Minnesota!

[Minniechickmama]

Have you considered getting the 'peeper' that go on their face so they can't see what is in front of them to peck? I agree, we NEED Spring to come soon. We are a week from any real warm up, but I am anxious! My whole hatching season has been screwed with this garbage. Last year I was on hatch 7 or 8 already, but this year I am having really low fertility more than anything. The warm weather should get those boys going, but this cold is not their friend. I am thinking I should paint a beach scene in the coops and play Jimmy Buffett "Let's all just get drunk and screw".

 

[cochins1088]

Have you considered getting the 'peeper' that go on their face so they can't see what is in front of them to peck? I agree, we NEED Spring to come soon. We are a week from any real warm up, but I am anxious! My whole hatching season has been screwed with this garbage. Last year I was on hatch 7 or 8 already, but this year I am having really low fertility more than anything. The warm weather should get those boys going, but this cold is not their friend. I am thinking I should paint a beach scene in the coops and play Jimmy Buffett "Let's all just get drunk and screw".

I've been struggling with fertility too.

Only half of the silver laced cochin bantam eggs were fertile and none of the black cochin bantam eggs were. I need to get hatching, so I learned how to AI today. It was easier than I thought it'd be.

 

[AvianEgo]

Hello fellow Minnesota victims! I'm sick of frozen eggs, so i woke up at 530 this morning to collect my saxony girl's eggs. 530 on a Sunday!! I must be crazy.

 

[Triplell]

Yup I think we are all crazy!!! Crazy for poultry for sure. With this weather and my Fibromyalgia really flaring up I am doing chores later in the day when it is warmer. Only three days did I have all frozen eggs other wise just I end up with just a few frozen. I just wish it would warm up soon.

 

[Minniechickmama]

I've been struggling with fertility too.

Only half of the silver laced cochin bantam eggs were fertile and none of the black cochin bantam eggs were. I need to get hatching, so I learned how to AI today. It was easier than I thought it'd be.

Fertility is low likely because of the cold, so I dont' know if AI is going to be a solution. Generally, roosters tend to have a harder time producing sperm to be fertile. Some breeds are more likely to have these issues that other. For instance, my Cornish have been very slow to fertility in the colder months. The other factor is age, the older a rooster is, the more the cold will effect them. I know it isn't all about their willingness to breed, because I have seen rooster 'active' with the hens and I still don't get development. One breed I have that is NOT having an issue now is the New Hampshires. That rooster is doing his job, at least. But even that pen has just given me good eggs in the last couple of weeks.
Don't worry folks, they will come around, but they need some sun and a little better temperatures.

 

[fatfluffycochin]

Hey everyone!! We are looking for a few pullets to add to our small backyard flock this spring. Having a hard time finding someone to sell me just one of a breed tho. I am specifically looking for a silver laced wyandotte and a red blue laced Wyandotte, an olive egger or any neat colored standard Cochins(would be open to others as well as long as we didn't already have one). Message me if anyone has or knows anyone who will have chickens for sale! We are in south eastern MN near Rochester.

 

[mnhomestead]

Hey everyone!! We are looking for a few pullets to add to our small backyard flock this spring. Having a hard time finding someone to sell me just one of a breed tho. I am specifically looking for a silver laced wyandotte and a red blue laced Wyandotte, an olive egger or any neat colored standard Cochins(would be open to others as well as long as we didn't already have one). Message me if anyone has or knows anyone who will have chickens for sale! We are in south eastern MN near Rochester.

Minniechickmama is close to you and sells a few of those breeds, though not sure if she will have pullets available...

 

[Minniechickmama]

Hey everyone!! We are looking for a few pullets to add to our small backyard flock this spring. Having a hard time finding someone to sell me just one of a breed tho. I am specifically looking for a silver laced wyandotte and a red blue laced Wyandotte, an olive egger or any neat colored standard Cochins(would be open to others as well as long as we didn't already have one). Message me if anyone has or knows anyone who will have chickens for sale! We are in south eastern MN near Rochester.

I'll pm you what I have.

Thanks, Amanda!

 

[jbenson]

AAARRRGGGHHHH!!!! GO HOME POLAR VORTEX, YOU'RE DRUNK!

Sorry, I just had to let out my frustrations. The feather picking has gotten so bad that I'm going to separate my two poor Australorps tomorrow. Up until now it's just been feathers, but today they broke skin and I don't want it escalating any farther. I've tried upping protein, hanging cabbage, baking flock blocks, avia charge in the water, smearing vaporub on the victims, spraying with bluekote.... I feel like the only cure is summer time!

I'm with you on this one. The pecking has gotten pretty bad for us too. The frizzles are getting the brunt of it. One looks like a Turken she's so bald. Two have no feathers on their backs. Several ladies are missing most or all of their tail feathers. No remedy has fixed it for us either, they are just going stir crazy. I stopped opening the door cause they won't go outside due to the snow depth and I thought it silly to let the cold air in if they weren't going to go outside. I'm so sick of it. It's been near impossible to keep things clean too since they freak out and fly at my head while I'm scooping the floor (we have a slab floor coop). In the nice weather, I lock them out in the run while I clean. I want spring so badly. Thank goodness no skin has been broken yet because I'd have to bring the victim in the house. I've not no place outdoors to separate them anymore.

 

[SouthDakotan]

I hung an onion bag with various scraps & two suet blocks in it, in my hen house which was way to small for the numbers being forced to stay inside all winter! It apparently worked! Initially I had tail feathers being picked. Then I hung the bag and after that all of it stopped.

Gives them something to focus on during the winter boredom & also gives them more suitable sources of protein & such. You may try it & see if it helps you during the next few weeks.