My first ever lock down starts tonight at 9:30 for the 18 Wheaton Marans eggs. I'm not getting terribly excited about it having read (on other boards) about so many terrible hatches and problems with chicks. What will be, will be. I'm prepared for chicks that don't, or shouldn't, live.
I got a little carried away with chicks & hatching eggs. Next week 20 Wheaten Marans day olds will be delivered as well as 10 Blue Cochin AND another 18 WM hatching eggs. I found a great home for the Cochins already so they will leave the day they arrive after I've made sure they all get plenty to eat and drink.
I really got into the Wheaties, the're so friendly, bobble along on their feathered feet, always follow and talk to me, & I absolutely love their egg color. I really wanted to show some of the WM's too. But... they eat a gross amount of feed and (so far, even with a lighted coop) only lay about 3 eggs per week. I'm going to be really critical of what I keep from now on. I don't want a huge flock that's so much work I don't have time to enjoy them and not enough room for them to be able to free range and do fun chicken stuff. I have homes lined up for most of them already. In order to provide eggs for my entire family I need to get a dozen eggs a day, no matter what time of year it is. To do that is still a lot of chickens! I'm going to lower the number of chickens I have so I can enjoy them - as was the idea in the beginning. I was very happy with my mutt EE'ers and a couple BO's. After I place most of the WM's I'm going to get some golden comets or the like, and a few EE'ers to replace the ones that don't lay well. Oh, and the Wellies will be leaving too.
Yesterday I spent a good 10 hours doing work around the coop. Granted, most of it was winter/spring maintenance. But the coop was stripped down,scrubbed & hosed out, fresh bedding, chickens were dewormed. I have too much on my plate as it is, my family, also my parents need help now, my DN is a full time job, all the yard and garden work, my involvement in a couple of clubs, I help my husband do book work for his business, there aren't enough hours in the day to do it all justice. I will ALWAYS have chickens, the thrill of collecting eggs has never worn off and I love spending time with and talking to them. My new goal is to keep the number of chickens (good layers) low enough so that we know each others names, and it's still FUN.
Very First Lock Down & different goals
Very wise Annie.. I know the overwhelming feeling all too well... I've gotten over my head more than once.. and truth be told, I probably shouldn't have them now, but like you, life would just be drudgery if I didn't have a garden and chickens..
Your hatch is probably gonna be fine... I expect that wild excitement in your posts back in a few days! :)
Marans are not good layers Annie especially for the amount of food they eat. I had no problem getting rid of them and I had wanted them so bad. The Sussex are Monster size, eat very little food(not a 1/2 gal bowl a day for 8 of them) and don't even get to free range yet. I have make a side door and fence a area for them. They have just started laying a pretty terracotta colored egg. Medium size so far but supposed to be ex lg to jumbo
I've only had two Sussex at different times, and neither one laid a good sized egg.. rather small, and not very consistent. They are pretty, and very low maintenance, but not good layers at all if you ask me. I have one now that is just so sweet and no trouble at all.. everyone loves her cause she is so pretty..
To me, The best part of Marans is dual purpose.. the meat is awesome.
It's fun to raise the different breeds and learn what traits you like or not... Really, no matter what you read, or hear from others, or pictures you see, it's not the same... Breeds I thought I'd love I didn't.. and then I've found some I can hardly stand to be without.
Thanks ZZ's, that really meant a lot to me. I am in over my head and have so much going on in my life, I'm exhausted.
I love the look of the baby Sussex, their legs are so long (they aren't staying either)! They tower over the 3 marans babies. Charlotte still keeps them to herself. They like to roost at night now instead of sleeping under her. She stands next to them and occasionally covers them with her wing. I so love Charolette!
Maybe I love the EE'ers and BO's so much because they were hand raised and are so tame. When I sit outside they all fight over who gets to sit on the arms of the lawn chair, then they want to know want to check out my coffee and see if I've hidden treats, all the while talking, talking, talking to me.
