Pennsylvania!! Unite!!

[chippysmom327]

AND I stopped paying attention for a couple hours to go do some spring cleaning in the coops and I come back to 4 pips lol

A watched egg never pips

Finally caught up from Easter break... so much cuteness!!! I am so tired of the mud, even the grassy lawn is soggy and gross. The poor chicken run is a mud pit and it stinks so I opened up the fence to let them free range in the grass. it always makes me nervous because we don't have a fenced yard so three's nothing stopping them from visiting the neighbors or going out in the road. Had a scary moment today with the rooster... normally really sweet and showing no aggression towards us at all, but this afternoon he went after my 3yo. I think she scared him because she was running down the hill near the chickens (which were out in the yard again) and calling to her big sister. I was across the yard and carrying the baby so I couldn't get there before he jumped up at her twice. She wasn't hurt, just scared and now she's afraid to walk near him. I think they need more social time with us after a long winter of basically being out there alone. I had Evie give them some scratch grains. Anything else I can do (or help the kids do) to get him to chill out? He'll be in a stew pot and I'll lose my chance to expand our flock naturally if he doesn't calm down. DH will not stand for any aggressive birds. So Romeo has been pretty rough on the hens lately too... we only have 4 girls and I'm thinking he needs some more ladies. I had noticed some roughed up feathers on the hens backs a while ago, but today one of the BAs was rearranging her wings and I saw she actually has some bare skin under there. Someone here bought saddles or something for their girls a while back... where do you get them? are they hard to put on/keep on? One last question for Wing or anyone else who breeds rabbits... we bred ours for the first time a few weeks ago so se should be due today/tomorrow. I put a nest box filled with straw in her cage 2 days ago. She hasn't done anything to indicate she's getting a nest ready... and she pooped in the nest box despite me putting in in the corner opposite her normal poop spot. I'm worried we screwed up and he's either not pregnant (they were together for 2 days because she wouldn't let me pick her up to put her back in her cage), I did th nest box wrong (nest box from TSC, just stuffed with straw), or I have this (probably irrational) fear that we got the bunnies mixed up and the nest box is actually in with the male. I tried to feel their bellies yesterday when I was giving them snacks but I couldn't distinguish anything... should I be able to feel anything obvious if the doe is pregnant?

A pregnant doe typically develops a roll of extra fur under her neck, which she then pulls out for her nest. I always watch for the neck roll. A first time momma develops it in the last week or so before birthing. A doe who has had a litter before will have a small roll until that last week, then it will get noticably bigger.

Hello everyone! I'm from hookstown pa. (Near Pittsburgh. But closer to west Virginia and ohio). I just started my first flock. 2 Columbian rock crosses and 4 Deklab amberlinks. Anyone near me? Lol and does anyone know some info on these breeds?

I'm over in Ohio, about 45 minutes from the PA border just off of 40. I get over around Wheeling on occasion.

Guys, don't let anyone tell you that eggs over 10 days won't be viable. I set some 16 day old eggs that I didn't turn (I feel like the whole "turning hatching eggs" is a myth), and they're developing embryos. Just thought I'd post it for future reference.

I've set unturned eggs, a month old, that had been in the fridge the last week before going in the bator...and had over 50% hatch rate. Yep, they will still hatch.

Oh my gosh!!! A month! That's insane!

No matter how many times we do it, I'm still as excited as my 5 year old when chicks hatch! Today is the day! 2 hatched overnight and are dry and in the brooder and 17 more have pipped. Waiting anxiously for some sign from 12 more. Pictures to follow!

It did turn out to be a lovely day yesterday, today is proving to be the same! Shovel welding? You're doing metal now? Or did you mean weilding? It's always a pleasure to watch the chickens. Yesterday someone made a comment to me that I may not have chickens one day. Yeah right! Welcome to the party! We want pics! I would be so excited too! So nice out today. It's very hard to sit in work here with the door open, I may run out before 2:00 p.m. It's going to be a sore night though, I worked out yesterday and I want to get out there and garden a plenty today and that involved throwing bags of soil.

well thank you Annie...as soon as i posted that i was like..duh ...you all understand...admitting it is half the battle .... Going to be letting the girls out in the yard a little later, maybe the wind will die-down a bit...hey, at least it's not raining or snowing

5 out so far and 4 more pipped! Feeling good about this hatch. I'll put up good, cute pics once they're all out and fluffy

so cute!!

Guys, don't let anyone tell you that eggs over 10 days won't be viable. I set some 16 day old eggs that I didn't turn (I feel like the whole "turning hatching eggs" is a myth), and they're developing embryos. Just thought I'd post it for future reference.

will def. keep that little tid-bit in mind...when you first start hatching it is real easy to be overwhelmed with "don't do this".."only do that"...i think, like everything else, nature has a soft cushion, nothing is exact...if it was ..it wouldn't know how anything would survive..just my 2 cents.. , sorry i stole that one from ya Stake

A watched egg never pips

A pregnant doe typically develops a roll of extra fur under her neck, which she then pulls out for her nest. I always watch for the neck roll. A first time momma develops it in the last week or so before birthing. A doe who has had a litter before will have a small roll until that last week, then it will get noticably bigger. I'm over in Ohio, about 45 minutes from the PA border just off of 40. I get over around Wheeling on occasion. I've set unturned eggs, a month old, that had been in the fridge the last week before going in the bator...and had over 50% hatch rate. Yep, they will still hatch.

