Farm 2026 · Hampton, CT
The Flock
Hatch dates, names, lineage, and losses. The breeding-program record for Farm 2026 — what came out of an egg, when, and from whom.
[HATCHES 2026] →per-chick records · phenotype log · predictions
[BREEDING LINE]
First Second-Generation Hatch
Birdadotta, hatched 25 April 2026 from a blue egg laid by Birdadonna, is the first chick on the farm with both parents in the program's own records. EE hen 1 × Little Big Red Junior → Birdadonna → Birdadotta.
EE hen 1
Easter Egger
Little Big Red Junior
Rhode Island Red (likely)
Birdadonna
Easter Egger × RIR cross
Birdadotta
Easter Egger × RIR cross
[BROODER + NESTBOX]
In the Brooder & Nestbox
Newest hatch at the top. The desk incubator is still in service. Tractor Supply runs and the April Cackle Hatchery order make up the rest of the cohort. Every frame below was scored by the VLM pipeline against the brooder and nestbox cameras.
Adelbird
Easter Egger lineage (cross TBD)
“Finished hatching on her own overnight after a light assist”
Dark gray/black down with a white head spot (Boss-confirmed 2026-06-07). Shares the white spot with Ingebird; told apart by age/size — Adelbird is the youngest and smallest, the last to hatch.
The LAST HATCH of the 2026 incubator season.
💡 Homestead hybrids like this combine the best traits of both parents: reliable egg production with unique blue egg color.
Henriessa
Golden Laced Wyandotte cross (Henrietta line)
“Settled with siblings in the brooder”
Black/dark down with a touch of cream on the face. Silver wing-tips/stripe were noted at hatch but the silver attribution is disputed — the Boss later reassigned 'the silver one' to her sister Henridotta (see hatch record).
June Henrietta-line chick.
💡 Homestead hybrids like this combine the best traits of both parents: reliable egg production with unique blue egg color.
Horstabird
Easter Egger lineage (cross TBD)
“Slow to clear the shell; rested between pushes”
Brown down with red/rust coming in on the face and throat — Boss reads the rust as the LBRJ sire tell. No white head spot (that mark is nest-mate Ingebird's). A pullet.
Boss-corrected 2026-06-07: a pullet, sired by LBRJ (the red rooster lost in the April predator wave) — identified by the rust/red coming in on her face and throat, which supersedes the earlier Whitey Red Legs paternity window.
💡 Homestead hybrids like this combine the best traits of both parents: reliable egg production with unique blue egg color.
Henridotta
Golden Laced Wyandotte cross (Henrietta line)
“Settled with siblings in the brooder”
Dark/brown down. The Boss's latest call (2026-06-04, LOW confidence) is that Henridotta is the 'silver' sister — but he flip-flopped (first said Henriessa); not final, verify visually.
June Henrietta-line chick, named in honor of her mother Henrietta.
💡 Homestead hybrids like this combine the best traits of both parents: reliable egg production with unique blue egg color.
Birdimir
Easter Egger lineage (cross TBD)
“Calm; presumed male per Boss's early call”
White/light down with a black spot on top of the head — the black head spot is the key ID vs Ingebird's white one (the two are near mirror images)
First chick of the June clutch (new incubator, eggs set ~12 May; sire window Whitey Red Legs).
💡 Homestead hybrids like this combine the best traits of both parents: reliable egg production with unique blue egg color.
Ingebird
Easter Egger lineage (cross TBD)
“Came out of the shell upside-down; healthy”
Black down with a white spot on top of the head — the white head spot is the key ID vs Birdimir's black one
Second chick of the June clutch.
💡 Homestead hybrids like this combine the best traits of both parents: reliable egg production with unique blue egg color.
Birdthazar
Easter Egger lineage (cross TBD)
“Aggressive out the gate — relocated solo from incubator at 21:22 EDT for pecking batchmates and knocking eggs around”
Buff/yellow down with a dark chipmunk stripe down the back — this stripe is the key visual ID against Chick #3 (buff but no stripe)
First of three chicks from the April-25 clutch.
💡 Homestead hybrids like this combine the best traits of both parents: reliable egg production with unique blue egg color.
Henriella
Wyandotte × RIR cross
“Was vocalizing distress at 21:23 EDT while Birdthazar was harassing; settled once Birdthazar moved to brooder”
Grey-and-white down — magnificent coloring per Boss; visually distinct from the two buff siblings
First chick of the Henrietta line.
