Stranger and Stranger...

We seem to be specializing in the odd and mysterious in our backyard. For example-- that strange, garbled sound this morning? That was a newly crowing rooster. It has taken all morning to catch him in the act-- Gram(p)y chicken! I can't have a rooster, so this does not make me happy.

And, what's up with the cat? And the silkies? Have they formed some kind of Mob?

 

And then we have our strange family... headed by young roo, Sunlight, and including the turkeys and our two new ducklings!


And the garden is surprising us with all kinds of treasures.

I said, She said

I'm always interested to find out what people who know nothing about chickens assume about them. I thought I would share a few, and answer them as best I can... it's also a good laugh for people who know about chickens.

I took Alvin to school with me the other day to pick up the Boy. Boy explained that Alvin came from a blue egg.
His teacher said, "Like a robin? Is it a robin?"
Boy explained that it was a chicken. Chickens can lay all colors of eggs.

Another lady, waiting for her grand-daughter at the same school asked me how I feed my chickens.
"Oh," I replied, "I feed them starter feed, and some fresh foods and leftovers..."
She nodded. "In a dropper?"
(Chickens are born able to feed themselves. Quail and other similar birds can too. Yes, birds like parrots need to be fed through a dropper if a human feeds them...)

Same lady didn't know that incubation was possible. I didn't want to be offensive, so I didn't ask her where she thought they all came from, the ones we eat, but I didn't. I AM curious though.

I know that some kids, if you ask them, "Where does chicken come from? Where do eggs come from?" will answer, "The store."

This is actually one of the big reasons that I do what I do and that I want to expand my homestead. I think it is essential that children, well, people in general, know where their food comes from and how it gets to them, to have a sense of gratitude and respect for the animals that provide us with the nutrients we need to survive.

And to get to know animals as individuals, not as factories for eggs, meat, and milk. We should know them, thank them for their gifts, interact with them, and be grateful for their bounty.

Pictures Galore

I need to make one correction-- "Dave" actually hatched from a blue egg from the second seller, not the first.

Dave (2nd seller)

Alvin, the smallest chick, still looking a little icky from his rough entry (stupid incubator) 1st seller.

Theodore (2nd seller)

Theodore looking cheeky (2nd seller)

Left to right-- Dave, Simon (top), Alvin (bottom), Theodore

Left to right-- Dave, Simon (top), Alvin (bottom), Theodore

Cheeks watching the chicks

Theodore and Simon are best buddies. Theodore has really dark feet and legs.

Theodore, Simon, Alvin

Dave (bottom) and Alvin (top)

Dave (bottom) and Alvin (top)

Cheeks and NoWay watching Chicken TV

Week Two!

I'm a day late on this update. Merry Christmas everyone!

I candled the eggs today-- all of them, and threw out nine of them. Two were clear (infertile), one of the small white ones from the second seller, and the other, unfortunately, an infertile Marans egg. I also tossed some partially developed ones that quit on me.

Say Goodbye to My Little Friends-- 7 of today's discards

I have left:
11 Marans eggs (three iffy and getting the benefit of the doubt)
9 Americaunas from my first seller.
5 random eggs from the second seller (three of which are iffy, but are getting another chance)

The eggs from the first two sellers are both due the 1st at about 6 am. I have been having temperature issues, so they may be a little late or early. I will be 'locking down' (not moving the eggs or opening the incubator' on Wednesday, which is good timing, as my nephew is getting married that day and I won't be home to move them anyway!

Tuesday night I will be removing the eggs that should be hatching from their egg cartons and let them prepare for hatching. I have hatched in the egg cartons before and have lost a few chicks from them hatching upside down. I have kept them in the cartons thus far just to improve the ease of rotating the eggs.

This is the point at which I start getting really nervous about having any of the chicks hatch at all.

Chickens Are _________

I just got notification that I finally have some eggs coming to put into my incubator. They're blue, from some Easter Eggers-- which tend, in my experience, to be neat little chickens to have. Plus, who doesn't love beautiful blue eggs?

I'm excited, if you can tell.

It also means that I had to access my account which my husband changed once upon a time to a nice, upbeat, nice, affirmation-type password so that I have to be nice to myself every time I use it. Seriously, I roll my eyes every time!

And that made me think of those things that I say all the time that are, perhaps not the norm.

For example:
Chickens are Dinosaurs.

Well, they are.

Seriously.

So hopefully, in about 25 days, I'll be giving my kids some pet dinosaurs to play with.

Before You Buy Hatching Eggs

Gorgeous chick hatched from Gabbard Farm egg 2008

The first time I incubated chicken eggs and discovered the bounty that is ebay in the hatching eggs area I immediately grabbed up some of everything. The result was that I got mixed breed chickens, some big, some bantams, some ducks, of which none hatched, turkeys, of which none hatched, and a bunch of goose eggs. Not only did I over pay on some of them, but I also had to do what's called a 'staggered hatch.' Not all of the eggs were due at the same time, which meant that I had to continuously monitor and play with humidity-- which is why none of my ducks or turkeys hatched. It's a miracle that I had a perfect hatch from the goose eggs. We ended up with seven goslings and about 19 bantams and larger chicks. Not bad, over all.

A mutt bantam chick from an ebay seller 2008

So, now, I'm much more careful about buying chicken eggs. These are my little pieces of advice.

