Chickens, Eggs, and Winter

Well, it hasn't warmed up any here, although we did finally get to see some grass in our yard. That was quite exciting. So exciting that I almost took off my big rubber boots to run my bare toes through that grass, the only thing that stopped me is, I hate when my feet get cold.  The chickens are happy too, they have been able to play out in their run over the last few days, so they aren't cooped up in their house like they have been.

We had a friend come over the other day who got to take a tour of our little chicken house and run, and was quite tickled by the way the chickens just kind of flocked around us. It made me wish I had taken a little treat up there so she could have seen the way my fat chickens love to run after the treats.

Our 5 roosters from the first batch are soon to be butchered. Their leg spurs are starting, and we have to get those boys taken care of before the meat gets tough. I'll be sad to see them go, but at the same time my chicken food budget will be happy to see them go. Those boys eat like there is no tomorrow. Its insane!!!  Now, we have decided to keep the 2 boys from the last hatching we did. 1 of them is a Rhode Island Red, and the other is a White Leghorn.  Since they are keepers, I have named them. The RIR is Dean (as in Dean Martin) and the WL is Bing (as in Bing Crosby).  What could be more appropriate than naming my Roo's after the great crooners?

As I think I've told you guys we had 29 eggs in our incubator. We've been candling them quite regularly, and have removed 3, so we are down to 26 eggs now. 1 of them was not fertilized, and the other 2 had blood rings, so they didn't make it too far. 2 of the eggs were Marans eggs, and then the other one, was a Red Star egg.  It really is hard to candle the Marans eggs, because the shells are so dark. I was able to see the little chicks in a couple of them moving around, so that was a happy sight to see.  So I still have high hopes that we will have a good hatch rate with the Marans eggs.

So that's it for todays chicken/egg update!!!  Keep warm, and remember that spring is on its way.