Cream Legbars 2016

We've finally selected the Cream Legbar cockerel for our 2016 breeding pen. He is a rather nice Rees line bird hatched in March of 2015. Number 47, now dubbed "Darcy" has a nice balance of lighter hackles and saddle feathers with good dark barring on his breast and body. This balance of light and dark along with the deep chestnut that I feel distinguishes this breed from other barred birds is distributed on his shoulders. The points on his comb are nicely spaced and he carries himself with style. His legs are deep yellow legs and he has a strong, long back. Darcy's tail angle is the best I've seen so far; it's a trait I hope he passes along to his offspring. He also has fairly well tucked wings. Most of the US Rees birds tend to have low and 'lazy' wing carriage. Darcy's comb is a bit floppy and his breast needs filling out that should come with maturity. He is on the small side, but overall I believe he will compliment the six pullets (3 Graystem line and 3 Rees line) he will be covering. Once we've hatched around 100 chicks from this pen, we will be offering hatching eggs. Older birds won't be available until later in the year since these birds change quite a bit as they reach maturity. If you don't have an incubator and would like day old chicks instead, please contact us by email. Introducing "DARCY"

Public Service Announcement -- Brooder Bulbs

Public Service Announcement - change your brooder light bulbs at the beginning of each hatching season. Even if you test each light before use as we did, you just never know when its going to go.

On Tuesday and Wednesday, we hatched 37 chicks, White Dorkings and Cream Legbars, then moved them into the brooder on Thursday. Everyone was fine yesterday morning but when I returned home from work, the light bulb had burned out. I lost 30 chicks. Four survivors were just hanging on and three were still full of life. By morning the four were gone and one more was borderline gone. I scooped the last three up and put them back in the incubator on paper towels with food and water. After three hours, #3, now known as "Valentine" because he was my Valentine's day gift, is up and going strong. Here are the three survivors - white Dorking "Cupid", CL cockerel "Valentine" and a CL pullet who needs a name that ties into Valentines day, is feminine and tough. She remained the strongest of all.

We are now going to switch to a dual bulb Ohio Brooder.  It will protect them from drafts and can warm up to 250 chicks.   Ours will be slightly smaller than the standard 4' x 4'     Ohio Brooders were developed during the War years to conserve both metals and energy.    

Illinois Extension Service Publication - Ohio Brooder, 1942

Tis the Season

For hatching chicks, starting seeds and SNEEZING!  Yup, the trees are mating and sending their pollen everywhere.   A GREAT way to deal with the seasonal allergies without drug is to use local honey.   Make sure it comes from a source within a fifty mile radius of where you spend most of your time.   A teaspoon every day (or even once a week) really does help.  And it's soooooo sweet too.

The hubby finished my new compost tumbler.   It's loaded up and ready to make that rich organic fertilizer!

Some of our new Dominique chicks, now four weeks old.  Those with more white in their barring are likely to be males.  So far it looks like three boys and seven girls.   We'll have to wait and see how they mature.

And Heathcliff's first group of offspring is now almost two weeks old.   They are just starting to get that downy bump where the crest feathers will come in.    So easy to tell the boys from girls with this autosexing breed.  Four males and seven females.  Can you pick out the boys?  There are also four black Langshan youngsters in the brooder too.

Could it finally be SPRING?!

Hopefully we've seen the last of the snow!   The spare bedroom is full of chick brooders.  While it's fun to have them close at hand to watch them grow, it's hot as Hades with the heat lamps on.  And now that they are feathering out, the peep dust is everywhere!

For those that still don't believe dinosaurs could be related to chickens I offer this photo as Exhibit A...what do you think?   Mini T-rex?

Welcome to Graystem Farm!

It's been so wet here the past few weeks, we're debating building an Ark.

Several of our hens have gone broody with a corresponding reduction in egg production.   We are also gathering eggs for a bi-annual Avian Influenza testing.    The chicks are adorable but it means we do not currently have eggs for sale.   If you are interested in purchasing some chicks, stop by the Powhatan Tractor Supply event on July 13th.

The herb gardens are going well.   Oregano and garlic chives are in bloom.   The basil is bushing up while the thyme and sages are spreading.  Spearmint is running rampant.    And we have our first little "giant" pumpkin.

We've had some beautiful visitors to our wildflower gardens.  Unfortunately, all of this rain has kept the bees from leaving their hives.

It doesn't look like we'll have tomatoes for the Fourth of July holiday but the bacon is ready and waiting in the freezer for those first BLT sandwiches!   Hope you enjoy your celebrations!