Hi Yorkshirecoop
Apologies for not replying to your previous post before now. Don't know how I missed it! All good here. I put my two Marek's girls out in the stack yard this afternoon to get some sun and fresh air and munch on some sticky jack shoots. Both of them managed to make their way back across the yard and into the hen house whilst my sister and my sister and I were out riding and were waiting the rest of the flock when I got back for their evening mixed corn treat. The more paralysed of the two was nest bound a couple of weeks ago but in the past few days she has been standing more each day and getting out of the nest and moving about in the sick bay/brooder. She is still pretty clumsy compared to the other one who is a very agile hopper, but she is putting her foot to the ground and walking with the help of a wing every now and then so I'm absolutely delighted with that progress.
I processed the first of my cockerels last week and tried to roast it slowly, but it was tough so it went in the slow cooker and came out beautiful. I was anxious that I wouldn't like the flavour as I had been told that it was different, but it really wasn't significantly stronger than store bought chicken.... I was worried it might be gamey. Anyway, I was very proud of myself for carrying out the whole process on my own without any help. The killing part was definitely the hardest... by a long chalk. Just 11 more to go!!!!
My older girls are coming back into lay again now and most of the younger ones are laying so I'm getting 12-15 eggs a day..... I just have to hunt to find them all. I think they have developed another secret nest somewhere today as I didn't get any Marans eggs. The Welsummer left me one though so at least I had one dark brown egg to go with my pink, white, blue and green ones.
How are your breeding pens working out. Is your silver laced boy happy now? Have you had any more hatches since your last post. I'm still waiting for a broody to get the itch and my RIR to come back into lay although sods law she will have been mated by the welliie/leghorn roo instead of Harry the legbar, when I want that particular cross. I like the fact that they are free range and don't want to mess with the dynamics of the flock by setting up breeding pens but I guess I could pen the other roo up for a few weeks once Henrietta starts laying..... thinking about it I don't think I have seen either of them mate Henrietta.... she is possibly top hen now I think.... in a large mixed flock it's difficult to keep track of the pecking order! Her daughter is certainly a high climber in that respect.
Hi FelixFelicis and welcome
I would recommend to include a couple of black sex links in your small set up. I had a couple of black rocks which I loved (but were sadly taken by a fox) and my neighbour has a black star, Molly, who is now 8yrs old and still laying an egg or two a week. She is his favourite. I don't have any experience of Orpingtons or Wyandottes but the laced ones are pretty birds and I believe they lay well..... or what about getting some polish like Yorkshirecoop breeds.
As regards predators I have lost more chickens to domestic dogs this time around but last time it was a fox and it was coming through the day to get them. (I had them locked away at night). The chickens were so used to free ranging when I got them that they could not cope with being penned up, but in the end the fox picked them all off one by one. So far this time I don't think I have had a fox attack, but there is a shooting syndicate near by and they go out at night with rifles and night sights to shoot the foxes to protect their game birds, so I guess I am benefitting from that at the moment.
Anyway, good luck with your run and coop and finding birds you like, but beware chicken keeping is very addictive and inevitably you want more once you get your first few!
I live in a tiny village bordering a woods and a lot of farm land and yet I've never seen a fox! I'm sure they'll be about though in an area like this so I won't be taking any chances.
How are things going? Good I hope. All go here at the moment got the brooder shed up and it's being well used. Got the incubator on again for the third time with 20 eggs in all developing well. Have got 18 polish in and i am trying a couple of my Amber links eggs in too. She is in with the silver lace roo as I had to rehome my other Amber as she was a pain in the you know what. She is at the farm where I keep the horse with their mixed flock. Much happier there too and I still get to see her everyday which is a plus.
