Time for a catch up

My posts are becoming few and far between and at a time when so much is happening, mostly hatching, so time to update the records.

The Indian Game hatched 6 out of the 7 viable Light Sussex eggs over the Easter weekend. A result I am more than pleased with, considering the problems with the air sacs. The chicks are adorable, true little yellow and white 'Easter chicks'. Now 2 1/2 weeks old they are growing strong and feathering up nicely with the black showing through on the wings and hackle, their black eyes quite striking. As ever the Indian Game hen is proving to be a doting mother.

Over the weekend the eggs in the incubator hatched.Numbers were much lower than expected as when I candled the eggs at 7 days many of the Gold Duckwing Welsummer eggs were clear. It seems the senior cockerel is feeling his age.He has now been moved to head my 'broody' flock a mix of heavy breed hens who at this time of year are my star birds and a younger cock has replaced him in the breeding pen. From the incubator 12 of the 15 Exchequer Leghorns hatched and there were 7 Welsummer chicks so still a good result and the chicks now in the shed under a lamp are growing at an alarming rate. It never fails to amaze me just how quickly their wing feathers develop and how instinctively they find food and water, scratch, preen and dust bath.Already they are sparring with one another.

The first hatch of the year are now 10 weeks old and are free ranging the grass pen at home. The young cockerels are finding their voice and one of the Leghorns has taken role as head of the group calling the pullets to him when he finds food.
The cross between the Welsummer cockerel and the Barnevelder hens looks as if it is going to be successful, the pullet is a pretty, friendly hen who hopefully will be a good layer of brown eggs, the cockerels are very strong, solid looking birds and worth growing on for the table.

The Exchequer Leghorn pullets are nicely marked, a good shape, inquisitive and active.and having bred only from the largest eggs hopefully this trait will be passed onto the pullets. They are proving  (rightly so) a very popular breed for poultry keepers this year and I have had many enquiries.

The second hatch are 6 weeks old and yesterday the mother hen was moved back into the 'broody' flock and the chicks/growers left to fend for themselves. They don't appear to have noticed her absence, although they are squabbling amongst themselves a little more now she isn't there to intervene. Unfortunately most are cockerels, although I do need a replacement cockerel myself this year and have a couple ordered so not so bad and there are a few nice pullets amongst them. In a couple of weeks time they too can free range.

Finally  news on the broody Barnevelder, she has been sitting on 8 eggs; 4 Partridge Welsummer and 4 Maran X Welsummer. They are due to hatch tomorrow and today they have started to pip. At the weekend she will be moved to an ark along with her chicks and the pen in the shed disinfected for the immediate occupation of a Maran and a setting of Exchequer Leghorn eggs.

Young stock - For Sale - Photos updated

Now I have decided on next year's breeding groups I have a few young stock hatched this year available for sale.

Turkey Poults - White double breasted 9 weeks old . £10 each SOLD


Gold Duckwing Welsummer:
1 Partridge colour - ( split for Gold Duckwing) pullet 23 weeks old. £18 SOLD


6 pullets 12 weeks old - 5 of which are Gold in colour 1 Partridge (split for Gold ) £15 each

Photos: 11 week old Gold Duckwing Welsummers. 5 Gold
1 Partridge split for Gold (Partridge pullet - sold )



Exchequer Leghorn:

9 chicks unsexed available in a few weeks - hatched 23 July 2011

Next years plan - Table birds

It has been a busy weekend of bird moving, processing and decision making.

I have decided to scrap all plans of keeping a separate 'Table bird' flock. So far the results have been fairly disappointing and unless I go down the quick to fatten hybrid route I feel I don't have the space or can justify the expense.

I had planned to run a flock of Barnevelders, the pullets for layers and the cockerels for fattening. The pullets are wonderful but the cockerels have been a problem. In previous years I have run young Indian Game or Indian Game cross cockerels together without incident, maybe the odd challenge lasting a couple of minutes but nothing more. The Barnevelders on the other hand don't get on well together, there has been no fighting as such, just much intimidating and bullying causing nervousness amongst the flock.

As the 'spare' Welsummer cockerels reach a reasonable weight with a fair meat to bone carcass and are so easy going with both humans and their own kind I think they will be our future.

Gold Duckwing Welsummer chicks 3 days old

The Gold Duckwing Welsummer (along with the other chicks from the incubator) are now 3 days old. They have settled into life in the brooder pen well, spending their days eating, drinking and sleeping. The brooder appears to be at optimum temperature as the chicks can often be found sleeping in the classic text book circle under the warmth of the lamp. For now they have the lamp on day and night. After a week I will change to a dull emitter bulb, it is cooler but more importantly it allows the chicks to develop a day/night routine.

Already the young chicks are developing wing and tail feathers.

The photos below show the two distinct colours of the Welsummer chicks. I am assuming the paler chicks will have the colouring of Gold Duckwing and the darker ones will be Partridge, although they will be split for Gold Duckwing (i.e. carry the Gold Duckwing gene). I plan to ring all the Partridge hens I keep to distinguish them from true Partridge Welsummer hens.



Photo below: Barnevelder chicks from the same setting

Candling Eggs

The weekend saw the 10 day mark for the Exchequer Leghorn eggs under the Indian Game broody. As an untried broody she is behaving remarkably well but so far she has had little to no disturbance. I wasn't sure how she would react to me removing the eggs from under her, albeit very gently and for a minimum of time to enable me to candle them, but she took it in her stride with just a token peck of my hand in protest and then snuggled the eggs back under once they were returned.

All 10 eggs are fertile - 100% - I couldn't ask for more. 100% hatch rate is another matter, there is a while to go yet.

As the eggs are white every detail inside the egg can be seen when they are candled, so unlike the Welsummers, their dark shells making it almost impossible to see anything more than shadow and light.

This morning I also candled the eggs in the incubator. Once again all the Exchequer Leghorn eggs are fertile. It is hard to tell with the Welsummer eggs, a few look as if they may have died in the first few days. I have marked them, returned them to the incubator and will candle again on Day 18.

I had the same problem with the Barnevelder eggs, as they are also dark. These eggs came through the post and despite being very well packed several have ruputured air sacs. Normally I candle posted eggs before incubating but failed to do so this time. I have returned the eggs with the 'dodgey' air sacs back into the incubator, sometimes if they aren't too bad they have a chance of hatching, we'll see. One of the eggs was clear and has been discarded, a few more I am unsure about and will again candle them on day 18.

All of the Indian Game eggs were clear. I know the cockerel is fertile and think the problem arises from having him free ranging with a number of birds. In the next few days I will reorganise the runs and place him into a smaller grass run with just 3 or 4 hens. An excuse to set more eggs in a couple of weeks time.

First incubator setting of 2011

This morning I filled the incubator with eggs - 41 - a mix of my own Gold DuckwingWelsummer eggs, Speckled Sussex /Indian Game and a few Exchequer Leghorns. I also added a dozen Barnevelders which I received in the post from a friend. This hatch is mainly to test fertility, so I could end up with just a few....or rather a lot of chicks. My mind is working overtime on where they will all go. I think I have it sorted, in theory at least. In ten days time when I candle the eggs I will know the maximum number of chicks likely to hatch and can work from there. The poultry shed used for brooding whilst they need heat has plenty of space. Once outside I may need another house to be built, I'll mention that to my husband at a later date.