Our second hatch of 2017 resulted in Easter Egger, Oliver Egger, White Leghorn, and Delaware chicks.

DEVELOPING

Candling an egg on Day 5. This egg looks good. You can see the embryo in the middle surrounded by blood vessels. You can also see the air cell at the top of the egg.

Both our egg turners have quit working. So, I set these eggs right in the incubator and turned them by hand.

HATCHING

One egg pipped!

CHICKS!

I adore this one. It has a unique pattern for our flock.

White Leghorns

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This first hatch batch of 2017 was in preparation for the Spring Poultry Homesteading Faire.

In the past, many people at the Faire have shown interest in Marans. Currently, we do not have a Marans rooster. So, instead I focused on Olive Eggers. I also hatched White Leghorns and Delaware chicks.

Love this! Farm Girl asked if instead of reading to me she could read to the eggs. “Yes! Yes, of course you can!”

THE EGGS IN LOCKDOWN

WHITE LEGHORN

DELAWARE

I banded the Delaware’s to identify them from the White Leghorns. A word of caution if you use bands: watch them carefully and remove them before they get too tight on the chicken.

OLIVE EGGERS

Many of our Olive Eggers hatch looking quite similar to our Black Copper Marans – makes sense since many are crossed with Marans hens.

The egg tooth is easy to see on this dark friend.

I adore this fluffy little fella. He/she even has feathered shanks. Most of our chicks that have feathered shanks are black, so this one is unique.

This hatch many chicks do not have feathered shanks.

But, some do.

Another successful hatch of cutie patooties.

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• It might be a tad late, but I finally got our squash and pumpkins planted.

• I love cedar waxwings and they’re here. Woop, woop! Farmer John has a different opinion of them, though. They are eating our raspberries and when he went to shoo them away one pooped on him – and pooped raspberry goo on him.

• This mess in the upper right photo is the mat of roots that get caught in the aquaponics pipes.

• We spotted a baby bird on the ground the other day. Mama bird was busy chirping away.

• The Little’s enjoying feed, oyster shell, and grit

• A colony of ants decided to stake out in the game cam.

• Mexican sour gherkins are going crazy in the greenhouse.

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• The grape vine has taken off

• I think the deer mama’s have gone off to have their babies. There are a couple yearlings walking around by themselves wondering what to do.

• Apples! We have struggled getting our fruit trees to actually grow and produce. I see quite a few apples on 2 of our trees. Woo hoo!

• Waiting impatiently for the raspberries to ripen.

• A flock of cedar waxwings have ventured our way. I love them.

• Foxgloves in bloom are my cue that summer is here!

• Sven mid chew.

• I let the cilantro flower. Oops.

• Our Littles are growing up.

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• Last week I posted a photo of a bird’s nest. Here is a pic of the bird bringing goodies back to the nest. Are there eggs in there? Will there be eggs?

• The weather has been lovely, so the bees and bugs have been out enjoying it.

•  I saw my first American Goldfinches of the year at our house this week

• A couple weeks ago Farmer John brought home a few chicks. The middle photo is an updated pic of one of the Delaware chicks.

• We often have a mama (or two, or three) that hatches chicks this time of year. Our first one hatched the other day.

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Spring is here and I’m loving it. The birds are singing, the flowers are blooming, and I’ve been busy checking items off my outside to-do list.

• Farmer John brought home 4 chicks – 2 Welsummers & 2 Delaware. We have one Welsummer, but the Delaware chicks are new to us. They are a breed John has been wanting, so when he saw them he had to bring them home.

• A few herbs got transplanted into the garden, but many are still in the greenhouse and garage.

• I planted flower seed in the meadow and around the front pond, as well as around the pond in the bird village.

• I love the deer, but dang it I’d wish they’d eat only the weeds and leave my flowerbeds alone. I am thankful, though, that they quit nibbling on my lilac. It’s taken it a few years, but it’s finally looking fabulous.

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