For the most part, my chickens have either stopped laying entirely or have slowed down so considerably that we're getting only two or three dozen eggs each week. That's not nearly enough to satisfy our regular egg customers. I'll be contacting my egg customers this week to let them know that we will suspend egg deliveries until egg production is back up.
Last week I bought 12 female day-old chicks. They will be added to my layer pen in the spring. Hopefully getting the new layers will keep us from experiencing the severe drop in egg laying next winter. We also have a few older pullets that will be reaching laying age over the next couple months. So the future is looking brighter for egg laying here at Dogwood Trace Farm.
A Middle Tennessee farm dedicated to living closer to nature and becoming more self-sustaining
Sunday, November 11, 2012
Saturday, September 22, 2012
Pickup and Pumpkin
We were sad when our cat, Troy, disappeared. He was such a faithful little buddy around our farm. A predator must've gotten him during one of his many hunting expeditions through the woods surrounding our home.
When it was obvious that Troy was gone and not coming back, I asked my Facebook friends if anyone had any cats they'd like to re-home. I was fortunate to immediately learn of a mother cat and one of her kittens that were available. The mother cat, Pumpkin, had just appeared at the home of the mother of one of my friends. The mom had taken care of the pregnant cat until the kittens were born. Then when the kittens were old enough she started finding homes for them. She found a home for all of them except one. So we were lucky enough to get Pumpkin and Pickup. Ron named Pickup. My friend's mother named Pumpkin. She has an orange pumpkin-colored spot on her head. In the photo below you can see the spot on Pumpkin's head. Pickup has four white feet.
The photo below shows Pickup "playing" with the chickens. Pickup jumps at them, they squawk, and then she does it again. They try to ignore her most of the time.
And here is Pickup sitting on top of Jake. I think Jake just has a "What're you gonna do?" attitude about it.
Pumpkin and Pickup have settled into life at Dogwood Trace really well. Since Pumpkin was accustomed to living on her own before being adopted by my friend's mother, she stays away from the house most of the time. She likes to prowl through the woods. However, when I go out to feed them, she's always right there. Pickup, on the other hand, has already become good friends with Jake - taking up where Troy left off - snuggling with Jake - and even standing on top of him!
We miss Troy, but we are happy to have Pumpkin and Pickup as our resident mousers.
When it was obvious that Troy was gone and not coming back, I asked my Facebook friends if anyone had any cats they'd like to re-home. I was fortunate to immediately learn of a mother cat and one of her kittens that were available. The mother cat, Pumpkin, had just appeared at the home of the mother of one of my friends. The mom had taken care of the pregnant cat until the kittens were born. Then when the kittens were old enough she started finding homes for them. She found a home for all of them except one. So we were lucky enough to get Pumpkin and Pickup. Ron named Pickup. My friend's mother named Pumpkin. She has an orange pumpkin-colored spot on her head. In the photo below you can see the spot on Pumpkin's head. Pickup has four white feet.
Pumpkin and Pickup have settled into life at Dogwood Trace really well. Since Pumpkin was accustomed to living on her own before being adopted by my friend's mother, she stays away from the house most of the time. She likes to prowl through the woods. However, when I go out to feed them, she's always right there. Pickup, on the other hand, has already become good friends with Jake - taking up where Troy left off - snuggling with Jake - and even standing on top of him!
We miss Troy, but we are happy to have Pumpkin and Pickup as our resident mousers.
Fall at Dogwood Trace
It's the first day of Fall - or is it the second? Either way - it's fall! I'm so glad for the cooler weather. The chickens here at Dogwood Trace are thriving.
Right now we have some Lavender Araucana eggs in the incubator that should be hatching soon. We also have some Cream Legbar egg from our own flock in there. The next few days should be exciting as the hatching begins.
Yesterday I picked some carrots, tomatoes and peppers from our garden. Ron had plowed the larger garden. The vegetables I picked yesterday were from the boxes. We plan on planting a fall garden - and we need to get that done ASAP. Some lettuces, cabbage and other greens - maybe some onions and other root vegetables. I hope we haven't waited too late.
We got a great crop of pears and apples from our little orchard this year. And the fig tree I planted in the spring has grown like crazy. I've canned lots of pear jelly, pear sauce and pear preserves. Ron peeled and chopped apples for me - then put them in the freezer. As soon as I have some time, I plan on making apple sauce, apple butter and apple pie filling from it.
We went to Georgia and picked muscadines at Ron's mother's house. The muscadine jam was so good that when Ron had to go down there a couple weeks ago, I told him to pick as may as he could. He picked THIRTEEN gallons. So I've been busy making muscadine jam and then processing other muscadines to freeze for other recipes later. We still have 3 gallons left in the refrigerator, and I plan to get those processed this weekend.
I learned to pressure can this year! I canned about 20 quarts of tomatoes from our garden, along with about 5 pints of green beans. I've already used lots of the tomatoes in chili and other sauces that I've made. I use lots of tomatoes in my cooking. So I doubt I could ever can too may tomatoes! Now that I've learned to use the pressure canner, I intend to do more foods.
One of our favorite times of the day is the last hour or two before dark. We sit in lawn chairs by the chicken coop and let the chickens free range under our supervision. It's a pleasant time to enjoy being outside, to relax and reflect on our day.
We are loving our little "hobby farm" in Tennessee.
Right now we have some Lavender Araucana eggs in the incubator that should be hatching soon. We also have some Cream Legbar egg from our own flock in there. The next few days should be exciting as the hatching begins.
