Nevadans? - Page 1281

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Originally Posted by gaited horse 

Lol Sunnny. I'll try and get to a swap or potluck before I leave in Septemember. I'll prolly be coming back here for the NNPFA show as long as its the week before thanksgiving all though it'll depend on vacaction time. I'm taking almost a week and a 1/2 for convention in June

YAY!  Tyler!!!  I still can't believe you are leaving Nevada but I totally understand and good for you for moving on and living your own life.  It will be hard at times but you will have all of us standing behind you no matter what!!!  :)

2012 NNPFA Open and Youth Poultry Show is scheduled for November 17th(the weekend before Thanksgiving)

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Originally Posted by pigtail21 

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Originally Posted by BigDaddysMom 

So, moving my broodies never worked with my husband being available only the weekends (OK, that's an excuse, I was worried they'd quit so I chickened out ) to move the broodies and the chicks are due Wednesday. This week I cleaned the largest laying box next to the two girls and replaced with fresh shavings, water and will add chick food tomorrow and Hal put hardware cloth up so the chicks won't fall out of the boxes but the moms can still get in and out.....so, I'm banking that they're protective enough to guard the chicks if needed and the two of them won't get in a squabble over the chicks. My plan is to move them into the barn after everyone's done hatching. Here's a picture of one of the girls and the divider between the two girls and the same on the side that divides them from the rest of the flock.....what do you think.....any heads up? I appreciate the prior advice to move the girls and I think that would have been the best but with my limitations after my back surgeries and Hal not being around except for weekends and those full of a long list of to do's it just didn't happen so what should I look out for in my current situation? Looking at this picture the dividers look shorter then they are. They're about a foot tall.

so how many eggs is each setting on? (sorry if I missed this in an earlier post) I have used broodies before and to be honest I usually take the chicks away as they hatch to save them from being picked on by curious hens or trampled by their own over protective mother hen. If there is only 2-3 chicks it might be ok. If you can block them in as soon as first chick hatches so that curious (motherly or not)hens can't jump in with the broodies that will help and then move entire brood to a new location 48 hours after 1st chick that will help too. I have had good results and tragic results from natural brooding. A hen can only do so much to protect from outside forces...i have had chicks left behind because they couldn't get back inside or gotten stuck in fencing, stolen by squirrels and hawks, accidental drownings, tramplings and unknown things too. One time a chick strangled when it got entangled in it's own mothers cushion(butt fluff).... Just be prepared for anything, and chick proof everything, they get into the darndest predicaments!! Good luck!!

I think one is on 20 and the other is on 14. My last two broodies hid their nests and I found them with brand new chicks so I moved them into the barn and put them in a 100 gallon horse trough with a light and mostly covered with wire so mom could get in and out and then mom introduced them to the other chickens and it worked great. These two are in the coop, so they're safe from predators and that but has the issues of being two feet off the ground and the other chickens. So we've pretty much taken care of the falling issue with the hardware cloth and I guess the other chickens. The last broodie I moved had lots of fully developed chicks dead in the egg. Not sure if it was my fault in some way for moving them right at hatching time. Do you think waiting just 48 hours after the first hatcher is enough?

Here's my barred rock I was talking about the other day with the feathers curling up on her front.  

Here's how the BLRW chick is coming along.

Here's the buff x wheaten

BW girl

Pam, Hope everything goes ok with the broodies/hatching.  I don't have any experience to offer you though.

WOW that is a lot of eggs!  Good for them, over achievers LOL!  Yes you should only wait 48 hours because at that point the hen will usually be compelled to leave the nest because the first hatched chicks will be ready to move around. But it you have them locked in with food and water you could wait alittle longer I guess. The other suggestion would be to take one hen and all the chicks hatched from both hens and move them and put any remaining eggs under the other broody.  Might work.Keep us posted and I will help with advice as I can, I am not an expert but have had trials and turbulations with broodies. I have 2 Cochins setting on eggs(one hen keeps stealing eggs from unfer my muscovy hen) but the other day I randomly checked and pulled out 3 chicks, since she still had eggs left I put the chicks in with the brooder, she is in an unprotected busy busy coop with teenagers, and ducklings and fullsized muscovies so I didn't want to chance it.  I just had a bad experience with my Muscovy hen hatched 10 ducklings, I kept them locked up with her for 2 weeks and then let her out with in 48 hours she was down to 6 chicks, one was squished under a piece of fencing and 3 simply disapeared and she is a tough mommy!  So no matter what you do something could always happen.  Lets hope yours is perfectly fine.  and yes it is too late to  move them.  It is best to move a broodie early in the setting process, once it is close to hatch time the eggs shouldn't be moved as the chicks are getting into hatching position..... Happy Hatching!!!

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Originally Posted by SunnyDawn 

DH and I will be there!  We have to get rid of a bunch of roos and maybe even a few pullets.  Should we be there right at 9 or maybe a little earlier since we are selling?

A little early will be fine, we try to get there EARLY but not always possible....   Plus we have never done a swap there so not sure where they will have us set up..... we will be a little unorganized I am sure... bare with us!  :D  Glad you are coming!!!

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Originally Posted by aubreynoramarie 

Hey Julie! So I think my two grays are Roos and my two blacks are pullets, even the one with the straight comb. So you'll be seeing these two grays at the swap. I'm gonna be sad to see them go!

OKAY Aubrey sounds like a plan!!!  Here is part of the 3rd batch of Show Girls

They hang out with the Cochins

I will be bringing a couple of Blue Fawn Call ducks and a little gimpy Call duck that I didn't have the heart to cull(I never do I try to save anything with a birth defect unless they appear to be suffering) So I hope to find it a good home too he/she has a twisted foot but gets along just fine with the bigger ducks.