Hello Dear Readers! In my last post, Raising Happy Healthy Chicks, I wrote about how I start off our baby chicks. But, I did not tell you exactly what we were raising this year.
We had not added any new chicks to our flock since 2014, and since chickens are only productive egg layers for so many years, and our egg business is doing well, it was time to add some new birds.
For those of you not familiar with chickens, and that was certainly me before we bought the ranch, a pullet is a female that is less then a year old, after that they will be called hens, and a cockerel is a male who will then be called a rooster.
Some hatcheries “sex” the chicks when they hatch, which allows me to order either boys or girls. This is important to me as I plan to incubate my own chicks in the future and for this to work, I need a rooster!
So what did we get? About 90 chicks!!!
Rose Comb Rhode Island Reds – Straight Run – Heritage breed
Single Comb Rhode Island Reds – Breeding Pair – Heritage
Dark Rhode Island Reds – Pullets and Cockerels – Possibly Heritage
Australorps – Pullets and Cockerels – Heritage breed
Americaunas – Pullets and Cockerels
Speckled Sussex – Pullets
Partridge Rock – Pullet
Sounds like a lot of chicks and it is…we have 84 at this point ranging in age from 7-8 weeks, not to mention the 50 or so layers we already have.
Rhode Island Reds
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| 3 days old |
Rhode Island Reds are amazing layers, meat birds and also a sentimental favorite. My great Aunt and Uncle, Inez and Wilfred, had an egg farm in Massachusetts during the Depression and RIRs were what they raised. I named our breeding pair of Rose Comb Rhode Island Reds after my aunt and uncle…even though I rarely name any of our animals, it just seemed fitting.
They are a “Heritage” breed which in a nutshell means they were well adapted to outdoor production in various climatic regions. They were hearty, long-lived, and reproductively vital birds that provided an important source of protein to the growing population of the country until the mid-20th century. With the industrialization of chickens many breeds were sidelined in preference for a few rapidly growing hybrids.” To learn more about these birds and other Heritage breed animals, check out The Livestock Conservancy web site.
We love Heritage Breeds and here on the ranch we are also raising Bourbon Red Turkeys.
Chicks come in to the world with fluff and very small wing feathers.
Americaunas
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| 3 day old Americauna |
Love these guys…they lay blue and green eggs and have “muffs” around their ears and under their beaks.
There are eight different color variations but since their coloring at hatch is different than when they finally feather out, I don’t yet know what they will ultimately look like.
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| 3 weeks old |
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| 3 weeks old |
As time goes on, the wing feather grow and fill in. Then feathers start sprouting on the upper back and then on their chests.
Australorps
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| 3 days old |
Australorps are very prolific layers and because of this and their hardiness, we purchased a large number of these guys.
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| Adult Australorps |
Speckled Sussex
We saw these gorgeous birds when we were at Stock Show this year. I was struck by the flashy feathers and although I didn’t want a flock of these birds, I couldn’t resist buying two to add to the group.
Partridge Rock
I bought one of these chicks as I also liked the feather colors…yet another impulse purchase.
The Brooder House
Hubby build this awesome brooder house where our old greenhouse used to be.
It is a huge step up from brooding the chicks in the basement.
Hubby also built this amazing Ohio Brooder box. It acts like a giant hen and provides the chicks with warmth and cover.
There is a radiant heat panel mounted to the top of the box which provides just the right amount of heat.
And the chicks can stay under cover or go out to eat, drink, and play whenever they feel like it.
Thanks for stopping by and until next time,
Happy Trails
Hi Leah…Thanks for stopping by! We also hatch our own chicks and it always amazes me how chicks are able to make it safely to the other end being shipped in the mail! What kind of animals did you have on your farm?
Happy Trails,
Diana
The chicks are so cute! I grew up on a farm, but did not remember that chicks were mailed.