1 brown
Sunday
1 white

1 white

1 brown

1 white

1 brown

1 white

1 brown

1 white
Friday
1 brown
Thursday
1 white

1 brown

1 white

1 white

1 white

1 white. Ancona isn't in coop over night last night and tonight.

1 white

1 white, 1 brown

Thursday
1 white, 1 brown

1 white, 1 brown.

Can green eggs be far behind? All 3 pullets are of an age, so egg production for all should start at about the same time.

1 white

Friday
1 white

2 more white eggs.

Another 2 white eggs found. I need to build nesting box and put some stone eggs in it so hens will start laying in coop.

Egg hunt today turned up 2 white eggs.

1 white. Both Americauna and black hen were in coop when it was laid.

Chicks are doing fine, as are the pullets. No marauder trouble - having the lower part of the coop with both solid siding and electric fencing did the job.

no eggs yet. I haven't identified the black pullet - she's black with some white spots/speckles on her sides - could be an Ancona. Americauna seems small.

So all of the meat chicks were killed and partly eaten by a raccoon pulling them through the chicken wire siding on the coop. I put two courses of 1x6 lumber along the base and ran electric fence wire along the bottom and top of the siding.

Last Saturday I was given 3 pullets, an Americauna, a Rhode Island Red and a Black hen that I've not identified yet. All three survived while the meat birds were being killed.

Laying chicks were put in the coop last night. All survived.Chick weights (gm) at 30 days age:
Barred Rock: 281, 284, 286, 315, 315, 297
Rhode Island Red: 315, 270, 300
Americauna: 350, 315, 271
Exotic (white with black speckle): 450

Moved all the meat birds out to the coop today.
I weighed all 14 meat birds - at 24 days after hatching:
730, 758, 803, 962, 763, 730, 807, 767, 569, 714, 702, 688, 690, 635 gm.

Dressed weight should be about 2500 gm at 65 days. That 962 gm bird may end up over 3500 gm dressed - big bird.

I put some chicks on a scale on Thursday (2 weeks old):
Cornish X rock (meat): 444 gm, 353 gm, 441 gm
Barred Rock: 114 gm, 120 gm
Rhode Island Red: 138 gm, 119 gm
Americauna: 163 gm, 145 gm

New Chick order arrived
3 Americauna
5 Barred Rock
1 Barred Rock cockeral
14 Cornish X Rock (meat)
3 Rhode Island Red

8 brown layers, 3 green layers.

So I had all my remaining chickens killed over the last week.

Spring flock will be entirely pullets.

more predation - down to 2 Americauna in flock.

no eggs.

no eggs

1 brown

Predator got 3 chickens. Looks like a skunk, heads were missing, body cavity was mostly intact.

no eggs.

Flock is now:
3 Americauna
2 Rhode Island Red
1 Silver Laced Wyandotte

Spring flock:
3 Americauna pullets + 3 3 year old Americauna
3 Rhode Island Red pullets, 2 old Rhode Island Red
1 4 Silver Laced Wyandotte
5 Barred Rock pullets

(Assuming all birds survive, I've had serious losses this year).

1 green, 2 brown

1 brown

1 green, 2 brown
Monday
no eggs

1 brown + 1 brown cannibalized.

1 brown + 1 brown cannibalized.

1 brown + 1 brown cannibalized.

1 green

2 brown

New Chick order (arrives 10/09/2012):
3 Americauna
5 Barred Rock
1 Barred Rock cockeral
14 Cornish X Rock (meat)
3 Rhode Island Red

I've had predation lately - skunk got a Silver Laced Wyandotte.
Existing flock:
3 Rhode Island Red
3 Silver Laced Wyandotte
3 Americauna (3 years old)

Cull the old Rhode Island Reds, possibly Wyandottes by spring 2013.

Spring 2013 flock:
5 Barred Rock pullets
3 Americauna pullets + 3 older Americaunas
3 Rhode Island Reds pullets
2 Silver Laced Wyandotte

8 brown layer pullets + 2 older brown layers
3 green layer pullets + 3 older green layers

Full production: 44 brown, 21 green, 5+ dozen per week.
40 pullet + 4 old brown, 15 pullet + 6  old green weekly

Cull old Americauna and remaining old birds over winter 2013-2014.
Chick order in spring 2014 Buff Orpington (3), Black Australorp (1-3), possibly Rhode Island Red for brown layers, 3 Americauna... look at flock constituency in January 2014 for guidance. Flock of 8- brown layer 2 year olds, 5-7 brown layer pullets, 3 Americauna 2 year olds, 3 Americauna pullets fall 2014... start culling 3 year olds in 2015...