Yesterday I picked some carrots, tomatoes and peppers from our garden. Ron had plowed the larger garden. The vegetables I picked yesterday were from the boxes. We plan on planting a fall garden - and we need to get that done ASAP. Some lettuces, cabbage and other greens - maybe some onions and other root vegetables. I hope we haven't waited too late.
We got a great crop of pears and apples from our little orchard this year. And the fig tree I planted in the spring has grown like crazy. I've canned lots of pear jelly, pear sauce and pear preserves. Ron peeled and chopped apples for me - then put them in the freezer. As soon as I have some time, I plan on making apple sauce, apple butter and apple pie filling from it.
We went to Georgia and picked muscadines at Ron's mother's house. The muscadine jam was so good that when Ron had to go down there a couple weeks ago, I told him to pick as may as he could. He picked THIRTEEN gallons. So I've been busy making muscadine jam and then processing other muscadines to freeze for other recipes later. We still have 3 gallons left in the refrigerator, and I plan to get those processed this weekend.
I learned to pressure can this year! I canned about 20 quarts of tomatoes from our garden, along with about 5 pints of green beans. I've already used lots of the tomatoes in chili and other sauces that I've made. I use lots of tomatoes in my cooking. So I doubt I could ever can too may tomatoes! Now that I've learned to use the pressure canner, I intend to do more foods.
One of our favorite times of the day is the last hour or two before dark. We sit in lawn chairs by the chicken coop and let the chickens free range under our supervision. It's a pleasant time to enjoy being outside, to relax and reflect on our day.
We are loving our little "hobby farm" in Tennessee.
Monday, July 9, 2012
Baby Swedish Flower Hens!
Blackie brooded eight Swedish Flower Hen eggs. When we got home from vacation on Saturday evening, there were three chicks hatched. Another chick had hatched, but it had died. I really believe the 100 plus degree weather for the past two weeks had something to do with it. Either the baby got too hot or it smothered. Then by Sunday another chick hatched. Monday morning I checked the three remaining eggs - one had never developed at all, another developed partly and then quit, and the third started hatching but died before making it out of the shell. So our hatch rate wasn't as good as when Onyx brooded eggs. However, Onyx didn't brood during an all-time record-breaking heat wave. The very next time I have a hen go broody, I intend to save more SFH hatching eggs to put under her.
Here are the four healthy and thriving chicks.
I like the variety of colors. There is the one yellow/brown one in the top part of the photo. Then there are two mostly black & gray chicks, and then a gray and white one. I am eager to see whether they develops crests, too. With the rooster and two of the three hens having crests, it is likely that most of them will have crests, too.
Some people breed against crests, but I love the crests. So I'm excited that these chicks will probably have crests.
In the pen with the rooster and three hens are two younger pullets - 16 weeks old now. So in just a few weeks, I'll have five layers. I'll look forward to seeing what the pullet/cockerel count ends up being with these four new chicks.
Here are the four healthy and thriving chicks.
I like the variety of colors. There is the one yellow/brown one in the top part of the photo. Then there are two mostly black & gray chicks, and then a gray and white one. I am eager to see whether they develops crests, too. With the rooster and two of the three hens having crests, it is likely that most of them will have crests, too.
Some people breed against crests, but I love the crests. So I'm excited that these chicks will probably have crests.
In the pen with the rooster and three hens are two younger pullets - 16 weeks old now. So in just a few weeks, I'll have five layers. I'll look forward to seeing what the pullet/cockerel count ends up being with these four new chicks.
Thursday, July 5, 2012
Away from the Farm for a Week
We are on vacation - and while I'm loving the beach and being with my children and grandchildren, I still keep thinking of my chickens. In our part of Tennessee, the temperature has been over 100 for much of the past two weeks.
Poor Blackie, our 15-month Jersey Giant started sitting on 8 Swedish Flower Hen eggs almost three weeks ago. She's in the broody pen in our coop, and I worry about how stuffy it is in there for her. I miscounted the days - and I put the eggs under her a day earlier than I should have. With this heat, the eggs will likely hatch early. So, instead of having the eggs hatch on Sunday as I'd hoped, almost certainly the chicks will start hatching tomorrow - and I won't be home until Saturday.
I'm just hoping everything goes well - that the coop isn't too hot and stuffy for the baby chicks. And, since the pop doors to the coop have remained open all week, I'm hoping that the run has continued to be secure and that chickens have been safe, cool and happy for the week that I've been gone.
We have had a trusted friend take care of our animals while we've been gone. But he will only go by once each day.
I'm really anxious to get home on Saturday and see that everything survived okay for a week with me.
Poor Blackie, our 15-month Jersey Giant started sitting on 8 Swedish Flower Hen eggs almost three weeks ago. She's in the broody pen in our coop, and I worry about how stuffy it is in there for her. I miscounted the days - and I put the eggs under her a day earlier than I should have. With this heat, the eggs will likely hatch early. So, instead of having the eggs hatch on Sunday as I'd hoped, almost certainly the chicks will start hatching tomorrow - and I won't be home until Saturday.
I'm just hoping everything goes well - that the coop isn't too hot and stuffy for the baby chicks. And, since the pop doors to the coop have remained open all week, I'm hoping that the run has continued to be secure and that chickens have been safe, cool and happy for the week that I've been gone.
We have had a trusted friend take care of our animals while we've been gone. But he will only go by once each day.
I'm really anxious to get home on Saturday and see that everything survived okay for a week with me.
