Out with the Old, In with the New... Dinner Chickens

So, as we've got the 3 new hybrids, the cockerels have to go :(

I was going to do it yesterday but left it too late so just got the stuff ready; bin for the feathers, small broomstick pole and a chair!
Let the 3 cockerels out for a free range in the snow earlier but restricted their food so that they're easier to gut etc.

Got Little Miss Meaty (the name stuck for him) in the eglu so I could pick him up and took him to the side passage.
I was alright in doing it 'cos have know since they were cute little chicks under Hilary that I'd have to do it:

Was alright doing 'the deed' but you always get paranoid from the nervous responses that you haven't done it properly even though I knew he was dead, and I had to double and triple check :/

Plucking was alright. It took about an hour to do, which is way longer than the huge turkeys at the farm! but tbf I haven't done it for a while, and the turkeys are hung so that makes it a lot easier. Ripped the skin a couple of times by the breast but thats not a problem.

Just got Mr Meaty to do next!
Was going to do him tonight but he's still not very muscly + mature, and it would leave Mr Dinosaur on his own in the eglu. Mr Meaty doesn't really crow, although he probably will now Little Miss has gone, but will see. I can always do it in the next couple of days.

Chicks are 9 weeks!

All the chicks are 9 weeks old and huuge!
Managed to get a picture of them all in the WIR

Grumpy Little Miss Meaty:

Half a CLB, half an Araucana, Barred Wyandotte and half a sock ;)

Quigley!!! Think he might be a little boy? ;)

Barred Wyandotte looking a bit more girly! *hopes so*

Hilarys chicks - 3 week update

They're all fine and flying about everywhere :) ... all boys though! :(

Lav frizzle cockerel, Quigley:

Welsummer crosses:

Hilarys chicks - 2 weeks old

Hilary's chicks are 2 weeks old now and getting on fine!!

Cheeky lav frizzle:

We have chicks!

We have 7 chicks!!
In the brooder:
Barred Wyandotte

Lavender Araucana

2 Cream Legbars (though not sure if one on the right is a CLB)

...and under Hilary the broody:

at the back, Welsummer x Commercial meat bird

at the front, Welsummer x Maran

Lavender Pekin

Cream Legbars

The 2 Cream legbars ... I think they are 2 boys 'cos of the autosexing dots in top of their heads ... but not sure if the one on the right is a CLB ?!

2 have pipped!!

2 of the eggs in the incubator have pipped! xD

The Cream Legbar and Araucana
They're not due until tomorrow, so could take a long time to hatch, but its a start! :D

Day 18

Tis day 18 so stopped turning the eggs today :P

3 eggs left in the incy (Cream Legbar, Araucana and Barred Wyandotte) and 4 under Hilary the broody (Welsummer x Maran, Welsummer X, Cream Legbar and a Pekin)

Have set up a broody cam on Hilary - it was in the nest earlier and she pulled it under her and tried to hatch it?!
Its up high now out the way.

They're due on Wednesday :) :)

Day 18

Tis day 18 for the eggs!

Hilary's 4 are fertile and developing.

Of the others in the incy, 3 are developing - Cream Legbar, Araucana and Barred Wyandotte!

Have turned the auto-turner off in the incy and now ... we wait

Hatching again

Not totally convinced that the chicks are going to come to anything, I've got another 12 eggs off my friend :)

She went to a breeder to collect something, and got me some green eggs while she was there!
3 Cream Legbars, 1 Araucana, a Welsummer x meat bird and a Welsummer x FCB Maran (both dinner chickens), a Blue laced wyandotte bantam, a Pekin, 3 Barred dotte bantams and a surprise unknown egg! xD
Rather excited again!

Due 19th/20th May!

4 of them (CLB, 2 meat birds + a poland) have gone under Hilary, a broody I've borrowed off my uncle.
Meet Hilary: