ALABAMA!!

[Ceraglassics]

Welcome. We are not far south from you. In the upper left corner of Elmore county(Holtville).

I have a daughter living there!!...Went there during Thanksgiving to find some 'greens' for dinner and no one had any! Told my daughter that I knew what I was going to do this year - grow some greens and come to Slapout to sell them..LOL

 

[Ceraglassics]

I (sadly) gave 4 of my ladies and 1 rooster away. Since then no one is missing tail feathers, no pecked eyes....Think this is due to the fact that these were mostly RIR. That mama was one mean heifer! When putting her with the rest of the babies she would terrorize the others when they would even walk by her young. I took her out for about 3 weeks and tried putting her back in there and then all the tail feathers and eyes started missing...Hoping this will solve our problem! Hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and an even Happier New Year!

 

[Stumpy]

I just read the latest from James Spann; "The new GFS model is coming in colder for early next week. We might have a hard time getting out of the teens Monday, followed by a low near 5 degrees at daybreak Wednesday, if the model is correct. "

I've never had to deal with these temps since I've had chickens and I am a bit concerned since I have an open air coop. I have it mostly wrapped in plastic for the winter, but I don't think this will be enough. What are y'all doing to prepare?

 

[Ceraglassics]

Ours is mostly open also, but recently I have covered it with plastic and a bit of felt I found, thankful that my dad worked at a papermill (hahaha). I also added 2 clamp lamps last night!

 

[Tomtommom]

My coop is mostly open, with a sheltered area. They were keeping eachother toasty last night.. only had to break some ice in their water this morning.


Back to the rooster thing. I *just* found out the girl is NOT a girl. I have spent the last 17 weeks raising two roosters. I am SO upset. I noticed a bit of hackle feathers coming in last week, but kind of shrugged it off. Going to have to cull him, as he has weird deformed toes.. something I was willing to deal with in a hen, but a rooster is going to breed and that's just no good (I don't think it's genetic.. but who wants a deformed rooster if you can get good ones a dime a dozen?).

Keeping the pretty fellah a while longer, as he's quiet.... going to have to dispatch the other shortly. No use even cleaning him... lanky bird without meat. *sigh* What a waste of time.

 

[Tomtommom]

That's the handsome fellah. The one that apparently doesn't crow... He's up for a new home, still. Just can't have the stress of 'eventual crowing'. The other one is so shy, he runs off whenever I get within 8 ft. No pics of him. He's the one that will have to be culled.

 

[Dylon]

Question for everyone....

I forgot to collect some silky eggs last night... And it was COLD. I had planned to incubate them. Do you think they will stll hatch??

 

[kimberly35042]

They probably froze if left out overnight. Throw them out.

 

[Dylon]

Question for everyone....

I forgot to collect some silky eggs last night... And it was COLD. I had planned to incubate them. Do you think they will stll hatch??

They probably froze if left out overnight. Throw them out.

Thought so

 

[Ceraglassics]

@TomtommomHandsome fella he is and wonderful job on pics. I get in there with mine, soon as I click it's like they scatter. It's funny though the first thing I noticed in your pic is the bench (?), pretty also.