Monday, February 9, 2009

Brooding Chicks

This is what 250 or so chicks look like.  These will be our egg layers for the summer along with the other 25 Barred Rocks that are about 4 weeks away from laying eggs.
In this bunch are 
60 or so Cuckoo Maran (I love the beautiful eggs from this breed)
50 or so Delaware (brown egg layers and a heritage breed)
26 Araucana (they lay the green tinted eggs)
50 or so more Barred Rocks - we like this breed as they are nice and calm and friendly
60 Buff Orpingtons (brown egg layers and a heritage breed)

Then as usual we got 2 free Exotic chicks in the bunch for free. One looks like a naked neck chicken.  The kids have named her Nicky and if she is a male he'll be Nicholas.
Nicky the Naked Neck Chicken.... love it.


These pictures are from earlier this afternoon.  Now in this same area is also an Ohio Brooder that Mike built this afternoon.  He even wired it up with heat lamps and took wire and attached plugs to the wires..... I had forgotten how electrically savvy he is-- all those years in the Marines fixing helicopters is paying off on the farm.
So far the mortality rate is 2%- one was DOA.  Typically the rate should be below 6%.

I'm going to have to find Nicky and get a picture of her/him.  She's so ugly that she's adorable.


5 comments:

Blue Heron Farm said...

Wow. What a beautiful setup. Congrats on your peep peeps.

I've never had a Buff O, but everyone I know who has really loves them. Yay, eggs!

SteveandAlina said...

When I see these pictures, I keep hearing a cacaphony of "cheep! cheep! cheep! cheeeeeep!!!!" And then I wonder if those little baby chicks are missing their Mommys... (must be the hormones!)

Michael@greenakeys.com said...

Actually, they cheep really loud when they are cold. Right now they arent cheeping at all. They are toasty warm. :)

Blue Heron Farm said...

Happy peeps don't cheep. Sounds like they love their new home. It's like the Real World for birds. A waay nice pad in a new city. Some "different" roommates. Letthe naked hot-tubbing begin.

pleintexasgirl said...

Great peep photos. You will love your orpingtons-they are great all around hens and they were the only ones that turned broody. I have a box of peeps arriving in a few days and I am excited!