💡 Homestead hybrids like this combine the best traits of both parents: reliable egg production with unique blue egg color.
Birdsilla
Easter Egger lineage (cross TBD)
“Pip-to-free in ~40 min — vigorous out the shell. 'Big ol' orange dinosaur' per Boss.”
Solid uniform orange/buff across back and wings — no stripe. The 'no stripe' is the discriminator against Birdthazar.
Third chick of the April-25 clutch.
💡 Homestead hybrids like this combine the best traits of both parents: reliable egg production with unique blue egg color.
Tractor Supply chicks — May batch (6)
TBD
“TBD”
Breeds resolving as they feather out: at least 2 Buff Rangers (buff/orange, heavy-bodied, fast growers) + a Barred Rock; remainder TBD
Six additional Tractor Supply chicks brought home approximately one week after the 25-April haul.
Birdadotta
Easter Egger × RIR cross
“Alert, growing fast”
Young pullet — blue eyes, distinctive coloring around the beak, slight rust on the wings, white tips on wings + belly (the key Birdadotta-vs-Birdadette discriminator)
Birdadonna's offspring.
💡 Homestead hybrids like this combine the best traits of both parents: reliable egg production with unique blue egg color.
Cackle Hatchery chicks (15)
Mixed — Exotic Island Fowl Special (5) + Rare Chick Special (10)
“Active, feathering out — breeds becoming identifiable”
Varied — assortment of rare and exotic breeds
Cackle Hatchery batch from the 08-April-2026 arrival: Exotic Island Fowl Special + Rare Chick Special.
Birdadette
Easter Egger
“Alert, curious — still learning the world one peck at a time”
Gray-brown downy plumage, yellow legs
First successful incubator hatch of 2026.
💡 Easter Eggers are prized by backyard farmers for their distinctive colored eggs. The 'Araucana' gene creates the blue egg color.
Bronze turkey poults (2)
Bronze Broad-Breasted Turkey
“Social, curious, imprinting on handlers”
Brown-and-tan striped down — first bronze turkeys on the farm
2 Bronze Broad-Breasted poults from TSC.
💡 Bronze Broad-Breasted turkeys were the dominant commercial breed in the US until the 1960s, when the White Broad-Breasted took over for cleaner plucking.
Barred Rock chicks (2)
Barred Plymouth Rock
“TBD”
Black down — will develop classic black-and-white barring as they feather out
2 Barred Plymouth Rock chicks from TSC.
💡 Barred Rocks were the most popular breed in the US through the early 20th century — the bird every backyard farm had.
Plymouth Rock chicks (2)
Plymouth Rock (variety TBD)
“TBD”
Black down — Plymouth Rock variety, exact sub-variety to be confirmed as they feather out (Speckled/Mottled, Partridge, or other)
2 Plymouth Rock chicks from TSC alongside the Barred Rocks.
💡 All Plymouth Rock varieties share the same body type and temperament — only plumage color varies. The breed originated in Massachusetts in the 1860s.
[COOP]
Growing Out in the Coop
Out of the brooder, into the coop run. Not yet laying. Sorting out roosting order and what to do with daylight.
Turkey poults (3)
White Broad-Breasted Turkey
“Social, curious, imprinting on handlers”
Yellow downy plumage transitioning to white juvenile feathers
3 White Broad-Breasted turkey poults.
💡 Turkey poults will follow the first moving thing they see after hatching — making hand-raised poults remarkably tame.
Tractor Supply chicks (4)
Brahma or Cream Legbar (uncertain)
“Active, alert”
Varied chick down feathering out
4 chicks from Tractor Supply, straight run (unsexed).
March juveniles (6)
1 Easter Egger + 2 Blue Laced Red Wyandotte + 3 Cream Legbar
“Active juveniles, well integrated”
Varied — feathering complete; Cream Legbars autosex (gold/buff females, paler males), BLR Wyandottes show blue lacing on red ground, EE chick maturing into adult plumage
The first juvenile cohort of 2026: 1 Easter Egger, 2 Blue Laced Red Wyandotte, 3 Cream Legbar.
[LAYING STOCK]
The Hens
The breeding stock. Easter Eggers, a Wyandotte, and the yearling that hatched on Boss's desk last spring.
