Wyandotte Chicks, dogs, and food?!!!!

Well the cold snap is hear and it's been -2 to -3 degrees C over night!

I woke to a thick frost all over the car, and to bring me a little happiness a reasonable frost on the grass.  So the walk to the girls and chicks this morning was as though I were walking over crisps rather than the more recent walking through treacle.

I find it strange that Custard the Light Sussex has decided this is a good time to go into full moult.  She must be freezing!  It does not make sense to me.  

We used to have a German Shepherd and she would moult at sensible times to bring in winter and then summer coats.  If dogs can do it, why not the chickens?  Someone with more knowledge will no doubt be able to answer that! 

I think that the covered run will be helping the chicks, Pinky and Perky and the girls, Treacle, Pudding and Custard.  It probably keeps the worst of the frost off their run area.  It certainly helps keep the drinkers from freezing at -2 to -3 but how long that will last for I am unsure.

Many people talk about insulating their hen houses in winter.  Perhaps this is necessary in the very cold parts of the country or over in America where there are sever cold snaps.  But in sunny (ha ha) Wales half way up the Garth Mountain (famous for the Hugh Grant Film, The Englishman who went up a hill but came down a mountain and for Lucy Jones off Xfactor) I do not find it necessary.
Plus I would like to think not doing this helps control some of the red mite!

I do tend to add more wood shavings in winter to help a little with insulation.  I have used shredded paper as well but found this was a little messy and needed cleaning out more regularly.

I mentioned the chicks earlier.  They seem happing whatever the weather.  They are getting quite flighty.  But I suspect this is the Bantam in them and something I will have to get used to.

They are looking very pretty with their markings now.  I am starting to convince myself they are hens, but I know this is not a good idea having gone through it with Rodney the Rooster earlier this year, who was originally Rosie!!

I have been thinking about names for the chicks.  Pinky and Perkey were only temporary names.  I like the idea of sticking with food.  So if they are both hens I will see if I can get board approval (from my 3 boys) to call the Apple and Blackberry.

Quite cool, hip and now with all the celeb children names. :-)

Thanks for reading!

Royal Welsh Winter Fair 2012

Two Saddleback's having a cuddle!

I have to be honest, this entry is not 100% poultry related but I hope you enjoy!

I had a great day on Tuesday at the Royal Welsh Agricultural Society's Winter Fair!  Its a two day event, and this year ran from 26th November to 27th November 2012.

I decided to make the effort and go, firstly because the drive up from Cardiff over the Brecon Beacons is beautiful and secondly, there was a poultry show and pig show on the Tuesday.  Two areas I have become very interested in!
As Liz Shankland recently put it, I'm on that slipperly slope into Smallholding!

It really got serious for me when I attended Liz's Smallholding Course at the Humble by Nature farm.  So really I could blame Liz!!! :-)

A great course, and one I would thoroughly recommend.  I have one slight problem in that my back garden can only just cope with 3 young boys under 5 years old along with 5 hens.  So I'm a little stuck until I find land.

Anyway, back to the Winter Fair!  I was fortunate with the weather, dry but cold.  There was ample parking and it seemed very well organised.  I arrived at 11am and had a stroll around the Christmas stalls selling mulled cider, welsh honey and wax candles, cheese, meats, dog treats, everything and anything you could think of and majority if not all stalls were Welsh.  It was to be fair, a fantastic offering and shows how diverse many of small and medium size business's are in Wales.  Its great to see so many still going.

I was keen to get to the animals, if fact as excited as a child, although I seem to get more excited about animals than my 3 boys do. 
I visited the pig's first of all. 

Gloucestershire Old Spot having a snooze

Now I'm not a Welsh speaker, but the first thing I noticed was that Welsh for pig is "Moch".  I made a mental note and thought I can remember that!  That was until I arrived home and discussed this fact with my wife.  My pride at remembering some welsh did in fact take a little dent when Rachel advised me that Pig in welsh can be Moch, Mochyn or Mochin.
I had enough trouble with the English language, but having 3 spellings for pig suggested I may have no chance with Welsh.

Back to the Fair, and there was a variety of pigs on show and on sale, from Gloucester Old Spot's to Middle Whites, and Saddlebacks.  There was also a guess the weight competition for two Tamworths (see below).

They were owned by Barbara Warren who was chair of the Wales and Border Counties Pig Breeders Association.  I had a great time chatting with Barbara, Liz Shankland and Wendy Scudamore who breeds Kune Kune pigs.

All in all, it strengthened my desire and drive to keep and rare breed pigs.  The shortlist is Tamworths, Berkshires and I can't help but like the idea of a couple of Kune Kune's! 

