Well now THAT'S over...!

[Suechooks]

Well now Christmas is over for another year we can turn our thoughts to the really important things in life!!
What new birds are we planning? Are we going to hatch (what about the boys ) or buy in? Incubator or broody? Chicks or growers or POL? Pure breeds or hybrids?
I can't decide but I know I'd Love some Partridge Orpingtons - my feed man has some beauties! I also am desperate for a blue egg layer ( lost 2 Cream legbars with Mareks this year and their breeder has offered me either replacements or hatching eggs. ) I also fancy some La Fleche and maybe some Ixworth both of which make good meat birds and I can get from a breeder close to home! Decisions decisions!
Bearing in mind I have 3 female Silkie refugees and 3 bantam Orpingtons I'm pretty sure I'll be going down the hatching egg/broody hen route for the first time.
I'm really excited at the prospect of exploring new horizons in 2011!
How about everyone else?
Happy New Year!

[petal]

yes, thank goodness thats over. I think I drank rather too much rose cava and have a stonking headache today! The house is a real mess too!
Now to the important things in life. We have established breeding groups of : silkies (white, black and gold) pekins(many colours!) buff orpington, light sussex hens with a buff sussex cockerel - the chicks autosex- all gold chicks are girls, gold brahma. We will have a derbyshire redcap breeding group when I collect the hens. We are planning to breed transyvannian naked neck bantams(need 2 hens), porcelain sablepoots(need a cockerel), frizzle polands(need 2 hens).
I will be trying to hatch anconas, blue silkies, silver laced wyandotte bantam, millefluer pekin, different orpington colours, speckled sussex large fowl........

[OverWyreGrower]

I've already started planning next years birds

This year, I need a couple more female Barnevelders to add some diversity to my breeding...

I'm also going to try and get hold of some Vorwerks as well, and maybe a couple more Welsummers...

I am going to try and save up for an automatic incubator, as I don't want to have to rely on broodies all the time next year

[Mell]

Not sure if to hatch quail or not next year, apart from commando quail they tend to not last long, which I feel bad about, but I do like the eggs CQ is female & lays well so might just stick with her. I had some lovely whiter ones last year...

The Guniea fowl might lay & I'll probably incubate some of them and turkeys of course for next Xmas.

[MaureenHall]

I think my plans for next year will concentrate on breeding Croad Langshans I've still got 2 "surplus" cockerels, but as their brother was soooooooooooo delicious for Christmas dinner, I know where they'll be going As for any surplus boys next year, while I don't really "like" doing the dispatching, plucking and gutting, I'm confident about doing it now so no problems there. I've got 2 Croad girls and I'd like another 3 (will possibly hatch some). I'll also be hatching out some of the Jersey Giant x Bluebelles etc eggs - the offspring should be good sized meat birds who lay a decent amount of eggs.

Happy New Year everyone, I hope all your chooky dreams come true xxx

[petal]

yes, our bluebelle hen crossed with buff orpington or light sussex has resulted in very attractive,sturdy laying hens or excellent meat birds. Interesting and unexpected.

[jessmorris]

Happy New Year folks!

I've decided to offer a 'brood/hatch/raise and rear to 8 weeks or so' to friends so I get the joy of brooding, hatching and rearing without having to worry about what to do with all the roos. My first 'order' (its all free) are for some cream legbars for a pal who only has rare breeds (cattle, sheep, ponies and poultry so far...). I have to say that I am tempted by some of the Belgian bantams, especially the game bantams for myself, but won't go down that route unless I can get some more ground...;-)
Here's to a warm, dry summer of light breezes and sunny days (ho-hum!)
JM

[polo]

Like Sue I would love a blue egg layer and am seriously considering some cream legbars - I would really like to get them very young and bring them on so the search commences!

Polo

[walldanzig]

I was thinking of some croads for next year. I have a breading flock of copper marans. I already have some blue egg layers and they are great but was thinking of x them with the marans

[chris]

I'd like one more chicken, I really like the look of the bluebells.. but I probably won't - I don't think I can do with the hassle of integrating, and ensuring the bird is disease free, etc...

Maybe in the next batch after these lot have croaked it!

But I do plan on building an aviary, new coop etc - looking forward to that. it's going to be a big job mind.

[Suechooks]

I have a breading flock of copper marans. I already have some blue egg layers and they are great but was thinking of x them with the marans

A friend of mine has crossed a Cream legbar hen with a Copper blue Maran cock and the resulting offspring have just started laying olive green eggs! The cock was hatched from a very dark brown egg.

[MaureenHall]

I was thinking of some croads for next year. I have a breading flock of copper marans. I already have some blue egg layers and they are great but was thinking of x them with the marans

I might be able to sort some eggs out for you to hatch 1 of the girls (unrelated) was laying well until about a month ago, but I'm not even thinking about getting the incubator dusted off until at least middle of February

[CaroltheCarrot]

I am seriously thinking about getting an incubator and rearing some quails.
I have a quail shed size piece of garden left, need to do some more research though

[RichmondHens]

For layers I'm planning to hatch a few more Light Sussex pullets (any boys will get eaten) from my own breeding stock and maybe some more Cream Legbars from bought in eggs (from a farm not far from me).

For meat birds I'm going to be crossing my older heavy hens with both my Indian Game cock and my heavy Light Sussex - one after the other, I can't run both cocks together so the IG gets first go and when I've set enough eggs from his covering I shall take him out and put the LS in. The meat we have had this year from these combinations has been fabulous so well worth repeating.

Then the IG can have a go with the young IG hens to see if we can get some pure IGs too.

It's going to be a fun Spring!

[chris]

You can have my LS, RH - she's a cow!