Pennsylvania!! Unite!!

[chickachickayea]

I didn't set any tonight in an incubator...but we had two natural incubators finish their jobs today, lol...

Muffin has 5/5, all silkie chicks this time...

Little Foot had 4/5 with #5 having an internal pip but quit there

And of course Mindy was supervising the new mamas

SO adorable! Congrats!

Everytime i see that I think "would that even fit in the basement?"  
Scary thought. I could probably fill it. I set 480 tonight -- but some of them are "long shots" (1 peafowl egg, 14 ducks that were not fertile 3 weeks ago, and some bantam ameraucanas that have never been fertile).

And I didn't set nearly all the eggs I collected this week. I think the total was about 700, I've been getting 100 or more each day. e

WOW!

 

[chickachickayea]

So, what's this I see about the chicken train operating sometime around Easter???  I really shouldn't get more chickens, buuuuut... I have been thinking about getting a couple more blue/olive layers, and/or BCM.  I can only have hens, though, so I have to stick with autosexing chicks or started pullets/hens.  If there's a chance that a good olive egger, blue egg black sex link, LF lavender or silver ameraucana, and/or BCM might be available to head towards Pittsburgh, I'd love to know!  @dheltzel
, I think you're the most likely source of everything I mentioned, but if others have them, I'm all ears.       

I second this!
I am resisting the urge to go to TSC just to see the chicks... Because I know I will buy some

But I'd rather buy from the chicken train instead!

 

[dheltzel]

And in other critter news, got my second double yolker from Dheltzel's famous CCLs. Ouch!




Why do they insist in being on the deck and right next to the kitchen door? I just cleaned the deck. Lol

Edited to add: I just noticed my dog looks like Alf in this picture! Haha!

Wow, that has to be a shock to those little pullets.
The turkeys are interested in what you are doing in there -- it's like "people TV" to them.
Seriously, people become a very important part of a turkey's life. I brought some wild garlic to my turkey hens today and I really think they are in love with me. Clarise still comes up puts her head in my lap to be stroked. I have a few bantams that are also very petable, but the turkeys are just "more so", don't quite know how to describe it.

 

[dheltzel]

So, what's this I see about the chicken train operating sometime around Easter??? I really shouldn't get more chickens, buuuuut... I have been thinking about getting a couple more blue/olive layers, and/or BCM. I can only have hens, though, so I have to stick with autosexing chicks or started pullets/hens. If there's a chance that a good olive egger, blue egg black sex link, LF lavender or silver ameraucana, and/or BCM might be available to head towards Pittsburgh, I'd love to know! @dheltzel , I think you're the most likely source of everything I mentioned, but if others have them, I'm all ears.

Most of those I should have. Instead of the BCM, I hope to have plenty of Welbars around that time, and they are very sexable. The Ameraucanas are not sexable as chicks, but Silvers are sexable at 3 4 weeks. Lavenders are very hard to sex until they are several months old. The redeeming thing about them is if you end up with a roo, they are about the easiest breed/color to sell to a good home.

 

[AnneInTheBurbs]

And in other critter news, got my second double yolker from Dheltzel's famous CCLs. Ouch!


Why do they insist in being on the deck and right next to the kitchen door? I just cleaned the deck. Lol


Edited to add: I just noticed my dog looks like Alf in this picture! Haha!

Wow, that has to be a shock to those little pullets.
The turkeys are interested in what you are doing in there -- it's like "people TV" to them.
Seriously, people become a very important part of a turkey's life. I brought some wild garlic to my turkey hens today and I really think they are in love with me. Clarise still comes up puts her head in my lap to be stroked. I have a few bantams that are also very petable, but the turkeys are just "more so", don't quite know how to describe it.

Yes, those CCLs are great layers indeed. The turkeys are funny. I really enjoy them. So far, free ranging the flock has gone very well. Because of that, my feed bill is pretty low. I give them all one large scoop of food every day, and they usually don't even eat that much.

 

[dheltzel]

Yes, those CCLs are great layers indeed. The turkeys are funny. I really enjoy them. So far, free ranging the flock has gone very well. Because of that, my feed bill is pretty low. I give them all one large scoop of food every day, and they usually don't even eat that much.

Do you feel like the turkeys watch over the chickens, maybe giving some hawk protection?

 

[AnneInTheBurbs]

Yes, those CCLs are great layers indeed. The turkeys are funny. I really enjoy them. So far, free ranging the flock has gone very well. Because of that, my feed bill is pretty low. I give them all one large scoop of food every day, and they usually don't even eat that much.

Do you feel like the turkeys watch over the chickens, maybe giving some hawk protection?

I do. Simply for the fact I haven't seen a hawk at all, and we are right next to a large state park and lots of privately owned forest. I know they are out there. I wonder too if it has to do with the large amount of turkey vultures we have that circle. Some nights I could probably easily count 50. We have a lot of pine trees so I surmise that gives them more protection.

 

[dheltzel]

I do. Simply for the fact I haven't seen a hawk at all, and we are right next to a large state park and lots of privately owned forest. I know they are out there. I wonder too if it has to do with the large amount of turkey vultures we have that circle. Some nights I could probably easily count 50. We have a lot of pine trees so I surmise that gives them more protection.

I wonder if white turkeys are optimal for guard duty. Normally, they say to avoid white birds because hawks spot them easier, but if you wanted to advertise the fact that a large bird is there and might attack a hawk, white would make them stand out and maybe even look larger than they are. Turkeys often don't move as fast as a roos would, but their size makes an attack a lot more of a risk for a hawk.

Love them turkeys!

 

[chickachickayea]

I hope everyone is safe and sound after that storm!

My two reds were outside enjoying themselves too much during the torrential downpour and lightning - making me a big worrying mess watching them! They casually strolled inside right before it started hailing

A friend of ours in Lancaster was very lucky with some very large uprooted trees that missed his house... :O

 

[AnneInTheBurbs]

I hope everyone is safe and sound after that storm!

My two reds were outside enjoying themselves too much during the torrential downpour and lightning - making me a big worrying mess watching them! They casually strolled inside right before it started hailing  

A friend of ours in Lancaster was very lucky with some very large uprooted trees that missed his house... :O

Wow, glad you and your friend are okay. My girls were braving the storm also. They hid under the coop during the worst of it, but after it slowed a bit, they were outside roaming around as if nothing was going on. They were getting rained on, but that wasn't going to stop their search for nibbles! They are very smart, they know exactly how dark it has to be for their automatic door to shut...