Friday, June 15, 2012
The Chicks Hatched!
Onyx, our broody Araucana, successfully hatched nine chicks on Monday & Tuesday. And by yesterday, they were already running all over the coop and the run. I am so totally sold on broody hens! That's the way to go for hatching eggs!
These photos were when they were just a few hours old. Below is a video taken just a little later.
Sunday, June 3, 2012
Broodiness! It's contagious
While Ron an I were out of town this weekend, our son took care of the chickens for us. When I talked with him Saturday night, he said, "Mom, I think you have another broody hen." I asked him which one, and he said the black one. We have three solid black hens. One is Onyx - and she's already in the brood pen sitting on 11 eggs. That leaves Blackie ( a Jersey Giant) and Whiskers (an Araucana) as the possibly broody. It ended up being Blackie.
Last summer Blackie went broody, and I broke her of it because at the time there was no place where I could isolate her while she sat on the eggs. Plus we didn't have a rooster - and I was too new to chickens to know that I could easily get fertilized eggs from other chicken enthusiasts around Nashville.
So Blackie is broody. Tomorrow I plan on getting some hatching eggs from some Backyard Chickens folks in middle Tennessee - hopefully some unusual breeds. Then I'll set Blackie up in the same pen as Onyx and let her sit to her heart's content. I'm not positive that I'm going to put her with Onyx. I need to do some reading and see if there will be any problems with putting the two together. I wouldn't want Blackie to bother Onyx's chicks when they hatch next week.
Last summer Blackie went broody, and I broke her of it because at the time there was no place where I could isolate her while she sat on the eggs. Plus we didn't have a rooster - and I was too new to chickens to know that I could easily get fertilized eggs from other chicken enthusiasts around Nashville.
So Blackie is broody. Tomorrow I plan on getting some hatching eggs from some Backyard Chickens folks in middle Tennessee - hopefully some unusual breeds. Then I'll set Blackie up in the same pen as Onyx and let her sit to her heart's content. I'm not positive that I'm going to put her with Onyx. I need to do some reading and see if there will be any problems with putting the two together. I wouldn't want Blackie to bother Onyx's chicks when they hatch next week.
Thursday, May 31, 2012
Onyx sitting on her nest
Here is a photo of Onyx - our first broody hen. Onyx is a rumpless Araucana. She is sitting on 11 eggs. It's anyone's guess about the eggs. I collected the eggs just a few days after I re-homed several of our roosters. It should be interesting to see what chicks emerge. I hope that out of the 11 eggs, I get at least 3 or 4 pullets to add to our laying flock.
Yes - the nest box she is in is a modular storage box I got at Walmart. When I saw it, I knew it was perfect for a nest box - and it is!
Yes - the nest box she is in is a modular storage box I got at Walmart. When I saw it, I knew it was perfect for a nest box - and it is!
Onyx doesn't look very happy that I'm taking her photo. At least I didn't disturb her by trying to get a photo of the eggs underneath her.
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
Onyx, the Broody Hen
Onyx, our solid black Araucana is broody! Until last year when I got chickens and started reading about them, I wasn't sure what broody meant! When a hen "goes broody" it means that she wants to sit on and hatch some eggs.
The signs of a broody hen are unmistakeable. She will get in a nest box and stay there - all day, all night - for days. She might get up for a very few minutes each day to eat, drink and poop. Then she's right back in the nest. Broody hens are very protective of their nest. If you come anywhere close to her, she will growl at you. She also keeps her feathered fluffed up as big as possible to cover the eggs well.
After Onyx had been in the nest box for a couple days, I moved her to her very own broody pen and put 11 fertilized (hopefully!) eggs in the nest box for her. She has been sitting on them faithfully since last Wednesday. Incubation for chickens takes 21 days - although with the heat we have here right now, these might hatch a day or two early. So Tuesday, June 12th is the approximate hatch date. I'll be checking on her often during that Monday and Tuesday.
I'll post a photo of Onyx on her nest soon. And once we have chicks - I'll be sure to post photos of Mama Onyx and her babies.
The signs of a broody hen are unmistakeable. She will get in a nest box and stay there - all day, all night - for days. She might get up for a very few minutes each day to eat, drink and poop. Then she's right back in the nest. Broody hens are very protective of their nest. If you come anywhere close to her, she will growl at you. She also keeps her feathered fluffed up as big as possible to cover the eggs well.
After Onyx had been in the nest box for a couple days, I moved her to her very own broody pen and put 11 fertilized (hopefully!) eggs in the nest box for her. She has been sitting on them faithfully since last Wednesday. Incubation for chickens takes 21 days - although with the heat we have here right now, these might hatch a day or two early. So Tuesday, June 12th is the approximate hatch date. I'll be checking on her often during that Monday and Tuesday.
I'll post a photo of Onyx on her nest soon. And once we have chicks - I'll be sure to post photos of Mama Onyx and her babies.
Sunday, May 6, 2012
Dogwood Trace is NPIP certified!
We had our flock tested today - and everything turned out great. We'll get our NPIP certificate in the mail when all the paperwork is completed and filed. I finished up my part of the paperwork a few minutes ago and have it ready to put in tomorrow's mail.
It ended up not being that big of a deal. Thomas, the animal health technician, that came out from the TN Dept. of Agriculture, was such a courteous and professional young man. He knew what he was doing and everything went smoothly. Ron and I systematically caught each bird to be tested, held it while Thomas did the required tests, and then released it back to the flock. I had been dreading it because I thought it would take forever. However, it was over in less than an hour total with only a small amount of effort involved.