If anyone wants some of the WM's (from Greenfire and CreeFarms) or the light Sussex (from Hodges) let me know, soon, because they're growing! You can have them for the price of shipping. Or come on down and get them, I'll make a great lunch LOL
In one hour lock down starts....... I'm excited, but more excited and relieved to have made some decisions.
I can so relate Annie... I am tired in every sense of the word.. I've had to "sell down" many times.. sometimes with regret, every time with relief.. I always think I can handle it.. and end up in a situation were it's too much work and even the thought of chickens didn't make me happy, but made me feel like it was just a burden. It's my friend OCD and it comes to see me often. LOL I know exactly why too.. the joy is so wonderful, then more should be better right? WRONG.. I think they call it moder ummm mod.. rational.. No, it's Moderation.. I've looked it up a few times, but I still can't seem to get myself to like it.. Ah well, practice makes perfect huh? (just kidding)
I'm sure someone will jump on your generous offer.
Your offer is so generous, and the lunch sounds terrific. And the hilight would be a chance to meet you...Those doggone gas prices...Lets see...how many lunches, and how many chickens could I buy with a four thousand mile round trip at these gas prices???BUT getting to meet you would be priceless...Hay
Moderation? I have no idea what that word means LOL. It's a hard decision, but not really, I have the best family and when it comes to them everything else is waaaaay down the list. Knowing the chickens will be happy if I keep the numbers lower makes me happy. I finished the lock down stuff, blew each egg a kiss and hope they hatch, they're happy, healthy and have a good chicken life. I'm pretty sure I have some chicken OCD and it'll come and visit again, probably sooner rather than later LOL.
Meeting everyone here would be SO fun! Since that is impossible I'll just enjoy you all right here! I'm so thankful for the friends I've made here.
Chicken OCD, that is so funny. :) I think you are not alone.
LOL I was a little nervous declaring my weakness in public like that.. but I should have known it would just be a routine post here amongst my own kind. LOL
Annie, nothing is impossible..
In the meantime, I'm with you Annie.. I'm very thankful and am content right here.. :)
It is kind of amusing that some of us just really like chickens and how we will go to great extremes to own some. Like me and the white show silkies. The hen still has not laid an egg! Someone mentioned they need a lot of light, and maybe that is a problem. Where they are is in a vacant building with miniblinds on the windows, so they are getting some light, but not as if they were outside. I may start leaving the light on for them 24/7 and see if she can manage ONE EGG at least. Still no signs of them mating, but I have not been with them much. Will they only mate if she is laying eggs?
When I was getting them ready for the show last year, I had the partridge hen on the floor in the kitchen. I think I was washing the partridge rooster and put him down with her, and he did mount her, to my great surprise. I mean he was quick too. I should have put them together I guess, but it was September. I still want to put them together. Those partridge roosters are very pretty I think, and she's real round and petite looking with an okay crest and cushion. Yep, I need to put those two together and see what might happen.
I tried to take some pictures of them the other day, but am not the photographer you are Z.
Is this what you mean by chicken OCD???
Then I have the question about the splash silkies. The male I have has this huge comb that looks like it needs to be amputated. Should I breed him to these splash hens, and risk having a bunch of roosters with huge ugly combs? ???? I also have that splash rooster that doesn't really look like a splash, but has a normal comb. He's got the blue on the top and white underneath, but no spots. I suspect that comes from breeding splash to splash without blues and blacks, and not knowing what else to call him.
Very good Annie, I wondered how long this would take. I think it's something we all go thru. It's hard to stop hatching and even buying. It was all the work that settled me down also...So i'm not laughing at you but with you my dear...Hay
I love to multi-task and being busy is good for me. Right now I just can't handle the extra responsibility of that many chickens. The pen with the 5 chicks & Charlotte in it, geeze I must change that water out half a dozen times a day, they use it as a toilet. I hung the waterer a little higher today so hopefully that will help. My dad used to tell us "If you won't eat/ drink/ from it or sleep on it, don't expect the animlas to either." I plan to go chicken crazy again, get a couple more coops and have a blast.
But, right now my priority is my DN and my parents. It is an honor to help and care for them.