Welcome to Helbert Hens!
We are very excited to be participating in ADGA Linear Appraisal again this year. We will be appraised Sept 14th and will post results following. We have some that should be good, some bad and some down right ugly in the herd so it will be an honest appraisal. Following appraisal I will also list the available does and bucks for sale. We will be thinning the herd going into winter. Does will be priced a little higher if they are bred prior to leaving. All animals listed for sale will have a current WADDL panel done in the last 12 to 18 months. A copy of the DHI milk record will also go with sold does if they milked for me this year. Most registrations are not up to date with any awards due to ADGA's new software issues.
Fall kids will start to hit the ground Sept 24th, so watch the Kidding Plan 2022 page for arrivals and available kids. Fall kids are typically priced lower than our standard pricing so we do not have to overwinter them. Most of the kids available this fall will be ready to leave at the end of November unless taken as bottle babies.
Things on the Poultry side of the house went from bad to just plain horrible this year. Coon ravished several of my flocks early on and I just didn't hatch anything worth listing for sale. I sold several of my breeder flocks and downsized to just the Delaware and Jubilee Orpingtons. On top of bad farm happenings Ohio now has lost it's "clean" AI status so even though our flocks were certified AI clean back in June we are unable to ship hatching eggs or chicks to many states without getting special permission. I just received a letter nullifying my shipping permit to Iowa this week due to the positive AI flocks in Ashland County and Defiance. As many of you know much of our business is in shipped hatching eggs.
Yearly raccoon hit counter: 33
Helbert Hens
Where it's great to be a big chicken.
When I started breeding poultry I made the mistake of trying to breed too many breeds and too many varieties. I just wanted them all. In fact you might say I was obsessed with the beauty and personalities of each breed. There came a point where I had to sit down and decide why I wanted chickens and what I hoped to accomplish in a breeding plan. Over the years some of my favorite breeds have not been sustainable due to the cold and seemingly never ending Ohio winters. I found that keeping the breeds in separate coops was great for containing illness and keeping family groups ranging and socializing together however very difficult to maintain even with a well implemented winter husbandry plan. Some breeds lost favor and didn't flourish because they would not free range but preferred to stay in their runs and eat feed all day. They might have been happy but I was having to clean those pens and fill feeders twice as often which made me very unhappy.
To make a long story short, I decided to limit the breeds/varieties we raised. The English Jubilee Orpington worked well for us as they are big beautiful friendly birds that are cold hardy and easy to keep. Even with the limited lighting in winter we still get some eggs. I also chose the Delaware because of their cold hardness and the great flavors of their meat. The Delawares are friendly and bold and one of my best layers of large light brown eggs year around.
To make a long story short, I decided to limit the breeds/varieties we raised. The English Jubilee Orpington worked well for us as they are big beautiful friendly birds that are cold hardy and easy to keep. Even with the limited lighting in winter we still get some eggs. I also chose the Delaware because of their cold hardness and the great flavors of their meat. The Delawares are friendly and bold and one of my best layers of large light brown eggs year around.
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The AnimalsWe may bring on new breeds and phase out breeds as we journey through our chicken adventures.
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All flocks have their own coops and are allowed to free range on a rotational basis. Usually 4 to 6 pens out each day. Chicks that are 4 to 16 weeks are raised in the old horse barn until they are big enough to be incorporated into a coop. Chicks day old to 4 weeks are in the hatch room in our house.
Organizations and programs we support.
31-1112
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American Poultry Association
United Orpington Club - District 3 Polish Breeders Club - District 4 International Cornish Breeders Association Ameraucana Alliance Ameraucana Breeders Club - North East American Dairy Goat Association American Goat Society Ohio Dairy Goat Association |
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