YEA!!!!!
It ended up not being that big of a deal. Thomas, the animal health technician, that came out from the TN Dept. of Agriculture, was such a courteous and professional young man. He knew what he was doing and everything went smoothly. Ron and I systematically caught each bird to be tested, held it while Thomas did the required tests, and then released it back to the flock. I had been dreading it because I thought it would take forever. However, it was over in less than an hour total with only a small amount of effort involved.
YEA!!!!!
Friday, May 4, 2012
NPIP Testing this weekend
Finally - after a long game of phone tag between me and the NPIP folks, our flock will undergo NPIP testing this weekend. NPIP is the National Poultry Improvement Plan - and it just means that our flock will be tested for some poultry diseases. It will be one more part of our plan to ensure that our flock is as healthy and robust as possible!
Saturday, April 28, 2012
More Roosters Sold
We've had an abundance of roosters hatched out at Dogwood Trace lately! This past week, I was able to sell ten of them! I sold four Swedish Flower Hen roos, 3 Rhodebar roos and 3 Cream Legbar roos. That still left me with a good-size breeding flock of each of those breeds.
Now I still need to sell a few more roos - and I'm afraid that I have a disproportionately high number of roos among the chicks in the grow-out pen. I love having one or two roosters. But more than that is just too many.
Now I still need to sell a few more roos - and I'm afraid that I have a disproportionately high number of roos among the chicks in the grow-out pen. I love having one or two roosters. But more than that is just too many.
Thursday, April 19, 2012
Beekeeping at Dogwood Trace Farm
Dogwood Trace Farm has now entered the ranks for beekeepers. On Tuesday of this week (April 17, 2012) Ron set up two hives - with the expert help of two of our good friends, Cherry Lane and Jim. The most difficult part of getting the hives set up was leveling the cement blocks that the hives would be set on. Once they were leveled, it only took a few minutes. Since I didn't have a bee-keeping hat/veil, I watched from the car. Ron, Cherry Lane and Jim got everything done quickly. Even though Ron didn't wear gloves, he didn't get stung a single time. Jim was stung once. Amazing! It'll be a year before we are able to harvest any honey. I sure am looking forward to that, though!
Monday, April 16, 2012
The Garden is Planted
We finished planting our garden yesterday. Someone told me that their grandmother said to always wait till after April 15th to plant a garden. Yesterday was April 15th. So I guess we did okay. The chicken coop in the background with the garden in the foreground makes for a relaxing country setting.
In the photo above, our herb garden is in the foreground. All the herbs are in boxes or pots. The rosemary, oregano, thyme, sage, curly leaf-parsley, flat-leaf parsley, lemon balm and mint over-wintered and is doing great. Then I planted new basil, dill, leeks, stevia and chives. I found out from last year's herb garden, that I use the herbs a LOT. It's nice to be cooking and be able to walk a few steps from the back door and pick fresh herbs for whatever I need. I use the mint and the lemon balm in iced water or iced tea. I've even made a cup of tea with the lemon balm. This year I want to dry the stevia leaves and use it for sweetening.
In the photo below you can see how large the parsley, sage, oregano, lemon balm and thyme had gotten. I'll be dividing it soon to share with friends in my FCE club. That's what the smaller pots between the boxes are for.
In the vegetable garden, we have planted 32 tomato plants, about 8 peppers - several different varieties, asparagus, carrots, garlic, lettuce (couple of varieties), spinach, yellow onions, red onions, zuccini, crook-neck squash, acorn squash, butternut squash, okra, broccoli, beans, cucumbers, and peas.
In the photo below, there are almost two full rows of tomatoes. On the second row at the end is where the pepper plants are. There are four cross-poles with beans, four with peas, and one with cucumbers.
This next photo shows lettuces and spinach - and a bush tomato plant. There are carrots planted next to the lettuce in the far box, but those aren't coming up very well. I may till that half of the box and re-plant.
The box below is doing really well. I have another bush tomato plant in the corner, four rows of carrots beside it. Then a small section of garlic, and across the end is asparagus.
I am determined to do a better job of keeping weeds down this year. I got a special weed hoe yesterday at Home Depot, and I'll use that I weed between the plants. I should make weeding a twice-weekly job. Consistency will be the key.
In the photo above, our herb garden is in the foreground. All the herbs are in boxes or pots. The rosemary, oregano, thyme, sage, curly leaf-parsley, flat-leaf parsley, lemon balm and mint over-wintered and is doing great. Then I planted new basil, dill, leeks, stevia and chives. I found out from last year's herb garden, that I use the herbs a LOT. It's nice to be cooking and be able to walk a few steps from the back door and pick fresh herbs for whatever I need. I use the mint and the lemon balm in iced water or iced tea. I've even made a cup of tea with the lemon balm. This year I want to dry the stevia leaves and use it for sweetening.
In the photo below you can see how large the parsley, sage, oregano, lemon balm and thyme had gotten. I'll be dividing it soon to share with friends in my FCE club. That's what the smaller pots between the boxes are for.
In the vegetable garden, we have planted 32 tomato plants, about 8 peppers - several different varieties, asparagus, carrots, garlic, lettuce (couple of varieties), spinach, yellow onions, red onions, zuccini, crook-neck squash, acorn squash, butternut squash, okra, broccoli, beans, cucumbers, and peas.
