I found this today and thought with chicks on the way it would be nice to see what happens when....
Sunday 30 September 2012
Hatch calendar
Hi guys,
I found this today and thought with chicks on the way it would be nice to see what happens when....
I found this today and thought with chicks on the way it would be nice to see what happens when....
Candling at the McClunes
Was a late start to our candling day as Trina had to get some deadlines done first. Sigh. But all good and done now!
Matt and I spent a lot of time working through the logistics this time round.
Matt wanted to make a spreadsheet on the computer. So he did.
We then darkened the hallway and went and got Tiny's eggs first. We were pleasantly surprised to see all 8 were fertile and growing. Some were even moving. It's the best to see that!
Blondie was next and we weren't sure what would happen as she managed to get off the nest for a while about day 3 and we don't know how long the eggs were without warmth.
We candled and sure enough 4 were infertile.
However, Matt and I cracked the infertile ones open to see if there were any babies half grown and there weren't. They were whole yolks so were infertile from the start.
That made us feel way better.
I found it interesting to see that (after talking to Vicky) the RIR had a high infertility rate. I wonder what was going on with them?
Bring on the 11th October!
Matt and I spent a lot of time working through the logistics this time round.
Matt wanted to make a spreadsheet on the computer. So he did.
Blondie was next and we weren't sure what would happen as she managed to get off the nest for a while about day 3 and we don't know how long the eggs were without warmth.
We candled and sure enough 4 were infertile.
However, Matt and I cracked the infertile ones open to see if there were any babies half grown and there weren't. They were whole yolks so were infertile from the start.
That made us feel way better.
I found it interesting to see that (after talking to Vicky) the RIR had a high infertility rate. I wonder what was going on with them?
Bring on the 11th October!
Saturday 29 September 2012
Thursday 20 September 2012
A day in the country - picking up our new eggs.
As I left home this morning to go to the country, I sat next to a man on the motorway onramp in a Maserati (woah!) with dice hanging on his front window screen and I just giggled to myself. It was the start of a great journey.
I drove through the countryside on the most amazing of roads. Pretty straight and not too many cars, plus often you got to see the way the road rolled along. It looked so pretty. Plus it was sunny and there were lots of new spring lambs and calves. Awwwww.
I popped on my new Ed Sheeran album and really enjoyed the car ride.
I was meeting Vicky and two of her boys at Poultry Valley to pick up our eggs. We had a rather long list of all the ones we wanted to buy, and you're never quite sure what you will get as the chooks can't be told to lay just when you want them to.
I think Vicky was missing a couple she wanted, but I was lucky this time around and got all the ones I was after (plus I had 4 at home waiting to go under the chooks with these ones).
If you want somewhere to buy good quality heritage breed fertile chicken eggs, I highly recommend Poultry Valley.
So I have:
4 x Golden Campines
3 x blue/black leghorns
3 x Araucanas
3 x Buff Sussex
3 x Rhode Island Reds
Hopefully from this hatch we'll end up with one girl from each.
And hatch day? 11th October. Perfect timing as we'll be in the school holidays. We've already blocked out the 11/12th for watching chicks hatch!
In 10 days we'll candle to see if they're fertile and then we'll have a better idea of what we're hatching. I can't wait!
Oh, and because I saw this coooooool biscuit tin and it was Vicky's birthday, I just had to buy it, fill it with baking and give it to her. Happy birthday Vicky! Grin.
A wonderful if not a little tiring day.
I drove through the countryside on the most amazing of roads. Pretty straight and not too many cars, plus often you got to see the way the road rolled along. It looked so pretty. Plus it was sunny and there were lots of new spring lambs and calves. Awwwww.
I popped on my new Ed Sheeran album and really enjoyed the car ride.
I was meeting Vicky and two of her boys at Poultry Valley to pick up our eggs. We had a rather long list of all the ones we wanted to buy, and you're never quite sure what you will get as the chooks can't be told to lay just when you want them to.
I think Vicky was missing a couple she wanted, but I was lucky this time around and got all the ones I was after (plus I had 4 at home waiting to go under the chooks with these ones).
If you want somewhere to buy good quality heritage breed fertile chicken eggs, I highly recommend Poultry Valley.
So I have:
4 x Golden Campines
3 x blue/black leghorns
3 x Araucanas
3 x Buff Sussex
3 x Rhode Island Reds
Hopefully from this hatch we'll end up with one girl from each.
And hatch day? 11th October. Perfect timing as we'll be in the school holidays. We've already blocked out the 11/12th for watching chicks hatch!
In 10 days we'll candle to see if they're fertile and then we'll have a better idea of what we're hatching. I can't wait!
Oh, and because I saw this coooooool biscuit tin and it was Vicky's birthday, I just had to buy it, fill it with baking and give it to her. Happy birthday Vicky! Grin.
A wonderful if not a little tiring day.
My birthday chicken box
For a long time I've been thinking about an ideal situation for our girls when it comes to a place to lay. For my birthday my lads built me my design and 2 days after putting it outside 5/6 layers are using it. Florence has only laid 2 eggs both out on the grass ( I think they take her by surprise)
Starting again! Spring hatch 2012
Today Arlo, Sage and I met Trina out at Sandys to pick up our eggs. We came home with
4x australorps
2x buff laced wyandottes
1x barnevelder
1x blue barnevelder
2x rhode island reds
And some dorkings and Barnes for Grandma/Kristi/jacqui.
I've put them under John who is a good mother and now we wait.
We are so excited to be doing this again. Kaya and I have drawn up a big chart with a list of eggs, spaces for candling results, hatch order and names.
We have decided Rita can go with Wendy to live at Kayas friend Kyans house in the country so we don't have to worry about her getting out all the time. She was the only one left from our first hatch but a leghorn isn't great for where we live and we can visit her often.
4x australorps
2x buff laced wyandottes
1x barnevelder
1x blue barnevelder
2x rhode island reds
And some dorkings and Barnes for Grandma/Kristi/jacqui.
I've put them under John who is a good mother and now we wait.
We are so excited to be doing this again. Kaya and I have drawn up a big chart with a list of eggs, spaces for candling results, hatch order and names.
We have decided Rita can go with Wendy to live at Kayas friend Kyans house in the country so we don't have to worry about her getting out all the time. She was the only one left from our first hatch but a leghorn isn't great for where we live and we can visit her often.
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