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Congrats! Go broodies!
 
She did it!!
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She did it!!!
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Maggie laid her first egg since her arrival here!!
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Oh Kathy! It's easily the prettiest egg in the coop! No wonder she's been wanting to hang out with the boys!
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She's ready to think about starting another family I think. I caught her yesterday and today in the act of nest building. Hmmmmm...I wonder if that means she's getting serious about hatching, or if it just meant that she was ready to start laying again? I'm definitely going to have to keep a closer eye on her for the next few weeks.....right after I fix that gaping escape hole between the big coop run and the boys house!
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What a little tart!
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Oh, and since we're reporting egg tallies today, I picked up 16. Two were from last night, so today's number was actually 14. Not too shabby from 13 young girls who just started laying back in late September/ early October, three elderly ladies (almost 5 years old) one middle aged lady, and now Maggie!
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I'm sooooooo proud of my girls!
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Even through the darkest, coldest winter days, they just keep laying! There's something to be said for mutts ya know!
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The roads were vastly improved today, but we have another storm approaching late tonight/ early tomorrow morning. We've gotten everything town wise done that we needed to do and we're good on all fronts for at least the next two weeks. And with girls who are laying this good, it's a sure bet that we'll never starve!
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Cetawin, congrats on Joleta Bey arriving safe and sound. She certainly seems to know who's in charge already, doesn't she!??
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Yard full o' rocks :

Ok y'all....I have a question. All of my coops open out into a covered run so I do not close that door every evening. Each coop also have a "people sized" door on the back that opens up to the "chicken yard". At any rate, I have 4 of my Col Rock girls that roost OUTSIDE in the covered run every night. 2 on a small a-frame perch and 2 on a stick run between the wires. Tonight its pouring down rain, in the 40s, and all 4 are outside. Now, they know how to go in 'cause that's where the food is. My question is, do I force them into the coop or let them be and let them decide what to do and when to do it?? Crazy girls....aint got much sense

Scott, all I can say with any certainty regarding chickens and their roosting choices is, "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure". So many things can go wrong with leaving them outside for the night, not the least of which is the weather. There is also the issue of nocturnal predators. They may be relatively safe in the covered run from threats on the wing, but I've seen what coyotes can do to simple chicken wire. It's no match for a determined and hungry predator!

Your best bet, both for their health and their safety, is to bring them inside. The only time I let mine spend a night outside is in the middle of summer, when nights are mild and predators are virtually nonexistent, or at least have other pray that is much easier to obtain.

On the subject of feed prices: Just yesterday I paid the following for 50# quantities: Scratch - $10.99, Layer Crumble 16% - out of stock, Cracked Corn [for the deer] $11.99.

What has really shot up in the last 6 months is the price of pine shavings!
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At the beginning of spring I think I was paying something like $4.49 per 3.8 cu. ft. bale. Just yesterday I paid $6.99 per bale!
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WHY? Somebody please explain to me why a simple byproduct of timber harvest and processing can jump nearly $3 in just a few months? I just don't get it!
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If the price goes back down next spring, you can bet your bippy that I'm going to be stocking up then for our winter needs. The flock spends so much time free ranging in the summer that I only have to clean their coop about two or three times from May to the end of September. But once November comes, and the nights are long, I'm cleaning nearly every two weeks from top to bottom, and frequent touch ups the rest of the time. That gets kind of expensive, ya know?!?
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I just drove down and tucked Jo in for the night...she was dozing when I got there but accepted a few pats and rubs...a one big ole hug. She nickered a bit when I was leaving and walked to the fence so I stopped and told her I would be back in less than 12 hours with her grain, hay and some goodies. She was dozing again by the time I said hello to my neighbors and got in the truck.

Now to repair the fencing that blew down and get the stall finished up for her...shavings must be put down and such. So, she should be here at her permanent digs in just a couple of days.


I knew I had forgotten a pic earlier...the pic of Joleta's fenceline neighbors....The palomino dappled mare on the left is the cappuccino thief...the foal is her baby and the tobiano marked girl in the back is half sister to the foal....she and Joleta had about 15 minutes of alpha posturing and squealing to go through...but they both settled down pretty quickly.

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Your prices look similar to mine. The prices are getting ridiculous! I have been paying $7. for a bale of pine bedding for quite some time. It is just crazzzyyyyyy! I haven't even checked the receipt the last few times, when I had DD pick it up. There has got to be a cheaper way......
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Do you realize how hard it is to not run out and check under that broody? I want to knoooooooow how many babies she has! Must. Wait. Until. Morning.

Today was an exciting day. Horses arriving, hens laying eggs, babies hatching.....what else, what else.....
 

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