10 Reasons to Hatch Baby Chicks

baby chicks are one option when choosing your first chickens

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Is hatching baby chicks right for you? Do you want to find a project for your kids to do at home during the coronavirus quarantine? Check out these 10 reasons to incubate chicken eggs and hatch your own baby chicks as an indoor activity for kids.

1. Teach Kids Biology or Science

The process of hatching chicken eggs introduces children to the reproduction process.

2. Teach Responsibility

The steps taken to care for eggs as they incubate teaches children responsibility. If the child will be carring for the chicks after they hatch the lessons in responsibility continue after the hatch ends.

3. Teach How to Deal with Disappointment

A hatch does not always end with every egg producing a chick. This provides an opportunity to speak to a child about how to deal with disappointment.

4. Learn about Candling Eggs

I compare candling eggs to a human ultrasound. Candling offers a look at the different stages of a chicks development as it grow inside the egg.

5. Entertainment

Baby chick antics bring old fashioned entertainment into a home simply by watching them. Holding a baby chick puts a smile on child’s face.

6. Provide Emotional Support

Baby chicks as a pet give a child an animal to cuddle and feel connected with in our current world crisis.

7. Connect with a Child and Instill Confidence

Sharing the process of hatching chicken eggs with a child brings about an occasion to talk with a child, explaining the process and anticipate the end result. You will be doing a project with them. I suggest involving them in the work as much as they are able. They will develop a sense of confideance.

8. Save Money on Baby Chick Prices

Did you plan to purchase baby chicks anyway? Hatching eggs offer a cheaper option to adding a rare breed to your flock.

The idea that hatching your own chicks will save you money depends on the price you would pay for chicks, the price of the hatching eggs, and how many chicks you hatch. I share additional details in the course Chick Hatching Practices. If you are new to chick hatching, consider checking out this course that offers guidance for chicken egg hatching.

Purchase now and receive the E-book, Plan Your Hatch as a bonus.

The course content is already available with additional videos, resources, and printables to be added soon. Begin today!

9. Give Expectation and Excitement during new Stay at Home Routine.

Children face a disruption of their routines as have their parents. Waiting for the chicks to hatch, candling the eggs to watch the chicks development brings a new sense of excitement. Looking forward to chicks hatching affords a distraction from all that is not happening right now. This works on adults too, or it certainly does for me.

10. Income

Sell the chicks if you are not able to keep them. If you live in a place where chickens are not allowed, connect with a homesteader or farm who would be interested in adding the chicks to their flock. You may be able to keep them for a few weeks before selling them.

You may be able to earn back part or all of the expense incurred to hatch the chicks. Either way tracking expenses and income brings another teaching option in math. A hands on lesson sticks with a person beyond book learning.

Bonus:

Teach patience.

Once you set the eggs in an incubator it takes 21 days for a chick to develop and hatch. The process happens and we all must wait for it to do so. No instant gratification to incubating chicken eggs.

Fluffy and Cute

The ways to enjoy the cute chicks abound from watching them interact with each other to holding them in your lap or perch one on your arm.

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March 18, 2020March 23, 2020

Beats that Matter ~ A Chick’s Deformity

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Less Than Perfect

Who longs to read a true story with a good ending instead of Coronavirus posts? If you like animal stories, this one is for you.

In the last couple blog posts, I shared the reasons for and against helping a chick hatch. This week I share a story about a Swedish Flower Hen chick that I did not help hatch, but still it presented a deformity.

It pipped in a bad spot and was positioned in the incubator where I did not even see it had pipped.

Over night it hatched on its own despite not pipping in the best spot.

I felt concern for what I found.

What you are looking at: An area of the abdomen that did not close properly allowing a part of the internal organs to protrude. In my mind, opening the chick up for infection.

Day 1

I know that it had a rough chance ahead of it, but I could not bring myself to cull the little thing.

That spot was squishy when I lightly touched it.

When I lightly pushed on that spot not only did it move, the chick passed a small amount of feces.

I figured I can always cull it later if it becomes as sick as I think it might. I went ahead and moved it to the brooder with the other chicks after it had dried in the incubator.

Day 2

Today the chick seemed to be holding its own. I needed to clean a small amount of poo from its vent that was hardened over it. This is called pasty butt, if you are new to caring for little chicks.

Day 3

Another day of cleaning pasty butt, but the little thing was lively enough, enthusiastic about eating and drinking.

Day 4

My heart ached when I seen all the poop stuck, not only over it’s vent but on its side. Looking at the picture below: All the area that is missing feathers was covered in poop.

Day 5

I felt horrified at the mess I found on day 5. How could this little chick go from a slight pasty 2 days ago to the nasty, gooey, stinky mess I found today? The feces caked all over its rear and the back part of its side.

It smelled bad, like when there is an infection. I debated ending its life right then. Knowing how little chicks peck at everything, I figured the other chicks may injest some of the nasty feces. The potential to make the whole group sick felt like a real possibility.

Yet, that soft heart of mine wanted to give it a chance.

Despite allowing moisture to soak into it, I am sure it hurt a little as I worked to remove the nasty, goopy, crud. The picture below shows how sunk in the chick was. I was thinking it might benefit from antibiotics.

That dark spot directly between the chick’s legs show what that deformity became.

Imagine my joy finding almost no pasty but on Day 6. The little chick wanted to eat and drink as always. It continued to hold its own over the next few days.

Week 1: The chick had not grown a bit during the first week. All the other chicks were 2 times it’s size.

Day 10

Around day 8 or 9 when I seen the protrusion dried up and fell off, I thought, ‘Amazing. Thank you Lord, this little thing may have a chance yet.’
M. Graber

Day 18

Week 2: Over the last week it is obvious the chick is growing, but is about 1/2 the size of the other chicks it hatched with.

The chick pictured at the top is about half the size of the others but it has doubled its mass in the last week. Progress it can live with.

These deformities happen occasionally no matter if a chick is helped during hatching process or not. They do seem to present themselves more often when a chick has been helped out, but certainly not every time.

