Michigan

[Ferrret]

Thanks for the advice Olive Hill and Opa! I'll get her nails trimmed up and I'll have to keep in mind to check them from time to time.

 

[Hillbilly Hen]

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Aren't they beautiful? You want more?

Glad you are enjoying them.

Don't you think a full 50 lb bag was enough?

I haven't planted all of them yet. I tried to give some away but no one wanted them

They are beautiful though.

 

[chickflick]

I guess that's enough...... for now!

They just keep multiplying like crazy.
Hot and humid today. Didn't take much to break out in a sweat. So, didn't do much today.

Oh well, it'll all be there when I'm ready.

 

[keyt1969]

Quote:
Aren't they beautiful? You want more?

Glad you are enjoying them.

Don't you think a full 50 lb bag was enough?

I haven't planted all of them yet. I tried to give some away but no one wanted them

They are beautiful though.

I used to LOVE hiacinths when I was asst manager at Walmart! I miss working in the garden center there when I got free stuff all the time! But, for the first time since I was living on my sister's farm, I get to have sunflowers. I planted 20 or so around here and some wild flowers and who knows what else. I get free stuff on fb all the time and I was sent about 60 packets of vegetable and flower seeds!

So today was quite warm. I had to spend some time inside which I hated. Not much I can do with a broken thumb anyway!

Tomorrow I have my consultation that I have been SO excited for. Hopefully i get what I want!!!

 

[Hillbilly Hen]

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I think I finally thawed out!

Good luck Keyt!

 

[gallinamama]

Wish I would of gotten this bit of info 10 days ago... I would of kept that fine rooster. But then again now he will win some ribbons...

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[Ferrret]

Curly's nails were clipped then filed so they weren't jagged. She was fairly calm through the whole process and I hope she keeps that attitude.

We haven't really got around to naming three of our silkies, one we just call little silkie and the other two are the black silkies. I think one of the black silkies will be named Broody from now on though.
She went broody again about a week ago, throws a fit any time we pull her off her imaginary eggs and has started to scare the others away from using the nest boxes.

We shut her out of the coop during the day to try and break her of being broody but she just paces around the yard wanting back in. She's even taken to attacking the others for being too close to the run, mostly Curly who's twice her size or more.

She does eat and drink while out in the yard, so I can't be too worried, and she hasn't roughed up any of the others beyond a few pecks.

 

[RIRJen]

WHOOOOHOOOO!!!

I just candled the eggs I have in my incubator for myself and Courtney's mom (Eeyore) and it looks like 9 polish eggs are good, 3 easter-eggers are good and the 3 silkie eggs we put in from Hannah's hen are good!!

Plus a bunch of Speckled Sussex eggs and other random chicken eggs from good layers. Anyone going to want Speckled Sussex chicks/eggs at Chicken stock? PM me if you do so I can get an idea of what to bring...it's getting close!!!

 

[RaZ]

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My girls free range all day, get a handful of scratch or so when I'm out there but get their feed at night, so they know they have to be inside or they get jipped lol. The ducks even do that too. They wait outside their door at night, I go out there and open it and they all go in there single file, straight for the food! Ever since someone suggested that I feed them at night, their eggs have been gorgeous! The eggshells are thick and not porous at all. very nice.

Did you have to transition your flock to nighttime feeding?
Mine go into the coop at night without much fuss and come out in the morning just as well. I keep feed and water available in the coop and outside at all times. They are still young, less than or about 2 months, should I consider a different management strategy?

 

[Chickmate]

Yes, it was warm today. Thunderstorms with LOUD thunder this morning around 11:00 sent the chickens scurrying into the coop. I have been free-ranging my older flock every day and they have been very good about sticking around the coop area in the back yard. A few sneaky ones go through the fence and into my flower beds on the other side, but they come back through when they find the rest are staying near the coop. I have a large entrance, about 3' x 3' under my deck that allows for access to the crawl space under the house. The chickens love to go under the deck and hang out where it's cool and shady. It's also a good place to dive for cover when a hawk flies over.

The FBCM chick flock now has their own 8 x 10 run to hang out in. I dragged my huge swan feeder in as well to use as a mini coop for them. The feeder is built like a huge dog house with a shingled roof and just had a hole big enough for the swans to stick their heads in to eat. It held 150 lbs of corn. I cut the hole into a door way and put pine shavings inside, so I'm hoping they will actually go into it to sleep. Tonight is the first night I'm leaving them out in the run with their new little house. Also leaving the pop door on the coop open so the older flock can come out in the morning as early as they want without waiting for me (NOT a morning person!!) to open it for them. Can't wait to get an automatic door. I'm a bit nervous about the chicks being out in the run and leaving the pop door open, but I really feel my run is predator safe or I wouldn't do it. It's just that it's the first time and I know how so many of us have THOUGHT nothing would happen and it did.

I have a light over the coop door and floodlights that illuminate the whole coop area and I'm sleeping with my window open, which is only 100 feet from the coop, so I'm hoping and praying everything is OK.

UPDATE: 11:15 p.m. and I had to go out in my pj's and muck boots to catch 10 FBCM chicks and put them back in the brooder in the chicken coop. They wouldn't go into the little coop I put in the run for them and they kept running around infront of the solar lights peeping like crazy! I thought when it got dark they would go in the coop or at least snuggle down in a corner of the run and go to sleep! I was sure nothing could get in to get them, but I didn't want to leave them out all night calling attention to themselves by making such a ruckus. I'm sure something would have heard them and come to investigate.

I thought I was done having to catch them every morning and night to put them in and out. It's stressful on them and me. I have to use a net to catch them. Oh well, at least I'll sleep better knowing they're inside.