Sdwd

[Serrin]

Don't count on a bounty on Bear and Cougar . As soon as someone mentions it out there the greenpeace tree huggers lawyers will be filling suit on behalf of the predators. LOL

To be sure! They've been rallying around the wolf flag for some time now. They mean well, but they just don't understand the finer points of predator management. Like the fact that the wolf population in Idaho has reduced the elk numbers by HALF in just the last 10 years!

Thankfully, the wolf population in Washington hasn't reached threatening numbers.....yet! As for bear and cougar....... I'm betting that the ranchers association has deeper pockets than the tree huggers!

It used to be that you had to buy your bear tag before opening day of rifle deer season. Not any more. It used to be that you had to buy your cougar tag back in the summer. Not any more. Now days, you can buy tags for either at any time during or before their respective seasons. Though the use of hounds and baiting are still prohibited. But, I expect that regulation will soon go the way of the Dodo too! Hell hath no fury like a rancher that discovers a dozen or so of his prize cows are missing!

 

[finnfur]

Update on Molt -
We have all been complaining about the heavy molt and no eggs .
We got six today and green one from Ameracauna which hasn't produced in 3 months. She is only one lays green eggs.
Also we culled today and included 6 older hens in addition to the Blue line Cockerals [ will post on Dels from Kathyinmo ]
Five of the six older hens had eggs forming . So may be its over

 

[wekiva bird]

Update on Molt -
We have all been complaining about the heavy molt and no eggs .
We got six today and green one from Ameracauna which hasn't produced in 3 months. She is only one lays green eggs.
Also we culled today and included 6 older hens in addition to the Blue line Cockerals [ will post on Dels from Kathyinmo ]
Five of the six older hens had eggs forming . So may be its over

 

[Serrin]

Molt? OMGosh! Did ours ever go through some brutal molts this year! Talk about some nekkid chickens! LOL! Most are done and look beautiful, but two are still in the pin feather stage of theirs. Not a good time to be a nearly naked hen with daytime highs in the single digits! As for eggs, the only girls pulling their weight are the four pullets. LOVE those girls! But to be fair, the rest of my girls are in the nearly four year age bracket. And FussyButt will be EIGHT come March! Can ya believe it?!?! I'll cry like a baby when that girl leaves me.

 

[rancher hicks]

My Dels never seem to have a heavy molt. I do plan to order some hatching eggs to improve the line though. I've got BRs' in the incu now and plans to order eggs asap.

It's hard to get eggs when it's this cold. Though I think packed well the should be okay.

 

[crazyhen]

Last yr. I ordered eggs and when they got to me they were frozen. Three hatched inspite of being frozen and are beautiful. They were packed well but I think they sat in the PO much to long somewhere. Good luck . I could not believe any hatched but they did. I will only hatch local eggs this Yr. until it warms in Spring.

 

[finnfur]

Got six eggs today - thats six two days in a row and I have six less hens today so things are on the positive side.

 

[Serrin]

You know it's cold when water in the bucket ices over five minutes after you put it outside!

 

[rancher hicks]

Last yr. I ordered eggs and when they got to me they were frozen. Three hatched inspite of being frozen and are beautiful. They were packed well but I think they sat in the PO much to long somewhere. Good luck . I could not believe any hatched but they did. I will only hatch local eggs this Yr. until it warms in Spring.

This is my concern, (freezing). My intend is to work on my flock. Weighing and culling til I get them up in weight. The same with my other breeds.
I will be learning to process, so growing them out will help improve my selective breeding. Too I have friends who can use the meat. So not only will I be donating eggs, but chicken as well.

 

[rancher hicks]

You know it's cold when water in the bucket ices over five minutes after you put it outside!

Yes dear you are getting the cold weather for sure.