06/07/2026
❗️PSA❗️Breeding pen overhaul! 🚧
TLDR; All dozens (except for Turquoise) will be a bit of a “who’s your daddy” mix for the next 30ish days!
This is a long post, but I want to explain it all here so that I can pin this for the next month.
Egg orders have been down quite a bit this last month or so, so it feels like a good time to really move some birds around.
Today I will be moving/removing birds, introducing new hens and/or roosters, and starting the 30ish day detox clock for probably at least 5 of my 7 flocks.
During this transition, there will be some crossover:
1️⃣ The newest Welsummer and F1 OE hens have been under both Welly and F1 roosters in a “growout” pen, just patiently waiting for their turn to be added to the program. Today is that day! 🥳 But for the next month or so, could be bred to either Welly or F1 Olives. So the chicks from those 2 pens could be pure Welsummer, F2 Olives, or BC1 Olives.
2️⃣ I also have new DNA tested O/O Olive hens ready to move into a couple of the coops. While doing that, I will also be swapping some O/o and O/O hens to each other’s roosters. So chicks will still be Backcrossed Olives, I just won’t be able to label them as BC2, BC3, or BCB until detox is over.
3️⃣ I’m torn on having a heavy bloom flock all to itself when I also have heavy blooms in my Wellies, my Olives, and my Turquoise. So I’m not decided on this one yet but I may just empty that coop altogether and move only my favorite of the favorite Turquoise (w/ blooms and speckles only) into that space instead of them still being out in the vulnerable free range Turquoise flock. That would send some of those HB Olives back into their own Olive pens, and the pink layers…well…idk yet lol
4️⃣ The pure Araucana have been frustrating me and I’ve sort of lost my passion for them this season. So I think I may change having 2 pure pens into just 1 pure pen. The non-chosen rooster will probably either be for s@le, or added to the Turquoise flock. And the extra hens will go under Welsummer or Olive roosters. So chicks would be F1 or BCB Olives, or for a brief time could still be pure Araucana.
As always, fertility checks are done almost daily.
I *will not* be test hatching for myself until after 30 days. These dozens will be discounted since I cannot guarantee you any of the outcome (except for Turquoise!). But this could be a fun way to add all sorts of colors, blooms, and speckles to your egg basket at a discounted price. 🤗
If you’ve read this far, thank you! 🫶
And for my locals, keep your eyes open for another round of hens for s@le!