Hatching chicks presents beauty and painful moments as anytime we care for and raise babies. I think we long for all to be perfect, but that is not the way this world operates.

I am excited I spent the extra time investing into the life of this little chick. Those times I spent a few extra minutes, cleaning the stuck on poop and making sure it had access to heat, food and water. While not a huge time or energy draw for me, it made a difference of life an death to that little chick.

Had I decided to let that chick go and not take the time to deal with its pasty butt, it would have died. That day the sticky poop was smeared all over the rear of the chick, not only would the chick died, the others might have picked up something. I took a risk on the little thing.

How can we take a few minutes out of our day to make a difference in the lives others today, this week, this month as our community feels fear and uncertainty that surrounds all we have heard about Covid-19 or the Coronavirus? Maybe we are being ask to take a risk? Maybe not.

I love the way this chick has pulled through and seems to be growing. It is a feisty thing that manages to wiggle in and get to the feed and water.

Christ and our Human Spiritual Deformities

I see a parallel between the life of this chick and my own. I need help to face my days more often than I don’t. My daily time with Christ provides me with the support I need to get through my struggles.

If you need peace that passes understanding, Christ sits on the throne and none of this caught him by surprise. This is where my daily peace comes from. Let me tell you it has taken me a few hours to get there some days.

NOTE: This page or post contains affiliate links. When you click and make a purchase I earn a portion of the money you spend at no additional cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Thank you for your support.

Read in this blog post about my go to incubator in 2019. I include tips I use with this incubator.

The Janoel 12 incubator with chicks I hatched from Pen # 7.

Click on either picture. Purchase your own.

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March 10, 2020March 10, 2020

5 Reasons to NOT Assist a Hatching Chick

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Last week I shared in a post the 5 Reasons to Help a Chick Hatch (click to read). There are reasons to not give in to that sentimental, nurturing side of us, reasons that make as much sense as do the reasons not to intervene in a chick hatching.

The reasons I share below go into consideration along with the reason to help a chick hatch when I am deciding each case on an individual basis. My hope is that as you read both the pros and cons your decision will be simplified as you choose what works best for you. In this post, I am always referring to eggs that have already pipped.

These eggs were pipped and the broody hen stopped setting on them.
(Naughty broody hen!)

5 Reasons NOT to Help a Chick Hatch

Breed integrity
Survival of the fittest/Natural Selection
Deformities
Unsure how to proceed
Best Use of Time

Breed Integrity

Assisting a chick out of its shell may create a weaker breed over generations. A chick needs strength and stamina to work its way out of the shell. Helping out a weaker chick and using it produce a new generation may impact the strength of a breed over time. I personally have not researched the process, but it makes sense to be that it is a realistic possibility.

There are many factors that go into a chick’s development and hatching some are influenced by the fact we as humans are intervening in the process by using an incubator imitate a broody hen.

Survival of the Fittest? Natural Selection

In the wild the strongest survive through the process of natural selection. When we intervene in the hatching process the natural selection process becomes disrupted. A valid argument points out we are already intervening by using an incubator.

Deformities

There are times a chick is not hatching because there is something wrong with it. Some chicks actually hatch and still have something wrong with them. He development process does not always happen perfectly.

This chick hatched on its own, but the abdomen did not close up properly.

Add to the mix we are hatching chicks away from the natural process of broody hens. We are attempting to recreate the process set in place for reproduction, a broody hen. Temperature, humidity, air flow, and the turning of eggs all needing to be close to perfect if we want perfect results.

This is a process in itself, the knowing of how to properly hatch chicks from eggs. (See the video below)

The fact that the chick who needs assistance may have a deformity and need to be culled keeps some away from helping at all. I understand, one of the first chicks I helped out, I needed to cull a few hours later. I cried. That is a valid reason to choose to leave a chick to nature takes it course. Even if it is natural selection in an incubator.

Unsure How to Proceed

The fear of the unknown stops forward movement in its tracks. Feeling uncertain of how to perform a certain task brings out the procrastination in me more than I want to admit. This lack of knowledge or experience of knowing how to help a chick hatch might be the reason you decided not to try. If this is your only reason, I say give it a try. Look at the process as a way to gain information that you will be putting to use in the future.

Note: This video is not all inclusive of how to assist a hatching chick.

The fact that we are always learning throughout the hatching process is the reason I titled the course on how to hatch chicks, Chick Hatching Practices. It is a practiced skill that continues to teach me and has me asking better questions as I learn.

Best Use of Time

The chick you help out may have problems as I mentioned above. If the chick is savable and has problems, it is going to take even more time to work with it. You will want to make sure it gets a good start in its first few days of life in the brooder.

It may even need to be separated for a period of time to keep other chicks from harming it and to ensure it has access to enough food and water. If it has a handicap of sorts, the chick may have a difficult time fending for its self in a group of chicks.

Have you ever seen the way little chicks boss and push each other around? They are ruthless. So, if you help a chick hatch that is struggling you have created more work. To give the chick a fighting chance you might need to provide feed and water in a separate, second pen. Do you see how the extra time adds up quickly? This may be a reason to not help a chick hatch based on the season of life you are in, your schedule, or lifestyle.

Purchase now and receive the E-book, Plan Your Hatch as a bonus.

The course content is already available with additional videos, resources, and printables to be added soon. Begin today!

Did you see last week’s post of 5 reasons to help a chick hatch? Check it out here: https://www.dontclipmywings.com/5-reasons-to-help-a-chick-hatch/

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March 2, 2020March 10, 2020

5 Reasons to Help a Chick Hatch

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Consider the following scenario, you have researched hatching eggs and incubators, made your purchases, incubated eggs for 21 days. now there is a chick that has pipped the shell, but has made very little progress in the last 24 to 26 hours. Should you help it out?

To be clear I am speaking only of eggs that have pipped through the shell.

