Purberty comes for us all ~ a homestead is no exception!

freedomtowrite (65)in #homesteading • 7 years ago (edited)

Is it a hen or a rooster?!

Last summer, was an exciting time for me as the Mommasteader.

I have this very clear memory of sitting inside, and the Lord urging me to go outside and stand in our rabbitry. I thought it sounded silly, but I've done far crazier things than put on boots and stand in a building.

Of course though, I waited, and put other chores first. Then FINALLY, I went out and stood looking at our beautiful rabbits.

Now, this is where the magic happened...

As I stood there, I felt the Lord tell me to put another kind of livestock inside, but on the other half of the building.

I got so excited!!

But I had no idea what kind to get!

So, I prayed more, read the homesteading books, and continued to rack my brain.

Of course, I shared all of this with the Yeti, and at first he had no solutions...

Then it came!

He suggested I try hatching eggs!

We could raise the chicks in one half of the rabbitry, like the Lord showed me, then when they were ready, we would move them to the coop.

I've written before that he thinks big, so this wasn't a small undertaking. By the end of the day we had a rough draft of a business plan...metrics and all.

If it worked, not only could I add to our own flock, but I could sell chicks, juveniles, and then laying hens. Not to mention the increase in egg production!

First, we tracked down a local family that sells different types of heritage breeds, who also happened to sell fertilized eggs. We spent the evening learning and asking questions. Then brought home our first two dozen!

Next, we borrowed an incubator from the neighbor. I learned after, that the incubator should have been warming for the last 24 hours. You live and learn!

Over the next 21 days, I watched, waited and turned eggs. Things went well...in the sense that they actually hatched! I had low expectations. But to watch the miracle of birth was incredibly beautiful!

Once they were out of the incubator, we went for round two! But this time I had a very special egg.

Amongst the Cuckoo Marans and Silver Laced Wyandottes, nestled a Lavender Orpington. Our egg source had a breeding trio who had just started laying, and they were generous enough to give us one!

After a very long three weeks, the hatching began, and out came our Lavender Orpington! We named it Blue.

Well, we've been waiting and waiting to find out if it was a rooster or a hen! They take a bit longer to come to maturity, and I couldn't recall the hatch day.

So, yesterday as I was doing the laundry, I watched as Blue clucked over to a favorite egg-laying leaf pile by our house, and jumped in. I went to peek around, and sure enough SHE was laying an egg!!

I gave her a long while, although I was dying to check, and even splashed a nosey Rhode Island Red who was harshing her gig. Finally,she came out.

I knew two eggs had already been laid in the same spot, and sure enough a there was a third!

I'm not entirely positive which one is hers, or even if she did lay. No song was sang, and there could've been three already...but it did have a slight lavender hue! Of course I took a picture to share!

What do you think?!