Well now THAT'S over...!

[walldanzig]

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

If you could Maureen that would be great

[petal]

Quail. my little girl wants these so I suppose I will have to build an aviary......A good place for hatching eggs is the practical poultry forum by the way.

[its hilly]

well I've got breeding groups (fingers crossed) of Silver Sussex LF, Blue Orpington, Copper black Maran LF, and Barred Wyandotte banties ...are you reading this Jess!!
Also Festhers ladies and a bunch of hybrids who are all crosses of R-I-R/Lt Sussex and a pair of white silkies

My biggest want is Brahma LF, I would love to add a rare breed (Ixworth or Croads top the list) but my cuckoo Maran hen is such a lovely big hardy layer that I would like to get some more. And something that will lay in the depths of winter.

I've also got a nice copper blue maran cockeral, and one of Festhers sons from last year who is gorgeous. But sadly Ive lost both my cream legbar cockerals, so will have to find another somewhere.

But it will all have to wait till I've found somewhere to rent near us where I will have room.

[Glutton4...]

I'm going to put Asbo in the Cock pen (when the Cocks have gone in the freezer) with a handful of the larger Ladies, and breed some good size birds for the table. I will probably keep the girls though! Watch me get all girls...

[polo]

I'm going to put Asbo in the Cock pen (when the Cocks have gone in the freezer) with a handful of the larger Ladies, and breed some good size birds for the table. I will probably keep the girls though! Watch me get all girls...

Sods law - you probably will!!

[OverWyreGrower]

I've also got a nice copper blue maran cockeral, and one of Festhers sons from last year who is gorgeous. But sadly Ive lost both my cream legbar cockerals, so will have to find another somewhere.

We've got a CL cockerel if you want? He is called Barney and is about 18months old... we're not breeding from him this year as I'm concentrating on Welsummers and Barnevelders... you're welcome to him!

[Nicos]

I'm trying to have a couple of new layers each year so I constantly have a few younger gals at the peak of their laying ability.

I have been asked if I could hatch some bantams as a neighbour wants some for laying. That mean we could keep the boys for the freezer (tidly as they are)
...or I'd like to hatch some of the Marans eggs....they'd be bred with a bantam so I'll need to see if our cockerel can clamber up that high first!!!

Will certainly get more Toulouse geese again. We had 3 last year- I may get 5 or even 7!!

[mr darcy]

Happy New Year folks! and yes thankgod for back to school and normal stuff next week! eaten too many chocs and drunk too much alk, feel like a fatter, more bleary version of my preffered self!!
ended the year with bit of seed swapping over a cuppa with my lovely gardening friend who is propelling me fowards into serious potager planning, ie she will remind me when i should be doing essential things like actually planting something!!
for chooks, am planning bigger run with hazle hurdle fences as i can't now free range in peace as the neighbours pup has got the habit of killing hens
oh yes and i too would be thrilled with blue eggs!!! which breed do i need?

[Bramble-Poultry]

for blue eggs - you need either a specialist hybrid (of which there are more coming out each week as the commercial boys cotton on) or the old standby of the cream legbar / cotswold leg bar.

There is a blue egg laying dorking, but it isnt a true dorking and wont be recognised as such by the guys in white coats at a show. You could also go for the araucana as they are also blue eggers.

[Bramble-Poultry]

as for what we have planned for this year:-

we will be taking in around 100 ex-batts for the laying shed
couple of pairs of geese
some more turkeys (different breeds again)
some more peafowl
maybe some pheasants
more quail to increase the numbers as well as the number of breeds
and generally some more pairs and trios of chickens. ideally we wont to have a large selection of breeds to go at!

and secretly i want some transylvanian naked necks but Jennie isnt too keen.....shhhh dont tell her!

[petal]

I will be breeding our black araucana pullet with the gold silkie cockerel this year - i thought it would be a nice cross.

[petal]

and secretly i want some transylvanian naked necks but Jennie isnt too keen.....shhhh dont tell her![/QUOTE]
Don't blame her! I have no idea how my daughter has sneaked tnns in to the breeding plan - they look like....

[Gro-Bag]

Happy New Year all. I am waiting to see if Mrs Broody CL goes broody again this year. Last year she raised some Marans - including that nice copper blue cockerel above. I'll also have to see what eggs my rare breed contact has in stock when and if she gets taken over by the urge. I'll only buy from that one guy as he will take back the boys if necessary. If she doesn't get broody I'll look forward to a nice quiet summer - but at least one of my neighbours is crossing his fingers that she does as he wants some (not so sure about the rest of my neighbours - that blue cockerel started crowing a little earlier than expected!).

[Gro-Bag]

Transylvanian naked necks - now there's a strange looking bird!

[Gro-Bag]

With a winter like we've had you'd have to knit scarves for 'em