5 Reasons to Help a Chick Hatch

The chick has pipped in a bad spot
Last of a bloodline
Limited eggs available
Limited fertility in a rare breed
You know human error played a part

You are Feeing Sentimental About this Chick

Perhaps the little chick has tugged at your heartstrings as you watch its effort to break out of the shell. I know I have felt that pull of desire to come along side in their struggle to make sure the chick lives or has a chance to. Maybe it has been 36 hours since you noticed the egg was pipped. While the chick has tried valiantly to work its way out, it has made only a slight progress. Lets look at 5 reasons why you would help a chick out of its shell.

First, I offer a word of caution that I plan to address further in a future post. If you help a chick out, be prepared for potential deformities. There are several reasons not to help out and only allow the strong chicks to survive. In certain cases, an argument can be made for an exception such as if a hatch temperature or humidity create difficult circumstances for a chick to hatch.

The Chick has Pipped in a Bad Spot

Chicks may not be positioned correctly in the shell. They then pip down toward the pointy end of the shell. Not an optimal way for chicks to hatch. They are supposed to pip nearer the top or rounded part of the egg.

This picture shows a shell that a chick pipped in the bottom part of the shell and still made it out on its own.

When they pip toward the bottom or the pointy tip of the shell a chick has a harder time working its way out.

This picture shows the same egg next to an egg shell that a chick pipped and zipped out of correctly.

One time only there was a chick that pipped at the bottom that I helped out. One of its little legs was up over its head, completely in the wrong spot. I aided the chick by supporting it with props until it could adjust to proper leg use.

Last of a Bloodline

Perhaps one or both of the parents are deceased due to a predator attack or age related death. In this case, I consider the value of continuing a specific blood line.

Limited Eggs Available

There may be limited eggs available from this group or from a certain breed. Perhaps you paid a large sum for the eggs and only 2 eggs are pipped.

Limited Fertility in a Rare Breed

A specific breed may be struggling with fertility or even faced with extinction. If fertile eggs are truly rare, that may be a time to assist a pipped chick with hatching.

You Know Human Error Played a Part

When we incubate eggs we are in part, taking over for the natural course of a broody hen hatching her eggs. Inconsistent, or incorrect air flow, humidity, egg turning, and heat all impact the development of a chick, it’s strength and subsequent hatching. There are times that I have helped a chick hatch knowing that human error created the difficulty to begin with.

These are a few reasons I would help a chick hatch. Do you have additional reasons you would assist a baby chicken out of the shell? If so, please leave a comment below.

Purchase now and receive the E-book, Plan Your Hatch as a bonus.

The course content is already available with additional videos, resources, and printables to be added soon. Begin today!

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February 11, 2020February 11, 2020

Chickens, Children and 4-H

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As a 10 year 4-H member, I experienced winning and losing, success and failure. I had help at times. I was on my own at other times. To exclude a breed of animal from showing or to exclude a breed because they might not win at a state or local level seems to defeat the entire purpose of 4-H. Fair warning! as I am jumping on a soap box for this post. You may or may not agree with my thoughts and opinions on this subject. I still like you, even if we do not agree. Diversity can put a bit of spice in our lives.

Should Breeds be excluded for a 4-H Project in any Species?

Should a child be told to not bring a particular breed to a 4-H fair because it might not win? Does not winning take away from the opportunity to learn responsibility, how to of poultry care, peer interaction, information about different breeds of poultry and all that comes with the experience of showing. Should a 4-H leader tell a child a certain breed is not allowed at the fair simply because that breed does not have a Standard of Perfection (SOP) written for it by the American Poultry Association (APA)? Read further to learn what the afore mentioned are.

What is the Purpose of 4-H?

The 4-H motto: “To Make the Best Better”

The 4-H Club Pledge: “I pledge…My Head to greater thinking, My Heart to greater loyalty, My Hands to larger service and My Health to better living for my club, my community, my country, and my world.”

The purpose of 4-H might be answered differently by you than by me. For me, it was a place to connect, learn, grow and compete. It was the closest thing I had to a vacation most years of my childhood and it evokes all kinds of good feelings when I think about amazing memories and experiences. There were hard times and disappointments too, but I do not wish those memories away. I learned even when I did not hold a first place ribbon or trophy as a result of a class.

I applaud the differences between local county 4-H shows to serve the needs and wants of a community.
~ Maria Graber

Local vs. State

Different show bills at a local level fits because what is available for children in that county, may vary. This, in my opinion, has a place to allow for diversity and keep one body from complete control.

I see a benefit to local 4-H country fairs differing in their own ways. Take Horse and Pony clubs back when I showed in 4-H. Our county, at that time, did not have a leader that promoted contest horses. Pleasure horse and pony classes were what most of the kids completed in and what the clinics were about. Why? Perhaps that is what the leaders knew. I contemplated switching to different county that had a better contesting program. Our county did start adding a contesting clinic after I brought my higher strung, but trained barrel racing horse to the fair. I did not switch fairs, I stayed. I loved it when our county added driving classes and endurance riding to the show bill. In the meantime, I felt like I did not fit in on my contesting horses and my contesting interest. However, I still showed up and competed even in classes I knew I would not win in. Did I learn? Did I grow? YES!

I could only advance in the classes I showed in. If, I placed in a pleasure class and actually attended the state show with my contest trained horse or my grade pony, would I have placed at state? NO!

Switching from horses to poultry now. What if a child takes a breed of chicken to a local 4-H show? Said child doesn’t win because the breed did not have a standard of perfection written for it and the judge, without a written list of rules for which to decide if it is a good bird or not, simply does not place it all. Is that different than showing a horse in a pleasure class knowing it will not win against a horse that has been trained in pleasure only? Should not a child along with their parents make that decision?

Perhaps a child wins at a local fair, but stands no chance with that same set of birds at a state fair? Isn’t that a part of the competitive process? Can we allow a child to lose and still walk away educated?

The APA and SOP

The APA or the American Poultry Association, founded in 1873, defines around 57 different Large Fowl chicken breeds with their SoP or Standard of Perfection for each breed. The Standard of Perfection helps not only judges fairly as decide on the bird with the best representation of a breed at poultry shows, but also, defines for breeders what they are striving for. Raising Silver Gray Dorkings, I read and re-read the APA SoP for this breed. I appreciate what I learn from reading a SoP.

