Even quieter "chicken" day!

Pretty much had a chicken free day today. Apart from letting them out, feeding, checking for eggs and putting to bed, I've not done any chicken things. Until this evening!. I have just candled the eggs in Incubator 1 and it appears that nearly all of them are fertile, there is 2 that I am not sure about, 1 sablepoot and 1 legbar, but at the moment, it looks like 31 out of 33 is developing, so rather pleased with that. It also means my black pekins are doing the business :)  

My wife has published her latest book on Amazon: you can find it at:http://www.amazon.co.uk/Bershebas-Dungeon-princess-Adventures-ebook/dp/B00BC5WSO8/ref=sr_1_7?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1360269198&sr=1-7

As mentioned before, we are giving away 10 copies to readers of the Horndean Hens blog in return for an honest review on the Amazon site. The book retails at $3.99 (£2.62) and is aimed at children aged 8 to 13. If you'd like to review this book, please send an email to mike@horndeanhens.co.uk with the word "book" in the title and we shall send you a copy of the eBook by return email. You just need the free Amazon Kindle App installed to read this eBook, unless of course you have a real kindle!

Another quiet day

Again, not much to report today, a bit of cleaning out. put the 5 day old chicks on shavings for the first time and they're loving scratching around in it!.

In fact, the highlight of my "chicken" day so far is posting some eggs!

My wife is just finishing off editing her childrens advanture novel, so that should be ready for publishing in the next couple of days. As mentioned before, we shall be offering a free copy of the ebook to 10 readers of this blog for them to give an honest review on Amazon. I'm not sure if the price has been set yet, but I think the ebook will be available for around £3.99. I'll keep you updated

All quiet on the chicken front today

Not much to report on the chickens today, been a very quiet day, just cleaned out the buff and columbian Pekins. Also sold the last 2 hybrids last night. Took some pics of our 4 week old chicks today, looks like it's about half and half girls and boys.

 Think this one is a girl - Old English Game Bantam

Boy - Old English Game Bantam

 Girl - Old English Game Bantam

Wyandotte bantam - Not sure, but given how thick it's legs are, I'd say it's probably a boy










On a non chickeny note, my wife has a fantastic vampire short story available for download on Amazon for free. Please download and read, I think you'll enjoy it. Also we would very much appreciate it if you would leave a review for it on Amazon. You don't need a kindle to read it, you can install the free app for pc, mac, iphone and android form the Amazon website.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00B8X1AH0

2 new breeding groups :)

We picked up our Poland cockerel today and a nice chappy he is too :) He is very happy in with his new wife. Hopefully won't be long before we're getting eggs form them, Mark also delivered our gorgeous blue Pekin cockerel, I am so delighted with him. Have put him with a splash girl, so should get a mix of splash and blue babies from them.

Also got 8 Cream Legbar eggs to fertility test for Jackie today, so the incubator is now overbrimming!. I also added a Black, Buff and Crele Pekin egg today.

I candled incubator 2 last night and all seems to be developing well and due to hatch in a weeks time.

The incubation round goes 'round and 'round

 I have just set Incubator 1 again, this time I have put the following in:

2 Blue Wyandotte Bantam
3 Light Sussex Bantam
2 Buff Pekin
2 Black Pekin
3 Crele Pekin
6 Lemon Millifluer Sablepoot
4 Cuckoo Pekin

I might have some Legbar eggs to fertility test for someone tomorrow, so have had to leave space for them in the incubator. I also have some Serama eggs coming, so they'll be added on Tuesday. I usually add eggs over a 3 day period, so will also add anymore crele or black Pekin eggs I get. I've got another 4 cuckoo Pekin eggs, these will be going on ebay tomorrow (assuming I'll have they lay another egg tomorrow), so by the time the auction is finished, they'll be 6 ready to send out. I also have more Sablepoot and OEG bantam eggs, but I am swapping these for the Serama eggs. Once those are out of the way, I'll be saving eggs again for Incubator 2 which is due to hatch next Monday.

The 4 week olds had their first taste of outside yesterday, as it was actually dry for once and I needed somewhere to put them whilst I cleaned out there brooder. They are seem to be doing very well and I will be taking a good look this week to see if I can sex them. I'm already pretty sure the Silver Partridge Pekin is a girl.

I'm also picking up a husband for our Poland girl tomorrow and have sorted out a gorgeous looking blue Pekin cockerel. Anyone that know's me, know's that I love blue chickens, so I am really looking forward to getting him, I'll have to sort out something to put with him, but in theory, whatever colour I use with the blue cockerel should produce 50% blue chicks and 50% black chicks.

On a non chicken note: My wife has just completed her latest novel, which will be available to buy online soon, when it's ready for publishing, we will be offering a free copy to 10 readers of the blog, all we ask is that they kindly and honestly review it on Amazon for us.

New Poland girl arrives :)

 W picked out new Poland girl up today and she's settled in nicely already. Picking a new husband up for her on Monday :) No incubator news today, will be setting incubator 1 again tomorrow. been busy running around getting birds and food etc today, so only had time to clean a couple of houses out and the brooder with the 4 week old chicks in.

The 14 chicks that hatched over the last few days seem happy in the brooder, they all appear to be eating and drinking fine and all have straight toes and no spraddle leg either.

I've also got a couple of layers for sale for £10 each, if anyone is interested, feel free to email me at mike@horndean.hens.co.uk

Incubator 1 - Hatch day 3

Managed to hatch 14 out of 15. 1 Crele pekin was DIS after internally pipping :( The last 3 (2 silkies and 1 crele pekin) are still in the incubator, but will be going out with their brothers and sisters in about an hour or so..be nice to have a peaceful night with no cheeping (Incubator number 1 is in our bedroom). Incubator number 2 is in a cupboard downstairs as the fan can be a bit noisy. I'll probably set Incubator 1 again tomorrow with a mixture of our eggs, I currently have 22 eggs to go in there, a mix of sablepoots, cuckoo pekin, crele pekin, light sussex bantams + 1 wyandotte eggs and 1 black pekin which laid yesterday. Would've been nice to have some legbar eggs to go in there, but I think the weather we've had over the last couple of weeks has put a stop to most of our birds that are outside...I've not even had an egg from the Light Sussex bantam for 3 days!.

10 more days til the next hatch, by which time, the chicks in brooder 1 will be around 6 weeks old and may go outside if the weather is good, if not, they'll go in a hutch in the shed.

Nothing else to report other than cleaning out the silver partridge and black pekins and adding to the roof for the pens with my friesian fowl, millifluer pekins and oeg bantams. The only other thing is me being a tit and falling down the stairs yesterday with a cup of coffee in my hand and fag in my mouth. I managed to keep the fag in my mouth, but the coffee didn't fair as well...lets just say my clothing had a good drink!!!!!!...got a few bumps and bruises, but luckily nothing too bad. I  can honestly say that it is the first time I have fallen down the stairs since I was about 3!!!