From the pigs I moved onto the poultry show.  There were some lovely birds there, chickens, geese, turkeys, ducks.  Some for sale but majority for show.  I took some photos of a few that caught my eye.

To the left were light sussex bantams I believe.  They were beautiful, and took first place in the any Bantam category!


Below was a cockerel that caught my eye and ear as I got a little to close without ear defenders!!
I'm not sure of the breed to be honest.  I will have to look it up!

This chap on the left  reminded me Christmas coming all to fast.  Gobble Gobble!

Talking of Christmas, every Christmas Fair should have them................................ drum roll please!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The reindeer!!

A great way to finish the day and I would recommend that you go along and have a look for yourself.  They hold Spring, Summer and Christmas gatherings, so plenty of opportunity.

Thanks for reading!

Courgette Cake!

Recipes - anything involving eggs!!!

So, I thought I would add a page or two on recipes I like.  Being honest, most of these will probably be my Moms.  I think she should go on the Great British bake off.  She can produce cakes like this massive cupcake and chocolate box cake! 

Let me just clarify, I can not produce anything like this!!  However a nice Courgette cake................yes courgette, is my best effort.

Here is the recipe, good if you have a glut of courgettes and of course you get to use you delicious home reared eggs!!

It's sweet and moreish!

Courgette Cake by Gradma Homer!

Ingredients

1lb trimmed grated courgettes
8 fl oz rapeseed oil or sunflower oil
10oz caster sugar
1.1/2 tablespoons golden syrup
3 eggs
5 oz wholemeal flour (I use wholemeal bread flour)
5oz plain white flour
1 tsp bicarbonate soda
1.1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp grated nutmeg
1.1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
6oz roughly chopped walnuts  (not pecans they too light)

Method

Preheat Oven 350degF gas 4 160 C
Line 2lb loaf tin.  You can use the remainder of mixture to make large cupcakes.

Combine courgettes, oil, sugar & eggs

Sift flours, baking powder, soda, cinnamon, nutmeg together.

Then mix the dry ingredients with the wet courgette mix
Add the walnuts

Spoon mixture into tins/ cases

Bake until skewer comes out clean.  Should be for about 1hour to 1 and a quarter hours. 

If the top begins to brown too much just place some foil gently over to stop browning.
Leave the cake to cool in the tin for 15 mins then remove from tin and cool on wire rack.

Wrap in cling film and put in tin - improves after day 1 if it lasts that long!!

Alternative:  If you dont like nuts or need to replace them, try sultanas or raisins!

Enjoy

Wyandotte chicks at 5 weeks

I promised to update on the chicks progress.
Well here they are!!


A few days old

I am surprised how flighty they are, and they seem quite nervous when I am around.  One chick continues to try and ride on Treacles back, but she is not suffering this too aften now.
  


5 Weeks old



At 5 weeks old they are looking very different to 3 or 4 days old as you would expect.

I have been told that they can time a long time to mature, so I guess I am not going to know anytime soon if they are hens or cockerels.  Having said that it took me 15 weeks to finally accept that Rodney the Rhode Island Red cockerel was actually a cockerel! 

Either way Pinky and Perky are looking quite happy and cute.

I love the markings on their wings.  When I first saw a Wyandotte in a magazine I thought I was looking at a computer generated image.  I honestly did not think it was possible to achieve markings like this. 

I have recently applied to join the Laced Wyandotte Club.

The club caters for silver, blue, gold and buff laced Wyandotte's.  Full size and Bantams.

I'm hoping to gather information on standards, breeders and eventually get along to the club show.

I don't know how these little guy's or gals are going to turn out but if they are anything like this I will be very happy!

I'm considering attending the Royal Welsh Winter Fair in Builth Wells.  They apparently have a poultry show on the second day, and of course there are all those lovely stalls with potential Christmas gifts to look around.

I will update the blog with some info if I manage to get there!

Thanks for reading.

Baby its cold outside and very wet!

"Baby its cold out side"  When I say it in my head I sound like Tom Jones, said out loud, it sounds rather............. weird!



Photo from google

It has been hammering down for the last few days, and even though I have covered the run for the girls with corrugated clear sheets, the ground is waterlogged again.

Any duck would think they were in Disney World, but Treacle, Pudding and Custard seem quite fed up.

I went out this morning to sort out feeders and water, it seemed bitterly cold, so cold that the outside tap water felt lovely and warm!  I think I somehow need to find warm woolly waterproof gloves!

I have written before about how I have avoided boggy runs but it seems this time I have failed.  :-( http://backgardenpoultryhatcher.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/mud-mud-mud-in-chicken-run-run-run.html



Dry weather days!!!

The good news is I still have a bag of sand and one 100 litre bag of wood chippings (not bark) that I can use to top the run up and give them something to scratch around in.  Hopefully this will lift the ground level a little and mean they are not treading in water.