1 brown

no eggs

1 brown

1 green, 1 brown

1 brown

1 green
Saturday 
1 brown
Friday
1 brown

2 brown

Wednesday
no eggs

Looks like a new chick order coming in Sept 25.

12 meat birds
1 Barred rock cockerel (meat)
1 Rhode Island Red cockerel (meat)
2 Americauna
3 Buff Orpington
3 Rhode Island Red
4 Barred Rock

14 meat, 12 layers.
Cull existing flock
4 Silver Laced Wyandotte -> 2
3 Americauna -> 3 Americauna
3 Rhode Island  Red -> 1 Rhode Island Red
1 Americauna pullet survived from first chick order.

2013 flock
3 Americauna pullets + 3 Americauna 4th season
2 old Silver Laced Wyandotte
3 Rhode Island Red + 1 old Rhode Island Red
3 Buff Orpington pullets
4 Barred Rock pullets

13 pullets, 6 old layers, 10 brown layer pullets + 3 old brown layers, 3 green layer pullets + 3 4th season green layers.

Production:
about 7 brown/day about 4 green/day
4+ dozen brown, 2 dozen green per week.

2013 no need to order any chicks. Cull older birds over course of year, flock to 13-15 birds by autumn.

2014 order 3 Americauna, 4 brown layers, meat birds.

1 brown

Monday
no eggs

Sunday
1 brown

Saturday
no eggs

1 brown.

1 green, 1 brown

1 green

1 brown

Monday
3 brown

1 green

1 green

Friday
1 brown

no eggs

Wednesday
1 brown

no eggs

1 brown

Sunday
no eggs

Saturday
1 brown

1 brown
Thursday
1 brown

1 brown

1 green

1 green, 1 brown

no eggs

1 green
A marauder got most of the chicks Friday night. Looks like I will be making another chick order.

Friday
1 brown

Thursday
1 green.

no eggs

2 green, 1 brown

Chicks are still not in yard. bought some materials to give them a safe space.

no eggs

1 green, 1 brown

Found a meat bird dead in the waterer this morning. I'd removed the beads from it yesterday thinking birds were big enough that drowning/exposure danger was past.

I've put posts in the ground for outdoor area for small birds. Will be getting some chicken wire later today.

1 green, 1 brown

1 green, 1 brown

1 green, 1 brown
Rhode Island Red died.

1 green.

Look like an old Rhode Island Red is dying of old age.

1 green, 1 brown.

Segregated chicks into cornish X Rock cohort (14) and layer cohort (4 barred rock, 3 buff orpington, 2 americauna + 1 exotic (looks like americauna)). Meat birds were crowding layers out of feed.

2 green, 1 brown

1 brown, 1 green cannibalized
Thursday
2 green, 1 brown

Time to separate chicks - meat birds are getting big enough that they crowd layers out from food.

1 green, 1 brown

1 green, 2 brown

2 green, 1 brown

lost another meat chick.

1 green, 1 brown

2 green
lost 2 meat bird chicks in transit
lost 1 more in first day.

15 meat birds,
4 barred rocks
3 buff orpingtons
2 americauna.

1 green, 1 brown
chicks arrived today!
Thursday
1 green, 1 brown

Wednesday
2 green, 1 brown

1 green

1 green, 1 brown

2 green, 1 brown

1 green, 1 brown

1 green

2 green, 2 brown

1 brown, 2 green

1 brown
Monday
2 green

1 brown, 2 green
bought 50# scratch $14.99

1 brown

2 green

2 green, 2 brown

2 brown, 1 green

1 green
Sunday
1 green, 2 brown + 1 green cannibalized

Monday
1 green, 2 brown
Sunday
1 green

1 green
Friday
1 green, 1 brown

2 green, 1 brown

2 green, 1 brown
Tuesday
1 green

1 green, 1 brown
Sunday
1 green, 1 brown

1 green, 1 brown
Friday
1 green
Thursday
1 green, 1 brown + 1 green cannibalized

2 green, 1 brown

1 green
Bought 50# scratch $14.99
Thursday
1 green, 2 brown
Wednesday
2 green, 1 brown

2 green, 1 brown.