In the photo below, there are almost two full rows of tomatoes. On the second row at the end is where the pepper plants are. There are four cross-poles with beans, four with peas, and one with cucumbers.
This next photo shows lettuces and spinach - and a bush tomato plant. There are carrots planted next to the lettuce in the far box, but those aren't coming up very well. I may till that half of the box and re-plant.
The box below is doing really well. I have another bush tomato plant in the corner, four rows of carrots beside it. Then a small section of garlic, and across the end is asparagus.
I am determined to do a better job of keeping weeds down this year. I got a special weed hoe yesterday at Home Depot, and I'll use that I weed between the plants. I should make weeding a twice-weekly job. Consistency will be the key.
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
Our Chicken House
Our son (the landscaper) had his guys finish up the landscaping around the chicken house today. Here are some photos.
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| I love the dogwood tree on the corner. It has so many blooms! No wonder our chickens provide us with so many delicious and nutritious eggs. Just look at the beautiful and functional chicken house and run they have! |
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| This photo shows our garden plot in the foreground. Ron plowed it yesterday for the first time - just breaking up the soil in preparation for the serious plowing before planting. |
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| The chicken house and run is in the background. My herb and "salad" garden boxes are in the foreground. My parsley (both Italian flat leaf and curly-leaf), lemon balm, rosemary, oregano and thyme did great over the winter. I had to put out new basil, though. I have various lettuces, carrots, tomatoes, peppers, asparagus, onions, garlic and leeks in the boxes. |
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| Here are a few of the chickens enjoying their roomy run. I put out six bags of pine shavings to make the floor of the run look nice. In addition to looking nice, it gives the chickens something to do. They LOVE kicking the pine shavings around and pecking in it, too. |
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
Sold 16 chicks
I sold 16 chicks today. I looked at the coop today - the full layer pen, the full grow-out pen and the full brooder pen, and I decided that I had gone overboard on hatching chicks - especially since I have more in the incubator.
So I sold 16 of the chicks - a combination of Easter Eggers, Araucanas, Exchequer Leghorns and some I'd bought at the Co-Op and TSC. A young family with 5 children bought them, and they were really happy with their new little flock.
I kept 2 Araucanas, the 2 Blue Isbars and 5 of my Easter Eggers.
So I sold 16 of the chicks - a combination of Easter Eggers, Araucanas, Exchequer Leghorns and some I'd bought at the Co-Op and TSC. A young family with 5 children bought them, and they were really happy with their new little flock.
I kept 2 Araucanas, the 2 Blue Isbars and 5 of my Easter Eggers.
Sunday, March 4, 2012
A Chicken-Related Weekend
Yesterday morning we sold Red, the Rhode Island Red/New Hampshire mix rooster along with a Black Orpington rooster. I was actually glad to see both of them go - but for different reasons. Leroy, our EE rooster, and Red were constantly competing for the favors of the hens. And Leroy usually won since he's the more dominant one. And I didn't want Red to sire any chicks. I only want blue or green egg chickens to be breeders. So Red went to a place where the woman only had 5 hens and no rooster. He is probably much happier now because he will be the only rooster at his new home - and he'll have all the hens to himself - at least until the Black Orp starts giving him a little competition.
I was glad to see the Black Orp go because he reminded me of how I was taken on some hatching eggs. A woman advertised on BYC about how she had a wonderful "Chocolate Orpington" project going. Thinking I was getting Chocolate Orpington (very rare!) eggs - or at least a darker or richer buff color, I paid a ridiculous price for the eggs - and hatched out two Black Orpingtons (very common). I sold the female chick along with other pullets a couple weeks ago. Now with the male Black Orp gone, I won't think about that unfortunate mistake so often. Live and learn.
Yesterday morning we also had to do our first culling. Our young Araucana rooster was acting very sick - unable to hold up his head and extremely lethargic. He was obviously near death, and we knew that the kindest thing we could do was to humanely cull him. If he had an illness, we needed to get him away from the other chickens immediately, and if it was because of an injury, the other chickens would peck at him. Ron took care of it for me, and we buried him nearby. None of the other chickens are acting sick at all - so we're wondering if maybe he flew into a wall or something and had internal injuries. Whatever happened to him - I was sad to see him go.
Our other chicken-related activity was building the fence wall in the run to separate the middle pen from the large pen. Now the 11 Swedish Flower Hens can go outside each day.
I was glad to see the Black Orp go because he reminded me of how I was taken on some hatching eggs. A woman advertised on BYC about how she had a wonderful "Chocolate Orpington" project going. Thinking I was getting Chocolate Orpington (very rare!) eggs - or at least a darker or richer buff color, I paid a ridiculous price for the eggs - and hatched out two Black Orpingtons (very common). I sold the female chick along with other pullets a couple weeks ago. Now with the male Black Orp gone, I won't think about that unfortunate mistake so often. Live and learn.
Yesterday morning we also had to do our first culling. Our young Araucana rooster was acting very sick - unable to hold up his head and extremely lethargic. He was obviously near death, and we knew that the kindest thing we could do was to humanely cull him. If he had an illness, we needed to get him away from the other chickens immediately, and if it was because of an injury, the other chickens would peck at him. Ron took care of it for me, and we buried him nearby. None of the other chickens are acting sick at all - so we're wondering if maybe he flew into a wall or something and had internal injuries. Whatever happened to him - I was sad to see him go.
Our other chicken-related activity was building the fence wall in the run to separate the middle pen from the large pen. Now the 11 Swedish Flower Hens can go outside each day.
