Chicken (Poultry) Addiction Anonymous *Chat Thread*

[IdealisticRoo]

Naughty enabler!

Now everyone will want ducks!

I want to hatch a couple of geese, ostensibly to use a "weeder geese", but realistically just because I want geese!

I got all excited when a seller on ebay told me she had included a goose egg with my bantam eggs (I thought I was buying LF eggs), but she was just retalitorirally yanking my chain because I asked why she did not list these as bantam sultans!

As I learned in another thread, there are no bantam geese and geese aren't laying right now. I had a box of smallish eggs, why shouldn't I believe when she said she had sent "6 sultans 2 golden sebrights one africia geease egg". I guess I am just that gullible lol.

 

[Muggsmagee]

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Is this another order of eggs? Holy cow!

I'm afraid of geese...for the only reason that I heard they are ever teething toddlers. They will get under your cars and chew cables, chew on door frames, etc. I would love a big ole' Talouse goose...I'm just not sure I'm ready to face that terror yet. Must get a bigger farm!

 

[Louieandthecrew]

Hello!

 

[Muggsmagee]

Hello Louie...glad to see you here! How are you and your chickies today?

My girls are JUST starting to lay again, and I found 2 silkie eggs and one Buff Orpington egg...SPLIT WIDE OPEN and FROZEN!

Grrr. I never thought of the eggs freezing! Our coop has a heat lamp (partly for supplemental light), is draft free, the flock shows no stress/frostbite...we may need to add another lamp. I want to know what those Alaskans do! Now I need to come up with a plan so our eggs stay, ummm, warmish. Hmmm.

 

[equinehugger3]

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That stupid egg freezing happened to me EVERY single day until I got a better heat lamp... I lost like a dozen eggs!!!

 

[Louieandthecrew]

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They are doing better! That hen is still limping

I will be away from them until next Wed. but I'm hoping that my uncle will go there and check her out

 

[Muggsmagee]

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That stupid egg freezing happened to me EVERY single day until I got a better heat lamp... I lost like a dozen eggs!!!

This is what gets me...there are NUMEROUS threads on not providing heat to your chickens in the winter. As much as I understand what they are trying to convey (fire hazards, chickens wear a down coat, etc.) I have a hard time accepting that my chickens don't need just a bit of heat. Their water is frozen and their eggs are frozen. It was 6 degrees here the other night and the wind is vicious from the farm fields behind our property. My DH put an additional heat lamp out there last night. I collected just one egg this morning at it was FINE! Whoo-hoo. Though their water was still frozen. I guess one trip with hot water every morning will have to do.

 

[featherz]

Quote:
That stupid egg freezing happened to me EVERY single day until I got a better heat lamp... I lost like a dozen eggs!!!

This is what gets me...there are NUMEROUS threads on not providing heat to your chickens in the winter. As much as I understand what they are trying to convey (fire hazards, chickens wear a down coat, etc.) I have a hard time accepting that my chickens don't need just a bit of heat. Their water is frozen and their eggs are frozen. It was 6 degrees here the other night and the wind is vicious from the farm fields behind our property. My DH put an additional heat lamp out there last night. I collected just one egg this morning at it was FINE! Whoo-hoo. Though their water was still frozen. I guess one trip with hot water every morning will have to do.

My chickens are fine so far with no heat. no frozen eggs either. And no frostbite. I use a heated dog bowl for water!

 

[Muggsmagee]

Quote:
This is what gets me...there are NUMEROUS threads on not providing heat to your chickens in the winter. As much as I understand what they are trying to convey (fire hazards, chickens wear a down coat, etc.) I have a hard time accepting that my chickens don't need just a bit of heat. Their water is frozen and their eggs are frozen. It was 6 degrees here the other night and the wind is vicious from the farm fields behind our property. My DH put an additional heat lamp out there last night. I collected just one egg this morning at it was FINE! Whoo-hoo. Though their water was still frozen. I guess one trip with hot water every morning will have to do.

My chickens are fine so far with no heat. no frozen eggs either. And no frostbite. I use a heated dog bowl for water!

I've heard of the heated dog bowls...I haven't seen them though. I wonder if I could make that work for 13 pens. Is it a fire hazard? Can it make contact w/ pine shavings, wood, etc?

 

[featherz]

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I think so, they are VERY low wattage and have a hardcore insulated cable. I put mine up on a concrete paver just in case, which also keeps shavings out. They are really cheap at walmart and amazon and no frozen water! Plus mine I believe are 1.5 gallon. Plenty for my 20 chickies - 8 with one bowl, 8 with another, and 4 are still in my sunroom and have the nipple waterer.

none of my chickies even seem to notice the cold. Even the leghorns so far have no frostbite and it was zero yesterday! brr.

They romp around and yell at me for treats just like usual. I have tons of ventilation. I may eat my words later, but for now, I am going with the 'no heat' crowd.