California - Northern

[Happy Chooks]

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DITTO!

And those horses are stunning!

 

[chiqita]

Hey!
I have been onsite a few days and not talking much. But I'm reading! Beautiful pictures!

My chickens just keep my lawn clipped. They did make 2 dusting holes but the lower area still has dirt so they mostly use all of that.

We even grew a patch of lawn in the bottom area. It is small and scruffy as it is low water area but I'm very proud of it too! When we moved in there was some wild bulb thing that looks like grass over all of it but it is only there for 4 months a year so its annoying.

I should be home this weekend!

 

[tommysgirl]

If only i had had any inkling what I wanted to do......be happy she thinks she knows what she wants.

You obviously started your family in high school???? Cause you can't be more than 38 right?

I am super proud of Erin for identifying, going after and being on the way to achieving something she really wants. She rode growing up and like most girls was horse crazy from the age of 6 on but she never had a horse until she was in college. She is also a fabbity chicken keeper and my right hand here. She entered school thinking she wanted to heal horses. She left knowing she just wanted to get paid to be with them

nice work if you can get it eh?? Regardless of where this takes her she will be having an experience that will be life changing in what I believe is a positive way.

Thanks bunches but nope I was 29 when my first two were born. I lie to my students sometimes and say I was 12 which prompts a tongue in cheek discussion about overcoming adversity to accomplish your dreams. I do not act my age, whatever that means and I believe being a high school teacher can either age or rejuvenate you. I choose the latter it's way more fun than the former

 

[Flowers of Abba]

Very artistic!  Beauties!  I am so glad my small city lot limits my flock to 3.  Otherwise I'd be succumbing to chicken math in a bad way.  As it is, we are veteran DIYers with 15 years of projects on our current home.  Jack only half way jokingly told someone this morning that he implements projects slower than I buy things for the "next" honey do.  But we have a funky home that suits us well.  And keeping busy is important.  We have no problem with the busy part and appreciate retirement because we can indulge ourselves even more often .  I am in charge of concepts and serve as chief laborer while Jack does the execution very well.  (Not that we don't have some gnashing of teeth, but almost always are united in being proud of the results).    
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I have a big dog and a little dog.  Both literally pound puppy mixes.  The big dog is part lab possibly and she seems a bit intimidated by the pullets in their run.  Our little guy is the one I don't trust.  Have yet to let them mix.  The little guy is a terrier mix and does dispatch rodents swiftly - am suspicious that he'd get too excited and prey drive fired up.  Maybe will try some supervised encounters when the hens are fully grown.  The dogs both respect me but no way will I ever trust them alone with my chicks. 

Too funny!  Early congratulations on your grandchild .  Boy or girl?  Any idea of names yet?  Is this your first or?  Hopefully the baby comes soon so you can ease up on acquiring more pets.  Best of luck to you and the new parents.

The "kids" aren't peeking but the names are James Russell or Ava Holly . And my new name is nana Kandi . Forgive me if its tmi but I have lost three babies this last year and now our grand baby is due... If there are no babies in the house my pet population GROWS . Yesterday
My husband told me I'm in "pet restriction". Rofl I caught him checking the incubator AND snuggling the two new kitties.

 

[tommysgirl]

Trying to see if I can post pictures now. These are the silver Ameraucana's from John Blehm hatched end of February. Yay it worked! Can you tell the boy is the favorite?

Dang! pretty pretty pretty

I really like those Silver Ameraucanas. I told myself I wouldn't get any "real' Ameraucana's because the Ameraucana people can be so nasty, but i might eventually change my mind.

X2

Beautiful pictures everyone!

Tommysgirl - yes, my production red is also broody. She went broody for the first time last year, when she was 3 1/2 years old. She didn't sit so well, kept changing boxes, but she finally got a baby and was a really good mother. This time, she is staying put on one nest. One of the eggs she collected was wiggling away, so no EE babies for her. My Orp got all 4, and I hope she accepts them. This is her final chance - I've given her every chance to be a good mother.

