Welcome to Helbert Hens!
ADGA recently posted a DNA exclusion list affecting some high profile Nigerian Dwarf Breeders. It was actually a surprise to many of them. None of the animals I have currently or have sold since I have been in this business are affected by this list. Going forward I will be taking hair from every animal sold to use for DNA sampling if it is ever needed. If you bring your doe back to me for breeding I suggest we pull a sample from her at that time as well to keep on file. In 2024 all bucklings sold intact will require DNA verification before their kids can be registered. Once I know the costs (as of now it is $32) it will be added to the price of the buckling and I will help the buyer get the DNA submitted. It does mean not many bucks will be sold intact each year. I do currently DNA all my breeding bucks and will begin DNA testing the foundation females as well starting in January of 2024. After the foundation females results are back, I will begin submitting DNA on the rest of the herd. I will update the website under each of my animals to be clear who has DNA submitted, who has DNA results etc.
Inflation not only hit the feed and hay market but also has hit ADGA and the cost of registering and transferring goats. Every year I kid out 20 to 30 goats. That means I end up with about 60-80 potential registerable animals each year. In the past I have registered most kids and once the animal was purchased I transferred him/her to the new owner. Starting in 2024 buyers will get a registration application and be responsible for mailing it in with a check for the registration and transfer fees. A second option will be to have me do it online at the time of purchase. The cost of the registration and transfer will be needed in addition to the purchase price at the time of pickup if the buyer elects for me to do it online. The nice part of having me do it online is the new registration will be mailed to the buyer directly.
With Cookie now joining her sisters qualifying for ADGA milk stars in all three categories Pipzy Farms Orions Belt qualifies for his +B. ADGA has this program on its roadmap to be implemented in the NG software in 2024 so I am very excited to have all the does and bucks caught up with production awards. For now I will just put pending beside the animals that have qualified but are not officially showing in the NG software. Pending by their name does not mean they are pending sale. :)
Posting several yearling does for sale, several doe kids for sale and jumping into breeding season. Once some of the girls are confirmed bred I will be listing bred does as well. I would like to trim the herd down going into winter by 1/3.
The Elite list for spring 2023 is out and we have two does on it this time. Summer who was bred by Stephanie Gibson was on the list in the 95Th percentile and Lyla (my top milker) is on the list in the 96th percentile. I am tickled to death these girls are on the list. They both got extra bananas to celebrate.
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.
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American Poultry Association
American Dairy Goat Association American Goat Society Ohio Dairy Goat Association |
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