I ordered my flock before Christmas.

[horseyrider]

I can't believe I did that.

But I got curious about availabilities, and was surprised to find that my normal favorite delivery date was already sold out for one of the varieties. So, I decided to take the plunge and git 'er done.

This flock will replace my home-grown flock. I've gone back several incestuous generations and it's starting to show, starting with a rooster some years back that developed a crooked toe. He sired some crooked toed hens, and one hatched last summer that has had increasingly bad angular limb deformities.  (Yes, I thought about butchering her, but I had an obnoxious rooster left, and choosing between an obnoxious rooster and a hen that could lay eggs if she wasn't mounted, well, it was a no-brainer to me.)

The new flock will be some Welsummers, Dorkings, Whiting True Blue, Whiting True Green, and a whole bunch of Buff Orpingtons. Some of the Buff Orpingtons will go for meat, but a few will be held for eggs.  Some eggs will be for  my dogs, and some for my daughter, as well as some for my friends. I want pretty this year.

And, if the flock turns out to be decent and not in any great rush to annihilate itself, I'll do the something similar next year. It'll be a fun experiment.

Anybody else got their spring flock squared away already?

[Skandi]

Nah I'll wait until my landhøns goes broody and then find some eggs for her, want some marans again, love the dark and huge eggs.

[ceresone]

i raised the lid to my lay box a few minutesago, and a little bantie ran into the coop, banged on the feeder twice, delibertaly, staring at me--first time i have ever seen the feeder empty--guess with this weather they are eating much more--belive me--its filled--smart lil hens. sorry for anyone who lost any--its a problem with dust--but so glad mine are in the garage. my black jeep has a fine white dust covering it

[countrymom22]

I can't even think about ordering chicks in this weather. I may just pick some up at a local farm or if I get desperate at TSC in the spring. I'm interested in mainly heritage breeds since I free range and don't use lights. Though I do have some Red sex links that are still laying up a storm at 4 years old, even in this terrible weather, so going with them again might not be so bad.

I'll have to think about it more when my brain thaws out!

With your favorite delivery date sold out for one variety, did you change your order or your delivery date? Just curious!

[horseyrider]

Jan 6, 2018 0:36:26 GMT countrymom22 said:

I can't even think about ordering chicks in this weather. I may just pick some up at a local farm or if I get desperate at TSC in the spring. I'm interested in mainly heritage breeds since I free range and don't use lights. Though I do have some Red sex links that are still laying up a storm at 4 years old, even in this terrible weather, so going with them again might not be so bad.

I'll have to think about it more when my brain thaws out!

With your favorite delivery date sold out for one variety, did you change your order or your delivery date? Just curious!

I changed my delivery date. I'm going to be two weeks earlier than usual. Then that'll mean butchering in the fall two weeks earlier, too.

I free range but do use lights.  I set the timers so they come on super early, then open the coops when I go out for morning chores.  The lights go out before sunset, except during the shortest winter days.  That way they feel like they can settle and roost.  I do use heat lamps on babies, but tend to not use them on adults.  I like the heritage breeds too, and these fly fishing chickens will be a big step away from that for me.  But I can't help but marvel at the colors!  I love pretty eggs, and instead of using egg cartons, I give extras away in little baskets I get from the thrift stores.  I line them with grass hay or straw, and people go crazy.  It's kind of fun!

I had some red sex links once.  I don't know if it was the breed or the strain in general, but wow, what a gregarious bunch of chickens!  I used to swear that if they had thumbs, they'd steal the car and go drag racing on the back roads.  Are yours a little, uh, extra active?

[gracielagata]

I'm just happy that my hens have started laying already!
We have 7 pullet hens, 4 of which my BO hen hatched out, along with 3 are speckled sussex that a good friend gave me. And our singlet baby from late Sept looks to be a pullet so far as well, thankfully!

I think this year to get a better hatch rate, I am going to put our rooster in a large dog crate with a hen that he is interested in. Heck, I think I will alternate out the hens, to get some variety. I have never had higher than about 40% hatch rate, and usually it is closer to 30% or less. But she is an excellent momma.

... You whiting true greens and blues... I had to look those up. Beautiful! I had a mutt that I thought was an EE who looked very similar to the true greens... makes me wonder now...

[allenw]

I need to get some this year, was looking around and seen Hoover's had a production mix. I don't know if that's exactly what they called it, it's made up of sex links and leghorns. I'm thinking about mid Feb. would be a good time for me to start some, a couple weeks inside and then outside under a brooder.

[Deleted]

[quote author="gracielagata" source="/post/166046/thread"

I think this year to get a better hatch rate, I am going to put our rooster in a large dog crate with a hen that he is interested in.

When my roosters havehad favorites the hens get scratched and defeathered, with much more than usual fussing and running when he approaches them. Even with chicken saddles this might worry me. I’m no expert but maybe you could candle the eggs, as well as mark the dates you find them in the nest? I’ve read that hatch rate depends on a lot of factors from genes to humidity. Just some thoughts. I hope whatever you decide to do helps you get more chicks.

[gracielagata]

@home2stay,Thankfully causing feather loss was never an issue with any previous rooster! I just knew watching, there were a few hens who readily submitted, and a few who spazzed and he had to chase to get the deed done, and a few I never once saw him show interest in.
I figured using that logic, set him up in a crate with those who readily submit, as my assumption would be that they will more readily produce viable eggs.

But now I am on a new rooster. A Speckled Sussex I am really excited for. Plus I also have 4 same age as him, young SS hens too!


Candling... does that not happen just days before they hatch anyhow? Seems like it would still cause too many unhatched eggs?
Marking... I don't think that was the issue. I collected all eggs for hatching on the counter in a bowl for a handful of days, then stuck them under my broody in the nursery coop. The eggs then only had to be moved that one time- from the collection point to into the nursery coop with mom mom on top. That way there was less worry on breakage.

She gets mad at me for moving her from a nest box in the main coop, even when she sees eggs under her and then would get up and leave the nursery coop and run around peeved to be separated. I worried that was part of the problem, so the next time, I just set her in the nursery coop *next* to the eggs, to let her get on them her own way and not break them. But I now also lock her into the actual coop, not just the yard of it. This seems to work better, as she gives in and settle down onto the eggs faster.

Every hatching she has had, I have found 1 or 2 dead little chick bodies in the nest straw. I don't know if they were eggs she deemed bad 'in utero' or if she stepped on babies after they hatched and killed them. ....?

She is a great mom though.

Sorry to hijack, was just wondering if anyone had any ideas, since @home2stay, mentioned it.