Christmas present from my chickens! First egg!!

[schnebbles]

I know, I would hate it to hurt them. I figure they were made to handle it fairly easy because I don't think God would have made them to lay so many eggs if it were going to be painful almost every day. at least I hope not, lol!

My silkie just started a couple days ago! So now I have 2 little bantams laying.

I might be moving to a house with an HOA and they don't allow chickens. I'm going to take them and hope to God that I don't get in trouble. Will put them in a privacy fence and hope that the neighbors are far enough that they don't complain about my one little d'uccle roo who does crow frequently. I wish I could say be quiet for your own good! I love my chickens so much.

 

[Cheryl1948]

I know, I would hate it to hurt them. I figure they were made to handle it fairly easy because I don't think God would have made them to lay so many eggs if it were going to be painful almost every day. at least I hope not, lol!

My silkie just started a couple days ago! So now I have 2 little bantams laying.

I might be moving to a house with an HOA and they don't allow chickens. I'm going to take them and hope to God that I don't get in trouble. Will put them in a privacy fence and hope that the neighbors are far enough that they don't complain about my one little d'uccle roo who does crow frequently. I wish I could say be quiet for your own good! I love my chickens so much.

Oh Schnebbles, I will be praying you get to keep your chickens. I would be so sad if I had to give mine up, so I know how you feel. That is why every stray dog that comes on our property I end up keeping instead of finding it a home elsewhere, because I feel like nobody else could love them and take care of them like me.

Got one dozen eggs already today from my 15 girls. It has been so very cold here this winter. I feel like I live in North Dakota again, with so much wind! And, our water pump was frozen this morning. Used bottled water for a while. It is running now, after my husband put a heater out there. But, the cold has not affected the girls laying obviously. I think I am going to order one more nesting box. All four boxes were full this morning when I went down to clean and freshen water. The three Buffs tend to be a broody breed and they get in there and sit on the eggs for quite a while, while the others pace around waiting their turn. That only leaves one other box. I read online, before I ordered the nesting boxes, that 4 would be plenty for 15 hens, but I disagree now.

Everyone stay warm (and your chickens comfortable and safe)

 

[schnebbles]

Thanks Cheryl. We won't move until probably March and I want to get the fence up before I take them. All of that depends on this lovely weather. The chickens can stay at our current house until I could move them so that's not a problem. I knew the stupid HOA bylaws were going to say that. I'm hoping that since it's not a ritzy neighbor hood or anything even close to ritzy, no one will complain. I adore my chickens, they make me very happy every day. My chickens have mareks, and I did find a farm nearby who I've spoken too before, that would take them and at least they could live if I were forced to give them up. It would be horrible, but with mareks, you can't just easily find them a home and I feel like I'm lucky that I was able to find a place where they could live. I could never cull them, ever! I wish i could have them in the house.

Our pipes froze a couple weeks ago, this weather is horrible, I'm in OH and it's just so cold. Today is a nice break from 15 degrees and under, it's 28!

 

[StacyAK]

I'm up in Alaska and yesterday it got up to 50 degrees! All our snow is almost gone! The weather all around the country is so backwards! My chickens and ducks are sure loving this warm weather though. Their run is now snow and ice free so they are enjoying eating up all the grass that's poking out. It feels like springtime!

 

[Cheryl1948]

Stacey, you are having a heat wave!!! lol Happy for u!! It was supposed to get up to 40 degrees today, but NOT... This is really crazy weather down here. Schnebbles, you are the coldest spot for sure. We are going down below 20 tonight, but next Tues.Wed and Thurs. we will be below 15 at night.

Went down to the coop this afternoon to take the girls some cantaloupe and some kale in a big suet feeder. When I open the gate to the pen they are always crowded around because they see the big red dish and know they are getting something great to eat. I have to be really careful when I try to enter. My boot accidentally hit the gate and it opened wide and 4 of my girls escaped! Luckily, they were as shocked to be out of the pen as I was to see them out, and they wanted back in with the flock and I was able to herd them back in after a few minutes. Also, I was so lucky that for some reason my little dogs were not down there as usual. They were at the other end of the property and didn't even know the chickens were out. I am afraid it would have been a disaster if the dogs had seen them out. I will have to be more careful in the future and not have my hands so full.