Any one want to join me in waiting for eggs, posting and comparing notes?

[kacklinkelly]

Loving your girls all over the backyard furniture -- looks just like at my house LOL. Is that an EE I see on the chair? She's really pretty.
Thanks all for the congrats and well wishes...it is so nice to share with people who get excited with you...most people just smile and say things like oh ant that nice....chicken people are the best!

Yep, She was sold as an Americauna (of course) but after getting educated on this site, I now know better. No matter, she's top hen, feisty and funny.

Wow, if I had a fence like yours, the only predator I'd have to worry about is hawks. Very pretty. Your BA will come through with the prettiest little egg. Not all of mine are laying or squatting and none of them sing.

Our fence is supposed to be rattlesnake proof, yet they have found their way into our yard/pool a couple of times. Only babies, but where there are babies...
Also, just outside the fence is an area where the coyotes like to hunt. We hear them consistently having their feeding frenzy at night time and I always wonder who was for dinner.
People tell me the coyotes can clear a 6 foot fence even with something in their mouth. Of course, we have hawks and owls too. The girls only get free range time when I can
be out there with them.

To those of you going through a rough time right now, please know there are people who care. Even if you can't see us or know anything about us. I believe those of us who respect the lives of animals and have a few years on this plant understand that life can throw a lot at us when we least expect it. Sometimes, well for me, these chickens were able to get me through a very rough patch that the people in my life were unable to. It was by complete coincidence (or was it) that I ended up with chickens 6 months ago. My life and spirit have been on an upswing ever since. I wish the same for you. If you are in a place of not believing that possible for you right now, please just hang in until you can. The rest of us will send you positive energy and hopefully funny pics and stories to keep you company.

MB, I believe you have created a special spot for us to spend time together.

 

[Melabella]

I had a friend and a cousin that could do amazing couponing... but nothing like that Debbie. Wow

MB ... perfect pic! I wish I could get an action shot of my girls running around... I need a better camera and a LOT of luck for that. Yup... tomorrow night... set clocks forward. sigh... less sleep.. but more daylight hours. That will be good. Maybe that will encourage my Amber to think about growing up and laying her first egg.

It is great isn't it Cat? That woman LaurenScheuer.com has some very nice pictures and blog. Every day we creep towards those longer days!

Just as something to think about. I was once in a similar situation and everyone would ask why would I put a man before my children. Well I didn't, he would never let me leave with all three. Between working 12+ hours a day to pay ALL the bills, then coming home and doing all the housework and tending to kids and an insanely abusive man, I couldn't think. I became like a zombie. At times I don't even know when I slept or if I slept or if I had eaten. Trust me, no woman will put a man before her children, if she has all her mental capacities in place. But sometimes, you can be put into a point of just surviving from day to day. Scared that if you go to get help they won't believe you (had that happen and when I got home he nearly killed me for trying to get help). Scared that if you try to run to a shelter you will lose your kids (happens all the time cps will snatch children away from you while you are in a shelter running for your lives). It took him going to jail for me to be able to get far enough away to be able to escape and even then, that didn't come easy. I lost everything, including my children by the time all was finally done. But now all four of us are doing much much better. I get updates and I know they are safe from him, I just miss them horribly.

Always try to see what is on the other side of that closed door before you wonder. A lot of times there are very valid reasons for their behavior if you can see the whole picture.

Hello StelleKitten, and welcome to the thread! I've had one hell of an exhausting day, and reading your thread put it into perspective. I am happy you now realize your strength, and will not settle for less than ever again. Poignantly said, and I wish nothing but the best that life can offer to you and your children... Blessings, and nice to have you,

Yep, She was sold as an Americauna (of course) but after getting educated on this site, I now know better. No matter, she's top hen, feisty and funny.

Our fence is supposed to be rattlesnake proof, yet they have found their way into our yard/pool a couple of times. Only babies, but where there are babies...
Also, just outside the fence is an area where the coyotes like to hunt. We hear them consistently having their feeding frenzy at night time and I always wonder who was for dinner.
People tell me the coyotes can clear a 6 foot fence even with something in their mouth. Of course, we have hawks and owls too. The girls only get free range time when I can
be out there with them.

To those of you going through a rough time right now, please know there are people who care. Even if you can't see us or know anything about us. I believe those of us who respect the lives of animals and have a few years on this plant understand that life can throw a lot at us when we least expect it. Sometimes, well for me, these chickens were able to get me through a very rough patch that the people in my life were unable to. It was by complete coincidence (or was it) that I ended up with chickens 6 months ago. My life and spirit have been on an upswing ever since. I wish the same for you. If you are in a place of not believing that possible for you right now, please just hang in until you can. The rest of us will send you positive energy and hopefully funny pics and stories to keep you company.

