Today is the 16th day since Cherokee’s first breeding and the question remains, is she or isn’t she pregnant? Leave your vote on our facebook page under the post leading you to this post. This is just for fun.
Cherokee wins an AKC Major Event.
Ok folks, it’s finally official, Cherokee had her first successful breeding yesterday! Unfortunately, it’ll be some time before we know if it took or not, but I have high hopes and we are so excited!! For those who may not know, we have waited 15 long years for our first litter of pups, so this is really a big deal for us. We will be taking her for at least 2 more attempts to help increase the chances of a pregnancy and with any luck, by mid July we can expect that first litter we have so patiently waited for for 15 years!
Cherokee wins an AKC Major Event.
After a long stud search and even a couple disappointments with would be studs, we settled on a handsome boy from Zodiac Ranch. Meet “Cato.” (see below) Isn’t he a handsome fellow! We think he compliments Cherokee well!
So, considering this will be our first litter, we are rookies and will be doing lots of research and studying on how to care for our pregnant bitch, her diet, how to build a whelping box, labor and delivery and raising new born pups. With that said, any and all advice, suggestions, tips, tricks and what have you would be greatly appreciated!
We’ll keep you all posted and in the meantime, please keep your fingers crossed with us that their breeding was indeed successful!
Cato
One thing about keeping chickens that I am completely amazed by is all the different colors of eggs! I have a variety in my flock and my favorite are the blues and pinks.
This picture doesn’t do the blue egg justice but I assure you, it is a beautiful shade of baby blue.
These 3 eggs were laid by my Red Sex Link (a hybrid layer) my Buff Orpington laid the pink egg and my Lavender Ameraucana laid the blue egg.
*According to the Chicken Encyclopedia by Gail Damerow,* colored shells are the result of pigments added during shell formation. Brown layers produce shades ranging from barely tinted to quite dark. Most of the pigment of a brown shell egg is deposited in the bloom, the last layer added to the outside of an egg just before it is laid, leaving the inside pale or white. The pigment of a blue shell egg is spread throughout the shell, which means it is just as blue on the inside as it is on the outside. Green shells come from crossing a blue layer with a brown layer, resulting in blue shell eggs with a brown coating. Interesting huh!
Some people believe that colored eggs taste different or have more or even less nutritional value than brown eggs. THIS IS FALSE! The nutritional value of an egg has nothing to do with the color of the shell, but rather, what the chicken’s diet consists of. So don’t be afraid to eat those beautiful colored eggs.
Today is a very exciting day here on the ranch! Cherokee has passed her eye (CERF) and hip (OFA) exams with the AKC and is in heat, which means, time for breeding!!! We have waited 15 long years for our first litter of Norwegian Buhund puppies!! With any luck, the breeding will be successful and within a week or so after July 4th we can expect our first litter of PUPPIES!!
Cherokee wins an AKC Major Event.
We will be breeding her to a beautiful boy from Zodiac Ranch! (Pictures to come.)
NOW is the time to reserve your puppy! Please email us at [email protected] for more information on how to get the process started. We already have a couple people on the list and puppies are being reserved on a first come first serve basis, so don’t delay!
Stay tuned for updates………