Pepper tries to set

About 3 weeks ago I started finding silkie eggs in the ground nesting boxes again. I had 3 possible suspects. 

First up is Frank: She hatched out her babies about 2 months ago and I'm expecting her to start laying again very soon.

Next up is Snowball: She's about 8 months old and she started to lay this summer, but has apparently taken a winter break. I'm hoping she started back up!



Last up is Pepper: She's about 5 months old and should start laying soon.

Turns out I caught BOTH pepper and snowball in nesting boxes one day, and happened to get 2 eggs that day! Yeay! Of course, that doesn't mean that Frank isn't laying. (short for Frankenstein....she had a vaulted skull when she hatched. The kids names her! lol) She could be also. 

Well of course this can't just be as easy as a few hens laying. Oh no! Pepper has decided to set her eggs. 

When pullets try to hatch eggs

DAY 1: Pepper got all comfy on the floor of the coop in front of the nest box while her egg sat all alone inside. I picked her up and set her on the egg and she settled in comfortably. 

DAY 2: The egg was so buried under the wood chips it was stone cold. So I dug it out and gave her a few eggs I had collected over the previous days. I cleaned out her nest box, changed the bedding and put her back and she settled in happily. 

DAY 3: Pepper woke up in the nest box, but came out for breakfast and instead of going back in the nest box, she settled down in front of it again. I picked her up and put her back in and she settled in. I came back a few hours later and she was sitting all puffed up, with most of the eggs in front of her NOT under her! Silly bird....I put her back in place.

DAY 4: Today. This morning Pepper was in her nest box on ALL her eggs (5 eggs) I'll give her another 2 days and if she's doing ok I will candle the eggs and see how they are doing. It's a good chance that all this on the nest/off the nest stuff caused the eggs to quit developing. If that is the case, I will swap them for fresh eggs (presumably laid by Snowball and maybe Frank) and see if she can make it work. 

It's her first time, and many hens have trouble with their first clutch. If all else fails, I'm going to be hatching for the spring season soon so I can break out the mini Brinsea and hatch her a few.

Wish her luck!

~L

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Babies! What do I do with the babies?

Well of course I couldn't wrap up hatching season when 'I' wanted to! Zippy, my adorable black Silkie hen, decided that there was time for one more hatch. I guess I hadn't paid real close attention to the eggs underneath her. She's a great broody so I didn't worry about the eggs at all in fact. Maybe I should have looked closer though! The first chick out was a blue marans! 

First, let me explain Marans genetics to you real quick: I have splash hens and a black copper roo....when they mate you get blue! I don't have any blue silkies. So there is no doubt in my mind, That is NOT Zippys egg!

Chicken saddles

Well it's finally happened! One of my hens has a bald spot on her back from the rooster. I feel so bad for the poor thing. Not only have her feathers been pulled out but now it's cold enough to snow and she must be freezing!!!! There seems to be only 1 solution to this problem. I bought her a saddle.

No, not like for riding a horse! Although Mr Roo might not pull feathers if he had some stirrups to stick his claws through....but I digress. A chicken saddle is the same basic shape as a horse saddle, but it's made of fabric. 

Sort of like an apron for the chickens back. The feathers get a chance to grow in, and little miss hen stays just a tad warmer till they do. 

Chicken saddles work great in cases of over breeding or feather picking. Pictured above is Princess, a Mille Fluer D'Uccle wearing her saddle.

Welcome to the farm!

Welcome to Murano Chicken Farm! 

About Our Farm:

We are located on 25 acres in Western Pennsylvania. We got into chicken farming because of the local pest problem. The ticks were insane! You couldn't walk through the woods without having to pick the ticks off after. It was bad. Enter the Guineas. 

I acquired 3 full grown Pearl Guinea fowl to battle the tick problem. In learning more about being a good Guinea owner I learned that if they make friends with some chickens, the Guineas are less likely to fly off. I started with 1 incubator and about a dozen Silkie hatching eggs. While waiting on hatch time we also decided to add some French Black Copper Marans. 

Well things don't always go as planned and some nice sellers shipped me extra eggs so of course I had to hatch them! That's how we ended up with 1 spoiled rotten Pekin Duck and a bunch of other assorted poultry....and more than 1 incubator!  

Currently we keep several ducks and 4 poultry flocks: Guineas, Silkies, D'Uccles and Marans. We have French Black Copper, Blue and Splash Marans. Our D'Uccles are Mille Fluer. Silkies are assorted colors and we also have 1 adorable white sizzle who just started laying! 

I only like to hatch with a full incubator so I often hatch out extras. Of course extras are for sale, or trade. Please check often, I will add pics as availability changes.

In season we have Pearl Guinea eggs available for shipping. I will hatch keets, ducks or chicks on request for pickup. Silkie, EE and Marans hatching eggs available also.


Enough about the fowl....lets get on to the gardens!

Typical backyard produce usually fills our gardens. 2 types of tomatoes, beans, peas, cucumbers, onions, shallots, banana peppers, green & red peppers, lettuce, broccoli, cauliflower.....we've even attempted corn. We also have tons of wild raspberries....if you feel like hiking through the woods for them! The gardens are being expanded to allow us to participate in farmers markets for the 2011 season.

We are currently starting a fall planting season. 4 varieties of garlic have been chosen and the first crop of Ginseng will be planted next week. Basil and chives are being grown indoors and a greenhouse is being planned as I type.

WOW It's busy here!

So glad you decided to join us on our farming escapades.

Much love,

L Murano

Want information on raising chickens sent right to your email weekly? Click right here to join my list and get new posts sent directly to you the day they're published. You'll also get the free download 25 Ways to save money raising chickens.