California - Northern

[ronott1]

I'm probably a little far from you, but I'm getting ready to do some serious down-sizing. Is there anything in particular you are looking to find? I hate to say it, but someone else will...................I have MANY different breeds and none of them are hatchery stock.

Deb

They are very nice too!

It is great to have you back here Deb!

 

[TheKeeper]

Midget whites! Smaller and the friendlist bird alive!

Good thought. I like the big ones though & also reconsidering housing chickens & turkeys together. I didn't have cross-contamination problems but I know that's a huge risk. I would love quail but it's too much risk to house them with the chickens as well. Oh - I know - I just need more pens - right??
I'd better stick to looking for white Jersey Giants. For now...

 

[Sirracha]

Loving this rain. After its done, time to turn over the longs and boards for the chooks. Forgot how fast the bugs multiply in a matter of weeks.

 

[sewandgrow]

With only 2 Buffs its really funny to see the differences in personalities and really a contrast with the Dele's

Whenever we take the slightly larger chick out of the box to play with it the other remains silent and busy's itself but if we take that one out the other chick starts crying out. Is this any indication if one is male or female? The Dele's never did this. Of course there were 4 of them and we rarely had more than 2 out of the box at one time.

Now of course as we have to shuffle them around during box cleanings at times if the wrong one is left alone in the box it might cry out but they all now to explore and fly around so I consider this more of a "why not me" and each one has a different tolerance for loneliness.

As far as moving the Dele's back outside Im going to give them a few more days in the garage since they didnt seem to understand what the "upstairs" was for and its going to be a little cold and wet over the next couple of days.

This is the coop I bought. (Costco was cheaper than this link) I will say it was very easy to put together the only real downside is that it was not easily modified to be reversed so it has to be the direction shown. Im considering making some modifications to it in order to add light to the hen house part.
http://www.landmsupply.com/departme...=google_base&gclid=CNSzje6Avb0CFcg7MgodqQcAHw

I was considering finding some solar yard lights that I could insert through the roof and seal with silicone calk. Has anyone tried something like that. They usually provide a bit of light for a while in the evening but then go out. Also considering adding a regular lightbulb to the upper back side wall to provide a little heat. (Maybe 75 watt or something smaller)

As I will be designing a new larger hen house and run the will be connected to this one are there any other considerations I should look into. Do any of you use nipple water systems? I'm considering adding a tank that will connect to my drip system to supply water this way.

My daughters have started calling the Orp's Biddy Babies and the Dele's Biggie Babies. I sure hope I can integrate the two without too much problem when the time comes. Its amazing how fast they grow.

I could do a few months.......but maybe next spring. Gotte get thru the meat birds first...

I had one literally die on me last night. I picked it up to check for pasty butt. I wiped a little off its rear end and cleaned its feet off. All of a sudden it started making a clicking sound when breathing, it spit up liquid, and died in my hands.

I have never ever had that happen before. I'm guessing that maybe it aspirated water/food that it had eaten when I tipped it forward to check its butt. Poor little Pita Pinta!

Thanks Ron. I will check out our Costco.

 

[chiqita]

Good thought. I like the big ones though & also reconsidering housing chickens & turkeys together. I didn't have cross-contamination problems but I know that's a huge risk. I would love quail but it's too much risk to house them with the chickens as well. Oh - I know - I just need more pens - right??
I'd better stick to looking for white Jersey Giants. For now...

Quail can be safely housed inside chicken coops if they do not share the ground! chicken POOP is the issue. So if theya re in a wire pen with a top, off he ground? they are good. My turkeys are in the coop with the chickens. I do however have blackhead remedies on hand in case.

I'm probably a little far from you, but I'm getting ready to do some serious down-sizing. Is there anything in particular you are looking to find? I hate to say it, but someone else will...................I have MANY different breeds and none of them are hatchery stock.

Deb

ohh! what are you gonna do? I must admit i find it funny you come back after many months and decide to downsize then! LOL. This sounds like something I would do!

 

[TheKeeper]

Quail can be safely housed inside chicken coops if they do not share the ground! chicken POOP is the issue. So if theya re in a wire pen with a top, off he ground? they are good. My turkeys are in the coop with the chickens. I do however have blackhead remedies on hand in case.

Ah, good point of distinction. But I think that I'd prefer quail on the ground to I can watch them scratch around & dust like the chickens.
More food for thought, though...

 

[lizanne]

You sound like me!

I have a hatch coming up with Cream Legbar mixes, and 2 tiny pullet eggs that the lady I bought them from gave me, Just in case I wanted to try to hatch them. Both of them are from pullets that had just started laying that week. One is an EE, and the other is a Lavender Orp. Both are developing fine so far. We'll see how they hatch. The chicks will be super little.

 

[member 142084]

Kids don't want to eat the turkey because it is so sweet lol.

 

[OR4-hmom]

Welcome back Debs-flock, is it possible to downsize? I haven't been able to but I really don't want to.

Hello Darcee and any other new friends to the thread.

Final candle at lockdown
9/12 d'Anvers
5/6. SDW phoenix
2/12 part rock bantams, I left 5 in that I'm pretty sure have quit.
Set 30 eggs so % going down, down, down.

Chickee, BBB's eggs are going great! To bad my breed is falling out.

 

[chrissyr]

That is a great Hatch!

Marans are tough because the eggs are on the large size and they are Dark and very will sealed with shiny bloom.

Things too look into for Marans is:

Flock health
Cool Down Cycle Day 7 to 18.
Above with a daily misting of the eggs after day 7 to 18--encourages evaporation of moisture in the egg
Incubate at 99.5 to 100 for the first 18 days
Ventilation and dead air spots in the incubator and or room the incubators are in.

35% humidity
Lower temperature(99) during the last three days of hatching, called lock down on BYC

Marans can be frustrating--especially when they are shipped.

Thank you! I was happy with the hatch, but to see them fully formed made me think about the cause. I'm thinking because they were marans and humidity perhaps too high.

I would hand turn or tilt the incubator for the first 10 days and then turn on the turner.

This is not a problem with the Brinsea since the whole thing turns via a cradle.

The auto turner in my Genesis clanks and clinks--some times is even clicks!

So you put yours that are shipped on the Brinsea turner, correct? I probably should be hand turning the Genesis ones for sure. 3 x's a day good?

You would see them later--the vibration makes the embryo work harder which leaves less energy for hatching.

Misting and cool down should really help with them. It makes the embryo stronger so they hatch better and are stronger as chicks.

Misting chicken eggs? I'll give it a go. Now on the ducks, I wasn't sure about how much to mist. I definitely would be wondering on the marans. What would you recommend: a minimal, light misting?