Baby Black Rocks

Diary

Posted: Tuesday 9 September, 2008

by Rosemary at 7:33pm in Poultry Comments closed

Dan tootled off yesterday to pick up 13 x day old Black Rocks. They are in the garage - usually, I have them in the spare room to start but Dan has it earmarked as a training room / home cinema, so chicks are banned.

So far they look well - much stronger today than yesterday. Tomorrow, I'll let them out of the box into the run. I did buy these ones with the intention of selling some of them at POL. They are such good hens. The Marans are so flighty - they were all perched on the fence today. Hopefully, they will start laying soon.

One of the 15-week-old Black Rocks was a bit poorly on Sunday. I shut her in and gave her some herbal wormer; I also gave her a second leg ring so I'd be able to recognise her but she seems fine now. I wouldn't normally let then out this early but they are well grown and I want to put the broody and the chick in the small ark soon, so that the chick learns to use the ladder.

I am toying with the idea of converting the shed for the layers. That would let me keep the arks for young stock, especially if I get more meat chickens next year. Hey ho - plans! You can tell the nights are drawing in!

Off to work on the vegetable planting plan now...