Chick Days

Yesterday, 37 adorable little fluffy butts arrived at the post office.  1.  I love Ideal Poultry.  I've had great success using that hatchery.  2.  It still amazes me that I can mail order chickens, and they arrive in 24 hours.  Right now sitting in the toasty warm brooder are 15 Delaware roos, 15 Plymouth Rock roos, 4 Broad Breasted Bronze turkeys, and 3 Norwegian Jaerhon pullets.  

The roos and the turkeys are destined for freezer camp in a few months.  I've tried Cornish Rocks, the grocery store chicken, but this year I'd like a Heritage Breed.   The American Livestock Breed Conservancy, lists the Delaware and Plymouth Rocks as tasty, meaty, faster growing birds.  The Cornish Rock is actually a crossing of the Plymouth Rock with a Cornish chicken.  I'm hoping we end up with some nice, large roasters for next winter.  Last summer I raised Broad Breasted Bronze turkeys.  After roughly 5 short months I had nice large turkeys.  My largest tom weighed in at a whopping 31lbs.  He is still in the freezer, while we try to figure out how to cook him.  This year we're hoping for a repeat performance of jumbo turkeys.

A few year ago I hatched some Norwegian Jaerhons.  The kids and I had a blast watching the babies emerge from their eggs.  We ended up with 3 roos and 1 hen from this group.  The roos have since been rehomed while the lone hen continues to bless us with yummy eggs.  The Jaerhons are hardy birds, who will lay through the winter.  I love our hens consistency, so I'm hoping the new girls make me proud.