2018 Newbie Chat!

[Cbarr00]

Still waiting for eggs here. 3 out of 4 seem to have red combs but evidently not red enough, lol. Pearl, my top of the pecking order pullet only has a mildly pink comb. Her rank may be in danger if someone starts laying.
Looks like about 8 inches of snow here. I have no idea what the official amount is. There's snow in the run, I don't know if the chickens have gone out of the coop yet. I don't see any footprints in the snow but they can get to the water and feed without hitting the snow. Only half of the run has snow and the feed and water are under the coop. It's still snowing although it has slowed considerably.

We got lots of double Yolkers when our girls first started laying. It was neat to see. I got one shell less egg too. I think my older pullets started around 21 weeks with the SS laying first. I'm so excited to see what color my EEs will be. I forget it's winter here in Texas. Our weather is so up and down. We had 3 days of mid 70s and sunshine. It was so nice! No mosquitos, no flies, no bugs. It was my dream weather. we made hamburgers on the grill for my birthday in January!

 

[Cbarr00]

Also does anyone here make their own bread? I've just began a sourdough starter last Sunday. I *think* it's coming along nicely and can't wait to make my first loaf! The chickens have inspired me to go into a more homegrown route. I need to buy seeds soon to start indoors and hopefully get my garden going this year. Last year with all the backyard renovations my garden failed my cilantro is still going tho! With the warm weather it popped back up from last year.

 

[llombardo]

Also does anyone here make their own bread? I've just began a sourdough starter last Sunday. I *think* it's coming along nicely and can't wait to make my first loaf! The chickens have inspired me to go into a more homegrown route. I need to buy seeds soon to start indoors and hopefully get my garden going this year. Last year with all the backyard renovations my garden failed my cilantro is still going tho! With the warm weather it popped back up from last year.

A friend of mine made cloud bread with cream cheese. It was good and I may try it.

I so want to set up a garden, it will be in raised beds hopefully.

 

[Anna Ranieri]

My black sex links are getting very big, red wattles and combs. I am hoping for some new eggs soon! My EEs are getting a little redder in their combs also. Cricket tried to go broody again. That's three times for her in the last couple of months. Then Cat tried to go broody as well a couple of weeks ago. I'm definitely not doing a large flock of SS again. If I had unlimited space a broody hen raising clutches every couple of months would be nice but this isn't the case. I don't think the girls have let Bear mate either. I see them chase him off still. He still makes sure to stay out of my space and if I'm in the coop I make him leave while I'm working so he knows it's not his business. He can tend to the girls while I clean and collect eggs. I make sure we all alternate going out every couple of days so he recognizes us and our chores.

Brilliant idea! Surely this will confirm to him that you are higher ranking than him, gaining his respect this making it easier to handle him. Really hoping having him works out for you

 

[Anna Ranieri]

We got lots of double Yolkers when our girls first started laying. It was neat to see. I got one shell less egg too. I think my older pullets started around 21 weeks with the SS laying first. I'm so excited to see what color my EEs will be. I forget it's winter here in Texas. Our weather is so up and down. We had 3 days of mid 70s and sunshine. It was so nice! No mosquitos, no flies, no bugs. It was my dream weather. we made hamburgers on the grill for my birthday in January!

Happy belated birthday glad you had a good day

 

[Cbarr00]

A friend of mine made cloud bread with cream cheese. It was good and I may try it.

I so want to set up a garden, it will be in raised beds hopefully.

That's what I'm hoping to do too! I was going to try 5 gallon buckets and large tubs and such last year but it didn't work out. I had some watermelon take off and okra but that was it. With 9ur pool gone I have room to do a small raised garden.

I'm going to have to look up this cloud bread!

 

[Cbarr00]

Happy belated birthday glad you had a good day

Thank you it was a good one! And I'm hoping it works too! I want him to know we can coexist peacefully. Once he's out of his teenage stage maybe he will calm down enough to be friendly. He has 11 ladies to hopefully keep him occupied and off of us.

 

[PNW_Peepers]

These are the eggs I’ve gotten the last few days.(minus the few I’ve selected for next round of incubating)They all look so pretty together.

Eggs are on lockdown. DH helped me lock them down when he got home this morning. I’m going to be watching them like a hawk for the next four days!

 

[Anna Ranieri]

These are the eggs I’ve gotten the last few days.(minus the few I’ve selected for next round of incubating)They all look so pretty together. View attachment 1646843
Eggs are on lockdown. DH helped me lock them down when he got home this morning. I’m going to be watching them like a hawk for the next four days!

I agree, they do look very pretty together and the basket helps set them off too - they make for a lovely picture.
Could you please tell me what 'eggs on lockdown' means?

 

[CannedMonster]

SO stinkin proud of Oliver today!!!

I was out with the flock for most of the day doing some long overdue gardening.
I had let Pippin and Cleo free range for the first time since I was out there.
All the other birds pretty much ignored both of them.
This means they’re fairly integrated and accepted.
After a long time I went into the house to eat.
I heard Oliver issue warnings over and over. He kept looking at the sky.
I went to the sliding glass door and looked out and saw a Cooper’s hawk flying low over the side yard.
By this time Oliver had jumped off the deck and gone into the middle of the yard still making alarm calls.
Pippin ran from underneath the eaves of the house, across the yard towards the coops.
The baby wasn’t with her.
I opened the door going out with DH right behind me.
Where’s the baby!?
Suddenly I saw her running to follow Pippin from under the eaves of the house.
Her instincts told her to stay there under cover while Oliver went out and made himself a target.
The hawk was gone by this time and Pippin took baby Cleo to the prefab coop run and we locked them in.

I’m so glad I have two roosters!
I’m very proud of Oliver and have a higher opinion of him.
He is very good at keeping watch and is willing to go out and make himself a target so the girls can get away.

It’s funny though because now some of the more dominant girls, like Emily, will chase Oliver away and even kick him off of another girl he’s trying to breed lol.