Perhaps the other option is increasing the size of the run to give them more ground.  However I'm not sure I will get that passed by the boss! ;-)



Image from Disney.co.uk



The Cotswold Wood Company sell some great looking runs that I have been looking at on and off for a year or so.  I have also considered the cheaper option of electric poultry netting, but I am still worried about the hens getting out over the top.  I seem to find breeds that have a similar bouncing abilities to tigger.

I have to be careful as I think half my garden could disappear under chicken runs, and my 3 boys would not be happy with less space for football and the climbing frame!

Only time will tell!

Thanks for reading.

The search for land

My search for land has been ongoing for a long time, it seems to have turned into an epic!
It picked up pace after I returned from a Smallholding Course at Humble By Nature  delivered by Liz Shankland.
I haven't quite given up on finding some close to my village, but it is proving very difficult.

I have been talking to farmers, the Community councils City council, local poultry keepers, my allotment association and searched various property websites.

I have discovered that the ideal land is too far away at circa 9 miles, and land prices for agricultural use vary a great deal.  I have seen prices quoted at £7,000 -£10,000 per acre for 4-7 acres, I have also seen asking prices of £15k per acre.
I have not really seen any land to rent.
It's not easy!

If anyone else has tried this rather than moving home to a house with land, I would be interest to know how you approached it and if it worked for you?
If you did find land are you treating it as a hobby or trying to make some sort of living out of it?  How did you go about establishing if there was a demand for your service?

You should be able to leave a comment on this entry or if you are on twitter I am @Homer_Andrew and my facebook page is www.facebook.com/backgardenpoultryhatcher

Thank you for reading.
Next entry will have some photos of the little Wyandotte chicks.  I am also pondering whether to try and train one of my hens!!  

Moulting Hen!

Well, I said I thought Custard was moulting!!
WOW!
The run and the hen house currently look like Custard and Pudding have been having a massive feather pillow fight during the night!!!
I actually think I will have a bald hen shortly.  Anyone know where I can get hen accessories, like a nice woolly chicken coat?

She is looking very rough around the edges.  A little bit like she has been out on the town.  Actually, that's probably not fair as some of the states you see in town after midnight are far worse.  But you probably get the idea.

You can see the run is covered as well.  So I will keep on giving them the tonic I bought to help her get over it as soon as possible.

There was nice surprise this morning, it looks as though Pudding (the Bluebell) may have started laying again.  I'm not sure 1 egg will get us through the week.  So I have bought some local reared eggs from the Cesars Arms Farm Shop in Creigiau.  Its about 2 miles from me and they have a lovely selection of fruit, vegetables, meats and eggs.

I'm a sucker for different colour eggs, so these do the trick!! :-)

Thanks for reading!

Bit of a scare this morning!!

Custard proves the fact that here breed are
great for meat as well as eggs!  She is a monster!

I walked out this morning to a sight that worried me.  Probably what all poultry keepers dread.  No chickens in the run and feathers all over the bottom of the main run.  The feathers were white. 
Putting 2 and 2 together I jumped to the conclusion that Custard must have been attacked or taken by something.  A fox maybe?
My panic did not last long fortunately, as within 3 foot of the house and run, out popped 2 happy hens from their coop, Custard and Pudding!!!
I have no idea why Custard has decided to loose so many feathers, she does have a tendency to pull out her feathers on her underside.  She has never gone broody.  Perhaps her size means she overheats?

After that little episode I want to avoid as much excitement as possible today!

I have been asked recently how the chicks are doing.  Well, here are the latest photos.  They appear to be growing well, but I don't really have anything to compare them to as I have never raised Bantams before.

Wyandotte chicks, Pinky and Perky at 3 weeks and 4 days.

They have feathered quickly, and seem to be enjoying some freedom, running around and away from Treacle every now and then.

I bought dried meal worms the other day.  The hens go mad for them and seem to sit bolt up right like a little like a dog waiting for a treat.  I dropped a few in for the chicks and Treacle was keen to show them how to eat them.  So keen she did not eat any for herself!  The following day in the afternoon I gave them a little more, this time Treacle got stuck in but still ensured the chicks had enough.  What a mummy!

I am struggling a little at the moment with lack of eggs.  Treacle for obvious reasons is not laying, Custard my 4 year old sussex, is to be fair knocking on a little for a hen, and whilst in previous winters she has laid quite well, it appears this autumn and winter is going to be a lean one for her.  Pudding, the bluebell, appears to be in moult or just coming out of a moult.  She is looking a little "rough around the edges" and has lost some feathers around her neck.  I have been checking for mites but can not see any so I am fairly sure it is a moult.  She does lay the odd egg, but it is probably only one every 4-5 days if I'm lucky.

picture from life-guard.co.uk

To help them through the cold and darker months I have purchased Life-Guard, a poultry tonic.  I know there are others available and cheaper but I have used this before and it does seem to be helping Custard and Pudding.  I will not be giving it to Treacle and the chicks, they will have to make do with mealworms and chick crumbs.  I'm sure they will not grumble about that.

