Online Large Fowl Chat Thread

[CapricornFarm]

So the guy showed up late this afternoon to look at the possible site for the pond. But it will probably be June or July before it is dry enough to work there. Gives us time to clear out the brush. Today I forced myself to string barbed wire along the back of the property. I must contain the goats. If they were content to roam the woods it wouldn't be so bad, but they ended up at the neighbors place, and their garden has no fence. I strung wire all along the base of Goldenrod Gulch, and the whole back of the steep hilly pasture. One more strand and I will be happier with it. But it was awfully hot and I could feel myself dehydrating. There is already a fence, but the barbed wire makes it harder to climb.
Tomorrow I go to town , it will be a nice break
.

 

[CapricornFarm]

Today I bought a fish tank for chicks, two Cayuga ducklings to go with the one I hatched, and some baby girl clothes for DGD. It was after 4 when I got home, so feeding was a long drawn out process. Tomorrow I have to go to the dentist to get my new crown. Shipped two boxes of eggs today, two need to go out tomorrow . Bought a book to read, used to read one almost every day but now I go online.

 

[Chicken Coach]

Today i got the roof done and painted--i use rusty used sheet metal ,clean it up and paint it--and painted half of the windows for the coop.I'll try to get pics up tomorrow of coop number 2.

 

[shellyga]

Yesterday I was up on the 1/3 side (what we call the chick grow out area) of the coop picking up the caged white silkies I was selling when I smelled the distinctive ROTTEN EGG smell.. one of the broody hens had pushed out the egg.. thank goodness it happened outside.. she hatched out 3 - two black copper and one blue maran. I moved her box to the floor.. I did the same with a game hen (bought her cause she was CUTE - not realizing she was a game chicken..) - she left her chick and when back up to try to push another broody off the nest.. she was down with the chick late last night when I locked up.. we will see this morning.

Broody hens.. gotta love 'em

Happy Thursday everyone

Shelly

 

[CapricornFarm]

I had to go get the new crown put on at the dentists office today it didn't hurt because they numbed me up, but I hate that feeling too. At least it is over with. $400.00 later, even with insurance .
Seem to have little ambition , thinking I may sell some of these flocks. These feed bills are killing me. The weather is warm already and the bugs have started chewing me. Reading a novel, DH was surprised by that.

 

[DMRippy]

You are thinning and I am growing LOL.... I sold 10 Lavender split chicks yesterday... all she was going to get was the 5 mth old Dark Brahmas I had.... She came to Nashville to get 3 chickens and left with 16

I need more people like her....

I have babies hatching..... Finally some Olive Eggers hatched!. Apparently I am going to start hatching quail and duck eggs.....

 

[Arielle]

I had to go get the new crown put on at the dentists office today it didn't hurt because they numbed me up, but I hate that feeling too. At least it is over with. $400.00 later, even with insurance .
Seem to have little ambition , thinking I may sell some of these flocks. These feed bills are killing me. The weather is warm already and the bugs have started chewing me. Reading a novel, DH was surprised by that.

Maybe thin down to your favorites!

I ordered a few SS pullets at the feed store as Dh mentioned he likes them so much, I like them too, but figured he won't grump so much if I pick a breed he likes. I always find one off up in the woods by herself scratching up food.

One of my BA has gone broodie; I wonder if it is the same hen a last fa;;/winter. She did a nice job. Sat like a good broody doing her duty until the end. I took all the chicks to brood and she went back to her other job.

I need to meet an egg buyer tomorrow and get to a tack sale to buy odds and ends. I have a couple orders for eggs, just waiting for those hens to get laying. I guess the cold here is impeding the procedures.

 

[CapricornFarm]

I am thinking the Black Australorps may be the next breed to go. Already sold my Buckeyes. It gets confusing having more than one all black breed of chicken. I didn't post last night, busy watching the season finale of Spartacus. No more episodes until 2013

Plus I was really upset about finding one of my hens hanging upside down in the fence with her skin all pulled off her head and her guts hanging out. At first I thought it might have been a hawk, but where she was, I think she got stuck and the other chickens attacked her. One of my EEs.
I worked on burning leaves in the garden today, DH burned another brush pile on Huckleberry Hill. Pulled weeds in the raised beds, and turned the soil in one. Need to add lime and manure. Got lots of poo.... I caught goats, and dewormed them and trimmed feet. Got five done before one of them managed to whack me on the nose . Dang, that hurt. But I finished what I was doing. Maybe I can do the rest tomorrow. Weaned another kid today, lots of yelling about that. Maaaa.....

 

[corancher]

I hear you Deb about thinning down the breeds. I am taking a close look at my breeds and determining which to keep and which to let go.

I have already decided to consolidate my American BBS Orpingtons and my English Blood BBS Orpingtons which I have in separate pens now. I will be putting the rest of the best American hens in the English pen and selling the rest. I decided since I don't show and I perfer the look of the English Orps why not just continue with those. I only have myself to please and I don't need 40 BBS Orpingtons.

The feed bills keep going up and the hatching eggs market is way down so I have to make some choices.

 

[Arielle]

Sorry Deb on the horrendous loss of the EE hen. Velociraptors all. I hate the sound of weaned lambs, so I rarely wean before market time. Easter is next week, do you have customers for the Easter market?

I have one ewe left to lamb. Soon. She has turned very pink. Twins I think. I'm still bottle feeding the last two twins, mom is at least 10 years old and can't provide enough for these lambs. Two girls. Yeah! Likely to stay as replacements.

I had bought some AMerucanas for breeding but didn't realize blue is not the only egg color. Greens are just as common. I like the robin egg blues, the greens are not my favorites.

I have emails requesting POL hens. GUess this is a good time to let go of adult hens, Deb. How are your BA producing. THey are supposed to be good layers.

I look at my stock. THe marans are in high demand. I like the EE, pretty birds and pretty eggs.ANd the largest. The BO are good layers and eye candy and so sweet. I'm not sure of all the others what to eliminate yet.