Chicken Breeds

There are around 500 breeds of poultry in the world with an unknown number of those chicken breeds in the United States. The APA has written a SoP for around 57 of these large fowl breeds.

So why no standard of perfection for these other breeds?

In the case of the Swedish Flower Hens, they are a bit to diverse in color to create a standard of perfection. Black and blue base or the double dilute blue combined with the mahogany, blond or sno leopard, with the varying shades. There are black and white or blue and white with no mahogany or sno-leopard color anywhere to be seen. Then there are the ones with flesh colored legs, yellow, mottled yellow and mottled flesh colored legs. The sizes of the combs vary as do the size of the birds themselves. These beautiful birds have one thing in common, White tips on the ends of their feathers that seem to grow in bounty with each molt.

Do you see how difficult it would be for SOP to be written? But does a breed standard exist? Yes, there are guidelines from Sweden for this pretty breed.

Questions to Consider

How does one go about deciding which bird is best when judging classes against breeds that have a SOP written for them? Is there a basic standard for a nice chicken? Maybe not?

Perhaps it is time for state and local level 4-H shows to offer classes for just such breeds. That is exactly what happens at a National Open Poultry show. Side Note: ‘Open’ is not limited by age of the exhibitor like 4-H (for ages 9 to 19).

What options exist at National and State open Poultry Shows?

Shows put on by the American Poultry Association offer classes for poultry breeds without a written SOP. These classes are limited to the breed itself. For example, if Swedish Flower Hens are entered in a show, they will compete against each other Swedish Flower Hens only.

Do the state 4-H rules prohibit certain breeds from showing?

I did not know the answer to this question. I did not look at all 50 states for this post. I will leave that to you to find your home state 4-H poultry rules. Some local county 4-H rules do indeed state only poultry breeds with a written SOP are allowed to show at the County 4-H Fair, but only some of the county rules I checked out, not all of them and it varied by state as well.

Is every child going to win first place?

No and that is a good thing, in my opinion, as it provides an excellent time to teach a child to deal positively with disappointment. We all need to be able to do that as an adult.

Is there in fact room for a class or two for breeds without SOP’s?

I have looked at several different county’s 4-H poultry rules in different states. None of them are written the same. Some go as far as to say that only chicken breeds with a written standard of perfection by the APA or the ABA are allowed at that country’s 4-H show. What? That would be like saying only registered horses are allowed to be shown at a 4-H show. Does this exist for other species at some fairs? Leave a comment below if you know of a such a rule other than in chickens. Is it reasonable for 4-H show bills to include classes for breeds that are with out a SOP as they do at National shows?

Why would a 4-Her desire to show chicken breeds without a SOP and take such a breed to the fair for a project?

A child or parent may truly appreciate a poultry breed that has no SOP written for it. A child will reap the many benefits (learning responsibility, peer interaction, education of specific species, community interaction) of the 4-H experience with or with out a winning ribbon.

A breed with out an SOP may be newer to the United States, but still a breed worth owning. There may still be a guideline for choosing the best of a breed.

Is it wrong for a non-Standardized Breed to win an exhibition class at a county 4-H fair?

Should a chicken win at a local 4-H fair and go onto State 4-H competition? It may not win or truly be able to contest against those breeds with a Standard of Perfection written. May I suggest that classes be added to the show roster to provide classes for the breeds with out a SOP like the National shows do?

Another quick fact: No existing SOP by the APA does not mean there is not a breeding guideline in existence for those who desire to raise and improve the quality of a given poultry breed. Case and point: Both Swedish Flower Hens and Lemon Cuckoo Niederrheiners have guidelines for the breed that came from their countries of origin (Sweden and Germany respectively). These have not been adapted by the APA, but are no reason to not work to improve a given breed.

To parents whose children are in 4-H of any Species:

Please do your research and know what goals you and your child have for 4-H.

Call your local extension office.
Speak with the 4-H leader.
Ask questions about what classes are offered at your local and state level.
If you really want to dig deeper, attend a local 4-H show before your child actually participates.
Go watch a state show.

May I share 4-H at its core is a learning experience, in my opinion. That includes learning how to deal with disappointment. I wonder, if too often, in today’s society we desire a perfect life, a perfect show and perfect results in all we undertake. Let’s face it. That is NOT reality. Some of the most successful folks around have ‘failed’ time and time again before finally ‘winning’ with success.

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December 22, 2019December 22, 2019

Winter Season ~ Goals

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Winter Solstice

The shortest day of the year has come and gone, Winter Solstice being yesterday. I do not mind the short amount of sunlight as much as I do the days of temperatures below 20 degrees (and lower) that often follows in January and February. Being honest I hope for one of those winters when the temps hit a high above 32 degrees at least once or twice a week. Life caring for animals becomes much easier when above freezing.

Christmas, only days away now, seems to fade quickly by mid-January. As I look ahead to the coming months of colder weather and snow, I think about what goals and plans provide growth on the homestead. I think of ideas that I can share here on the blog where we can grow our homesteads together.

If you have followed me here at CG Heartbeats Farm you know that 3 rare chicken breeds make up a part of the current focus. The prolific Swedish Flower Hens, unique Lemon Cuckoo Niederrheiners and beautiful Silver Gray Dorkings keep me hopping. In the last year I struggled to produce Silver Gray Dorkings (hatching 3) and Lemon Cuckoo Niederrheiners (hatching 0).

As I look to the coming months, improvements will be on my mind. I know this year I need to take a look at the 15 breeding pens of Swedish Flower Hens and make cuts. I am going into this winter with around 30 pens. That means 30 frozen water containers. Honestly the word that comes to mind with that fact is, YUK! I committed to telling myself that ‘there is no such thing as too cold, just not enough or warm enough clothes, for this winter’.

