Pennsylvania!! Unite!!

[JoeLStol]

Here are a few photos of them and there parents.

 

[LittleMissPurdy]

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year everyone.
Everyone's birds look so wonderful, I am sorry I cannot help to take any, I have so many of my own right now...
Finally got our rabbitry going !! yeah!!! They are all just small so it won't be till spring-ish till we have babies.
That is okay with me cause I am already tired! hahaha
Will be getting seeds stated in just a few weeks..humm, does it not feel like we just put things to bed folks?!?!?
Wish it would just snow up in these mountains and get it over with..so very tired of the rain. I know I am going to hear it from the snow haters, but the rain makes things so blah. At least snow is pretty! hahaha
Haven't been on for quite awhile, so hope all is well with everyone!!
Here's to 2024 & all things possible & great to come!!

 

[dheltzel]

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year everyone.
Everyone's birds look so wonderful, I am sorry I cannot help to take any, I have so many of my own right now...
Finally got our rabbitry going !! yeah!!! They are all just small so it won't be till spring-ish till we have babies.
That is okay with me cause I am already tired! hahaha
Will be getting seeds stated in just a few weeks..humm, does it not feel like we just put things to bed folks?!?!?
Wish it would just snow up in these mountains and get it over with..so very tired of the rain. I know I am going to hear it from the snow haters, but the rain makes things so blah. At least snow is pretty! hahaha
Haven't been on for quite awhile, so hope all is well with everyone!!
Here's to 2024 & all things possible & great to come!!

Hope it snows for you and you post pics. Pics of snow is all I really need for it to feel like winter. Last winter we got about 1/4 inch of snow total. Would like to see that little again!

Are you raising rabbits for meat or pets?

I am still working out all the breeding pens for the chickens, I need more than 24 hours in a day, and more days that are not rainy would be nice too!

I am working on several new hybrids and breeds this year. One I am excited about but will not likely be too popular are the Tomaru, a Japanese long-crowing breed. They have impressive long legs and are quite attractive, but of course it is all about how the rooster's crow sounds.

I bought a new incubator and a new hatcher this year. Each holds 700 eggs. I am selling 3 of my 6 cabinet incubators to make room and prevent me from expanding any more. My largest hatches last year had close to 700 eggs going into multiple hatchers. I hope that by consolidating all those that management becomes easier.

Hope everyone is having a happy and blessed holiday season!

 

[LittleMissPurdy]

Hope it snows for you and you post pics. Pics of snow is all I really need for it to feel like winter. Last winter we got about 1/4 inch of snow total. Would like to see that little again!

Are you raising rabbits for meat or pets?

I am still working out all the breeding pens for the chickens, I need more than 24 hours in a day, and more days that are not rainy would be nice too!

I am working on several new hybrids and breeds this year. One I am excited about but will not likely be too popular are the Tomaru, a Japanese long-crowing breed. They have impressive long legs and are quite attractive, but of course it is all about how the rooster's crow sounds.

I bought a new incubator and a new hatcher this year. Each holds 700 eggs. I am selling 3 of my 6 cabinet incubators to make room and prevent me from expanding any more. My largest hatches last year had close to 700 eggs going into multiple hatchers. I hope that by consolidating all those that management becomes easier.

Hope everyone is having a happy and blessed holiday season!

Oh you know I love to post pics!!
We did get a little snow earlier December. just a dusting. It was pretty though.

As to the rabbits, we are raising for both, meat & pet, but mostly meat.
Right now we have Polish.
Wanted to start with a smaller breed.
Easier to handle, I have small hands, so processing will be easier & they are also very cute. They make great pets and are very popular.
I am also interested in making items with the fur. I sew already, so going that way shouldn't be a far walk.
Have watched a bunch of videos on making mittens and house "slippers", they look so comfortable and warm!!
We are really excited about the rabbit adventure. Have plans on a shed this spring to hold them & their supplies.

