Baby Chicks and a Plan Change

The girls are still not producing like they should.

So we have begun the "weeding out" process.

Last night I snatched 4 girls off their roost

(easier to catch that way)

and put one each in isolation

in the old rabbit hutches.

You've got 24 hours.

Lay, or freezer camp.

Your choice...

So far... no eggs.

Meanwhile, I had an order for

46 new chicks coming,

since the writing is on the wall

for these girls.

But then Rod and I re-evaluated

and decided maybe our egg selling

days are at an end.

The neighbor is transitioning over to

being a bamboo farm over the next 

two years, so we knew we were nearly done,

but we decided with Kyle leaving

(he's my backup when I'm gone)

and me being gone a LOT here in

the near future (I'll be out of town

EVERY weekend until mid-September

and then gone again the last 2...)

maybe we should just get out now.

So...

I called the chicken people and changed

my order from 46 hard layers

to 15 (minimum order) of a breed that

will lay every couple of days,

but continue to lay for 5 to 6 years.

We'll give a couple to Kyle

so he can have eggs,

and keep the rest for us.

That will give us enough eggs for 

us to eat, and also to give away

to the missionaries and a few

folks in the ward we like to help out.

The chicken people were really nice

and super helpful.

Happy to change my order.

And they arrived today!

Baby chicks are so stinkin' cute!

They were happy to check out the

water and feed.

And now they are all napping.

I have a chicken who has been faithfully

sitting on a nest for several weeks.

I grabbed her and put her in with 

the chicks, hoping she would think they 

all just hatched!

Look! Babies!

Nope.

She freaked out and pecked one on the head.

So I kicked her out.

They'll just have to be motherless.

But since it's WICKED hot,

they won't need a heat lamp.

We have 6 New Hampshires.

A large red chicken that lays well for many years.

And 9 "True Blues" who also lay well

for many years, but they lay a blue egg.

And who doesn't love a blue egg?

I told Brock today that I was winding down

and wouldn't be bringing eggs after next week.

He lost 25 chickens to coyotes over the

past week or two,

so he's actually thinking about being

done and just ordering his eggs

from a supplier from now on.

I'm sorry the coyotes are eating his chickens.

But I'm glad the coyotes are eating HIS chickens!

(grin)

I guess my girls will have to stay in their yard.

Of course once I whittle the flock down

to the 2 dozen who are still laying,

that will be easy.

And when the new babies come on board

(around Thanksgiving)

the old ones will go and we'll just

have our little family only flock.

End of an Era.