All Our New Feathered Friends

When our daughter announced that they would be here at the farm  for our grandson's  2nd birthday, they requested that we may be able to have a  batch of  chicken eggs  in the incubator ready to hatch out while they were here with the  kids.
So we did just that and the first one hatched the night they arrived.

The kids were  totally enthralled with the process and helped their Pop transfer them overr into to incubator and spent many  hours up there looking at the tiny chicks.

The chicks quickly grew,

and before long we had moved them out of the brooder to what we call "The Halfway House"
This is an ex- rabbit hutch that Brian has rigged up a  red spotlight into for warmth and light.

They grow really fast at this point with heat, light and constant food supply, they usually stay in the halfway house2-3 weeks.
At this point we  decided for the first time to fit them with leg bands so that we will always know their correct age( which I record in my farm  book).

Brian had removed the old set of  6 small solar panels that used to run the house when we purchased it 13 years ago and set them up down at the small  chicken shed that we built attached to the orchard. He wired up  some 12 volt lights for them  so that they will continue to grow well.

We then relocated the  birds down to this shed. They no longer have heating, just lighting and shelter.

Meanwhile while , we knew thast our turkeys had been laying and we started watching  them closely so that we could find their nests, and we did, one in a  big pot under a shelter, one under the apple tree and two laying together under the lemon scented geranium bush.

The first two batches hatched out fine under their respective mums, but  over the period of two days we lost quite a few babies, so we made the decision to remove them to the brooder to hopefully keep a larger number alive.

The  last batch we decided to remove them from the mum at pipping. We placed them into the  pre warmed incubator, added some extra moisture and left them to hatch.

After they fluffed up they joined their relations over in the brooder all be it with a divider between them as the  size difference between the two groups  was a small concern.

Brian attended a poultry auction and decided that we needed a new rooster, so he bought this beautiful boy to add to our  menagerie .

He appears to have settled in well and is extremely happy with his little harem of  3 Light Sussex and 3 Isa Brown hens..
Our poultry numbers have grown rapidly, as well as this Brian has now set  about 35 guinea fowl eggs into the incubator to try and hatch them, this will be a first for us, so wish us luck.
I hope you all take care until we meet again,
Best wishes,
Cheers
Jane.