Paradise in Disguise Hobby Farm Blog

The Bielefelders were still growing out! One Year ago, Lydia was raising out a bunch of chicks, and surprisingly, they look about the same age/size!  Ellie was also broody last year, raising out chicks. She just went broody this past week, so she has yet to hatch any out, but it's incredible that they're on a similar "schedule". One year ago, I had one litter of rabbits, and one of them caught my eye: She's now full-grown and has a litter of her own, that are older than she was this time a year ago! One year ago, we still lived at the log cabin, and we weren't sure yet if we'd have to move.  I do miss all the beautiful, established gardens, especially the lush full creeping phlox. I was shocked when I saw they'd plowed the snow so far back this past winter that all the creeping phlox was gone! And about 6" - 12" of  dirt, gravel & weeds were "dumped" (from plowing the snow) on...

Recently, I was just talking to someone about what age to integrate chicks and how to go about it. When I first integrated new chicks into my adult flock (2010), I divided the coop & run in half, but they could see each other, but not touch. Once they were 3/4 the size of the adult hens, I then started to let them co-mingle. There was pecking and chasing, but the new pullets were big enough to withstand it - plus they greatly outnumbered the adult hens. In 2011 when I raised out pullet chicks & Freedom Ranger meat chickens (together) to 8 weeks or so, then began introducing them to each other, with a fence in between. After a week or more of this, then I started letting the adults and little ones co-mingle. There was lots of pecking, chasing, especially from one of the hens who was "lower ranks" & had been picked on by the other hens. So, I guess she was taking out her frustration on the young chicks. But, after awhile, everyone was accepted & "peace ret...

While I have been on the computer and internet, it's mostly been on Backyard Chickens lately. Partially it's because we're planning on making a trip out to Ava, NY for the 2015 Chickenstock on May 30th. It's the first time we've gone to this annual event, but it should be fun meeting fellow chicken lovers! To learn more about Chickenstock, visit the thread: http://www.backyardchickens.com/t/948030/2015-new-york-chickenstock And I've also been on BYC, trying to get a thread started for the Catskill Homesteader Breeding Project: http://www.backyardchickens.com/t/975521/catskill-homesteader-breeding-project I've invited quite a few people, but so far, even if they've looked at the thread, I didn't know, as no one has posted beside me. I'm hoping it'll eventually "get off the ground" and others who are raising the Catskill Homesteaders will join me there, posting pictures of their flock, etc. The other BYC thread I've been...

Just a quick update - finally got caught up on posting "Hobby Farm Photo Journals" back through 4-18-15. Yes, I was quite behind, but photos help "tell the story" easily. But, I just wanted to write briefly that yesterday, 5-6-15, we finally got to work on the grass paddocks! The grass has greened up nicely and is ready for the chickens to start being rotated through the paddocks. As such, I removed the dividing fence between "Dad's Coop" and the "PA Coop", so that both could have grass. The ducks were VERY happy to have fresh greens and quickly set to work "mowing" it! We had moved all the chicks from the shed brooder into the 8x8 pen that's due to be taken apart. But, it was way too hot for those fully feathered chicks in the shed with temps in the 70's. The ducks had fun waddling all the way around there pen, trying to find a way in to eat their food. But, finally they gave up and were content with eating some of the...

I'm trying to get "caught up" with what's been going on here at Paradise in Disguise Hobby Farm! Warmer weather means we're outside working on projects, which translates into less time inside! But I have a little time this morning, so I'll share some of the latest photos! Here's a few photos of the latest batch of chicks - the 6th 2015 Hatch, which was on 4-30-15 & 5-1-15: This first one is Confetti, the bantam Cochin's 2nd chick! So adorable! I love the little fuzz feet, and can't wait to see how this little "chipmunk" feathers out. A total of 17 chicks hatched & survived! Mostly Catskill Homesteaders from "Dad's Coop", a trio of Bielefelders, and a 1/2 doz of Swedish Flower Hens. I'll probably grow these out for myself or any extras will be sold as "started" chicks or pullets. Except for one SFH chick being raised by "Rainbow", the broody hen, all the SFH chicks...

These are the chicks from the 3rd 2015 Hatch, who are also growing up fast! Now, if I leave the brooder lid open, they try to fly out,  which would be death sentence if Gordon was around, but thankfully he wasn't while I was taking these photos. This little SFH is the one with the vaulted skull, as result of breeding crested to crested. It won't be used for breeding the SFH, but I'm still growing it out, as I'm curious to see what it'll look like as an adult.  Right now, it certainly has a crazy hair-do! One of the little multi-colored cockerels. This little cutie is 1/2 SFH, and has little spots on its head, plus looks to be crested! It'll most likely lose its "flowers", but at least I know it carries the gene, if I want to cross it back to the SFH for a "flowered" CH line.  Here's the whole "crew" - just put them in a bin, so I could keep track of who I'd already taken pho...

This past Saturday, the oldest pullets spent a few hours out in the sunshine and grass for the first time! It's hard to believe they're 7 and 8 weeks old, and they're growing so well! The first two photos are of the ones I'm keeping! Two of them look to be "twins", most likely a Bielefelder/ CH cross due to the feather patterns, etc. The lovely blue and gold pullet I'm not sure who the parent were, as it was from the 1st test hatch, before the breeding groups were separated. This cute little "blue" gal is 1/2 Swede & has faint white "spots" on here chest. These are the pullets we delivered Sunday afternoon, some of which are going to NJ! These pictures were sent with Picasa, from Google. Try it out here: http://picasa.google.com/