Dreaming of Spring...

[Folly's place]

I see 'chicken math' happening here! Mary

 

[bobbi-j]

Am still waffling over what to put in the bator......starting to think maybe no to the CL eggs...sigh.
Want to backcross some of my OE's and hatch some more from the same cross...and only have 2 divisions in bator...sigh.

Might 'need' to do 2 hatches<rollseyesandcringes>...... I do want to make a hoop coop this year, a second hatch would spur that project....right?!

Getting close!
Have a build project to do up for someone else in the next 1-2 weeks, then time to set eggs!
<shrugs>who knows what I'll end up doing?!

Sounds to me like you should set that second batch of eggs!

 

[aart]

Just found out the CL eggs are not a good blue......more of a greenish gray.
Not going to waste my time on that, especially at $50/dz.

Got a feeler out for Am's, but doubt it'll come thru.

So <recalculating>......

 

[bobbi-j]

Well, my chicks came today. They all look healthy and vigorous. I ended up getting 15 straight run heavies, 4 Buff Rock pullets, 2 Buff Rock cockerels (I only ordered one, but got a "bonus" one), 4 Dark Cornish pullets, and 2 Light Brahma pullets. Oh, and the "Free Exotic Chick" turned out to be a Naked Neck. I may go to the local farm supply store on Friday (no chance on Thurs. when they are getting about 600 chicks) to see if they have anything interesting. I'd like some EEs, and if they had Welsummers, I'd be ecstatic. I wanted to order those, but by the time I got around to ordering, neither breed was available for when I wanted delivery. DH built me a nice little brooder box. (Will try to post pics soon) The chicks are in one half of my coop, hens in the other half. In a couple of weeks, we'll remove the brooder box so the hens can get used to them through the fence, then in a few more weeks make little escape doors for the chicks so they can start integrating with the old ladies and learn some chicken manners. I was thinking of building a mama heating pad brooder, but DH was skeptical. New ideas come slowly to him. So, maybe next year...

 

[Mrs. K]

I am not going to the feed store.... I am not going to the feed store.... I could look and not buy.....

This is a very hard time of year, especially when some of you get chicks..... I am not going...yet.
Mrs K

 

[aart]

bobbie-j..what, no pics?!.....Well, you could just go ahead and build the MHP....show him it will work ;-)

I had forgotten about this thread.....spring has sprung in Michigan, but/and snow is predicted for this weekend <rollseyes>.
I set some Wellie over blue laying EE, and some F1's from that cross, 19 into lockdown,
that are hatching now, in two bator baskets.
First hatched yesterday, another over night, and have 6 more pips as of right now.

....and yesterday I picked up 6 'Aruacana-Ameraucana strain' thru my mill, where I got the blue laying EE-so hoping for more.
BUT 2-3 have flat wyandotte-like combs, might go back and see what they have left and trade a few.

It's noisy at my house right now...but I plan on moving them and the MHP out to coop within a week.
New chick door installed and tested(THAT was interesting!) in coop partition wall.

Also have CL and BCM hatching egg possibilities in the next month....and have a line on some 'new last year' hog panels for hoop coop to be delivered.

 

[bobbi-j]

Yeah, Mrs. K - you keep telling yourself that. And don't forget to post pics of the chicks you're not getting...

Aart - pics are coming. Phone was dead yesterday, so will get them today.

 

[Folly's place]

I've got a Wyandotte hen setting on ten mixed breed eggs, as of Sunday. And about twenty chicks coming from Cackle next Friday. And maybe then I'll see what TSC has available; I've been strong so far! Mary

 

[bobbi-j]

Here is one that I snapped this morning. There is a cover for the box to help keep the heat in. When I went out to check on them this morning, they were all spread out contentedly around the light, but not huddled directly under it. Outside temp was 43*. I may lower it a bit this weekend when it's supposed to get down to the mid-20's.

 

[Mrs. K]

There is an incubator at school, I have a student that wants to hatch eggs, so I am setting them tomorrow. I plugged it in tonight, it is just a styrofoam incubator, but the kindergarten teacher last year had great success with it, so what the heck.

Currently I am getting 6-7 eggs a day... for two people, like I need more chickens!

Mrs K