Thanks for reading!

Wyandotte chicks get more space

I have been quiet for too long so here is a new entry! ;-)



Picture from Wikipedia

I have been trying to make Mother hen, Treacle and her chicks Pinky and Perky comfortable.

We had another huge amount of rain recently.  My back garden looks a little like a rugby pitch.  Hens feet and like mini potato mashers on boggy ground and you end up with mashed grass very quickly.

With Pinky still thinking that Treacle is a donkey on the beach, she is looking muddier than a very happy Tamworth pig!

So I have spent the last couple of days devising a way of giving them access to my main run.  Blocking off the far end and creating a safe tunnel for them to walk from the broody coop to the run.

Well, proud as punch, I have managed it, here are the photo's.

The chicks are doing well, and seem to enjoy jumping on and off the ramp in and out of the main run.  Treacle is happy scratching around in the sand and wood chip.  So all in all, a success.  Now that does not happen often.

I used the wire shelving from a mini greenhouse that I had stored in the garage.  No damage done to the shelving, managed to squeeze it in the run opening and then taped together with some duck tape.  The tape is really strong and clear, useful for all sorts of thinks like repairing rips in polysheet covering for pollytunnels, or saving a broken pane of glass in a window or greenhouse!  I bought it from B&Q.  Best thing I ever bought like that.

 

I have been trying to find some breeders of Gold lace Bantam Wyandotte's without much success recently.  A few I have spoken to seem to suggest they are popular but take a long time to mature.  I'm not sure why, I will have to research.

Thanks for reading

Me with my old timer Custard - 4 years old

Thinking ahead

I am trying to think ahead at the moment.  It's tricky, a little bit like multi tasking.  :-( 

Whilst Pinky and Perky are only small now, they are going to grow fast, all be it only to bantam size.  The broody coop is fine, but I am concerned that they will run out of space quickly.
So probably to Rachel's horror I am looking at some cheep,................sorry, that should be cheap, coops to house them in.



Maran Hen - Photo from Omlet.co.uk





Rhode Island Red young Cockerel

I had full intentions of integrating the bantams with my other hens, Custard a hybrid Sussex and Pudding a Bluebelle which is a cross between a maran and rhode island red.

I still may do that, but my ultimate aim would be to breed Wyandottes.  Problem is, a cockerel in a 1970's housing estate!



My allotment

 So I'm back to considering my allotment, approximately 3 miles away, as an alternative.

There is already heras fencing left there from the previous occupier who kept chickens.  So that saves some money and can make a good size enclosure secure as it can be from foxes.  

The Allotment association's reaction to chickens on the allotment was "luke warm" but it was not a flat No. They had issues previously with chickens escaping and the chairman being called on a Sunday afternoon to sort it out.  I'm confident this will not be an issue.
If you have had your allotment association refuse or accept chickens, can you drop me a note.  I would love to hear what issues you faced and if you were successful winning them over.

Mine has quoted the following issues.

1.  Escaping chickens eating other tenants produce.

2.  Smell

3.  Animal welfare issues with previous keepers

4. Materials being left on site when tenants leave such as heras fencing.

I will have to wait and see.  With only 2 Wyandotte chickens I will need more, a ratio of 3 or 4 hens to a cockerel is good.  Sourcing the Gold lace Wyandottes Bantams is proving difficult.  So I may need to hatch my own eggs purchased from another source!

Thanks for reading and more ramblings soon!

Wyandotte Chicks Pinky & Perky

Well here they are in all their glory!  Pinky and Perky.

Pinky and Perky - Wyandotte gold laced bantams

Cute little things.  They seem to be getting more active.  Treacle is trying to leave the run but I want to try and keep her in for a while as the chicks are still so small.  I'm concerned that a crow may take them.

I discovered that one of the chicks is either very lazy, clever or maybe both.  Check out the photo below. 

Chick riding on the back of Treacle

I will be honest, I cannot really tell the chicks apart now.  I could in the early days. 

Perky arrived first and has always been more confident and happy to stray away from Treacle.  Due to behaviour I think Perky is a cockerel.  He or she also has quite pronounced tail feathers and thick legs.

Pinky on the other had is very shy and quiet, always looking to try and get back under Treacle.  Pinky is smaller and tail feathers stick up a lot less.  So Im going with a Hen!

Either way this is one clever chick in my opinion.

Thanks for reading.