver lace with a bit of brown on its back chicks from that group. I don't think the White crested black are laying yet. Others started about November bang on 6 months. Was a bonus as I wasn't expecting any untill spring especially as polish can be sporadic layers. A good hatch though set 14 as a test batch and 13 hatched. One quitter sometime after lockdown.
Had set another 21 but 6 were clear at first candling so down to 15 now, on day 11. I am waiting for my new shed to arrive going to turn it into a brooding shed. Trying to get a bit of an operation going of selling them to help towards the cost of mine and my incubation addiction!

Having some new pens and a swop round of runs and living areas as soon as the weather picks up.
Just can't stop myself at the minute!

Have a great day today

 

[rebrascora]

Hi again YC

Congrats on your first successful hatch. You certainly can't complain at 13 out of 14. It's a shame the second isn't quite so good but hopefully all 15 that are left will make it. The results sound good too. I'm surprised the blue is dominant over the gold laced..... but then I don't know much about genetics. I assume you are happy with getting all blue from your blue splash's pen?

The silver laced Frizzle sounds amazing. Do you have a picture of him?

It sounds like you are very organised, which I envy. I am always 2 steps behind with everything and have to make do and mend just to get me through my chaos! The batchelor pad is a rotten old shed (actually an old shop kiosk from the 1950's that was originally located in a park) It was on my land when I bought it but I can remember it being in use in the park when I was a child and buying ice cream there. It even still has the ice cream adverts on the shutters. I intend to demolish it as it has nearly more holes in it than panels but it is keeping the lads (mostly) out of mischief for now. Can't believe it survived that last storm we had. Unfortunately I can't afford to replace it.... at least not with anything new or decent, but after I have processed these ones I will need somewhere for the next generation of cockerels that will be coming through no doubt, so I need to visit the tip/scrap timber yard and see what I can find to recycle.

It's lovely to see some sunshine and warmer daytime temperatures at the moment and it looks to be set for the next few days which is a bonus. Hope you are getting the same pleasant weather. Don't mind the cold, but wind and wet is very demoralising. Today just feels like spring. My bees are even starting to pop out to enjoy the sunshine and look for a snow drop or two. Makes you feel good and hopefully will make my broodies feel broody! I don't have an incubator, so I have to wait for nature to take it's course. Probably just as well. It must be far too easy to put eggs in an incubator. I would end up being even more overrun than I am now.

Off out again now to prune some fruit trees, cut back a hedge that I didn't get done in the autumn and watch my chucks enjoying the sunshine whilst I work!

.

 

[Yorkshire Coop]

Yes quite happy with the blue from his pen. I to am not very good on genetics so that's why they were a pot luck test of eggs. Here's a pic of Snowy the silver lace frizzle

Bash the blue splash

Some chicks from the test batch

Have you tried Preloved for a second hand shed? Has some great bargains on there and a load of free stuff if your willing to collect.
Weather not bad down here at the minute, sun today bit frosty this morning but not too bad. I really can't wait for the spring!!
An incubator and eggs to put in are just too tempting!! And you are right will prob end up with too many. Good luck with the pruning and hedge cutting. Enjoy the sun while it lasts!

 

[rebrascora]

WOW! Snowy is a stunner!

Your chicks are gorgeous. I'm not surprised you are happy with the blues they are very pretty.

Thanks for the tip re preloved I will give it a try. Usually keeping my eyes open for skips/building work etc and putting the word out, works well in my village. My partner has a wood burning stove on which he burns pretty much anything. All the neighbours bring their old furniture etc and dump it on his driveway. There is often some useful stuff turns up that can be repurposed rather than burned (an old speaker housing made a great nest box) and I've had panelling that made bee hives), although I doubt a whole hen house will show up there..... I think I missed my calling as a scrap dealer.... or maybe I'm just a Womble in disguise!

 

[Yorkshire Coop]

Thanks! He is a love very nice for a cockerel very sweet natured and he can be easily picked up for crest and eye checking which is important for the polish.

Womble! Like that one LOL
I think I may be one too then! Love free stuff. My last load of free stuff was from the lady over the road, she was moving and put stuff out with a sign saying free. I was straight over there!! Got a guinea pig cage that I now use as my indoor house brooder. Two rabbit hutches a dog kennel. Was up and down the street with my wheelbarrow for it all. Other half hiding in the house saying I looked like Steptoe!! What a cheek from him.

 

[rebrascora]

So pleased I'm not the only one who traipses around their neighbourhood with a wheelbarrow! Thankfully my partner is quite encouraging as regards scavenging and recycling but he would like me to LOOK a little less like "Steptoe" too..... my work clothes are getting a bit frayed around the cuffs and collars and I can never stay clean for more than 5 mins at a time! Thankfully I haven't developed stubble yet though!

Lucky you having a neighbour throwing out such great stuff!

 

[Yorkshire Coop]

Hi Barbara!
How are things going? Good I hope? Brooder shed arrived but still not up. Had to make another pen for one of my groups. The silver laced cockerel decided he did not like his pen next to the blue splash cockerel anymore and was doing everything in his powers to escape his pen get in the other and attack!! What a caffuffle it has been just glad I was outside when all this occurred. Have got a new one up now right over the other side of the garden and all is well again, thank goodness.

 

[FelixFelicis]

Hi everyone I'm from Scarborough, North Yorkshire