Meet Piper, just hangin’ out lookin’ pretty this morning. She looks huge to me, I’m used to having only Silkies. Piper was one of a few chicks I bought at a week old to help keep some babies warm in the brooder.
I sold all her sisters when the Silkie chicks were 8 weeks old, but somehow the mighty giant Piper managed to steal my heart. She will remain here, her kind way and timid behavior allows her to fit right in with the docile manner of the other birds.
Peaches, my best Silkie Momma is sitting on five Cochin Bantam eggs, looking forward to the big day when they hopefully all hatch! TBN Ranch is still zoned for livestock in the city of Phoenix, however, ordinances prohibit roosters. We follow the rules, but this means I have to buy fertile eggs. Good and bad, good that I can choose eggs from quality breeding stock, and bad that I often have to travel to do so.
Yesterday we drove over an hour to purchase fertile cochin eggs! I’m not complaining, we just feel blessed to still have one of the few ranches left in our fast-growing area. Eight of eleven ranches here have sold to business complexes and master-planned housing developers over the last ten years.
We’ve recently been informed TBN Ranch may be the next target for the expansion of an existing master planned community across the road. Not happening.
Back on topic… So, we are expecting baby chicks in about three weeks, how exciting! It’s been very hot here, July averaged about 106. However, the new barn has done its job of keeping our flock comfortable. There is plenty of shade in both the coop and where the broody hens are housed. We had a little problem with mites early in the month, but that unpleasant issue has been resolved. I treated the whole flock even though only one bird had signs of mites. I’m happy to say she’s already getting back her cute fluffy butt.
Peaches is in her own coop where she won’t be disturbed by the other hens. I’m pretty sure they’d try to steal her eggs, after all, they’re Silkies! All in good time ladies, around here we practice planned parenthood.
TBN Ranch Chicken Keeping Resources 