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:

New Incy + eggs

Have borrowed schools Covatutto 24 auto incy that we used last time to hatch the chicks, and am getting some more eggs off a friend :)

Its sitting dowstairs warming up and just checking it, but its been perfect temp since its been on, so all good so far :D

Should have the eggs early/middle of next week :P

Electric hen

Have finished making the electric hen :)
Cut the wood up, screwed it together and put i few coats of varnish on so I can wipe it down when it gets covered in chick poo! Stuck the heat mat on with gaffer tape. Screwed in the hook eyes.
Sorted
The top, which will be suspended at an angle by chains and hung in the brooder:

The heat mat which the chicks sit underneath:


They use a lot less energy compared to a heat lamp, so less cost, and they're more natural so the chicks can get used to daylight hours etc.
Apparently chicks feather up faster under them, but don't know as yet :)

Day 11: Candling

We have 7 or 8 developing eggs :D
A neked neck, all 4 polands, dark brahma, SL dotte and the pekin X poland :P

Have tried to take photos but they haven't come out very well!

Day 7: Candling

Have candled the eggs and am a bit disappointed. Looks like a combination of the postman being rough, and my rough incy :P
It looks like 12 are fertile, but not all developing.
A couple have blood rings too, which means they're fertile but the incubator playing up etc, has meant they've died :(

Blood ring:

Eggs set ...

I have set the eggs!!!

I put them in 2 egg trays in the end, so can just tilt the whole tray and they'll all be turned.
They need to be turned 3 times a day - an odd number so that each night they're on a different side.

21 days and counting ......
;)

Banbury

Been to Banbury today :)

Was going to buy a dog crate to use as a brooder for the chicks, but asked on the off chance if anyone had one I could borrow, and they did!

Clare, one of my chicken friends, has an old one so we went and collected that from Banbury.

We went to Bicester Village on the way back, which is a shopping outlet thing.
It was full of yummy mummies and wanna-be posh people - wasn't a fan if I'm honest ;)

Have my eggs!

I have my eggs! :D

I have......
4 Transylvanian Naked Necks
4 Silver laced (frizzle) poland bantams
3 Lavender araucana
Silver Sussex
Lemon Pyle or Dark brahma
Buff X Black Orpington
3 Barred Wyandotte bantams
Silver laced Wyandotte bantam
Pekin X Poland bantam
Welsummer X FCB maran (meat bird)
- Seem to be posting the same list everywhere! xD



They won't all hatch (because of going through the post and not being fertile), and won't all be girls either. I'm planning on raising the boys to be table birds, and the ones that aren't suitable for that will try to re-home :)

Mom really wants a 'zebra chicken', Barred Wyandotte, and dad really wants the Oprington to hatch.
I want a Naked neck, Brahma, Wyandotte and Araucana the most ;)

Incy back up

The incy has been back on overnight with the 40W bulb in it and it seems to be holding the temp ok.
Have been adjusting it with a mat over the top and think its in the right place now :)
It does go up + down a bit as the temp of the room changes, but it should be ok *fingers crossed*
Thought about getting a new thermostat or a reptile one, but it seems to be holding ok.

Eggs are being sent out today, next-day delivery, so should get them before 1pm tomorrow :D

Incy broke!

The incy has died on me! :(
Have been away for the weekend so switched it off and then back on when we got back and it has died.
I tired to find the problem, rewired it and stuff but can't see why :(

Have put a 60W bulb in and it got too hot, so replaced with 40W and it seems to be holding ok

Dove chick

The doves have hatched another dove chick this afternoon :)

There is still 1 more egg to go, so hopefully that hatches too 8)

Jemimas 1st egg!!

Jemima laid her 1st egg today! xD

I found her in the garage yesterday, in the old brooder, so knew it wouldn't be long ... then she laid one in the side passage today :)

They were all FRing in the garden today, Gerald was chasing Nugget, so separated them. The ducks are in the Go in the WIR tonight - still need to get the roof sorted. We went to B&Q earlier but got there too late and they were just shutting :P

WIR roof

Put the roof panels on the WIR today, haven't put the corrugated plastic on yet though.

Got the incy back today (and 2 infra red bulbs 8) ) so its switched on downstairs to check it all still works - getting ready for the eggs in a few weeks :)

WIR assembly

Today:
Finished putting up sides, moved wendy house from old run to new and creosoted it, + put the Go in the WIR :)

xD

Lewis is rather happy!

Up early + in Brum for 10ish. Me + friend got stopped by some random woman who did market research about 'mens products' - had to look at a screen and they scanned my eyes to see where I looked first, for how long etc then taken to a fake shop and had to point out what I'd buy. Got £5 for doing it!

