Sunday, January 04, 2015

Jan 4

Bought 50# lay pellets 3# flax seed, 50# scratch $34.84

Total of 3 brown eggs for all of December.

Nights have been cold the past week - below freezing a couple of times. Diurnal cycle was at its low about 2 weeks ago - production should start coming back by end of January.

I'm planning on getting some additional layers this spring, plus some meat birds - delivery around May 4. Get 3 americauna (green), 3 Buff Oprington (brown), 2 red start sex links (dark brown), 2 leghorns (white) and 7 meat birds.

Summer Flock:
Americauna: 1 old, 3 chicks
Barred Rock: 3 2 old
Rhode Island Red: 3 old
Buff Orpington: 3 chicks
Red Star: 2 chicks
Ancona: 1 old
Leghorn: 2 chicks

Cull 2 old Americauna for stew in next 4 months. cull 1 Rhode island red, 1 barred rock for stew late in year (after new brown production starts).

End of year 2015 flock:
4 green (1 old, 3 pullets)
8 brown (3 old, 5 pullets)
3 white (1 old, 2 pullets)

Should be getting 6 - 10 eggs a day from pullets starting in October. The old birds will be going into molt around then. Older birds for stew starting in November - all 5 hens culled in 2016. Replace with 4 brown layers, meat birds, possibly 2 Ancona and 2 Americauna in spring 2016.

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