Poultry Talk

Isn't this a handsome Royal Palm tom turkey?

I've found a suitor for my 2 RP hens being our toms died over the winter. One of the hens is incessantly wanting in the pen with the roosters. When I let her in there the other day they fought over her and she laid there in the mating position with the squabbling roos. Hopefully getting them a new romeo will keep them from deciding to run off with the wild turkeys. I never realized that would be a problem but am now told it definitely is!

I got a 2nd Hovabator incubator and have one started up. I've been saving eggs for a couple days to put in and I'm ready to start. I've been looking forward to it. I still want a new Genesis 1588 but ran across this Hovabator and could save over $100. I'll get a Genesis some day but at least oave 2 good incubators to use for now. This 2nd one has a fan which should be very helpful. It's supposedly new and does look it so hopefully it'll do me well. I couldn't decide whether to keep the Little Giant or sell it. I thought it might be handy for a back up or parts so will keep it for now. Also if I just HAVE to have eggs in both Hovabators, I might use it for a bit of hatching. I guess we'll just have to see.

AND, it's time! It's FINALLY TIME!

I have the eggs sitting for hatching and some will be mix or cross breeds. I have them marked better this year as the chicks hatch out from the center of the egg and the top where the air cell is. I've marked them low near the point with BP, BI, OP, HT,and the day they were collected. This way I'll have a good idea of what is hatching and some about fertility. The BP (barn pen) is mostly Cochins and 2 of the blue Cochin roos. The BI (barn isle) consists of some excapees from the barn pen which are mix breeds and a Brahma hen. Then the OP (outdoor pen) are the sex links and an Americauna. The roos are mix breeds, a couple Cochin boys and the Jersey Giant boy. The HT (horse trailer) are the Bantams which are Cochins and Favorelles.

I'm most likely going to put these first chicks up on the feed store bulletin board and see if there's a market for chicks here as most will be cross breeds. It's a very small rural town and the economic situation is really bad. So it's another "we'll see". I did sell a black Cochin trio a couple weeks ago. I've not been able to get the roos sold though. I need to part with some! I also badly need the pen they are using!

I'm looking forward to hatching again this year. It's addictive!