What to look for on the blog in the first 3 months of 2020:

1) Chick Hatching Practices, a course sharing the basics of how to hatch chicks, including preparing to hatch and brooder ideas and immediate care for the first week.
2) Info on the specific breeds I raise
3) General chicken info
4) Seeds selection and garden planning
5) Homestead planning in terms of layout and how I intend to put to use what I have. Perhaps even a quest post or two on how others use their land to the best of its ability. Do you want to share a post here telling how you have put your homestead to use? Shoot me an email at maria@dontclipmywings.com or use the form provided below.

Farmer’s Markets in the first quarter of 2020?

In the coming months I debate attending local farmers markets. I believe in their importance. I enjoy connecting with other vendors and customers. I met amazing folks when attending farmers markets. For now, I am taking a break to focus my attention on the homestead itself and this website. I look forward to attending at least 1 market on a regular basis in 2020. I may wait until summer to begin attending.

Winter Homestead Goals

I want to pick up where I left off, walking the property and giving thought to the best uses of the land. I came up with a few neat ideas last year, but as the markets went into full swing, I became distracted with the every day work. Those daily walks shorted into simple checks of all the current vegetables and chickens.

I hope to move cement blocks to provide a wall where I have already increased the level of the container garden I am building. 2019 marks the 3^rd year that I emptied buckets of sweet potatoes to create this raised bed.

Cleaning chicken pens (it is an ongoing thing around here)

Hatch Chicken Eggs

CG Heartbeats Farm now has three Janoel 12 incubators and an Incuview to hatch eggs. No bragging here, but it is a fun to have options to provide chicks for others who do not want to hatch their own. I would like to add the Nurture Right 360 in the coming months. This is how I provide chicks and fill orders for those shopping.

Read in this blog post about my go to incubator in 2019. I include tips I use with this incubator.

The Janoel 12 incubator with chicks I hatched from Pen # 7.

Click on either picture. Purchase your own.

I am excited for the Lemon Cuckoo Niederrheiners hens to start laying again. I picked up Cisco and Clinch last summer (2019). They were not mature enough to cover hens until November and by then the hens were in a molt. I am looking forward to hatching eggs with Cisco and Clinch covering the hens.

Clinch on the left and Cisco on the right.

For the first time CG Heartbeats Farm will offer crested Swedish Flower Hens from Apache and his hens. This pen currently consists of 2 hens from Pen 7 and a crested rooster (Apache) out of eggs I hatched from My Flower Farm (Lisa). The way the crested gene works eggs from this pen has a 50% chance of producing a crested chick. I plan to add additional hens to this pen in 2020 as I raise hens from Pen # 7. I would have more already, but I sold a few I raised.

Selling Eggs

Did you notice you can order and pay for eggs through the website now? I intend to set it up so that you are able to order eggs from each pen. At the moment it is only Swedish Flower Hen hatching eggs in general, but I want to make each pen available in quantities of 6, 12, 18, or 24. In this way a person can customize their order. Look for this feature coming soon. Until the other breeds are producing better, they will continue to be an unpaid wait list.

Starting Grape Plants

I have one grape plant needing to be pruned, with those cuttings I intend to start additional plants in the coming months. I want to produce Concord grapes for the simple fact, I like to eat them!! No marketing strategy in mind, just my taste buds driving my desire. I have fond memories of drinking homemade (and home canned) grape juice while eating popcorn at my grandma’s house on Sunday evening. Fond memories may drive my interest in producing Concord grapes.

I will continue with raising heirloom tomatoes, even though I do not know what variety they are. I like them too much to change to a different variety this year. My thoughts go like this: I may save seeds from the current variety (unknown) and in 2021 try a new variety, saving the seeds from 2020 to use in 2022.

Homestead in General

I have a few carryover projects from fall that if the ground doesn’t freeze, I would be trilled to finish.

Constructing support for the one grape plant that has flourished. The other ones are coming along slowly.
Fence work for horse pastures and cattle that I plan to purchase.
Work on the container garden area.
Set up additional outdoor pens for spring and the occasional nice winter day.
Condense indoor pens to make room for the extreme cold weather days.

I have 10 different seed packets donated by Baker Creek seeds. Three that I am excited to try are Flax, Sorghum, Peanuts. The fun part of this for me is that each of these have the potential to set me up for my own seeds as these are all heirloom plants. I can save seed and increase my crop in the coming years much in the same way I did with the 5 garlic varieties. Look for a blog post(s) in the fall of 2020 on these 10 different seeds I will be trying here at CG Heartbeats Farm. I will be starting these plants indoors in the coming months to give them a head start on the growing season.

What homestead expectations, goals, or dreams do have for the coming months? Leave a comment at the bottom or use this form to send an email.

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October 15, 2019November 12, 2019

A Backyard Chicken Needs….

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What do you really need to raise chickens in your backyard?

A chicken has 3 basic needs shelter, food and water. Water being the most important in my opinion. Preventing and treating sickness, treats and all the extras such as a swing or other novelty can be examined another time. For this post, we are taking a look the bare minimum a chicken requires. Clean living environments include clean, fresh water, and clean, dry bedding. By providing a clean place for your chickens to live, you greatly reduce odds of loosing them to coccidiosis, other parasites, and disease.

NOTE: This page or post contains affiliate links. When you click and make a purchase I earn a portion of the money you spend at no additional cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Thank you for your support.

Shelter

Protection from extreme weather and predators

A great example of providing protection both outside space and inside at
Blooms on 800

A shelter provides protection from inclement weather and predators. The first thought we may think of a shelter as a way to get out of the sun or extremely cold temperatures, however as a small prey animal chickens need a safe place to live. Foxes, racoons, mink, weasels, bears, coyotes, wolves, hawks, eagles, and ’possums all happily make a meal out of chickens. Personally, I have lost birds from racoons and hawks. While the ’possums raid the cat food here, to date they have left my chickens alone. Others folks have shared that possums have indeed killed and eaten their chickens.

Chicken Coops

One can be extremely creative when providing shelter for chickens. Any shape, size or materials can be put to use. Here are a few guide lines to follow.

All pens and netting pictured here will go to a new location. This is an example of temporary pens which are moved 2 times a year. These are what I consider 3 season pens. I do not leave chickens in this environment during extreme cold.