Friday, February 24, 2012
Rumpless AND Tufted!
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| Our first rumpless and tufted Araucana that we hatched ourselves! |
Any suggestions for names?
For anyone who is curious: The Araucana breed of chicken came the United States from Chile. They were first bred by the Araucanian Indians in Chile - which is where they got their name.
The Aracauna has three distinguishing characteristics: (1) It is rumpless (missing the last vertebrae and thus lacking a tail); (2) it has feather tufts near each ear; and (3) it lays a blue egg.
Both the rumpless feature and the tufts feature don't appear on all Araucana.
I have one hen that has a tuft on one side of her face. Then I have two that have no tufts at all. I hatched out two other Araucanas back in December - neither have tufts and only one is rumpless. The other one has 4 or 5 feathers sticking out in the back. It's rather funny looking!
So I'm really thrilled to have my first rumpless and double-tufted Araucana. I have more Araucana eggs in the incubator - and hopefully within a few weeks I'll have more rumpless and tufted chicks.
Saturday, February 18, 2012
Hello and Buh-bye!
First the Hello!
I've had chicks hatching this week. I wrote earlier about our first grandchick. So far we have 1 rumpless Aracauna, 4 Easter Eggers (from our own Leroy and assorted hens), and now 5 Exchequer Leghorns. I ordered the leghorn eggs from a seller on eBay - and they did real well. Out of nine eggs, 8 were growing when I last candled them. I don't know why the other three didn't hatch.
Now the Buh-bye!
I sold my three black copper marans chicks today. They were 8 weeks old and two of them were cockerels - which I definitely didn't want. The woman who bought them (from Craigslist) wanted the pullet, too. After I thought about it, I realized that the pullet by itself would have a hard time integrating into my layer flock. So I decided to sell all three. I still want a black copper marans pullet, but I will wait and get it when I get some other chicks so she'll have some buddies. I think a deep chocolate colored egg would look good with the other eggs I have.
I still want to get a gold laced wyandotte, a silver laced wyandotte, a speckled sussex and some other marans for the laying flock eventually.
My original 7 chickens (Rosemary, Blackie, Oreo, Abby, Annabelle, Ariel, Willow) are a year old now. By this time next year, they will be slowing down on laying, and I need to have others waiting to take over egg duty.
Now the only chicks left in my grow-out pen are the 11 Swedish Flower Hens. They are 7 weeks old now. When they get about 12 weeks old, I'm going to move them into a coop by themselves. They'll be my first breeder flock. The Exchequer Leghorns that hatched this week will be my second breeder flock. Then I have Blue Isbars, Cream Legbars and Rhodebars on their way soon from Greenfire Farms - and I also have some Isbars and Legbar eggs in the incubator. So they will be my third, fourth and fifth breeder flocks.
I've had chicks hatching this week. I wrote earlier about our first grandchick. So far we have 1 rumpless Aracauna, 4 Easter Eggers (from our own Leroy and assorted hens), and now 5 Exchequer Leghorns. I ordered the leghorn eggs from a seller on eBay - and they did real well. Out of nine eggs, 8 were growing when I last candled them. I don't know why the other three didn't hatch.
Now the Buh-bye!
I sold my three black copper marans chicks today. They were 8 weeks old and two of them were cockerels - which I definitely didn't want. The woman who bought them (from Craigslist) wanted the pullet, too. After I thought about it, I realized that the pullet by itself would have a hard time integrating into my layer flock. So I decided to sell all three. I still want a black copper marans pullet, but I will wait and get it when I get some other chicks so she'll have some buddies. I think a deep chocolate colored egg would look good with the other eggs I have.
I still want to get a gold laced wyandotte, a silver laced wyandotte, a speckled sussex and some other marans for the laying flock eventually.
My original 7 chickens (Rosemary, Blackie, Oreo, Abby, Annabelle, Ariel, Willow) are a year old now. By this time next year, they will be slowing down on laying, and I need to have others waiting to take over egg duty.
Now the only chicks left in my grow-out pen are the 11 Swedish Flower Hens. They are 7 weeks old now. When they get about 12 weeks old, I'm going to move them into a coop by themselves. They'll be my first breeder flock. The Exchequer Leghorns that hatched this week will be my second breeder flock. Then I have Blue Isbars, Cream Legbars and Rhodebars on their way soon from Greenfire Farms - and I also have some Isbars and Legbar eggs in the incubator. So they will be my third, fourth and fifth breeder flocks.
Monday, February 13, 2012
Successful Integration!
Yesterday was our big integration day! We permanently put the seven chickens from the grow-out pen in with the larger flock. I simply closed off the door to the grow-out pen yesterday morning. The younger chickens spent the day out in the pen with the older chickens - with plenty of room and plenty of places to hide if one of the older chickens pecked at them. The day went along with minimal pecking as they began working out the new pecking order.
As nighttime fell, several of the younger chickens went right up to the big roost with the others. There were three that seemed lost and stayed near the door to the grow-out pen - obviously wanting to go back to their familiar roosting place. I had to physically pick them up and place them on the roost. Tonight they will most likely all go to the roost on their own.
In the younger flock I had one Swedish Flower Hen. She is smaller than the other birds, and I noticed that she was being picked on more out in the run. Since she was so small - I moved her back to the grow-out pen which by then was housing the chicks from the brooder. The brooder chicks were 10 Swedish Flower Hens and 3 Black Copper Marans. Since I would eventually put all the Swedish Flower Hens together anyway, and since there wasn't that big a difference in sizes, I felt it was a good time to put all the SFHs together. And it worked! When I checked on them later, they were all piled up together sleeping.