You have that right about needing more hours in a day!!
No sooner get started & it's over, what happens?!?, Sure do FEEL like I did something though!!LOL !
700 eggs ** is wayyy outta my comfort zone , hahaha...
I hope that does make things easier for you though, 2 cabinets holding so much!
Your selling things to prevent expansion and I am picking up "curb-alerts" everywhere I go!
We will be separating out our BLRWandottes to see what we get this spring. We have two nice roosters , at least I think they are nice. They each have their pos. & neg, so we will see. But the girls are SOP, so I am hopeful.
Also have Brahams I would like to see what they turn out.
Have some plans , will see how fast the time goes by & how much actually get done.

Your project sounds VERY interesting. Tomaru...
A rooster all about the crow...cool...wonder what the neighbors will think..
Definitely want to keep updated on that one!
I have watched some videos and OMGosh!!
Husband asked what I was watching and I said a possible new chicken, and he asked for who????
hahaha...
so okay, maybe not for us, but still want to be kept updated!!
Well, it was worth a shot.

 

[King of the Farm]

I am selling 3 of my 6 cabinet incubators to make room

Do you already have a buyer for your incubators?

 

[King of the Farm]

I am looking for several full grown Barred Rock chickens and a rooster. I am also looking for a Buff Orpington rooster, silver sebright rooster, any color plymouth rock chickens & roosters, & fertile Maran eggs for hatching. I live in Lancaster County PA.

 

[dheltzel]

Do you already have a buyer for your incubators?

I have sold 2 of the 3, still have a Dickey cabinet, upgraded with a digital thermostat and an acrylic door.
I am also getting a few Marans eggs from my flock. Not very many yet, but here is what I have now.
I am just south of Pottstown, in Chester County.

 

[King of the Farm]

I am also getting a few Marans eggs from my flock. Not very many yet, but here is what I have now.

Your maran eggs look nice & dark. I have bought several maran chicks last spring but they don't lay dark eggs, then I read that not all marans lay extra dark eggs but if they are hatch out of dark eggs then they should lay dark eggs too.

 

[dheltzel]

Your maran eggs look nice & dark. I have bought several maran chicks last spring but they don't lay dark eggs, then I read that not all marans lay extra dark eggs but if they are hatch out of dark eggs then they should lay dark eggs too.

Not completely true, much of the egg color produced by a pullet is from her father (let's say half). If the father is a hatchery Copper Marans, even if the mother laid dark eggs, her daughters will lay much lighter. It is very easy to lose the dark egg color with indiscriminate breeding. The very dark eggs also give some breeders trouble hatching and the hens that lay dark eggs definitely lay fewer eggs than the hatchery stock.
The truth about dark eggs is that the genetics of the line matters more than anything else, but not every breeder can be trusted to keep breeding for darker eggs. I reduced my flock a lot from last year and decided to focus on the darkest eggs from both my Copper and Lavender Marans. My intention is to raise my prices since chicks will be scarce and focus on selling to other breeders, then they can produce the dark egg Marans to sell in future years.

 

[King of the Farm]

Not completely true, much of the egg color produced by a pullet is from her father (let's say half). If the father is a hatchery Copper Marans, even if the mother laid dark eggs, her daughters will lay much lighter. It is very easy to lose the dark egg color with indiscriminate breeding. The very dark eggs also give some breeders trouble hatching and the hens that lay dark eggs definitely lay fewer eggs than the hatchery stock.
The truth about dark eggs is that the genetics of the line matters more than anything else, but not every breeder can be trusted to keep breeding for darker eggs. I reduced my flock a lot from last year and decided to focus on the darkest eggs from both my Copper and Lavender Marans. My intention is to raise my prices since chicks will be scarce and focus on selling to other breeders, then they can produce the dark egg Marans to sell in future years.

I always find it interesting to learn more about chickens. If I buy eggs for hatching I definitely want to buy from someone who focuses on breeding for dark eggs.