Chicken Theft South Wales - Cardiff

I would never have imagined I would be writing first hand about chicken theft.
It has been almost a year since I started my mini breeding plan for bantam silverlace Wyandottes, along the way I had picked up Bantam Lavender Araucana's, Bantam Croad Langshan's some crested legbar and a rather strange looking lavender Orpington.

The thieves took them all apart from 4 silver lace Wyandotte chicks and 4 lavender Araucana chicks at 8 weeks old plus a crested legbar hen at Point of Lay who from now on is called Lucky.

My show birds and planned breeding stock for next year are all gone and I bet it took the horrible, thieving buggers (toned the language down) all but 10-15 minutes to clear the pen.

Gutted is not the right word.  The shock is still working its way out and I don't think it has quite settled in yet.

It is not the monetary value of the chickens I am concerned about although I'm not happy, it is the impact on my boys who will be devastated that Colin the cockerel and his girls have gone.  I put lots of time and effort into hatching all the birds, looking after them and feeding them the correct foods.
They had a good life and were well looked after, now I don't know where they are or if they will be treated correctly or even slaughtered for meat.

Its almost a year since I had some difficulties and spent significant time off work unwell.  These animals gave me a boost, a purpose and a fantastic hobby, that even if I do say so myself was going very well.  It will not stop me, but I need to solve that long term problem of land and space to keep them.

I have reported the theft to South Wales Police, but to date I have not received a phone call or visit.  Any clues at the scene have no doubt disappeared.  So I have taken it into my own hands to start making enquiries, The local pub next door, my fellow allotment plot holders, I have even contact the local paper and I believe they are going to run a story on it and quote the crime reference number.

 

The chance of getting my birds back in practically nil, but you have to try.

The thieves knew what they were taking.  Whilst they stripped most of the point of lay stock they specifically took 2 of my lavender Araucana chicks that are 8 weeks old and that are almost certainly hens presumably to match up with one of the cockerels they stole assuming they were not related.

What next?  I am not giving up on keeping chickens and breeding Wyandottes, but due to the time of year I will be better starting all over again early 2014.  Gives me plenty of time to find a breeder with hatching eggs but more crucially find a small parcel of land to rent.

Thanks for reading friends and make sure you cheer me up with some nice chicken stories and pictures.
 

If I stare at the incubator will they hatch quicker?!

My Silver Lave Wyandotte Hen and Cockerel

I'm at it again, without really planning that much either.  The problem is I can't resist, particularly the wyandottes and now the Lavender Araucana.

I have fired up the incubator again, all seems to be working well.  I'm gave the eggs 24 hours to settle after coming through the post.  Mark at Norfolk Bantams has kindly sorted me some eggs.  Last time I had 100% hatch rate.  So I am excited to see the results this time round.

I candelled the eggs on Sunday 16th June and there were 12 fertile eggs.  6 silver lace and 6 lavender Araucana.  I hope there is a good mixture of male and female in them.

Araucana cockerel 8 weeks

I currently have 3 male lavender Araucana from an earlier hatch, and 2 male and one hen silver lace from a previous hatch.  

This time I hope to be able to put a pair or trio together of both breeds.  Doing it this way, from hatching eggs, is a long process, but fun.  I'm certainly not going to be in a position to try and hatch any of my own eggs until next year.  Something to look forward to I guess.

My Croad Langshan Hen

So what now?  There is plenty to do.  I'm already planning another enclosure to take the extra chickens and then once I have reduced numbers sufficiently, it will be partially used for some ducks.  Welsh Harlequin I hope.  The other part, looking way ahead, maybe space for turkeys or more hens.

I still have one Silver Lave Wyandotte Cockerel for sale (Bantam) and in a few weeks the Lavender Bantam Araucana cockerels will be available too!

Thanks for reading and I will be back soon!

Chicks Chicks and More Chicks

Sadly the Vorwerk chick did not make it.  He was still struggling to stand even with legs taped together to stop them spreading apart and my efforts to try and hand feed were causing him some distress.
After several hours and a deterioration in his condition I decided it was best to do the right thing.  It's not easy and the second time in as may hatches that I have had to do it.  That's part and parcel of hatching and raising chickens I guess.

On a brighter note, I have just returned form a local poultry breeder who had a few day old's he was selling.  I bought 3 to keep Nugget as I have decided to call her, company.  

One Cream Legbar (female), one Orpington and one French Wheaton Maran.  

Nugget

The Silver lace Wyandottes are doing very well outside, even in this chilly spell of weather.  They are 5 weeks old and whilst it is difficult to tell at this stage, I'm really hoping for one or two good examples for breeding.

The master plan in all of this is to create at least 2 breeding pairs of Wyandottes.  
I have more hatching eggs arriving in the next few days, 6 gold lace and 6 silver lace Wyandotte hatching eggs.