Henrietta
Golden Laced Wyandotte
“Hardy, independent”
Gold and black laced plumage, purple leg band on left leg
Identified by purple leg band; hatched with chick band
💡 Wyandottes are excellent mothers and will often go broody, making them perfect for natural hatching.
EE hen 1
Easter Egger
“Friendly, curious”
Dark blue-black slate plumage, single comb
Darker of the two Easter Egger hens; likely mother of Birdadonna
💡 Easter Eggers are prized by backyard farmers for their distinctive colored eggs. The 'Araucana' gene creates the blue egg color.
Birdadonna
Easter Egger × RIR cross
“Friendly, active”
Blue-gray body with golden auburn hackle
Hatched in incubator on boss's desk; dam: EE hen 1, sire: Little Big Red Junior.
💡 Homestead hybrids like this combine the best traits of both parents: reliable egg production with unique blue egg color.
[BREEDS]
Breed Notes
What each breed brings to the flock.
Rhode Island Red
American breed known for reliable egg production and hardiness. Medium-sized birds with deep red plumage and red-brown eyes.
Egg Color
Brown to dark brown
Annual Eggs
250
Temperament
Friendly but independent, good foragers
Cold Hardiness
Excellent — large comb can be susceptible to frostbite, but otherwise very hardy
💡 Rhode Island Reds were the state bird of Rhode Island (1954) and are one of the most productive brown-egg layers.
Speckled Sussex
British breed with distinctive mahogany and white speckled plumage. Curious, active foragers with excellent table manners (quiet compared to other breeds).
Egg Color
Tan to light brown
Annual Eggs
240
Temperament
Docile, curious, excellent foragers, friendly to humans
Cold Hardiness
Good — medium comb, adapts well to cold
💡 Speckled Sussex are known for being particularly friendly and following their owners around, almost dog-like in behavior.
Golden Laced Wyandotte
American breed with beautiful gold and black laced plumage. Compact, muscular birds with rose combs (frost-resistant) and yellow legs.
Egg Color
Brown
Annual Eggs
200-220
Temperament
Hardy, independent, can be broody, broody hens are excellent mothers
Cold Hardiness
Excellent — rose comb is frost-resistant, compact body, ideal for cold climates
💡 Wyandottes are excellent mothers and will often go broody, making them perfect for natural hatching.
Easter Egger
Not a standard breed but a hybrid type that lays colored eggs (blue, green, or pink). Variable plumage; typically have ear tufts or muffs and beards.
Egg Color
Blue, green, or pink (highly variable)
Annual Eggs
200-280
Temperament
Generally friendly, curious, good foragers
Cold Hardiness
Good — varies by individual genetics
💡 Easter Eggers are prized by backyard farmers for their distinctive colored eggs. The 'Araucana' gene creates the blue egg color.
White Rock
American breed with white plumage and yellow legs. Large, friendly birds originally bred for meat production. Commonly crossed with other breeds.
Egg Color
Brown
Annual Eggs
200-220
Temperament
Friendly, calm, excellent mothers (when broody), good foragers
Cold Hardiness
Good — large comb can be susceptible to frostbite
💡 White Rocks were one of the first breeds to be widely used for commercial broiler production in the mid-20th century.
Black Australorp
Australian breed with glossy black plumage with a green sheen. Medium-sized, docile birds known for excellent egg production.
Egg Color
Brown (often large)
Annual Eggs
250-300
Temperament
Docile, friendly, good mothers (broody), excellent foragers
Cold Hardiness
Good — moderate comb, handles cold well
💡 Black Australorps hold the record for highest single-year egg production by a hen — 364 eggs in 365 days, set in the 1920s.
Easter Egger × Rhode Island Red Cross
Hybrid offspring combining Easter Egger's colored-egg genetics with RIR vigor. Inherits blue-egg production from EE parent and reliability from RIR.
Egg Color
Blue
Annual Eggs
240-260
Temperament
Friendly, curious, good foragers, benefits from hybrid vigor
Cold Hardiness
Excellent — inherits RIR hardiness
💡 Homestead hybrids like this combine the best traits of both parents: reliable egg production with unique blue egg color.
White Broad-Breasted Turkey
The standard commercial turkey breed. Fast-growing, broad-chested birds raised primarily for meat. White plumage makes for clean processing.
