My how time flies! Yesterday it was time for the Itty Biddies to go to the coop with the grown chickens. It seemed just a couple of weeks ago we were beside ourselves with excitement as the first pips of our first chicks from our first chickens had begun!
It has been a (rather dusty) pleasure to have them in our living room. We practiced good care of the brooder so the only odor was fresh pine shavings. It was fun to watch them "battle" and play and bicker and try to peck through the walls of the brooder.
However, we needed to integrate them with the big flock soon. I want Chandler to be the head rooster, as his temperament is just too wonderful for words. I am hoping that he can establish his authority since the Itty Biddies are not fully grown.
TWS put a wire corral in the floor of the coop and covered it with wood for them to go in. This allows the grown chickens and the biddies to get used to each other before they are fully integrated. We also banded them.
The Itty Biddies a few days ago. Look how beautiful their tails are coming in!!
A closer shot. They loved playing king of the roost when we first put it in.
Then the two Micro Biddies got to be in the big brooder! They moved from the tiny starter brooder to the large brooder that the Itty Biddies had been in. They have so much room! Too much, in fact-- TWS came in this morning and found them huddling in a corner beside their heating plate. We had to move the heating plate to where they were so they did not get cold.
They are still in my kitchen, in the big brooder, but my living room is currently chicken free and much more quiet.
You can see the difference between the two Micro Biddies. One has long legs (a DQ fault in the breed, but necessary to keep in genetically as two short legged genes will cause death in the egg). The one on the right has short legs and also sits perfectly for the breed--chest out, a U shaped back, etc.
Love this picture :)
Our long legged hen.
I have also decided on meat/egg chickens and duck breeds. For we will use Buff Orps and Naked Neck Turkens for meat and eggs. Those with great personalities and are good layers get to stay. Those who are aggressive or have DQ faults will get et.
We will be jump starting our meat chicken harvest with Cornish Cross. These are the "production chickens" your mother warned you about :). However a)proper management will keep them from being blobs of feathers with leg and heart problems and b)we plan to harvest early, before they can get those problems. This will give us time to let our heritage breeds get to eating size.
Instead of Cornish Cross, we might try Red Rangers. That is still a bit up in the air.
I have been desiring ducks for the pond. I would just love to walk out and feed ducks stale bread like I did when I was in college. We had a bayou running through the center of the school and the ducks were always such fun to watch. I am thinking about getting a few Pekins (they are called Pekins rather than Pekings :) Peking duck is the cooked, Pekin duck is still on the wing :)).
Additionally, ducks apparently eat wasps and we have many of those around here. Those and hornets are the two of God's creatures that I just cannot seem to live calmly with.
Today's task list: some business, establishing a walking trail in the back 40.
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