Then later on a different woman asked us to do some more in the Odeon about chocolate.
"I like you, what are you doing next Saturday" - she wants me to join one of her focus groups about the Museum + Art gallery and get £20! :P

Got home and mothers BHWT bag is here, and I got a letter from Aberyswyth Uni :/ ...
Its a cheque for £48 in expenses for going to the visiting day and about those 2 entrance exams I did a few weeks ago ...

I have gained a "Merit Award"
They're giving me £1,000 and an unconditional offer :O
Doesn't matter what I get in A-Levels ... I can go to Aber! :)))
Lewis is raaaaaather happy

Settling in + Ducks :)

Cilla's settling in well :)
Had a look in the eglu nest box earlier not expecting it, and found .......


Gerald + Jemima have been running around the garden all day. They've been in and out the tub trugs and ... a few other antics too ;) Could be expecting some ducklings in a few weeks time :P
Jemima showing off her wings:

In the sun:

New chicken is settling in really well!
Have decided on a name - Cilla the Silkie. Mother has a nickname for her - ChipChip (to go with Nugget)

I put an extra feeder in, just in case she didn't know food was in the grub, but they were both eating from it this morning !

They were both sitting together in the nesting box earlier :)

Best of buddies already!

Hope it carries on like this :)

New chicken

Lewis has a new chicken thanks to a chickeny friend, Tasha - a friend for Nugget :)

She's a black silkie bantam.

Her feathers are soooo cool!
To quote Mother, "high pitched voice Oooooh high pitched voice Where are your eyes!?"

Still thinking of a name - have put her in the eglu with Nugget tonight, will see how they are tomorrow :) - can always separate them if there are any problems.

A few of Nugget:

Nugget

I gave Nugget a bath :P

Looking a bit wet! :

Dried off and in the sun :)

Having a gander out the kitchen window:

Update

Tasha, one of my chickeny friends has offered me one of her hens!

She sent me a message and it was the first time all day I was all emotional/sad ... sounds rubbish doesn't it? but its soo kind I don't think I can stress it!
We've been shopping all day trying not to think about it ...

I wanted to get Nugget a friend, because she can't be on her own - chickens are flock animals. Was planning on going to the farm tomorrow, they don't always sell pure breed hens on their own, they prefer trios so they aren't just left with all the cockerels.
I could have put her in with the ducks, but Gerald sometime chases her (and Pox) so thought it might just stress her out even more.
I went out to her earlier and she was in the nesting box asleep - she always slept under Pox on the roosting bars, so I think she's wondering whats happened and maybe a bit stressed .... although I know they don't have the same emotions as us!

FOX

Don't know what to say .... just what I've already posted on the forum ...


I'm absolutely gutted ...........................

I knew something was wrong, couldn't hear/see them, went up and there is just feathers :'(
Nugget (buff rock bantam) is the only one left - untouched. She was on top of the run, under the shower curtain, no idea how she got under there ?
One I'm most gutted about is the only school chick left ... Purkinje :(

Don't know what to do. Not upset, not angry, just gutted ... empty :

Now there are all the What if's ... the WIR was built, they weren't FRing, we had gone to Reading (theres a chicken show on today).

I know she can't be on her own, she doesn't look touched at all, will sort her out in a bit.

The ducks were locked up in the side passage so are ok...

Dentist + Snow

Been to the dentist ... now I'm 18 I had to have x-rays and they're done every 2 years. My wisdom teeth are there coming up somewhere :/

Had 2 teeth re-sealed because I've always had rubbish enamel!

Its snowing! :) Has been on and off for the last couple of days, but its sticking now :)

Legendary homeless man

I love this photo ...

:P

Chicken Run - Stage 1

Have finally started 'work' on the chickens new Walk In Run :)

I marked out and dug the area on Saturday (yesterday) then today did the concrete.
We had to mix it on the drive and cart it through all the mess in the side passage and up the garden
Ran out of concrete + sand/ballast half way through so had to go back and buy more! :P

Hope it sets ok, not sure if its deep enough either (a few inches?) ...

It may be lumpy bumpy ... but its mine! :D

'You couldn't make it up'

Just had to post this, a story from an Omleteer friend.
Her daughter is a teacher ...
" ... a pupil 'Dave' has autisim, now any of you who know or work with this group of kids will understand they dont quite see the world as we do.
Dave phoned his mum at work and said "Mum I've caught a troll"
His mum said "Don't be silly, go back and play your Xbox I will be home in an hour"
Half an hour later she gets a call from a neighbour who tells her she had better get home as her house is surrounded by police officers.
She arrives home to mind the fire arms unit etc and on the doorstep are two policeman crying with laughter.