Egg Color
Cream to light brown (seasonal)
Annual Eggs
50-80
Temperament
Curious, social, can imprint on handlers when raised from poults
Cold Hardiness
Moderate — need shelter from wind and wet, but tolerate cold if dry
💡 Turkey poults will follow the first moving thing they see after hatching — making hand-raised poults remarkably tame.
Brahma
Large, heavily feathered breed known as the 'King of Chickens.' Broad body, feathered feet, pea comb. Originally bred for meat but makes a calm dual-purpose bird.
Egg Color
Brown (medium to large)
Annual Eggs
150-200
Temperament
Calm, docile, cold-hardy, slow to mature
Cold Hardiness
Excellent — pea comb resists frostbite, heavy feathering insulates well, bred for northern climates
💡 Brahmas can weigh over 12 pounds and were the primary meat breed in the US from the 1850s to the 1930s.
Bronze Broad-Breasted Turkey
Large commercial turkey breed with iridescent bronze plumage. Heavier and darker than the White Broad-Breasted variety; raised primarily for meat with striking traditional appearance.
Egg Color
Cream to light brown (seasonal)
Annual Eggs
50-80
Temperament
Curious, social, can imprint on handlers when raised from poults
Cold Hardiness
Moderate — need shelter from wind and wet, but tolerate cold if dry
💡 Bronze Broad-Breasted turkeys were the dominant commercial breed in the US until the 1960s, when the White Broad-Breasted took over for cleaner plucking.
Barred Plymouth Rock
American breed with distinctive black-and-white horizontal barring. Hardy dual-purpose chicken, friendly and reliable layer of brown eggs.
Egg Color
Brown
Annual Eggs
200-280
Temperament
Calm, friendly, good foragers, tolerant of confinement
Cold Hardiness
Excellent — handles cold New England winters well
💡 Barred Rocks were the most popular breed in the US through the early 20th century — the bird every backyard farm had.
Plymouth Rock (variety TBD)
American Plymouth Rock breed, exact variety to be confirmed as the chicks feather out. Plymouth Rock varieties include Barred, White, Buff, Silver Penciled, Partridge, Columbian, Blue, and Speckled (Mottled).
Egg Color
Brown
Annual Eggs
200-280
Temperament
Calm, friendly, good foragers, tolerant of confinement
Cold Hardiness
Excellent — handles cold New England winters well
💡 All Plymouth Rock varieties share the same body type and temperament — only plumage color varies. The breed originated in Massachusetts in the 1860s.
Cream Legbar
British autosexing breed developed in the 1930s by crossing Brown Leghorns, Barred Plymouth Rocks, and Araucanas. Crested with a distinctive head tuft. Known for blue/green eggs and chicks that can be sexed by down pattern at hatch.
Egg Color
Blue to blue-green
Annual Eggs
180-200
Temperament
Active, alert, good foragers, friendly but flighty
Cold Hardiness
Good — moderate single comb, copes with cold if dry
💡 Cream Legbars are one of the only true autosexing breeds — newly hatched females have a clear chipmunk stripe down the head, males are paler and less defined.
Blue Laced Red Wyandotte
Wyandotte variety with deep red ground color and blue (slate-gray) lacing on each feather. Same compact rose-comb body as the Golden and Silver Laced Wyandottes — bred for cold climates and reliable winter laying.
Egg Color
Brown
Annual Eggs
200-220
Temperament
Hardy, independent, calm, can go broody
Cold Hardiness
Excellent — rose comb resists frostbite, compact muscular body
💡 Blue is a dilution gene — pairing two BLRs together will produce roughly 50% blue-laced, 25% black-laced, and 25% splash-laced offspring.
[LOST]
In Memoriam
Predator losses are part of the program. The flock rebuilds, the record stays.
- 9 Apr 2026BirdathaRhode Island RedPredator losses — first week of April 2026
- 8 Apr 2026BirdgitSpeckled SussexHawk attack
- 24 Apr 2026Little Big Red JuniorRhode Island Red (likely)Predator attack
- 1 May 2026Whitey Red LegsEaster Egger × Rhode Island Red cross (rooster)Disappeared without trace; presumed predation
- 16 May 2026EE hen 2Easter EggerPredator (presumed) — no body or feathers recovered
- 9 Apr 2026Black Australorp henBlack AustralorpPredator losses — first week of April 2026