It’s been a while since I posted something. We have been busy with chores and improvements around the homestead. When I last posted it was winter time – snow and cold up here in Michigan.
The winter was a bit less stressful on the chickens. The 2014/2015 winter season was not as bad as the previous season. Our chickens got outside and were able to make a path to the outdoor hoop coop. We had to make sure the chickens had plenty of fresh water and food to keep healthy. They kept up egg production to 18 eggs a day, which was pretty significant. We have 40 hens and four roosters.
The days are longer now as we get closer and closer to summer. We bought an incubator to start hatching our own chicks this spring. The first set of 18 eggs was an experiment. It was a new experience for us all. We had to monitor the humidity and temperature each day.
At the 21-day mark, two eggs were shaking after we took them out of the egg turner. One was a slow hatch overnight and then the second one was pretty quick to hatch.
We’re pretty excited about what the spring and summer will bring. We are going to be setting up a stand at our local farmers’ market. We have also planted six apple trees for the future. Spring is a great time to get those ideas out of your head and into practice. Don’t regret it down the line. My older son is getting ready for the spring and summer 4-H activities (showing poultry) and our younger son is brushing up his skills on feeding scratch to the chickens.