California - Northern

[chiqita]

Thank you! I wish i could take as pretty pics as you do!! Your pics are flawless

Some of the best photos I see are on this thread. Go peoples!

Doing taxes is bad enough, having to re-do 4 months really stinks. DD kitten is now heavy enough to trip the circuit protector and un-do my work!

Bad kitty! No fishies for you!

 

[Audio51]

Here is my Splash Marans pullet at almost 5 months. Her mom started laying at 19 weeks, so I hope she'll follow suit. She came from a really nice dark egg. I will breed her back to her sire to try to improve on some things. Her eyes look dark here, because of lighting/shadows. They are a nice reddish bay color in person

Very pretty girl!

 

[tommysgirl]

I was just telling Karen that I'm going to fire up the old still-air with the wafer. I have 2 of the Genesis & they have spoiled me completely too. And of course, they are full. But, my girls are laying lots of lovely eggs right now & I don't really want to eat them

. I will do like you though & put my Delawares & Coros in there as they are my best hatchers. Once I get it all lined out, others will probably for sure, be added.

Hi there! By Coros do you by any chance mean Coronation Sussex?

I had this happen to my little silver Ameraucana last year. She kept going broody or staying broody so I gave her a few eggs. They were due to hatch right during that really hot spell we had last spring. One disappeared, one was eaten by someone at hatch, and the other chick I had to take away from her because it was so hot in the coop that it was not doing well. That still didn't break her. I finally persuaded her to give it up and then she died a few days later.

That makes me sad. I had one of my Australorp girls broody for the first time last summer during that hot spell. On the hottest days I bought a block of ice and plunked it down in the neighboring nest box. By the time the chicks hatched it was cooler but I was really worried for awhile.

The digital control We put in the humidair broke in the on position. As mario says live by the cheap chinese electronics die by the cheap chinese electronics. Last year the wafer controler died in the same flipping position.

But I may be borrowing a dicky for a few months to see how I like it!!! Im very excited. 200 eggs at a time might pay for itself with electric savings over my massive thing. Im going to keep a complete hatching diary online so I can see real % and get all my owed shipped eggs. Im excited!
Yes yes say the bedraggled muddy silkies!

Sorry that you lost all those eggs. Big bummer! but how cool that you can hatch 200 at a time. YIPES!!!

I cannot believe how much just having a few chicks has made me want to expand my "sub-urban farming" operations.

haha we all know what you mean

Well..... No I don't know anyone close by that has any chicks and I am hesitant to introduce non-quarantined chicks into the area? I am assuming my local feed store has some. I am trying to downsize...... remember? I still have two big black orps and various others to find a home for. Funny how it is harder to actually do than talk about doing.

Hmm have you tried isolating her in a wire bottom cage with food and water and no nest box. I have heard that works. No experience here though I am the broody enabler, the broody seeker and the broody celebrator....

I am quail free!!!! I just sold the last 6 Bobwhite boys. I am going to miss the cute little things but now I have another 3 x 8 foot pen for chicks!!!

Congratulations!!!!!

Can u make phoenix hens go broody?

You can't make any hen go broody though you can encourage it with golf balls or other egg look-alikes and a secure and somewhat secluded place to lay...like you get with nest box curtains. It is hormonal and pretty unpredictable. Silkies and Bantam Cochins are rumored to be particularly suggestable

Is it just me or is this chick feathering out wrong? It looks like the feathers are growing sideways...and it's the same size(so probably age) as a chick that has full wings, but this one only has tinnyy wings. What do you guys make of this?





For size and wing comparison, this picture is next to her sister that has full wings and is starting to get feathers on her shoulders. Her same-size sister also has a tail and this one doesn't. They are both Black Copper Marans.

Yep the girls get their tails and their other feathers generally sooner than the boys.

Here is my Splash Marans pullet at almost 5 months. Her mom started laying at 19 weeks, so I hope she'll follow suit. She came from a really nice dark egg. I will breed her back to her sire to try to improve on some things. Her eyes look dark here, because of lighting/shadows. They are a nice reddish bay color in person

Soooooo Pretty. SPLASH I need SPLASH! and yep you are a great photographer.

I agree!

Some are using Fronline every 30 days until the mite weather is over.

What exactly is "mite weather" I just did my girls and coop and thought I needed to repeat in a week. Is that right?

 

[Audio51]

Quote: Do they eat the beetle stage too?

 

[tommysgirl]

i didn't know there were seasons for mites. I also didn't know how hard it is to sneak up on chickens to take a butt shot. I feel like a dirty old man.

hahahahahaha. Baby got back!

 

[ronott1]

What exactly is "mite weather" I just did my girls and coop and thought I needed to repeat in a week. Is that right?

Mites are bad in the spring to early summer. This winter has been bad because it was like spring too much of the time.

Now to May or so. Mites will not be bad when it is dry and hot.

 

[chrissyr]

I do. I have 8 large flat tupperware boxes (1' W x 2' L x 6" H). I've drilled holes in the lids to allow for ventilation. I filled them with wheat bran from the local discount grocery store (they sell bulk & will order a 20# bag for me). I'll mix in oat bran or whatever stale cereal or bread I have as well (this is the "food"). Then I layer potatoes or apples on top of the bran (for their "water"). I started my colony with 10,000 worm that I got from ordering online (can't remember which site but do a good search as priced seemed to vary widely). I just poured them in & let 'em go. They'll molt into larvae which become cute little brown beetles that lay their eggs that hatch into more meal worms. Ta da! You add more wheat bran & potatoes as they consume it.
About once or twice a year, the worm castings (aka "poo") will accumulate enough that I sift out out the worms & beetles, remove the castings (which is a very fine brownish dust & a fabulous plant fertilizer), add fresh "food" & "water" & put back the worms & the beetles. They'll be more of delay for new worms after this because you've sifted out the eggs - they are so small that you can't really even see them. You have to give the beetles time to lay more.
Be careful to watch for mold. Don't add anything with mold & remove anything that develops mold as this can kill your whole colony.

It's nice to grow my own as I can have a variety of sizes on hand - the big worms are too much for a little chick to handle usually.
It's so fun to watch fluffy butts discover these yummy treats for the first time, running around in circles trying to keep the worm to themselves.

I grow mine too! I was trying to keep different ages in different bins, but its hard keeping up. BUT I've found an amazing way to get the worms out.
I use a spaghetti strainer to sift normally. So I just left it in there and noticed sometimes worms cllim INTO it.
So when I put produce in, I put some where the beetles can get it.
BUT I also put produce into the spaghetti strainer itself. Many worms climb in to feed, but the beetles are too big. They gather themselves. Saves me from having to pick out beetles when feeding. I don't want to feed those, it takes too long to get them.
@chiqita does black soldier flies. I really want a set up for that. seen some for sale, kinda expensive though. would like some "how to" kits.

You both take great pictures!

Kathy

aww, thank you Kathy!

 

[chrissyr]

Mites are bad in the spring to early summer. This winter has been bad because it was like spring too much of the time.

Now to May or so. Mites will not be bad when it is dry and hot.

Hmm…. don't have any but a good idea to keep up on dusting and spraying the coops.

 

[TheKeeper]

Keeper, your post on them running around with the treats made my giggle, since the whole time mine are looking for a quiet place to enjoy the goodie they are announcing their find to everyone else!

Totally! And the adults are just as bad too. Crack me up.

 

[TheKeeper]

Do they eat the beetle stage too?

My adult hens will eat the crunchy beetles as well as the larvae stage but they definitely prefer the nice juicy worms.