Mottled Java "Nannie"

Nannie is the last of my trio of mottled javas. She enjoys being a part of the flock but isn't especially chummy with any other hens.  I've never had her go broody but she's very good at helping new moms.

Nannie and Brandi have an easy respect for each other.

Nannie likes to help take care of everyone's babies.

Young Professor and the Willas

The Blue Wheaten Ameraucana hens (the Willas) are enjoying some time in the Rest & Respite Free Range flock. They seem to be quite happy so I'm going to hold off on segregating them with the purebred Blue Wheaten Ameraucana rooster (Will).


The Rest & Respite Flock protector, "Young Professor", is a purebred (but a non-standard color) Ameraucana with a pleasant temperament and excellent gentlemanly manners. He is much more consistent with the demeanor I need for my flock. Both his father and grandfather were superior flock protectors who the girls would rather follow than hide from.

My best guess-timate is that Young Professor is genetically a blue partridge/brown with multiple melanizing forces. Based on my genetics calculator tinkering I suspect the offspring will appear to be wheaten. The blue genetics mean there could be blue, black, or splash feathering.  (genetic code calculation)

   

The Rest and Respite Flock, June 2013

The Percentages Game

 

Gold Sebright checking out the nest box in a new coop.

95% of my building materials are salvaged, 85% of my building technique is self-taught, 75% of my  coops have been taken apart and put back together multiple times, 65% of my birds are in dedicated flocks each with their own "house", 55% of my birds are free-ranging at any given time, 45% of my birds generate income by way of hatching eggs, 35% of my birds provide food for my family, 25% of their diet is food waste procured from local schools and restaurants, 15% of my birds were rescued or abandoned.  5% of my birds came from a hatchery - the rest are all products of self-sustaining flocks. Enjoy!