It appears Dave answered the door to the gas man who had come to read the meter who unfortunately happened to be a dwarf. Dave let him in, shoved him into the cupboard under the stairs where the meter was and barricaded it.
The gas man had then had to call the police who thought it was a hostage situation hence the firearms unit. The two policeman that had let him out found him sitting on his toolbox with his torch on were beside themselves the gas man was also is hysterics and couldn't wait to tell his mates at work or his wife.

All ended well luckily but honestly you just couldn't make it up."

Ducks and chickens again

Did the same today just to get them all used to each other as they'll eventually all be living together, and still no pecks or signs of aggression from either side :D
I did wander wether Gerald(ine) being a drake could have anything to do with it?

Purkinje came down to the patio today to see what was going on but stayed out of the way of the chickens ... there's more of a problem with integrating the chicks and the big chickens even though they've been free-ranging together for 2 months!
I think its because the banties + Purkinje stay at the top of the garden and keep themselves to themselves :)

Jemima on the step by the door:

The pond doesn't have time to freeze properly because they just jump in + crack the ice so it gets slushy on the top

"Ooh, I'll have me some of that slushy duck water"

Chickens meet the ducks

The chickens met the ducks properly for the first time this morning
I let them all out, the chicken's ran down to the patio but the banties stayed at the top; so I bought them all days but they all legged it back up.
There was a bit of "Whats that white thing?"

"Whats that black thing?"

... but once the food came out everyone forgot :)

The ducks stayed at the back (and tried to eat a shoe) but were ok with the chickens :D

Turkeys

Back at the farm today :)

It was really cold and snowing! All the turkeys are weighed, boxed up, and labelled to allocate it to a customer then put in the fridges in alphabetical order. The customers come with their ticket and we get the turkey.

Quite a bit of waiting around for people so we got some turkey feed bags, filled them with straw and went up one of the fields and went sledging!


There were 7 of us there in the end and we all got soaked and really cold!

Splashing about

Jemima + Geraldine have been out in the garden again and actually went in the paddling pool today and had a good splash!
They're really loud when they have something to shout about! They make the chickens look quiet.

I think they look like campbells, but they're meant to be aylesbury crosses. Apparently both females, but one has a quieter quack so could be a boy? :/

Ducks

I think the ducks now have names ... Jemima + Geraldine.

They were out in the garden earlier while I sorted out their hutch and then clipped their wings. We got a little paddling pool out for them and they wouldn't go near it, but then they saw the hose and couldn't get enough of it!

Not sure what they'll live in long-term, either in the wooden coop with the chickens in the new walk in run, I could move the little chickens in with the big ones and the ducks have the eglu, or I could get a new eglu 'Go' without a run and do some swap arounds.
I wouldn't normally keep them together but they've always been kept with chickens at the farm they came from and we can't have 2 WIR's ... I think they'd be better in a WIR rather than an eglu run.

Surprise! ...

Surprise!
My friends bought me 2 white ducks for my birthday :D
A few people mentioned it and one person said she needed to "phone the duck lady ...... for her friend", so I kind of guessed, but they're still good!
Not sure what breed they are, I think maybe campbells, they said they're just 'generic ducks' and because I didn't know before, I didn't speak to the breeder.

They're in a rabbit run overnight until I can sort them out with the hutch :)

National Poultry Show 2009

We (me + Mom) went to the National Poultry Show at Stoneleigh, Warwick and it was really good!
We met up with a few (well, about 20!) Omleteers there so was good to meet new people :)
I think it converted mom because she was wandering round adding breeds to the want list and saying we need to get more housing first - I said we need either a cube or Go and a new WIR.
We saw a WIR panel company but they were quite expensive so didn't get one, but the idea is there. I've seen some closer to home for about £240 all built.

Mostin after a flock of banties:

My favourite chicken at the show! A tiny black frizzle pekin thing:

Belgian quail bantam

Another one on the want list, call ducks, we would get some if we had more room for another WIR and a little pond!

Call duck - it was more green in 'real life'

Mothers favourite, Modern game bantams - he looks like Malfoys dad out of Harry Potter!

Another ballerina chicken, Modern game

A giant cockerel, can't remember the breed! (Edit: Malay! - Laurie's got some now)

A few 1000 chooks, ducks, geese and turkeys!

Another one for the want list: chamois poland (frizzle)!

We got a few free pens, squeezy flubenvet eggs, keyrings and samples and entered some competitions!

Really good day out, bought some coop cups and an egg skelter in creme to match the kitchen.

Some photos I stole off Debs:

Me + Ruth

Koojie + Deb

Mother + Ruth

Me + Debs showing off t-shirts :P