Adequate size based on the number of chickens that will live there is influenced by how much of the time chickens spend in that area. Is this the only space they have? They will need more room compared to chickens who only enter to roost and lay eggs. Giving chickens time to roam outside either in a fenced covered area or free range allow for a smaller shelter for actual night time roosting. I have encountered various guide lines as to how many square feet each chicken needs. In raising 3 breeds of chickens, I found the active Swedish Flower Hens benefit from more space compared to the more docile Lemon Cuckoo Niederrheiners. No matter what breed the chicken is they benefit greatly when given the opportunity to move around freely. Not all chicken breeds like to roost, but many do. Provide a place where they can congregate at night up above the ground level.

Clean, dry bedding keeps chickens their healthiest. Bedding choices include sand, and wood shaving as two commonly used. If you use a different bedding be sure to leave a comment below sharing what has worked best for you.

Hens appreciate a private place to lay eggs as pictured above.

Materials used to provide shelter for chicken vary from wooden structure to plastic. The important part of a shelter is protection from heat, cold, rain, and predators. The sky is the limit as to what a person might create within the following parameters.

The roof should not leak.
Do not seal an enclosure up with no air flow. Ventilation provides fresh air, but too much draft in the winter time would make it harder for the chickens to stay warm. Speaking of winter temperatures, despite housing my chickens in a double walled barn when temperatures drop down to – 30 degrees my roosters have suffered frostbite on their combs. I may try a crocheted cap for them this winter. While I like the idea, I foresee they may not.
If a shelter has an external fence and the chickens only stay inside, as mentioned above, the actual shelter may be rather small. Chickens like to huddle together when it is cold to stay warm.
A fenced area ideally will have a cover over head. A netting, wire, metal, wood or any combination of will keep out hawks and chickens in. I also suggest to create a barrier against any predator being able to dig under the fencing.

What do Chickens Eat?

Non-GMO chicken feed mixed at a
local mill.

Chickens eat a wide variety of foods. Heritage breeds possess skills to free range and scavenge for food. All chickens find seeds and bugs to eat. As a prey animal as we discussed above, if not protected from predators, you must expect to lose some. A livestock guard dog goes a long way in keeping chickens safe when free ranging. One of my goals is to have a livestock guard dog for the animals on CG Heartbeats Farm. I often do not let chickens out to roam if I am not around to keep an eye in the sky. Hawks fly over multiple times a day here.

Most chickens will need to be fed a milled feed of some kind. There are many options for feed such as organic, non-GMO, pelleted and whole feeds. Laying hens may benefit from the addition of oyster shells or added calcium. Another idea is to dry and crush up egg shells mixing them back into the feed.

Clean Water

Water meets a basic need of every living thing. From humans to the tiniest plant, we all need water in our diet. Staying hydrated allows for proper healthy body functions in every cell working to keep us alive. Chickens need water.

Providing water for your chickens can be done in several different ways. I admit I really long to implement a 3 season system here in the future. Chicken waters come in sizes ranging from a quart to 3 gallons and larger. The perfect size depends on how many chickens you have and how often you want to refill their water. When it comes to going on short trips, I find it wonderful to know they chickens have water that lasts for a few days. Depending on the chickens and the water container, I may refill more often to keep the water clean. Chickens sure can scratch up a mess into their waterers. Water nipples used in various containers, both hanging and sitting provided water without exposing an open source. This makes less of a mess in the water the chickens drink. Using PVC pipe to create watering systems greatly reduces the amount of time needed to do the chores. Of course, with temperatures below 32 degrees water freezes, creating a different set of circumstances. If you live where temps stay above freezing most of the year, that adds time to your schedule when it comes to caring for chickens. Those of us who live in the part of the world where cold, freezing temps come around every year might complain about it, but we know chores take extra time in the winter largely due to dealing with frozen water for the animals.

Back to the PVC pipe, drain it before the it is below 32 degrees or risk the pipes cracking. An alternative watering options will need to be implemented when the temps fall below the freezing point. While permanent outside pens are not constructed at this time here at CG Heartbeats Farm, I hope to implement this idea in the future. Currently, all outside pens are temporary and moved 2 times a year. They serve an important purpose, killing off sod for garden space. Do you have questions about providing for chickens? Please leave a comment at the bottom of this post or send me an email using this form:

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January 23, 2019October 25, 2019

Why Pick Swedish Flower Hens

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A conversation with a friend a few years ago had me thinking seriously about owning chickens. I was looking for ways to use what I had. On the homestead stood a 30 by 60 chicken barn with a fairly new roof thanks to my spouse. It served a place to store hay and many other items. We called it the shop. I begin looking at chickens online. I came across a picture of a hen that reminded me of a pet chicken my sister and I had as a child. We called her Debbie. A bit of research and I learned the breed of the chicken I had seen Swedish Flower Hens. The practical side of me held back wanting to learn other characteristics of the breed besides being pretty.

What I Learned

Swedish Flower Hens(SFH) came to the United States in 2010 and have been imported at least 4 more times since. This has allowed for a decent size gene pool to work with as a breeder. I have always enjoyed the process of breeding and genetics no matter the species. In the 1970’s SFH’s were found in 3 villages in Sweden. At that time, they were the only ones in existence in the whole world. They are considered a landrace breed similar to a wild mustang or the Chincoteaque ponies where the breed developed on its own. A natural selection process in which the healthiest birds survived and the ones who escaped the cook’s pot. In that manner, humans did intervene to some extent by culling (cooking) the birds of their choice. That would of course remove a bird from further reproducing of said bird’s genetic makeup. However, who is to say if that bird had already reproduced and the line carried on? Swedish Flower Hens developed over years of old from different breeds brought into Sweden.