A month old and they were in the fridge..woo, you broke ALL the rules right there ....

I wonder how many of us will be cleaning out the coops this weekend? ! I just did............at least most of it............ I will be doing a bit more thorough version soon...........but for now...........the winter deep litter method is now in the compost pile! taking my babies out for their first day on the grass and sun............. I did put in a shovel of dirt and grass in their brooder so they could learn about it and get used to it! now for the real deal. I feel they cant be out really long because its not that warm.........and they are between 3-4 weeks so they still have the heat lamp. I am thinking a short outdoor romp must be okay though!

mine will have to wait for awhile..there is just no-way i am going to be ably to handle that right now.....their coop isn't too bad anyway...i use sand and clean everyday...i is dusty though, and their supplies...bowls/waterer and such could use a good scrubbing & bleach bath...maybe tomorrow...might not have such a intense headache..here's to hoping

You didn't steal it! I totally get what you're saying!

 

[18angovem]

Local TSC has a bin labeled Asians, anyone have a clue, they look like andalusion chicks to me

There are chickens inside right? lol

 

[OneMountainAcres]

I wonder how many of us will be cleaning out the coops this weekend?  !  

I just did............at least most of it............

I will be doing a bit more thorough version soon...........but for now...........the winter deep litter method is now in the compost pile!

taking my babies out for their first day on the grass and sun.............

I did put in a shovel of dirt and grass in their brooder so they could learn about it and get used to it!

now for the real deal.

I feel they cant be out really long because its not that warm.........and they are between 3-4 weeks so they still have the heat lamp.

I am thinking a short outdoor romp must be okay though!

I cleaned out my coops and runs over the week. Wow did they need it. I still want to climb in there with a bucket of soapy water and wipe down the walls and scrub up the roosts though. I'll get there eventually lol

 

[LittleMissPurdy]

some pics from today...Cordon got herself into a hole...she seemed to be enjoying herself though..

.icky stuff in there..



dogs had a good time too..


i love it when they do that..haha..all in a row...the grass is really greening up!

 

[chiques chicks]

The neck roll in rabbits can be tricky, I have a proven buck with a very large neck roll..

Those 2 bunnies look to be old enough to easily turn upside down and check...if you want o turn them upside down and snap some pics, we may be able to help..

LMP, I had a second litter born today, if you want Californian meat rabbits you are welcome to stop in another 8 weeks and get a breeding pair... always happy to enable.... I mean get others started on new adventures....offer open to anyone that would like to get a start in bunnies.

A few mixed available here as well.

 

[dheltzel]

I just finished setting 186 eggs, and had to stop because I ran out of room. If anyone close to Pottstown is interested in eggs (Rhodebar, New Hampshire, or Guineas), let me know. I have about 50 Rhodebar eggs we will end up selling for eating - those hens are fantastic layers!

I think I need another Sportsman incubator. I'm not addicted, I can stop anytime I want, really.

It's also hatch day and the first hatch of Bielefelders in underway. 2 are out so far.

 

[stake]

Time to put the fence up!


Speaking of fence, I went to put the ducks in and there was a fox trying to crawl underneath the fence! I am turning the duck run into an aviary so I removed some fence post so the fence was not taught so the fox could get under. I yelled, clapped, and ran at the fox but I dont know what else to do. Any suggestions on what to do with a problem fox?

for me locking the birds up and letting them out well after sunrise has worked so far, I did not have success with a live trap and I have a shot gun sitting in my dining room (makes guests feel right at home)....the question is, is your chooks easier to catch than the local wild game....

 

[18angovem]

for me locking the birds up and letting them out well after sunrise has worked so far, I did not have success with a live trap and I have a shot gun sitting in my dining room (makes guests feel right at home)....the question is, is your chooks easier to catch than the local wild game....

I think the fox goes for the harder prey... My aunt (We share property) has about 300 chickens and only about 200 go back into the coops at night so that leaves 100 chickens just roaming free and easy pickings but no the fox has to go for my expensive SQ call ducks which will only feed him about a mouth full other than my aunt red rangers or buff orpingtons.... I even had 4 buff orpingtons in my yard about 30 min before the fox... I do have a gun just inside my door (Gun case is in my entrance way) but the coop is on the other side of my yard (I have a big yard) so I couldnt see if it was the fox on the fence or a loose dog or even my dog.

 

[stac545]

Local TSC has a bin labeled Asians, anyone have a clue, they look like andalusion chicks to me

I was wondering the same thing about the Asian bin in our TSC.

 

[chippysmom327]

Local TSC has a bin labeled Asians, anyone have a clue, they look like andalusion chicks to me

I was wondering the same thing about the Asian bin in our TSC.

Maybe it means breeds of asian origin?