Delivery Delayed

Just got a call from Privett Hatchery, our shipment this week will not be here until Friday April 7th. And the White Leghorns ordered, will not be on this shipment.


The next two weeks we will be getting in our Easter Chicks, Blue Wyandottes, White Pekin Ducks and Bantams, from Privett Hatchery instead of Mount Healthy.


Check the list to the left of the blog for what coimg in. You can always pre-pay for for birds and pick them up within 24 hours of the delivery.

Leghorn

White Leghorn Rooster

Brown Leghorn Hen

Leghorn

The leghorns, which originated in Italy, made their way to North American around 1835 and then back across the Atlantic to Britain in the 1870s. Birds of that first importation are thought to have died out in North America. The Leghorns here now were reintroduced in the 1850s.

The breed has been popular in the world, thanks to the birds exceptional laying abilities and adaptability and hardiness. They do well in confinement and free range environment.

The American Breeders Association recognizes 24 varieties of Leghorns. All varieties have large, prominent eyes, and fairly long, full tails. Leghorns are early to mature and lay lots of white eggs, known as one of the best layers. Hens rarely go broody.

Leghorn roosters average weight is 6 pounds and hens around 4.5 pounds. There are two varieties of combs, single red, medium with five distinct points. On the male all points stand straight up and on the female the first one stands and other four droop. And then there is the rose comb, medium-size, square at the front into well developed spikes. The Leghorn has red waddles and white earlobes. These are sometimes called ear rings.

 

All leghorns lay white eggs, but their body color and breeding come in many varieties. Here are some, barred, black, black tailed, blue, buff buff colombian, columbian, dark brown, dominique, exchequer, golden, light brown, mille fleur, red, silver, white

Bantams are here!

Bantam chicks

Assorted Bantams

For the next three weeks we will have assorted Bantams in the coop. They make great pets, at this age they are very small and come in many colors. Some are feather footed and some are clean.

 They are $3.99 each

Bantams are suitable for smaller backyards as they do not need as much space as other breeds. Bantam hens are also used as laying hens, with some breeds laying up to 150 eggs per year. However, Bantam eggs are only about one-half to one-third the size of a regular hen egg. The Bantam chicken eats the same foods as a normal chicken. In commercial situations they are fed grain-based foods because this is convenient and efficient for the producer. Chickens in the wild eat more insects and vegetation than grains.
Bantams have become increasingly popular as pets as well as for show purposes because they are smaller and have more varied and exotic colors and feather patterns than other chickens. Breeds such as the Sebright, Dutch, and Pekin are particularly popular show birds, and true bantams.
The Bantam rooster is famous in rural areas throughout the United Kingdom and the United States for its aggressive, "puffed-up" disposition that can be comedic in stature. It is often called a "Banty" in the rural United States.
Many bantam hens are renowned for hatching and brooding. They are very protective mothers and will attack anything that gets near their young.
Old English bantam roosters were commonly used for fighting in Europe. They were smaller and faster than normal roosters used previously.
Bantams do have a higher mortality rate when they are kept as backyard pets. They are easy targets for hawks, cats, foxes, or any other small predator. The average backyard free range bantam lives 1–3 years.

French Guinea Chicks are here!

Guinea...NOT a chicken!!

On the blog Guineas were listed as all sold, but we now have some in the store for sale. Get them while they last. You can always place a pre-paid special order. These birds do better in a flock. They are $6.99 each.

Baby guineas, called keets, are about as adorable as they sound and easy to tend. But once they grow older they are worthy watchdogs, fighting off trespassers both human and animal alike. Guinea fowl make good farm animals: their tastiness, their relatively low-maintenance lifestyles, their vigilance at keeping away predators. Guinea fowl make an interesting and colorful addition to your flock and are very useful on the farm to alert and protect other animals from predators.

In addition to providing home-security help, guinea fowl are valued as one of the best exterminators of pest insects, making them a complement to any backyard garden. Since guineas prefer to mobilize in tight-knit groups, don’t be alarmed when they don’t understand the nuances of property lines and roadways.

They free-range and will naturally roost in trees if left without a shelter to sleep in. They are also tick-eating machines.

Dominique Rooster

Dominique Hen

 

The Dominique

The Dominique is truly an original bred American bird. Dominiques are considered a "heritage" breed of chicken in that they've been around for hundreds of years and are now critically endangered. Some people can't tell the difference between a Dominique and a Barred Rock, but the trained eye will notice that Dominques have a rose comb versus the Barred Rock's single comb.


Well known in the United States by the mid eighteenth century, it remained popular for almost 100 years, but by the mid ninth century the Barred Rock took its place. By the 1950s the Dominique was thought to be extinct, but a few breeders held on to these birds and by 1970s they were back in the breeders circle. They are now on the “Watch” list and are being breed by hatcheries again.

Dominiques are hardy birds that do well in free range environments, but will tolerate being confined. They are extremely good foragers and have a reputation for being good egg layers. Their indistinct barred coloring referred to as “Hawk Coloring” and offers some protection from aerial predators. The birds are calm, gentle and easy to show. They feather out and mature early.

The Dominique has a small rose comb and clean legs. Roosters can weigh around 7 pounds and hens 5 pounds. Known as a dual purpose bird, it also lays medium size brown eggs.  


  





Spring Chick Sale

Spring Chick Sale

Our brooder is full of beautiful baby chicks. Through March 31, buy a DOZEN chicks for $30. We also carry several styles of chicken coops.

In our brooder today, we have two week olds, one week olds, and newly hatched chicks. We received a mixed up order this week, here is a list of our new babies.

Golden Comet     Red Cross     Speckled Sussex     Buckeye
Brown Leghorn  Columbian Ross Cross     Araucana
Partridge Rock    Light Brahma     New Hampshire    
Rhode Island Red

!!!!!!BIG CHICK SALE!!!!!!

CHICK SALE

March 22 through March 31

One Dozen Chicks for $30

In the coop right now we have, golden comets, buff orpington, wellsumer, black australope, white rock, barred rock, buckeye, light brahma, brown leghorn,speckled sussex, and more arriving soon. Sale excludes, Bantams.

Spring is here and the weather is just right to get your flock started!