1) Look at the shipping cost first. $20 of shipping on 6 eggs is too much (unless they are ultra rare must-have chickens)

2) Look at seller feedback-- do the sellers know what their fertility rate is? Do they have positive feedback?

3) If you just want any old chickens, or do you want chickens with specific qualities? In my experience, it's worth it to pay for purebreds for the most part if you care about breed. Mutts can be really interesting, too. And... odd... I remember a certain turken mix I had... it was bald, except for the tips of its wings. Cute in an ugly kind of way.

chicks just hatched 2008

4) Take into account the expenses of hatching-- incubator, water, electricity, eggs-- and take out the fact that about 50% will be roosters and you may have a low hatch rate. Are you comfortable spending that amount if you end up with one chicken? If not, then don't go with that deal.

I like to try to balance my shipping and actual egg expense. I figure right now it's about average to run at $2 an egg counting shipping. That can be pretty expensive! Some sellers will combine shipping, and some will not.

My other piece of advice? Only bid on one batch of eggs at a time so you don't end up spending too much or having to do a staggered hatch like I did my first time!

It May Be Winter...

It may be winter right now, though I wouldn't call Southern Arizona's weather truly winter, but technically it is, so I'll let that rest.

I think with the holidays and everything, we are distracted this time of year and don't take advantage of the fact that now is the perfect time to be thinking about spring. Here is a great checklist of things to get done before the last frost.

Have you ordered your spring pig yet? Spring pigs are the more affordable way to own pigs, as pastures green and the world flourishes. However, piglets sell quickly, especially if you want a heritage breed. Now is the time to reserve that special future ham. Can't own a pig where you are? Look into pig shares! Also, a trick that I'm tempted to try is potbellied pigs. Pigs are not allowed here, but potbellied pigs are, as I suppose the city considers them to be pets. Potbellied pigs can get quite large, and can make good eating.


Where to get a heritage pig:
http://homegrownacres.com/
http://www.mbfarviewfarm.com/Baby-Pigs-For-Sale.htm
http://www.nigeriansandicelandics.com/Pigs.html
http://www.heritage-pigs-for-sale.info/


Plan your garden. I should actually have my cold-weather garden in right now, but I don't, so I'm planning the what whens and wheres of planting for early spring (February here). Now is a great time to check out books and sites that are specific to your area.  Mary Irish's Arizona Gardener's Guide is a favorite read for me and it's good for more than just vegetables. Now is also the time to check out seedsavers.org. Another great garden resource for those with limited space is Squarefoot Gardening.

Research poultry breeds and types and where they can be found. If you, like me, plan on incubating, then find breeders and hatching eggs which you can set now. Local eggs will have a better hatch rate than those that are shipped, but shipped eggs allow a better range of eggs, especially in the case of heritage breeds. Make sure to note which breeds do well in which climates and take into account whether they will be for eggs or for pets. Some of the cutest chickens just don't lay as well as others. Before you set to ordering chicks or eggs, make sure you check town or city ordinances for where you live. For example, I can have up to 24 chickens here, but I am not permitted to have a rooster.

If you plan on ordering chicks online, then now is the time to pick out a hatchery. Here are a few that I know of:
http://www.idealpoultry.com/
http://www.mcmurrayhatchery.com/index.html
http://www.mthealthy.com/
http://www.cacklehatchery.com/
http://www.welphatchery.com/
http://www.healthychicksandmore.com/


Now is a great time to plan if you intend to buy a goat. Most baby goats will start arriving in the spring. Most breeders will allow pre-purchasing. In fact, in this area the early bird really does get the worm.

Once you  know if you are going to be owning any new animals in the future it is time to plan what kind of facilities you need to develop to keep your additions. Become aware of needs such as shade, water, predator protection, etc. This is essential. We lost our whole first flock of fourteen hens, three ducks, and a goose, to a coyote jumping over our back fence, and we live in the city. Don't assume that your livestock will be safe.

Depending on where you live now is also a good time to look into cattle or sheep. Dexter cattle make great family milkers on a budget.

Mostly, do your homework and know what you are getting into before you jump into livestock ownership. There can be a very steep learning curve for new owners.

Incubating Thoughts

So, I took the plunge and I ordered an incubator. I actually ended up not going with either the Hovabator type or the gorgeous Brinsea, but a middle territory that, hopefully, will be the incubator love of my life. I got a Clear Top Turbo Fan Incubator from ebay. It has a digital thermostat, which, after having a Hovabator, was a must for me.

Don't get me wrong-- Hovabators make a wonderful first incubator. I just don't think they clean-up as well as plastic models, and are fragile for those of us with young children who tend to climb on everything.

BTW: Brinsea is having an incredible sale on their incubators right now. With our budget, it was still out of reach for me, but I highly recommend investing in the Brinsea Octagon 20 Eco with the turner. Super nice!

I am looking forward to trying out my new incubator, which leads to looking into hatching eggs. There are some really great resources for finding hatching eggs online:

BackyardChickens.com
Egg-bid.com
Ebay.com (search: hatching eggs)
hatchingeggs.net/
gabbardhatchingeggs.com/

One of my favorite chickens off all time came from an egg I hatched from Gabbard Farms. They have really great quality chicken eggs.

Of course, that doesn't even branch into waterfowl and geese. But, first things first, I start with chickens!