This breed has a 20% broody rate among hens according to documents from Sweden, but certain breeders in the United States have seen a larger percentage in their flock. There is not a Standard of Perfection (SOP) for this breed, as they are a landrace breed. In the United States, many enjoy showing their chickens. There are certain traits found undesirable for the show ring that do not affect a chicken’s ability to survive in the wild. An example would be a sprig on a comb. The breeding goals of those who raise SFH’s are almost as diverse as the bird itself. Some who raise this breed in the United States work to eliminate springs in the gene pool. Why you might ask? Springs are undesirable in the show ring. Others freely breed those birds who demonstrate this trait or the ability to pass on sprigs on combs. For this reason, I have posted my Swedish Flower Hen breeding goals at CG Heartbeats Farm for this gorgeous breed.

This breed is known for being an egg laying breed over a meat bird. They do not carry a heavy muscle compared to the Silver Gray Dorking, for example. It has been said they are better stew birds. I have eaten roosters that were harvested at 5 months of age. The meat was not tough, and had good flavor. I am certain how it was cooked also played a part. I read the hens lay through the winter and mine have proven that to be true, even when temps are down around 0 degrees. I have not documented the number of eggs specific hens laid in a year, I have read the numbers are 150 to 200 eggs per year. They do not, of course lay through a molt.

I read Swedish Flower Hens tend to demonstrate disease resistance, but not a specific disease they were resistant to. They have certainly proved to be a fertile breed. Not only here at CG Heartbeats Farm, but for other breeders as well.

My first Swedish Flower Hen chicks. I drove 3 hours one way to pick them up. Might be I was well on my way to becoming a crazy chicken lady. I was hooked,

The more I read about them, the more I learned, I wanted to purchase this breed!!! In May of 2016, I purchased 13 chicks, driving 3 hours to pick up them up(pictured above). I was well on my way to earning the title of crazy chicken lady. I remember the excitement as I drove home and the feeling of starting a new adventure. I continue to learn about this breed and chickens in general. All a part of my homesteading journey, I even took a class to become a NPIP tester in the state of Indiana.

Colors of Swedish Flower Hens

The beautiful color variation in the SFH breed often draws a person’s attention, as they did me. The flowery appearance creates a bouquet of beauty in the chicken yard. I have repeatedly seen questions about the colors of SFH’s. My goal is to provide picture examples to clarity these different color patterns. This is not an in-depth article on color genetics, but rather a picture guide. If you would like your own printable PDF containing more pictures and examples consider signing up for the newsletter. As a thank you, the PDF on SFH colors is yours to keep. You may unsubscribe at any time.

Black, blue and splash make up the 3 base colors of Swedish Flower Hens. The secondary color can present in various ways, but one factor remains the same the tips of the feathers should be white giving these birds an appearance of a flower. Hence their name. Mille fleur, and snoleopard are secondary colors, if you will. They may present themselves on different base colors such as a black based snow leopard verses a blue based snow leopard. The same is true for all the base colors and secondary colors. To make it super confusing they don’t always present the exact same way. Both pictured are snoleopard, but the first is blue base and the second is black base.

Blue Base Snoleopard
Black Base Snoleopard

I have seen folks new to breed interested in learning the colors. I am a visual learner and so instead of giving a bunch of genetic info to wade through I want to provide a quick guide. Consider joining the newsletter for CG Heartbeats Farm. The emails will notify you of new blog posts, farm updates. At times, I may make you aware of items that are for sale.

The purchase of Swedish Flower Hen chicks was one of the first steps I took in living a homestead live style. I was already planted on 11 acres with older buildings and a variety of soils. Bloom where you are planted they say…

Why would you pick Swedish Flower Hens? Leave a comment with your answer.

To see the 2019 Breeding pens at CG Heartbeats Farm use the links below.

Return to Swedish Flower Hen main page or view a different pen by clicking on the pen page you wish to visit.

Silver Gray Dorking

Lemon Cuckoo Niederrheiner

NOTE: This page or post contains affiliate links. When you click and make a purchase I earn a portion of the money you spend at no additional cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Thank you for your support.

Read in this blog post about my go to incubator in 2019. I include tips I use with this incubator.

The Janoel 12 incubator with chicks I hatched from Pen # 7.

Click on either picture. Purchase your own.

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September 26, 2018January 1, 2019

Farmer Markets – Nappanee Farm and Flea Market

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In July, I began attending a second weekly farm market and what follows tells a bit of my experience.

As I have shared in my previous post about the Bremen Farmer’s Market, one of the fun rewards of attending included making new friends. Julie attended the Bremen Market bringing beautiful fresh cut flowers and displayed them in a unique way. Setting up next to her one Wednesday evening I believe the first words out of my mouth were, “I love your cart. It is so cute!” I adored her the way she presented her flowers. I learned it was an old, repurposed fire hose cart with wooden boxes added to sell from.

We chatted throughout the evening and she gave me information about a market in a near by town where she also sold flowers. I had not sold all my eggs that week and was of course gaining more by the day. The hens were busy laying at that point in the summer. I decided to give the Nappanee Farm and Flea Market a try.

At this point I still had no canopy and the sun was hot a few of those summer mornings. I recall the good feeling of adding a second market to my week. It was a few weeks later I found myself blessed with a canopy. I enjoyed the cover from the hot sun.

I met a few people that were visiting from other states. Texas and California are two places that immediately come to mind. These conversations interest me as I learn about what others are doing around the country. Hearing their food and other lifestyle goals provide insight to what people value. Taking few minutes for true human connection seems to be a rarity in today’s social media society. This is what makes farmer’s markets enjoyable to me.

Take a look around the market on July 28, 2018

Ashley and her family joined us in Nappanee a few times with their local raised grass-fed pork. For the months of July and August various vendors attended.
This past summer I have learned much plan to share more about that in a future post. Hoping to gain repeat egg customers I believed in my commitment of showing up consistently. As it turned out on several days I was unable to attend. I was gone on vacation in August and as September rolled around I found many of the hens were going into molt leaving me with less eggs. I regrettably had little to take to the Nappanee Market as most of what I had to sell, I sold at the Bremen Farmer’s Market on Wednesday’s. This will need to be resolved for markets next year as I look at what other items I plan to raise for my own consumption and to take to markets.