2 brown

1 green, 1 brown

2 green, 1 brown
Lost my Barred Rock to predation last night.

1 brown

2 green, 2 brown
Wednesday
1 green, 1 brown

1 green, 3 brown

Sunday
2 green, 1 brown

1 green, 1 brown
Friday
1 green, 1 brown

2 green, 1 brown cannibalized

1 green, 1 brown

1 green, 2 brown

2 green, 1 brown
Sunday
1 green

2 brown + 1 brown cannibalized
Friday
2 green, 1 brown
Thursday
2 green, 1 brown

no eggs
Tuesday
2 green, 1 brown
Monday
2 green, 2 brown

2 brown, 1 green cannibalized

2 green, 2 brown

no eggs

1 green, 1 brown

Saturday

2 green, 2 brown + 1 brown cannibalized

Friday

1 green, 1 brown

Thursday

1 green, 1 brown

2 green, 1 brown

1 green, 1 brown

1 green, 1 brown

3 green, 1 brown

1 green, 1 brown

1 green, 2 brown

1 green, 2 brown

2 green, 1 brown

2 brown

2 green, 2 brown

2 green, 2 brown

1 brown

1 green, 1 brown

1 green

1 green, 2 brown

2 green, 2 brown

1 green, 1 brown

1 green, 2 brown

1 green, 1 brown

1 green, 2 brown

Monday
2 green, 2 brown

Sunday
2 brown
bought 50# scratch $14.99

2 green, 2 brown

Looks like chick order will arrive week of June 18. Laying starting in late November, 7 pullets all laying by end of January, early February.

2 green, 3 brown

A silver laced Wyandotte died sometime during the day, apparently from old age (she was 10 or 11 years old).

Flock is:
4 SL Wyandotte 1 10 years old, 3 2 years old
4 Rhode Island Red 1 4 years old, 3 2 years old
3 Americauna 2 years old
1 Barred Rock 4 years old

Adding:
3 Barred Rock
2 Buff Orpington
2 Americauna
chicks before summer.

2013 Flock:
3 SL Wyandotte 3 3 years old
4 Rhode Island Red 1 5 years old, 3 3 years old
5 Americauna 3 years old, 3 pullets
4 Barred Rock 5 years old, 3 pullets
2 buff orpingtons - pullets
18 hens total -> cull 5 year old RI Red.

Will fill out order with meat birds.

2 brown

2 green, 3 brown

1 green, 2 brown

1 green, 1 brown

2 green, 3 brown

1 green

1 green, 2 brown

1 green, 1 brown

1 green, 1 brown

1 green, 1 brown

2 brown

no eggs

1 green, 2 brown

1 green, 1 brown

1 green, 1 brown + 1 brown cannibalized

1 green, 1 brown

1 green, 2 brown

Monday
1 green, 2 brown

2 green, 3 brown

no eggs

2 green, 1 brown

2 brown

2 green, 1 brown

Tuesday
1 green

1 green, 1 brown

1 green, 2 brown

1 green, 1 brown

Friday
1 brown
Thursday
2 green, 1 brown

1 green, 1 brown

2 green, 1 brown

1 green, 1 brown

1 green, 1 brown + 1 brown cannibalized

Friday
1 brown

Thursday
2 green

1 green, 1 brown
T:1,2,1,3,2,2,3,2,1,3,3,1,5,2
G:0,2,0,2,1,1,1,2,0,2,2,0,3,1
B:1,0,1,1,1,1,2,0,1,1,1,1,2,1

3 day total: 4 green, 4 brown
7 day total: 10 green, 7 brown

Tuesday
3 green, 2 brown
T:1,2,1,3,2,2,3,2,1,3,3,1,5
G:0,2,0,2,1,1,1,2,0,2,2,0,3
B:1,0,1,1,1,1,2,0,1,1,1,1,2

3 day total: 5 green, 4 brown
7 day total: 10 green, 8 brown

Monday
1 brown
T:1,2,1,3,2,2,3,2,1,3,3,1
G:0,2,0,2,1,1,1,2,0,2,2,0
B:1,0,1,1,1,1,2,0,1,1,1,1

3 day total: 4 green, 3 brown
7 day total: 8 green, 7 brown

2 green, 1 brown
T:1,2,1,3,2,2,3,2,1,3,3
G:0,2,0,2,1,1,1,2,0,2,2
B:1,0,1,1,1,1,2,0,1,1,1

