Plum Crazy over Chickens

My first babies of the year, above is what they looked like this past Saturday when I got home from setting up my Graywater supply system. Then an hour later when I came back to check on them. It is amazing how fast some chicks hatch, last year I had several that took 7 to 10 hours. Those really tried my patience and I must admit to helping the process along several times. 

Zippin

1 hour later

Mille Fleur

Golden Cuckoo Marans

I kind of went crazy again. My wife Karen has a business, Got Birds? , here in Las Vegas that caters to exotic bird owners supply needs here in the valley. She came home last week from a seed delivery and asked me what a Mille Fleur de'Uccle chicken was, I had seen the name on backyard chickens and when I pulled up a picture Karen started oohing and awing. She then explained that this customer of hers has been looking for a pair for quite a while, in my mind that was a green light to order a dozen hatching eggs from this really nice lady on backyard chickens . While searching for those I ran across a deal to good to pass up on a dozen Marans, 6 Black Copper and 6 Golden Cuckoo.

My eggs came in the mail on wednesday and I suddenly realized that my whacko step mother-in-law had repossessed my big incubator and all I had was my little one. It only holds 3 eggs and I had just put a load of Barnyard Bastards in it on Sunday!

We had a brinsea octagon20 advance ordered but it wasn't scheduled to arrive until next week! Luckily Karen's friend Nicole loaned us hers. On the left you can see the tray loaded. The darker large eggs are Marans and the smaller light colored eggs are the Mille Fleur. Now the waiting begins, March 18th I will put them in lockdown and hopefully will be posting fluffy butt pics on the 20th!

           
This is my babies today, the light colored one has gone spraddle legged. That's why she ain't standing up, When I talked about culling I thought Karen was going to cull me. So I did some research and found this site:   Spraddle Leg Therapy

 This is Gichael with his brace on

EXTRA!!!!EXTRA!!!!EXTRA!!!!EXTRA!!!!EXTRA!!!!EXTRA!!!!EXTRA!!!!

This is what the girls left for Us this morning!!!!

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Slow Day

I had big plans for a full day working in my Orchard/Chicken Run but some kind of cold bug had a different idea. The third apple going in did arrive and I picked it up this morning, it is a Pink Lady. This variety is rated very high out at the UNCE orchard, one of the Master Gardners was able to get 9 shipped in when the orchard didn't receive any this year. When I got there this morning and mentioned I was picking up a Pink Lady everyone got kind of furtive looks and said "oh we couldn't get any this year" but when they showed up it was all hush hush like I was picking up contraband! Kinda neat bein in on the "secret" shipment! Again those volunteers out there are the GREATEST and obviously love what they're doing!

Now for some picks of my Chooks! This is my crazy teenage crowd of pullets takin a dust bath. And a single shot of one of the Easter Eggers I got as 3 week olds last fall.

These girls below all came out of my hens, I'm not sure who each ones momma is, but other than the red one its obvious that their daddy was the big mean white and black rooster I got rid of. 

These 6 Handsome Devils, grrrrr, below are my marans. I was hoping for pullets (young hens) but so far everyone thinks they're cockerels (young roosters) hence the grrrrrrr!

I plan on getting rid of my other roosters and keeping a couple of my Marans Roosters. That way if I do happen to get lucky and some of these are hens I will get purebred Marans. In addition I should get olive eggers out of my easter egger hens.

Hopefully tomorrow will be a productive day!?!