Click on the picture to connect and order your own local raised heritage breed pork

I feel thankful for a place to sell eggs for human consumption and happy to provide local food as an option for purchase. I have enjoyed meeting new people at Nappanee’s Farm and Flea Market just like I did at the Bremen Farmer’s Market. As the season closes and I look forward to next year’s plans, I see that I need to add additional items if I am to grow my income.

This coming Saturday is the official last market of the 2018 season in Nappanee.

Nappanee Farm and Flea Market

Where: the north east parking lot at Coppes Commons in Nappanee, Indiana

When: Saturdays 9am to 1pm

Who: For all who find value in locally sourced food, enjoy items from the past, and crafts of today, pretty flowers, and potted plants. You will find something for your table and perhaps other places in the house as well. These events are free and open to the public. Take the family out for fresh air, and face to face interactions while shopping for local produce and eggs. Check out all Coppes Commons has to offer inside while you are there.

What: A place to connect with vendors who provide fresh vegetables, crafts, eggs, antiques and flea market items, seedling trees fresh cut flowers, home sewn clothes, and locally raised grass fed pork.

What are your favorite items to shop for at a Farmer’s Market? Leave a comment below to share or send an email.

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September 19, 2018February 9, 2022

Farmer’s Market ~ Bremen, Indiana

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As I mentioned in a previous post (Local Farmer Markets), earlier this year I needed to find an additional outlet for eggs that I was not selling as hatching eggs or hatching myself. As I looked at options, I decided to try a local farmer market located in Bremen, Indiana.

Opening night of the 2018 season stands out as the favorite of the entire summer. Having 11 doz. eggs to part with I set a sale price in order to move them. I did indeed part with all 11 dozen. Happy as I was with that fact, the best part was the enjoyment that occurred on my part. A guest musician played old country and gospel favorites, music filled the air, but not in an overbearing manner. I learned at 6 pm each evening a church tower in town rang out familiar tunes. Again, music filled the air, at this point I breathed a sigh of contentment for a cool breeze flowed on the night air and all felt peaceful and right in my world. Here I am getting ahead of myself in the telling of the evening.

I was not as early as I had hoped to be and felt a rush of anxious thoughts coming on as I droved as rapidly as the speed limit allowed. The afternoon had sped by rapidly as I hunted out items make this first farmer market a success. What did I have to use as table and chair? What about signs? What could I sell besides eggs? How to price for sales? All to soon the time indicated I needed to leave and make the best of the first night. I had wanted to wait until the next week to attend. I had been encouraged to attend that week so I decided to do my best and go with what I had.

I chased away nervous thoughts of self-doubt. I was going to at least be present and consistent. An important part of starting business and getting one’s name out to the public, I continued to hear from those more experienced than myself in start up operations.

Finding Gayle, the coordinator, I chased away self-defeating thoughts. She was warm and generous finding me a bit of assistance in unpacking my car and setting up. As I sat down in a chair I had won several years back barrel racing Roses Casino, I resolved to enjoy my evening despite no canopy or cover, a small table and simple signs. I say simple as they were made of index cards printed on with markers pinned to a small bulletin board I had in the house. I did not have much more than that for my first event. I used the backs of previously printed Eagle Equine business cards to share this website and reach new readers.

For me, the evening was almost perfect. I enjoyed meeting new people of my nearby town and hoped to see familiar faces throughout the summer. I felt pleased meeting many of the vendors. Some would not stay the entire summer, others would become friends. That first night I started thinking of ways I could improve my sales, other produce I might have available through out the summer, and items that would be nice and some necessary to add to my simple display. This first event began my learning process.

Click on the photo above to order soap or contact Sue via a FB group.

As the summer went on I sold black raspberries, garlic, garlic scapes, fresh cut flowers, small tomatoes of 2 different varieties, early summer squash, seedling trees and perhaps I will yet sell sweet potatoes depending on the harvest yield. I wrote down produce I was ask for and multiple ideas I had as they came to me throughout the summer. I started giving thought to what preparations I wanted to make for next year.

I added new items. Some purchased out of my earnings and others contributed by the support of my spouse. A canopy was the most expensive investment, perhaps the most appreciated when the rain fell or the sun beat down with added almost unbearable humidity. I retired the small wooden table for a card table that served different a purpose in my house. It was easier to transport and larger. I have given thoughts to a display involving both in the future as I add more items. Attractive Longaberger baskets I had on hand, a small chalk board, a small wooden box, chalk signs and a toy easel with white board on one side and chalk on the other all became new tools for displaying various items.

One of the best parts of being a vendor has been making new friends and seeing familiar friendly faces of returning customers. I have gained new friends and acquaintances as I learned to know different vendors who have also attended through out the summer. I am grateful to the many people in the community who visit and purchase from various vendors. There are some who seem to find a way to show up every week and shop the market.

There are only two more weeks left for the Bremen’s Market in 2018: tonight and next week. The last week promises to be special too. Bremen carries the nickname “Mint City” due to a history of producing mint. The theme for the last market of 2018 will be mint.

Bremen Farmers Market

Where: Located on the corner of Jackson and Main Street downtown Bremen, Indiana near the historic water tower.

When: Every Wednesday from 4 PM to 7 PM May through September

Who: Anyone who finds value in home grown food, locally crafted wares, delicious baked goods, potted flowers and plants. These events are free and open to the public. Take the family out for an evening of fresh air, delicious eats, treats and while shopping for local produce and eggs.

What: Vendors have varied throughout the summer. Leather crafts, home knitted mittens and hats, honey, maple syrup, produce, eggs, baked goods, fresh cut flowers, plants, mums, tree seedlings, homemade soaps, local raised grass fed pork, breads, fruit, and herbal tinctures make up most of what has been offered at the Bremen Farmer’s Market. Tonight, a new vendor, Poppin off Popcorn will be attending with specialty popcorn flavors.

Stay connected online with the Bremen Farmer’s Market on FB: Click on Bremen Farmer’s Market

History

Bremen’s Farmers Market started in 2015 to provide a place for local producers to present their wares to the general public.

Have you ever attended a Farmers Market? Leave a comment with your experience.

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