So I will mixing from the different hatched to hopefully create a couple of good breeding trios.  Lots of  fingers crossed and plenty of things that could and no doubt will go wrong, but it is an adventure.

What then? Well, the pan is to work on improving the breeding pen so I have some good quality Wyandottes.  Along the way I have no doubt there will be a few hens and cockerels sold and hopefully hatching eggs.

Photo from www.araucana.org.uk

I'm trying to concentrate on Wyandottes as I find they are a lovely docile breed and they enjoy being picked up (once you have managed to catch them that is) but I can't help but be drawn to trying new breeds.  This time I have gone for some lavender Araucana.  Blue egg layers and an interesting bird originating from Chile. 

Check out the breeding club website at www.araucana.org.uk

After this? Well ducks are on the agenda, in particular Welsh Harlequin and if possible some buff Orpington or silver appleyard.  That may however be some way down the line!

Thanks for reading.

The Hatching report and sexing chicks

It is 4 days past the original hatching date, the incubator has been shut down and I have spent tonight dismantling and cleaning it ready for the next batch! Whenever that may be!

After I found just one egg infertile after 7 days, I though I may have ended up with 11 chicks, however as always it is not that straight forward. The final count is 7 chicks out of the 11 fertile hatching eggs.
Hatch
4 Silver Laced Wyandottes
2 Croad Langshan
1 Salmon Faverolle

Not a bad result I think, although I was a little disappointed that the Owl Beard did not hatch.

I liked to try and guess the sex at early stages of my previous hatches, I had no idea previously how to do his so it was total luck and guess work. However I had heard of a way of using the feathers on the wings at one and two days old.
Whether it is possible with my breeds I have no idea so why not try it and find out?
Have a look at the photo I have found on the Internet.  Like I say I don't know if this principal applies to my breed of chicks.

It is quite easy to see the difference.  On this basis I think I have the following:

2 Silver Lace Wyandotte Bantam Cockerels

2 Silver Lace Bantam pullets

2 Croad Langshan Pullets

1 Salmon Faverolle pullet 

Having made a note now I guess I will find out if I am right in 12 or so weeks.  Another waiting game!

Thanks for reading

Next update is on the method I use for integrating new chickens with your existing flock!

Let Hatching commence - Croad Langsham and Wyandotte

4 Silver Lace Wyandottes and 2 Croad Langsham

I have been a little quite on the hatching front recently. Probably because the little darlings have caught me off guard. The eggs started hatching 26th Feb, two days before I was expecting any action.
The first egg to hatch was a Wyandotte Silver Lace.
On the 27th Feb, we had three more hatches with another Wyandotte and two Croad Langsham chicks.

As at 28th Feb at 8am the tally was seven. One Faverolle hatched over night and is still in the incubator drying out. The other 6 chicks are now under my brinsea brooder that has capacity for 20.

Wyandotte Silver Lace

I am now waiting on the two Wyandotte eggs that when I candled at day seven I though were not perfect, one owl beard and one salmon faverolle.

Fingers are still crossed especially for the faverolle and the owl beard!

I will be updating the blog with more photos of the chicks soon and some information on integrating new hens with your existing flock.  Watch this space!

Croad Langsham chick

Thanks for reading

Wyandotte hatching update day 18

Day 18 of the hatching of Silver Lace Wyandotte Bantams in the new incubator is proving to be exciting, for me anyway!

Hatching egg, candled at 18 days

I candled the eggs again last night and saw what I am hoping is a chick, moving around in the egg.  The photo is to the left and you can quite clearly see the blood vessels.
There are some quite strange air sack shapes going on in both of the remaining eggs.  I hope this is not a bad sign.

As it is 3 days before hatch, I have removed the 4 non-fertile eggs and the dividers separating the eggs and the auto turning mechanism has been turned off.
It is recommended to increase the humidity for the hatching period.  I had no idea how to do this until I read Katie Thears Incubation, A guide to Hatching and Rearing book and the instructions that came with my incubator.

Apparently you may not necessarily need to add more water but just reduce the temperature by half a degree to 37 degrees c and this increases humidity.

My Incubator manual also helped my understand things a little clearer.  Its not the level of water in the incubator dish, but the surface area of water.  So if you fill two dishes with water a quarter full each, it will produce higher humidity than if you fill one dish to the full capacity!

So, I am still clinging onto a little hope that the two remaining eggs will hatch.  If they do, it will go a little way in helping me set up my little project of breeding pure breed poultry, 1) to ensure their survival, 2) for fun and 3) to encourage other chicken keepers or want to be keepers, that pure breed is an option over hybrid birds.

