New chicks

[Mortblanc]

Well, I'm a granddad again!

My little broody hen has hatched out part of her clutch. I came home from camping and found 6 new chicks scampering about.

Mom seems to be doing what a good hen should and is keeping them safe and warm as the rest take their turns emerging from the shells. The clutch was laid over the course of a week so not all will hatch at the same time.

They are Black Astrolops and I am hoping for a majority to be hens. their mom and aunts have proven to be excellent layers.

[Scythe13]

What's the best use for Black Astrolops? Meat, eggs, feather, or something I've not seen?

[Tartar Horde]

Have a Cigar Gramps

[Skean Dhude]

I can't wait till I get enough room to have some chicks.

[uks]

Well done.

[MCavity]

Gratz

[Mortblanc]

(24 June 2013, 11:05)Scythe13 Wrote: What's the best use for Black Astrolops? Meat, eggs, feather, or something I've not seen?

Austrolops hold the world record for egg production. Some crazy number like 325 eggs per bird per year! I forget the exact numbers. Their record has held since the 1920s.

I have 4 hens and they give me 3 eggs each day and most of the time 4 eggs. I would like to have 7-8 hens so I could count on 6 eggs daily.

If I get three more hens out of this clutch and can keep the coyotes away from them I will be in good shape. My eggs are one of my bases for prep planning. They allow me to shift my $$ to storage of long term carbs and fats (which are cheaper and easier to store) and plan my protein around the eggs. Where I live I can gather a handful of greens from the fence row any time I desire, and a couple of eggs, a pack of ramen noodles and a cup or two of greens daily will keep me going for a long time.

I eat a lot of eggs and any surplus is welcome by the neighbors. I have spoiled them with the fresh eggs and they complain when they have to use store bought.

Their addiction to my eggs has also insured that I have someone to watch the birds when I am off camping. They run over to feed the hens and snatch the eggs up while I am traveling. They even left me a voice mail on my phone, while I was in the boondocks, informing me I had chicks hatching while I was away.

They are transplanted city folks and are astounded by life in the country. Things like the ability of a year old hen to hatch out chicks and care for them instinctively is beyond their grasp. When they realized she was sitting on eggs their first question was, "Who taught her to do that?"

[MaryN]

Lucky you. I'm planning to add a couple more ex-battery hens to my flock in the next few weeks, but I'd love a few chicks to fuss over. Sigh.

[Mortblanc]

These 4 are probably all I will raise. My rooster is getting very ill tempered and overly brave. He wants to fight me every time I turn the flock out. So far a boot to the arse has not done anything to deter his aggression. My neighbors have grandchildren around and a 90 year old mother that likes to sit on the porch and chain-smoke. She loves to talk to the hens while sitting there but I fear the rooster will attack her eventually.

So the rooster is about to be dispatched, and no more chicks will appear

[Mortblanc]

I had an amazing development today, and quite a survival story!

At the one week mark one of my chicks disappeared from the caged back porch area where I was keeping mother and chicks.

I looked around the yard and found nothing so I gave the chick up for dead and went on.

Today, at the three week mark, I decided to pressure wash the pen area and to do that I needed to turn the hen and chicks out into the lawn for the first time. I opened the door and waited for mom and chicks to run down the steps.

As soon as the first chick hit the ground the lost baby ran from underneath the back porch and joined the group.

That baby chick had survived under the back porch for two weeks, alone!

We have had plenty of rain, and the mom and chicks have scratched lots of food through the floor boards, and the chick has had access to bugs and worms the others did not get. The lost chick is just as big and healthy as the others.

The only difference I have noted is that the stray is not as quick to answer mom's calls and wants to hunt for food on its own. It is more independent than the others.