Poultry
New Hens
Thursday 12 January, 2006
Dan and I were out at the crack of dawn (well, actually before the crack of dawn) today sorting out the accommodation for our new poultry. I was going to say "hens" but of course, there will also be Henry the cockerel. We're not sure what breed Henry will be - depends who the breeder can catch on Saturday morning!
That's the planned collection date, so, all being well, we'll have some photos of our new arrivals on the site over the weekend.
Go Egg Incubator
Thursday 20 October, 2005
After our ultimately disastrous first attempt at using our incubator this is just the ticket. (We had one live chick, but just as pipping started the heater in the incubator packed in, resulting in a cold, low humidity environment - just what new-born chicks don't need. Despite our best efforts to rig up a suitable substitute with a heat lamp the poor wee mite only lived an hour or so.)
Presenting the Go Egg Incubator - computer controlled and managed, just add water, electricity and fertilised eggs and 21 days later you've got chicks.
Eggs - Day 10
Sunday 11 September, 2005
We candled the four eggs last night. Three of the four are growing something. One was clearly empty and has been removed.
I'm having a problem keeping the humidity high enough, even though the water tray is full.
Moving house
Sunday 4 September, 2005
We moved the laying hens into the small ark yesterday. Since there are now only six, the small ark is quite big enough. In fact, coming into winter (although you wouldn't have thought so today - it's been a scorcher here), they are better in a small house to get more benefit from shared body heat. It's also daft to be bedding the big ark, when the small one will do. The only thing I'm a bit worried about is going from two nest boxes to one. However, there's always the carrots and the comfrey to lay in if the nestbox is occupied!!
First eggs
Saturday 3 September, 2005
Well, here we go!
Our friend, Carol, has bravely given us four Maran eggs to incubate for her. She has two Maran hens (in addition to lots of other Black Rocks) and a Maran cockeral called Malcolm. Carol has very kindly offered to let us try out the incubator with her eggs - I hope we're successful. Day 1 was 2nd September, so we'll be all a-quiver towards the end of the month as hatching approaches. We did get a candling lamp with our incubator kit, so I'll try that to check progress.
Table birds and replacement laying hens
Tuesday 16 August, 2005
Well, we've finally bitten the bullet and ordered our incubator, brooder and despatcher. This is the first step towards raising our own layer flock replacements and raising our own table birds. We have ordered a kit from Ascott Smallholding Supplies.
We intend to buy fertilised eggs - the incubator we have bought takes 24 hen eggs but we might start with 12. Once the equipment arrives, we'll spend a few days playing with it (we might even read the instructions) and sussing out what else we need before we start.
Humboldt Hens
Monday 11 April, 2005
We're just back from a fantastic week in the beautiful island of Madeira (more on that later), but waiting in my mailbox was a note from worm guru Amy Stewart with the great news that she and Scott have become proud parents..... of four hens!
They're charting their progress at Humboldt Hens, well worth keeping an eye on. Careful though guys, they'll decimate your worms if they get the chance!
Learning the hard way
Friday 11 June, 2004
We lost another hen this evening. Two of the retired sheepdogs from the neighbouring farm occasionally come to visit us, and we make them welcome, give them a stroke or a brush and a few dog biscuits. They're good natured souls, and have had a hard life. One of them is Meg's mother, Gyp, who is an especially sweet dog. The other is Lyn.
Lyn sometimes chases the hens, but since Tess does exactly the same we'd never really worried about it. Tonight though she killed our Light Sussex, one of the original 3 hens we bought in 2002. The farm dogs had been down to visit, and had had their usual treats and attention. I was busy in a corner of the field trying (unsuccessfully) to plant some large silver birch trees (another story). Rosemary was in the house getting Lorna ready for bed. The garden gate was open, as it often is. Suddenly all hell broke loose around the bird feeder, about 50 yards from where I was working, and the Brown Leghorn flew along the lawn wings flapping. The Sussex had met a swift but violent end, neck broken.
Eglu
Monday 24 May, 2004
A nice article on the BBC about the Eglu - a hen run designed for urban settings, sold complete with 2 hens. The correspondent is quite positive about the eglu and her experience with it. It looks ideal for anyone with a bit of grass and the curiousity to try hen keeping for themselves.
Then there were ten
Thursday 13 May, 2004
Well, our poorly hen didn't make it through last night. We think it was a physical defect that did for her rather than sickness or disease - she had no symptoms of illness, no discharge, no visible parasites.
It's always a bit sad when one of our animals dies, and even more so when it's one we planned on having into its old age (unlike the pigs for example).