MB, I believe you have created a special spot for us to spend time together.

thank you kacklin,, so sweet of you to say, we all make this a lovely place to come, and wait, and talk about our animals. You explain something that has always been woven into the fabric that is my life. Horses saved me in every way in which a person can be saved. Kept me focused, cheered me up, hung my dreams on them, they led me to my husband, and then through him to my beautiful children. Three dogs later, and now, 10 chickens, the list grows. I can't imagine a world without animals, and green, green nature. I am SO thankful for this little 6 acres of the planet that have our names attached to it,, borrowed for a while, until it passes to the next person that will hopefully honor it as we try to. Thank you for sharing, and hugs to you!

OK,, NOW,,, back to the matter at hand..... I AM DONE WITH SNOW>>>>10 INCHES, with a 2 ft drift in front of the garage and barn doors. Chickens stuck in the coop all day, and huge drifts in their run... only thing is tomorrow is supposed to go up to 45. Then it will mud mud mud.

Tomorrow DD had her 4-H presentation. Will probably take all day, so many kids. She is doing it about her father. So adorable..
MB

 

[nakstk]

Just as something to think about. I was once in a similar situation and everyone would ask why would I put a man before my children. Well I didn't, he would never let me leave with all three. Between working 12+ hours a day to pay ALL the bills, then coming home and doing all the housework and tending to kids and an insanely abusive man, I couldn't think. I became like a zombie. At times I don't even know when I slept or if I slept or if I had eaten. Trust me, no woman will put a man before her children, if she has all her mental capacities in place. But sometimes, you can be put into a point of just surviving from day to day. Scared that if you go to get help they won't believe you (had that happen and when I got home he nearly killed me for trying to get help). Scared that if you try to run to a shelter you will lose your kids (happens all the time cps will snatch children away from you while you are in a shelter running for your lives). It took him going to jail for me to be able to get far enough away to be able to escape and even then, that didn't come easy. I lost everything, including my children by the time all was finally done. But now all four of us are doing much much better. I get updates and I know they are safe from him, I just miss them horribly.

Always try to see what is on the other side of that closed door before you wonder. A lot of times there are very valid reasons for their behavior if you can see the whole picture.

Sorry to hear you went through that. I have a very dear friend that I call my sister because we are so close. She went through some thing very similar to you. He ex has been in and out of jail and prison for different crimes both against her and other things. She ended up in the hospital because of him.
but, My cousins situation is very different. Her ex was not abusing her in any way. He cheated on her and she cheated on him and they ended up divorcing. One weekend while she had visitation she gave her kids and her kid's friends Vodka and wine coolers. So she lost her temporary custody to her 3 girls. She them moved 35 miles away with a guy she just met 3 weeks before. She lived with him for 2 months before buying her own place back here in town and she then move a new guy in with her. She found out that guy was a ChiMo when the cops knocked on her door asking to talk to him and make sure that was the correct address to put on his registration because he is a sex offender that did time in prison. She then broke up with him sold her place and move again with yet again a different man to another state 3 hours away. After 3 months she moved back home with her ex because she broke up with her BF. now 4 months later she is at my Grams back with the ChiMo and she knows that as long as she is with him she cant see her kids. She sought this man out again he didn't come looking for her. She asked him to marry her and move in with her when she has NO right because she is living with our Gram not in her own place.

 

[xshoshin]

So I clearly recall the excitement of my first egg on Thursday...and assumed it was the beginning of an every day trend. Sigh. Nothing since so I'm right back to waiting.

 

[KnobbyOaks]

So I clearly recall the excitement of my first egg on Thursday...and assumed it was the beginning of an every day trend. Sigh. Nothing since so I'm right back to waiting.

Mine skipped a day and then laid late in the day on the third day. Also skipped Day 5. Just so you know you're not alone.

 

[nakstk]

So I clearly recall the excitement of my first egg on Thursday...and assumed it was the beginning of an every day trend. Sigh. Nothing since so I'm right back to waiting.

That's very common in first time layers. But they will all get the hang of it soon enough.

 

[Loghousemom]

I do lots of work with all sorts of families through the local headstart program and see so many things, good and bad. all I can say is that I think all families have a bit of crazy in them. Heck, it is what keeps us all interesting. But there is nothing more exciting when you see that lightbulb come on in the parent of a struggling family. The thing that makes them realize that there is a way to be better, and that there are people out there who can help.

Now back to chickens..... Do any of you think your new layers would lay better if you were without winter? I ain't ND, and man do we get winter.... Now that the days are getting slightly longer and just barely warmer I am hoping to see my girls pick up in the laying department. I also have one (my leghorn) who is possibly going through a molt. She still lays every single day. She is such a trooper. I hope to get some of her eggs to hatch and have a few more like her. I will have to watch to be sure it is a molt and not something like an ornery roo or bullying... Though I have not noticed that yet.