Wyandotte Goldlace bantams at 14 weeks

Here are a few photos of the Gold Lace Wyandottes, taken more recently in the snow!

Not happy hens on the snow

I seem to be getting as addicted to taking photos as I am keeping hens and hatching chicks!  Nevermind!  Could be worse!

Wyandotte Chick with mum

I resisted the urge to drone on about it.  The hens did not like it at all but I quite enjoyed our little wintry spell.  Certainly made a change to all the mud!

Hens and chicks, sheltering from a hail shower

In the last half hour we had a heavy hail storm.  I had let the Chickens our earlier in the day.  Seems the boys climbing frame has another use in the winter!





Thanks for reading.

Candling Eggs on day 11

Excitement, enthusiasm, anticipation!  Words that I would used to define how I felt when I received my hatching eggs through the post back on the 10th January.

There is something special and addictive about hatching chicks.  Sadly my hatch rates have never really been high.  My first attempt under Treacle my Speckledy hen resulted in just one chick hatching out of 3 eggs.

The second attempt in October 2012 resulted in two chicks hatching out of 6 eggs, again under Treacle!

My third hatch is in my new incubator. A Corti AF25 - the automatic turning model.
I set the eggs back on 9th January and candled as recommended on the 7th day.  Being relatively inexperienced at candling, I was happy to leave the eggs for a further few days before discarding any that are unlikely to hatch.

I candled the eggs again tonight the 20th January at 11 days and took photographs of each egg.  I think this may be a useful guide for anyone candling their own eggs.  Apparently you should not candle to often and for too long! So here goes with the photos!

One of my own chickens eggs - Not Fertile

First incubator egg - not looking too promising - I would say this is NOT fertile.

Second Egg - something defiantly going on in this one - good to leave   in the incubator.

Third egg - Not Fertile! :-(







I cant go on really, sad that only one other egg below seems to have something going on. 
2 out of 6 again!!

Hopefully the other fertile egg!








Lets hope the two do hatch and there are no complications.

Thanks for reading! 

Gold Lace Wyandotte Photos 12 Weeks

They are hardly chicks any more.  12 weeks old and they look like mini versions of the real thing.  Gold Lace Wyandotte Bantam chickens.

I'm hoping that in 4-5 weeks I will find out if they are hens or cockerels.



At the moment one of each would fall nicely into my plans going forwards.








I have 6 Silver lace Wyandotte eggs in my incubator, due to hatch on the 30th January, the day Rhys turns 4!  Could be a nice birthday surprise.....well for me anyway.  He gets a little stressed about animals.

The plan going forward is to breed Wyandottes and I will be selling hatching eggs.

A local school has asked if I will help set them up with a hen house and chickens so that the children can look after them during term time.  They could be the first recipients of the offspring. :-)

I know a lot of schools have been taking on hens, but there is always the little problem of holiday's to sort out.  I guess that's where I would come in and happily take them in for 6 weeks during the summer holidays.  Free eggs - can't complain at that!

Anyway, next on the list after that will be chocolate Wyandottes.
I am very tempted by the Frizzle Pekins, but more recently have been investigating the Silver Appleyard ducks and Buff Orpington Ducks.  They would definitely be an allotment project so lots of work to do before then!

 

I best get my feet under the table with the Wyandottes first of all and the quail that are arriving via the West Midlands on 19th Jan!!  Still work to do on the coop as you can see.  The top level is way to dark.  I have all the materials, just need an hour to knock it together!
I have taken the hardwood panel from the back of the run on the bottom level and replaced with a frame and mesh.
Fingers crossed they will like their new homes.
Next stage is to do the same with the panel at the top level and install mesh on the solid door!  

Hope you enjoyed the photos. Thanks for reading!

Hatching Wyandotte's Again :-)

Photo from Backyardchickens.com

So I have the bug!  Not the norovirus thing or the flu, or worse still man flu, I have the the Egg Hatching Bug.

I had considered purchasing an incubator middle of 2012, but had not really given enough thought as to what to do with all the lovely chicks that would then become hens or cockerels.

The good news down at the allotments is that they are allowing me to keep chickens on my plot.  This has resulted in me revisiting the idea late 2012.  I have decided to breed Wyandottes to start with!

 Well a few days into 2013 and I have, sat in front of me on my desk while I type, 6 hopefully fertile Silver Laced Wyandotte Bantam eggs.

On the 8th January I also took delivery of my new incubator pack, which included a brooder, water and drink feeders and cleaner for the incubator.  Everything you need really to get started.

So with the incubator set up and running for the last 17 hours, in 7 hours time I will be setting the eggs in the incubator and starting the 21 day countdown.
Who knows if the eggs will hatch at this time of year, the cockerels may have been "active" so to speak in the mild spell of weather, but if too cold, they are likely to be on strike!

