4th Annual BYC NYD Hatch-a-long

[SilkieSensation]

My big cornish cross is already having issues with his single comb too. My buddy cuts the combs off of the roosters, but I can't bring myself to do that. I like the look of that big ol' comb, and most importantly, that would HURT!!! I have to figure something out to help protect the combs. :/

Apply Vaseline or Neosporine to the comb & waddles 2-3 times per week to prevent frostbite. Easiest to catch him for this after he goes to roost at night while he's sleepy.

 

[CelticOaksFarm]

We did our NPIP yesterday (December is suppose to be cooler here) in lovely high humidity and 80 degree temps. Hot sweaty mess to say the least after getting the birds all done. Have to schedule the goats next.

Marine congrats on getting yours done today!

 

[MarineCorpFarmr]

We did our NPIP yesterday (December is suppose to be cooler here) in lovely high humidity and 80 degree temps. Hot sweaty mess to say the least after getting the birds all done. Have to schedule the goats next.

Marine congrats on getting yours done today!

Thanks Celtic, now do me a favor and send that heat up this way . I was out breaking ice this morning... guh I hate the cold.
Scrapie tags on the goats?

 

[CelticOaksFarm]

eewww that bites with so many birds too

 

[MarineCorpFarmr]

eewww that bites with so many birds too

Heck the birds had already busted the ice up.. after they snuck outta the coop. Pesky little things. Had them penned in so i wouldnt have to chase em this morning.. fail. They met mr net . Ducks water didnt freeze that I saw but the horses goat and pig all looked dumbfounded till I took the claw hammer to the ice.

E: spellin

 

[CelticOaksFarm]

ok todays goal is:

1 -- figure out how to build a goose safe hay feeder for the dividing fence line between the Alpha and Beta Dewlap Toulouse breeding paddocks. They each have their covered feeder area, want to get the hay up off the ground for less waste.

2 --work on goat loft flooring for their loafing area to raise it up and make a dry space for them to sleep on. Make it low enough our poor fainting wether can get up too.

 

[chiqita]

GGOOOOD Morning!

Your Icelandic is indeed lovely!
And from everything I've read they are going to be great (I'm on a waiting list for May 2013 chicks , but maybe will find eggs sooner??)
But the reason I MUST have a flock is to go with MY Icelandic




The Braids are Traditional Norse Wedding Braids which only I as wife can touch, & he didn't leave our land w/o them for the first 7 yrs of our being married.
(then his hair got thin so we keep them in a box and his head is bald now) But really, I think he needs some Icelandic hens to hang out with asap : )
What do you think? votes on we NEED Icelandic chickens for him?? (& a cute brown duck for of course
FeyRaine, DW to an actual Viking (& no, I'm short w/ dark hair, thats why *I* get the call duck...)

YES! but warning, Icelandics can get out of anything. I have not found them spectacular at getting back in however. What I think is great about them is they are like a mini set of all chickens. can have all sorts of colors , crests, etc, so a vary varied flock, but still 1 chicken. DH likes this breed and basques, he is toying with what one he wants to keep. He calls them prepper chickens since they are both wonderful at foraging and surviving on their own and still dual purpose.

Good Morning

from balmy 36 degree Arkansas, finally didn't have to bust water this morning

It was 36 is SAN JOSE this morning according to my phone, I went out at 630 to let the chickens out and decided it was too cold and made DH do it. This got me the evil eye for about 1/2 hr from him AND them.

Am thinking some chickens would like this:

I have a hen that is trying to grow back the feathers on her head due to some sort of attack, she could really sue one of thees. Seriously, if anyone makes hats for chickens ( silkies and marans) and cot s let me know! They would have to strap on however. Poor quails are always going bald in breeding season, they would be so grateful. Little scalpie would be happy too!

Went reading through all the contest some don't have threads yet. Was going to enter the cutest chick, but noticed it said the chick must be from the 3rd annual NYD hatch (last years) so that eliminates many participating this year.

Check with Nifty and lor, They were redoing some and I bet some typos were made, they are trying to be careful with these so I'm not sure of the answer, but I bet there is one.

So I am wondering... it was posted here that we could still set eggs on Friday and be included in the contests (but not the first hatched one) is that right? I thought that had been said because of so many of us are still waiting on eggs due to slower than normal shipping times. So I am waiting to take my pic and post it until my last set of eggs arrive tomorrow. However, the guess the number of eggs set contest ends tonight? How is that going to work??

The contests for guesses ends Friday. everything will not be posted, but I too did not count or go through it, seemed unsportsmanlike. Once again check with Nifty or lor if you have more questions, i do understand why you would.

If we set eggs a little bit early, can they still be counted in the hatch along (but not the first chick out)? Because I want to get my quail eggs in ASAP when they arrive, so I'll be setting them close to 11pm tonight, instead of 12 noon tomorrow. They'll hatch New year's eve into NYD.

Yes. first chick is the one with the strict times.

 

[gabrielle1976]

I'm not doing the contests for several reasons, but I would hope what some of you are expecting doesn't happen, and that people here have enough integrity to make it fun and simply guess, rather than the alternative.

In other news, this is our monthly forecast for here. It's all below freezing at night but if it stays in the 20s I'll be very happy for our chickens. They did okay at 14 degrees I guess, but I could tell they weren't exactly thrilled with it. I'm trying not to pay attention to the record lows.

I have 2 live birds being sent today and 2 on Monday. They'll be very well packed up with heatpacks and each other for warmth (and they're not traveling very far) but I worry about those ones. They're all over 5 months (they're not day-olds). After that I won't be ordering any more hatching eggs or chickens until at least Spring.

I to am hopeing that with so many good peope here everyone makes a fair guess and just enjoys the fun , I refuse to change my answer even if 1000 more eggs are added , I made my guess and IM gonna stick to it , this is all just so much fun and its so neat to read everyones stories ad comments this is what life is all about enjoying peoples company. So I hope everyone just sits back and enjoys the contests for what they are sapose to be , Fun,

 

[gabrielle1976]

I wonder if you started early enough if you could get chickens use to wearing little fleece comb covers to protect them.

 

[tadpole98]

We are getting a new barn built, and yesterday they poured down the concrete. I have these 7 chickens who cant get enough of people, and I always notice them out with the barn builders.
Well today when i went out to see it all, i noticed the concrete had a bunch of chicken foot prints all over it.

When they noticed me laughing, they came over and said the chickens were out there having a blast in it.