 

[nakstk]

I do lots of work with all sorts of families through the local headstart program and see so many things, good and bad. all I can say is that I think all families have a bit of crazy in them. Heck, it is what keeps us all interesting. But there is nothing more exciting when you see that lightbulb come on in the parent of a struggling family. The thing that makes them realize that there is a way to be better, and that there are people out there who can help.

Now back to chickens..... Do any of you think your new layers would lay better if you were without winter? I ain't ND, and man do we get winter.... Now that the days are getting slightly longer and just barely warmer I am hoping to see my girls pick up in the laying department. I also have one (my leghorn) who is possibly going through a molt. She still lays every single day. She is such a trooper. I hope to get some of her eggs to hatch and have a few more like her. I will have to watch to be sure it is a molt and not something like an ornery roo or bullying... Though I have not noticed that yet.

Could it be mites or lice? If it is a molt it should only be a minor molt because its spring time not fall. Fall's sorter day light hours trigger the major molts.
I think in the wild chickens wouldn't naturally choose to live in the climates we humans make them live in and adapt to. I really don't think it has as much to do with the outside temps as much as it does the day light hours. That's why a lot of people use artificial lighting in their coops. Last year I did use a light. I was a noobie and babied my chickens by putting a red heat light in their coop not know I was doing more harm then good. Last year my girls did NOT get in their down feathers like they did this year. Last year they hardly went out side, this year they didn't really care what the weather was like they were out side. Granted last year was their first year laying and they did very well. Not sure if it was because it was their first year or if it was because of the light or both. They laid starting Dec 17th and kept it up until Sept 30th. This year no light(and a smaller electricity bill) and not so many eggs. They molted in Oct but they are still not all laying now which I think they would be if I had a light in their coop.

 

[Loghousemom]

Could it be mites or lice? If it is a molt it should only be a minor molt because its spring time not fall. Fall's sorter day light hours trigger the major molts.
I think in the wild chickens wouldn't naturally choose to live in the climates we humans make them live in and adapt to. I really don't think it has as much to do with the outside temps as much as it does the day light hours. That's why a lot of people use artificial lighting in their coops. Last year I did use a light. I was a noobie and babied my chickens by putting a red heat light in their coop not know I was doing more harm then good. Last year my girls did NOT get in their down feathers like they did this year. Last year they hardly went out side, this year they didn't really care what the weather was like they were out side. Granted last year was their first year laying and they did very well. Not sure if it was because it was their first year or if it was because of the light or both. They laid starting Dec 17th and kept it up until Sept 30th. This year no light(and a smaller electricity bill) and not so many eggs. They molted in Oct but they are still not all laying now which I think they would be if I had a light in their coop.

It very well could be mites or lice as well. She is my flightiest and most scared of people bird so it is hard to get close to her. I may just have to go pull her off the roost to it and give her a good once over to be sure.

She isn't missing lots of feathers, but a few right at the top of her back where her wings connect. I noticed it a couple days ago, and it could be from the rooster, though I don't ever see him being too aggressive towards her.

i do heat my coop with a small radiator type heater. And i keep one red heat lamp on so I can see when i go out at night to lock them up. We have heated it since we moved out here for our dogs and cats. We moved them up here with us from AZ and felt kinda bad leaving them to their own devices in the cold, so it is not a new expense for us. Plus, the coop is about 50x30 with no insulation in the walls. We keep one section on the north side empty, and I loaded it with extra hay. When it is too cold to let the chickens outside I open up the door and let them play in there so they have more space. The second section is for the chickens. (I would say these two sections are each about 15x30. I measured it once last year, but cannot remember exactly.). The 3rd section is about 20x30 with concrete floors and insulated walls. We keep the dogs and cats in here during cold weather. It is also the storage place for all the animal food.

I tend to agree with ya that there are some places chickens are not meant to live. ND in the winter might be the place. Ha! But mine seem to be faring well enough... Just gotta finish working out the quirks.

I am so excited for spring to be here. We will be clearing out the coop to insulate the walls and ceiling, new roosts windows and solar panels with battery blocks to help us light/heat it for next year. Then we have to finish fencing in their run. (We lost all our fences on 13 acres when our neighbor started a fire while baling hay)

 

[nakstk]

I have read on here that people keep chickens up in Canada and Alaska just fine. Chickens do adapt very well, some breeds better then others. Usually the ones with smaller combs.

I live in Washington state, it doesn't get that cold where we are at. I think the coldest I can remember was 14 degrees and that was just a few years ago. We just get a LOT of rain here.