Now we have an empty brooder pen in the chicken house. Later this week I'll clean it out - and soon the new chicks that are hatching will move from the brooder in our guest room into the brooder in the chicken house.
As nighttime fell, several of the younger chickens went right up to the big roost with the others. There were three that seemed lost and stayed near the door to the grow-out pen - obviously wanting to go back to their familiar roosting place. I had to physically pick them up and place them on the roost. Tonight they will most likely all go to the roost on their own.
In the younger flock I had one Swedish Flower Hen. She is smaller than the other birds, and I noticed that she was being picked on more out in the run. Since she was so small - I moved her back to the grow-out pen which by then was housing the chicks from the brooder. The brooder chicks were 10 Swedish Flower Hens and 3 Black Copper Marans. Since I would eventually put all the Swedish Flower Hens together anyway, and since there wasn't that big a difference in sizes, I felt it was a good time to put all the SFHs together. And it worked! When I checked on them later, they were all piled up together sleeping.
Now we have an empty brooder pen in the chicken house. Later this week I'll clean it out - and soon the new chicks that are hatching will move from the brooder in our guest room into the brooder in the chicken house.
Saturday, February 11, 2012
Busy day at Dogwood Trace Farm
First thing this morning, Ron went to the chicken house with me to catch the ten pullets that we were selling to a woman in a nearby town. I tried catching them, but learned quickly that Ron is much more gifted in that area than I am. In no time at all, he had caught all ten of them. We had a box ready, and as he caught one, I'd lift the lid, and he'd gently place the chicken in the box.
Once all ten were in the box, he put it in the back of my SUV - and I was off to meet the buyer. The buyer and her husband had just finished building their chicken coop and pen last week - and they were excited to be getting their chickens. None of the pullets I sold her have started laying yet - but three of them should start laying in the next 2-4 weeks, and the other seven will start laying in a couple months. She now has a very nice first flock - and when they all start laying, she'll have a beautiful and colorful basket of eggs.
With those ten chickens gone, we were left with only 7 chickens in our grow-out pen. So I shooed those 7 chickens into the big pen - and then outside into the run. It was very cold here today - never got above freezing. However, all the chickens seemed to get along just fine in the outside pen/run. The cold doesn't seem to bother them one bit!
When it started to get dark and the chicken came inside to roost, I noticed that several of the chickens from the grow-out pen went right up to the roost with the big chickens rather than go back into their pen. The big chickens tried to chase them away, but two of them stood their ground and ended up in the big pen's roost for the night - and the other five returned to the old pen. Tomorrow, they will no longer have access to the middle pen.
It is supposed to get down into the teens tonight. So I asked Ron to put the heat lights into the overhead sockets in the chicken house. There's a heat light in the brooder pen, too. So altogether there are three heat bulbs in the chicken house tonight.
So it's been a fruit-basket-turn-over kind of day in the chicken house - 10 chickens sold, 7 chickens moved into another pen. Tomorrow the grow-out pen will be cleaned and prepared - and then the 13 chickens in the brooder pen will move into the grow-out pen.
Right now in the brooder box (in our house next to the incubator in the downstairs guest room), we have 4 chicks. Over the next three weeks, we'll (hopefully) have more chicks to hatch. Then they will all go into the newly emptied brooder pen in the chicken house.
Once all ten were in the box, he put it in the back of my SUV - and I was off to meet the buyer. The buyer and her husband had just finished building their chicken coop and pen last week - and they were excited to be getting their chickens. None of the pullets I sold her have started laying yet - but three of them should start laying in the next 2-4 weeks, and the other seven will start laying in a couple months. She now has a very nice first flock - and when they all start laying, she'll have a beautiful and colorful basket of eggs.
With those ten chickens gone, we were left with only 7 chickens in our grow-out pen. So I shooed those 7 chickens into the big pen - and then outside into the run. It was very cold here today - never got above freezing. However, all the chickens seemed to get along just fine in the outside pen/run. The cold doesn't seem to bother them one bit!
When it started to get dark and the chicken came inside to roost, I noticed that several of the chickens from the grow-out pen went right up to the roost with the big chickens rather than go back into their pen. The big chickens tried to chase them away, but two of them stood their ground and ended up in the big pen's roost for the night - and the other five returned to the old pen. Tomorrow, they will no longer have access to the middle pen.
It is supposed to get down into the teens tonight. So I asked Ron to put the heat lights into the overhead sockets in the chicken house. There's a heat light in the brooder pen, too. So altogether there are three heat bulbs in the chicken house tonight.
So it's been a fruit-basket-turn-over kind of day in the chicken house - 10 chickens sold, 7 chickens moved into another pen. Tomorrow the grow-out pen will be cleaned and prepared - and then the 13 chickens in the brooder pen will move into the grow-out pen.
Right now in the brooder box (in our house next to the incubator in the downstairs guest room), we have 4 chicks. Over the next three weeks, we'll (hopefully) have more chicks to hatch. Then they will all go into the newly emptied brooder pen in the chicken house.
Thursday, February 9, 2012
Our First Grandchick
This means that Easter Eggers will be the first kind of hatching eggs I'll offer for sale.
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
First Araucana Egg
Now I have 8 active layers. Can't wait for my first 8-egg day!
By the way, with the camera flash, the egg looked white. So I played around with the photo editing software - and now it looks neon blue. It really is a beautiful blue - but not quite as bright as the photo!