3 day total: 4 green, 3 brown
7 day total: 9 green, 7 brown

2 green, 1 brown
T:1,2,1,3,2,2,3,2,1,3
G:0,2,0,2,1,1,1,2,0,2
B:1,0,1,1,1,1,2,0,1,1

3 day total: 4 green, 2 brown
7 day total: 9 green, 7 brown

1 brown
T:1,2,1,3,2,2,3,2,1
G:0,2,0,2,1,1,1,2,0
B:1,0,1,1,1,1,2,0,1

2 green
T:1,2,1,3,2,2,3,2
G:0,2,0,2,1,1,1,2
B:1,0,1,1,1,1,2,0

1 green, 2 brown
T:1,2,1,3,2,2,3
G:0,2,0,2,1,1,1
B:1,0,1,1,1,1,2

3 day total:
3 green, 4 brown

7 day total:
7 green, 7 brown

1 green, 1 brown
T:1,2,1,3,2,2
G:0,2,0,2,1,1
B:1,0,1,1,1,1
3 day total:
4 green, 3 brown

1 green, 1 brown
T:1,2,1,3,2
G:0,2,0,2,1
B:1,0,1,1,1
3 day total:
3 green, 3 brown

2 green, 1 brown
T:1,2,1,3
G:0,2,0,2
B:1,0,1,1
3 day total: 4 green, 2 brown

1 brown
T:1,2,1
G:0,2,0
B:1,0,1
Friday
2 green

3 day total:
2 green, 2 brown

1 brown

2 green, 1 brown

1 green, 1 brown

1 green.

2 green, 1 brown

2 green,2 brown

Thursday
no eggs

2 green, 2 brown

Tuesday
1 green

1 green, 2 brown

1 green, 1 brown
green egg is larger than other recent green eggs, could have 2 Americanas laying.

1 green

Friday
1 brown

no eggs

Wednesday
no eggs

1 green, 1 brown + 1 brown cannibalized

Monday no eggs

1 green, 1 brown.

1 brown

1 brown, 1 green + 1 brown cannibalized.

Some could have been laid Thursday as they were not checked.

Wednesday
1 brown + 1 brown cannibalized.

no eggs.

1 brown

1 brown cannibalized.

1 brown

1 brown

1 brown cannibalized.

1 brown cannibalized.

Bought scratch, 3# flax seed $19.17 total

Chickens got fresh straw in coop. hen party!

1 brown cannibalized.

Friday 1 brown cannibalized.

2008 chicks have white zip tie on right leg, 2009 chicks have black zip tie on left leg.

Current flock:
4 Rhode Island Reds 1 3 year old, 3 2 years old
1 Barred Rock 4 years old
5 Silver laced Wyandotte 2 9 years old, 3 2 years old
3 Americauna 3 2 year2 old

Will be adding 3 Barred Rock, 2 Rhode Island Red, 3 Americauna this spring.

Chick order will include 25 organic meat birds too (fryer special from McMurray's - 16-20 week to slaughter). Buy 50# organic starter feed. 3x 50# organic feed, yields 100# organic chicken meat at $120 feed cost -> $1.20/pound for organic meat! May go for 2 orders, get some fast meat birds (8-12 weeks to slaughter) at same time as layers, fryers earlier.

Assuming older birds are culled/die my 2012 flock would be:

4 Barred Rock 1 4 year old and 3 pullets
5 Rhode Island Reds 1 4 year old, 2 3 year old, 2 pullet
3 silver laced Wyandotte 3 3 year old
6 Americauna 3 3 year old, 3 pullets

18 hen flock.

2012 flock age distribution:
8 pullets
8 3 years old
2 4 years old - cull?

May cull 4 year old birds and a few that will turn 4 in 2013 when pullets begin producing. 2008 - Sept 19 for chicks hatched April.

2013 look at 8 pullets, 8 turning 4 years old. Buy 8 hens 2013 - 2 Americauna, 3 Wyandottes, 3 RI Reds.

2014 flock is 2 and 1 year old - 3+2 Americauna, 2+3 RI Red, 0+3 Wyandottes, 3 + 0 Barred Rock - 16 young hens... possibly old Silver laced Wyandotte...

2015 buy chicks again.

1 brown cannibalized.