Spring has resumed

Well, the snow is gone.  Today it's raining and 42 degrees.  But we're supposed to have high winds and possibly more snow tonight!  I guess maybe a few more cold nights to come...  but that's to be expected.

I've got 34 eggs in the incubator.  I told a couple I know that I'd hatch some Rhode Island Red chicks for them.  While I was hatching, I thought I'd hatch some Brahma Cochin also, and a few of the Black Copper Maran.  I love having baby chickens!

Here's a few pictures of chicks in the past.

Rhode Island Red chicks from 2012

Newly hatched RIR chicks from 2011

John built me this incubator.  He's such a great husband!

Young mixed birds from 2010

 I didn't hatch any eggs in 2010... but I did get my birds I have now as adults from a lady we know down the road.  She raised birds for a living.  I raise birds because I like birds.  Not the same, at all.

Most of the chicks I raise I give to other people I know who are trying to get a small flock started at their homestead.  I've lost a LOT of young birds to blacksnakes, opossums, racoons... I've lost a few to cold, mostly banty.  They just don't have the body mass to survive the winter without some kind of windproof shelter.  We did much better this year, because I wrapped all the cages in plastic.  And I put much heavier mulch in all the cages.

Our peach tree is in bloom.  I hope they don't get frozen in the next few nights.  I really love having home grown peaches.