This is our first year of homesteading, we moved out here 9 years ago but life had other plans. Anyhow, this year we have 21 chickens. DH and I went to Orschelin's thinking we would get 5-6 chicks and came home with 8 Rhode Island Reds and 8 Barred Rocks... Had to go back for supplies and somehow ended up with 5 Orphingtons in my cart!!!
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26 (a bit more than the 10 I had originally planned for...) 
6 are white leghorns (6 mo old from a local farm clearout)
8 light brahmas (now 4 weeks old and i'm sick of them in the house!)
12 cornish x (to be coming in a few weeks)
6 are white leghorns (6 mo old from a local farm clearout)
8 light brahmas (now 4 weeks old and i'm sick of them in the house!)
12 cornish x (to be coming in a few weeks)
I hatched out 13 cuckoo marans and only one silkie earlier this year. Bought 30 mixed silkies back in February, while Ideal had one of their .99c sales . I've had one old english hen hatch off one brood (they're on their own now) already of 6, shes setting again somewhere. Two hens jumped nest this morning (actually jumped 'trash can'... I had to tip the can over so she could get her dozen chicks out). Six more mixed bantam hens are running around with six to a dozen chicks, and my flock of silkies (still in the 8x12' breeding pen) have half raised 3 chicks. Old English, Mille Fleur, silkies, frizzles, cochins, brahmas, and lots of land race chickens.
The Ex-GF is thinking she wants to take the marans with her if she ever gets a pen to put them in at her new place. Hopefully I can get three or four more dozen eggs from her 'cuckoo connection'.
Last couple of years, the hens setting in bad spots weren't hatching any chicks... I guess natural selection is taking over... the hens raised in the good spots are all going back to the same areas to set their nests!
. I've had one old english hen hatch off one brood (they're on their own now) already of 6, shes setting again somewhere. Two hens jumped nest this morning (actually jumped 'trash can'... I had to tip the can over so she could get her dozen chicks out). Six more mixed bantam hens are running around with six to a dozen chicks, and my flock of silkies (still in the 8x12' breeding pen) have half raised 3 chicks. Old English, Mille Fleur, silkies, frizzles, cochins, brahmas, and lots of land race chickens. The Ex-GF is thinking she wants to take the marans with her if she ever gets a pen to put them in at her new place. Hopefully I can get three or four more dozen eggs from her 'cuckoo connection'.
Last couple of years, the hens setting in bad spots weren't hatching any chicks... I guess natural selection is taking over... the hens raised in the good spots are all going back to the same areas to set their nests!
Who knows, at this point. I have 12 Australorps in the house brooder right now. In the barn brooder, I have several each of RIR, White LEghorns, and SLW. I have a few of each of those in their own pen OUTSIDE, too.
I have 17 muscovies hatching today/tomorrow, and another 28 'scovy hens under a FIRST TIME 'scovy hen, due 5/31.
And, we still haven't ordered chicks this year! We're planning on getting some broilers, some turkeys - and I'm going to see if I can sneak in some Blue Andalusians and Exchequer Leghorns... and maybe a few others, too. I'd like Barred Rocks and Turkens as well!
I have 17 muscovies hatching today/tomorrow, and another 28 'scovy hens under a FIRST TIME 'scovy hen, due 5/31.
And, we still haven't ordered chicks this year! We're planning on getting some broilers, some turkeys - and I'm going to see if I can sneak in some Blue Andalusians and Exchequer Leghorns... and maybe a few others, too.
I'd like Barred Rocks and Turkens as well!
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