Chickens

NPIP Testing Complete

Oct. 30th, 2013

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Yesterday morning we had a visit from the Mississippi Board of Health to test our flocks. The testing was done so our farm could be NPIP certified. The test involved drawing a blood sample from the wing of each bird and placing the sample on a test strip. Within three seconds the test shows the result of a positive or negative for pullorum typhoid or PT. They also swab the vent to check for Avian Influenza or AI. The swabs then get sent to a lab to be examined. While we know that the PT tests were all negative, we are awaiting the results of the AI test from the lab. There has not ever been a case of AI in our state so it is very unlikely that we will have any issues with it. If that is the case we should have our shinny new NPIP number sometime next week.

First Home Grown Bielefelder Chicks!

Category: Chickens

Oct. 1st, 2013

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Yesterday was a big day on the farm. Our very first home grown bielefelder chicks popped out of their shell! These little ones are already spoken for and along with their brothers and sisters and will have a new home shortly. We have an incubator full of eggs so they are just the first of many hatchlings to come.

Notice how you can tell the difference between the male and female chicks in the picture below.

It’s easy to tell between the male and female chicks

Bielefelder Hatching Eggs Shipping Out Now!

Category: Chickens, Updates to the Farm

Sep. 26th, 2013

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We are now shipping Bielefelder hatching eggs. Here is a picture of some boxed up ready to go. You will notice that each egg fits perfectly into the foam packaging to ensure safe delivery. Even so, we always include extras just in case the postman didn’t get his coffee the morning of delivery.

Bielefelder hatching eggs

Bielefelder chickens growing up.

Category: Chickens

May. 22nd, 2013

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It’s been a while since our batch of bielefelder chickens were on our brooder cam for you to see. So we thought you might like to see some pictures of them now. Here are a pair that were out for an evening stroll.

Bielefelder pair out for a stroll

Bielefelder hen posing for a picture

Found a bug!

Tags Bielefelder chickens

Augsburger Chickens or Pollo Diablo?

Category: Chickens

May. 2nd, 2013

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We have a new breed of chicks on the farm this week. The Augsburger. Due to their imposing image we have affectionately nicknamed them “pollo diablo”.

Augsburger Rooster

This extremely rare breed from Bavaria had a population of under 150 total birds on the planet just a few years ago. Our variety is black with a greenish sheen throughout. This is an older breed that originated near the city of Augsburg in around 1880. The two main ingredients are the French La Fleche and Italian Lamotte breeds.

The most striking feature of this breed has to be the almost buttercup comb. A proper augsburger comb should split into two “single” combs after the first couple of points. This results in what appears to be a cup comb. To be proper there must be two separate blades that come together in the rear. While our chicks do not have their combs yet, it will be fun to watch them grow into the “pollo diablo”!

This current batch is now being housed in “Big Momma”. You can view the live feed of the brooder cam here.

Augsburger Chicks

Augsburger Chick

Moving Day

Category: Chickens

Apr. 9th, 2013

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One batch of chicks out of the brooder another goes in. Today we are moving the batch of Bielefelder chicks from Big Momma to our juvenile coop. The coop is to far away from our WIFI network so we will be leaving the web cam in the brooder. So you will still get to watch chicks grow up however the next breed will be Blue Isbar.

We will be renaming the Bielefelder cam to brooder cam since there will be a multitude of breeds on display not just the Bielefelder.

The Blue Isbars should be fun to watch and try to guess which are hens and which are roosters. Since the Bielefelders are an auto sexing breed we knew right away what was what. We have 6 isbar chicks that are about 4 weeks old. They will get to stay at big momma’s for a few weeks before they are moved on out to the juvenile coop.

You can see our Brooder Cam here.

Live Chicken Cam Just Installed

Category: Chickens, Updates to the Farm

Mar. 16th, 2013

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Our brooder “Big Mamma” just had an upgrade installed today in the way of a wireless webcam. You can check out the live feed below.

http://omegahillsfarm.com/brooder-cam/

Just be warned that watching the chicks is addicting and can easily waste your day away. We warned you!!

Bielefelder and Isbar Chicks – BFF’s??????

Category: Chickens

Mar. 8th, 2013

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Here is a picture of two new chicks to the farm. A Bielefelder Cockerel and an Isbar chick that seem to be best of buds. This Isbar is one tough chick. It is the lone survivor of an order of chicks that came in. Sad to say his traveling companions did not make it through the trip. So he had to befriend some of the bielefelder chickens.

Here is a picture of a white leghorn chick that hatched yesterday!

Bielefelder chicks have arrived

Category: Chickens

Feb. 22nd, 2013

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That’s right we have acquired a trio of Bielefelder chickens from Green Fire Farms. These two hens and one roo will be the foundation for our new flock.