Working in the chicken house
So I shoveled out all the pine shavings and droppings underneath the roosts. I have a very large plastic bucket - and that thing was HEAVY! I managed to get it outside, but I'll wait until tomorrow when I'm not so tired to lug it to the area where I've started my chicken droppings/pine shavings compost pile. I had six bags of sand. They were heavy, too. Very heavy. I barely managed to lift them up to the platform under the roosts. I only needed three bags to make a 3-4 inch layer of sand.
So tomorrow I'll check to see how much poop was deposited overnight. With 22 chicken roosting above that platform, I imagine it'll be a bunch! I have a pooper scooper - and I'll see how practical it will be to scoop the poop every day or two. If it's practical, it'll sure keep down any odor in the coop.
Since I was already dusty and dirty from changing out the pine shavings for sand, I decided to go ahead and clean out the entire coop. I had let the people area of the coop get really cluttered! We had worked on building the pen - and had just kinda piled stuff in there. So I got it cleaned well, too. I want to get a heavy duty vacuum to help control the dust. An incredible amount of dust is created by chickens!
Saturday, February 4, 2012
Leroy stays!
So Leroy stays!
Friday, January 27, 2012
Winter on the Farm
While the calendar shows that it's January 27th - the weather is like spring! So far this winter, there have only been maybe 3 or 4 days that the temperature has been cold enough to freeze the water in the chicken barn.
Right now all three pens are full. One of the "pullets" in the large pen has turned out to be a cockerel instead. So I now have two roosters - and I believe that makes 21 pullets. Leroy - the EE rooster is a great crow-er and is quite actively doing his best to procreate with as many hens as possible. Last week I took some eggs and put them in the incubator - and yes, Leroy is accomplishing his task. So in another couple weeks, I'll have some home grown chicks.
I've got an ad on Craigslist to sell Leroy and Red (the other rooster).
The middle pen has 14 chicks in it. These are the ones I hatched the first of December - plus the few I bought to keep them company.
Then my brooder pen has 10 Swedish Flower Hens and 3 Black Copper Marans. It looks like two of the marans are cockerels - so they'll be sold.
I also have eggs in the incubator - some from my own flock - and some Araucana and Exchequer Leghorn eggs that I bought. I see growth in almost all of mine, but none of the Araucana eggs seem to be growing. All the Leghorn eggs show growth, however, when I candle them. It'll be interesting to see what I end up with.
Right now all three pens are full. One of the "pullets" in the large pen has turned out to be a cockerel instead. So I now have two roosters - and I believe that makes 21 pullets. Leroy - the EE rooster is a great crow-er and is quite actively doing his best to procreate with as many hens as possible. Last week I took some eggs and put them in the incubator - and yes, Leroy is accomplishing his task. So in another couple weeks, I'll have some home grown chicks.
I've got an ad on Craigslist to sell Leroy and Red (the other rooster).
The middle pen has 14 chicks in it. These are the ones I hatched the first of December - plus the few I bought to keep them company.
Then my brooder pen has 10 Swedish Flower Hens and 3 Black Copper Marans. It looks like two of the marans are cockerels - so they'll be sold.
I also have eggs in the incubator - some from my own flock - and some Araucana and Exchequer Leghorn eggs that I bought. I see growth in almost all of mine, but none of the Araucana eggs seem to be growing. All the Leghorn eggs show growth, however, when I candle them. It'll be interesting to see what I end up with.
Sunday, January 8, 2012
New Chicken Breeds
I've decided to nix the idea of raising chocolate orpingtons. I've read that they're so big and fluffy, they sometimes have problems. I have two chocolate orpington "project" chicks that are about 5 weeks old now. I will keep any pullets - especially if they are brown (instead of black) - but I will sell any cockerels.
I now have my long-term plan for chickens. I will keep a layer flock of approximately 20 hens. I'll make a little money for Lily's Garden selling eggs. Then I will raise the following breeds to sell hatching eggs and chicks: Swedish Flower Hens, Crested Cream Legbars, Isbars, Rhodebars - and possibly Araucanas.
I will get eleven Swedish Flower Hen chicks tomorrow. Then in March I will get Legbar, Isbar and Rhodebar chicks.
Right now I have 7 hens that are laying. 3 Araucanas who are 21 weeks old - should be laying anytime now. They're already "squatting" - and the EE rooster is mating them. Then there are 3 other pullets that are 18 weeks old (an EE, a light brown leghorn and a welsummer) that should be laying soon, too. Add to that the eight 14-week olds - and that give us a laying flock (once they're all laying) of 22 - which will be plenty.
I now have my long-term plan for chickens. I will keep a layer flock of approximately 20 hens. I'll make a little money for Lily's Garden selling eggs. Then I will raise the following breeds to sell hatching eggs and chicks: Swedish Flower Hens, Crested Cream Legbars, Isbars, Rhodebars - and possibly Araucanas.
I will get eleven Swedish Flower Hen chicks tomorrow. Then in March I will get Legbar, Isbar and Rhodebar chicks.
Right now I have 7 hens that are laying. 3 Araucanas who are 21 weeks old - should be laying anytime now. They're already "squatting" - and the EE rooster is mating them. Then there are 3 other pullets that are 18 weeks old (an EE, a light brown leghorn and a welsummer) that should be laying soon, too. Add to that the eight 14-week olds - and that give us a laying flock (once they're all laying) of 22 - which will be plenty.
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