I have been conscious this time around about turning my eggs whilst waiting a day or so after royal mail has played volley ball with them through the post.  This is of course another factor that could effect fertility, but supplies of Wyandottes are practically non-existent around by me and the thought of driving a 300 mile round trip to get some is not very appealing.

I have had some very useful advice over twitter from Norfolk Bantams (Twitter @norfolkbantams) recently.  I have been searching for gold lace wyandotte bantam cockerel but with out much luck.  Now apparently (you can tell science was not my strong point) if you breed a silver lace with a gold lace and then breed the siblings, you would end up with 25% of the chicks hatching as gold laced and the rest as silver laced.  Its obviously an approximate figure, but very interesting. :-)
To help me along my way I have just purchased some breeding books from Grant Bereton (twitter: @gbpoultry) Happy days!!

The eggs I have purchased are from show stock, the male won a first place at the Malvern show and one female won second.  I have lots of fingers crossed with this batch!

Updates to come again soon on the silver lace hatching and the gold lace chicks now 12 weeks old.

Thanks for reading.

Wyandotte Chicks Video & Curing update

I thought I would return to the subject I originally set the blog up for.  It's amazing how you can get carried away and write about almost anything.

I have been cleaning the chickens out today.  A mucky job the best of days, but today, although dry it was muddy!  By the time I had finished, I had mud all up my clothes and up my face!  At least I hope it was mud! :-/

I thought I would take the opportunity to let the chicks, Pinky and Perky, have a little free range time around the garden with my other hens, Custard and Pudding.

Last time I did this with Rodney the rooster there was an American Western type standoff between Pudding (the Bluebelle) and Rodney, the Rhode Island Red chick.  Treacle (mummy hen) was trying to act as referee.  To be honest she is better sticking to her day job of laying eggs!

Surprisingly it went rather well.  The chicks are only 8 weeks old, and Custard could not be bothered at all with them.  Pudding came over to them a few times, but left well along.  She had a peck at Treacle, but I think Treacle is used to it!

I took this video of them having a little meander.  You can get a feel for their size quite well.  Its not a long video only 1 minute 20 seconds.

They seem to be doing really well now.  Fingers crossed they are both hens!

I mentioned curing in the post title.  Well, I can't help myself and have to have another go.  So I defrosted some belly pork from my freezer (purchased some time ago from the supermarket).  It's curing now, and I'm sure it will be ok, but nothing compared to the Tamworth meat I have been eating.

I have also started curing a ham/Leg from the Tamworth meat.  I have used exactly the same cure as I used for the bacon.  I think it needs at least 9 days, which would take us to boxing day.  So that could be a nice treat, cooked in cider and then baked in the oven.

I will update my blog when I have made some more progress on these.

Thanks for reading & I hope you enjoy the photos and video.

Wyandotte Chicks are 7 weeks old!

photo from virginmedia.com

"I can't believe it".  Said in a Victor Meldrew/One Foot in the Grave voice!

7 weeks ago Pinkey and Perky, soon to be Apple and Blackberry (if they are hens) hatched into the big wide world of my back garden.

2 Little Wyandotte Chicks, they could have been any breed at that stage.

Now 7 weeks on they have grown, and developed fantastic markings with unique personalities.



My Wyandotte chicks



I am at the stage now where I try to move them onto growers pellets.  They have been on Chicks crumbs since day one and they are devouring the food every day.  

I'm sure some will already be aware of this, but I will cover it anyway.  Chicks tend to be moved onto growers pellets between 6 to 8 weeks of age.  It gives them more of the nutrients they need to keep growing.  They generally stay on growers pellets until they are between 18 and 22 weeks, i.e. when they start to lay.  They would at this stage move to layers pellets.  If you are keeping birds for meat, your chickens would stay on growers until they are processed.

So I am shortly off to buy growers pellets.  I will then start to gradually mix the pellets into the crumbs so that the chicks get used to them.



the catalogue pose!



I found last time whilst Treacle raised Rodney the rooster, shortly after I introduced growers pellets, Treacle came back into lay.  I recall it took 3 weeks.

So you never know, we may shortly have 2 hens producing eggs.  That would be a great Christmas present.

Both times I have introduced growers food to chicks, I have considered mash as an alternative. 

I regularly think about it, but having done research, I don't see that there is that much benefit.  

I'm shy, honest!



It seems to be more difficult to source, messier and more food wasted.

The only reason I can see people using it is if they have ex-battery hens they have rescued.  They will have been fed mash all their life.  Trying to move them to pellets could be a challenge.

I may be wrong on this point and would be happy to hear if there are benefits to mash.

Pinkey & Perky a few days old!

Thanks for coming back and reading!

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!