3+ years old. Was she still laying?

Mine was so funny about it. I think she saw her coopmate doing it and felt the need but after a day she had no sticktoitiveness. As soon as she saw me come out of the house with treats or was aware that the others were running to greet me she was off the nest for the rest of the day.

So glad she got a baby and good luck with the wiggler under her

Hope your Orp is successful. 4 chances is generous

this is a grow up coop so I used extra no climb fence as a door with chain and clips as hinges and openings. used some dowels and drilled a few holes on each side to put the dowels in. you could make a nest box just dont put it under the roost. I will try and get better pics of it this weekend. its in a very predator proof run though

I would love pics. This will be in a very predator proof run as well thanks so much for the description!

Wow what an awesome job! When I was that age I had a similar job but not in an eventing facility, so cool. Hope she's allowed to take some pictures!

Thanks! How long did your position last?? It seems like these jobs turn in to other jobs at other barns and facilities. As long as she is happy and can pay her own bills I am happy too.

DITTO!

And those horses are stunning!

Aren't they?! I am so excited for her.

 

[lawatt]

just checked on the broodies this morning -- it's chilly enough that they both had their chicks tucked way under them, but it looks like two have hatched for each girl, three remain unhatched in both nests.

probably-dumb question: do eggs hatch 24 hours a day, or do they tend to hatch during daylight? i don't know why they would, it must be dark inside the egg, but just curious...

will keep watching the nests today to see if any more eggs hatch. also successfully moved one of the NEW broodies over to the extra pen yesterday evening, she the SPPR who's a repeat broody & actually spent some time in that pen already with her first batch of chicks, so moving didn't seem to bother her & she's looking contented on her two fake eggs, until i decide what to put under her.

oh and the bobcat came by to visit again, at 6am -- it seems to keep to quite a regular schedule when it passes through my meadow, like it's commuting to a regular job! i watched it from the house, it spent about 3 or 4 minutes hanging out between the coops, setting EVERYONE off with alarm calls, then padded away.

 

[tommysgirl]

Hey Deb I have a question for you and anyone else who has New Hampshires:

What is the deal with German ones vs Heritage US ones...I might not be even asking that right but I am getting the impression that people either do one or the other and that there is some devisiveness.

I ask because I am going to be taking another of my uncle's roosters to put in with my 2013 pullets. He is a hatchery NH and I was thinking of getting a couple of quality NH girls next year so that I could do Dels,, NHs, and cross them both ways too. I am getting this roo to save him from the bachelor life he has led so far not because I had a burning desire to have NHs but in doing some reading I like them more and more. He is about 18 mos old and sweet. Anyway the German lines seem to offend some people and the people on the other side are saying that Americans are POed because the Germans have done it better than them so I am just curious what you have experienced.

 

[chicksnthestiks]

Hey Deb I have a question for you and anyone else who has New Hampshires:

What is the deal with German ones vs Heritage US ones...I might not be even asking that right but I am getting the impression that people either do one or the other and that there is some devisiveness.

I ask because I am going to be taking another of my uncle's roosters to put in with my 2013 pullets. He is a hatchery NH and I was thinking of getting a couple of quality NH girls next year so that I could do Dels,, NHs, and cross them both ways too. I am getting this roo to save him from the bachelor life he has led so far not because I had a burning desire to have NHs but in doing some reading I like them more and more. He is about 18 mos old and sweet. Anyway the German lines seem to offend some people and the people on the other side are saying that Americans are POed because the Germans have done it better than them so I am just curious what you have experienced.

Love the color of them, got to see some at the Stockton show last January and very striking.

 

[tommysgirl]

Love the color of them, got to see some at the Stockton show last January and very striking.

Thanks these are not even great quality boys but they almost glow.

 

[liz9910]

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Only a couple of years, I moved out of the area shortly after. But, it was a really fun job!