Colorado

[wsmith]

Thoughts? Well my thoughts are that I'll be leaving with a whole flock of doms by the time the contests are over

LOL. Then there you go!

I suppose......if your chickens are NPIP....you could...perhaps...bring other breeds to show off......

This is still in the EARLY planning stages......

 

[Adam7]

Another day off because of the weather so I figured I should finish the brooder. Stretched and stapled the tarp around it to keep the bedding in and the draft out. Now all that's left is to add bedding. If my chicks are supposed to hatch around the 6th, when should I actually put the bedding down? Would it hurt anything to do it now?

 

[dennarahl]

So I am thinking a BBQ, some chicken activities, etc. No Alcohol or smoking. Kids welcome.

Sounds awesome to me!

 

[dennarahl]

The sale is on red and black broilers. And waiting for preorders wouldn't work as it is a one week special on tomorrow's hatch.

I did an order of black broilers this fall, and they've been/were good birds. We also did some CX and they were really fast growers, even when we slowed them down by a couple weeks. The CX tasted like store birds. The black broilers were yummy, but they girls take forever to get to a good size. Most of the girls started laying eggs at 13-14 weeks and they were still really little at slaughter. We have a few left that are now about 20 weeks that are a good size. It's just been to darn cold to process them. We might be able to this coming weekend though, it should be warm enough.

If you want to gather some more interest, you probably have another week or two of that special before they stop offering it. It'll come back near the end of July.

ETA: I hated the plucking of the black broilers. They're hairy birds. The CX and RIRs that we've also done were much easier.

 

[dennarahl]

Awesome job! If you don't have other animals that may be enticed by the bedding it shouldnt hurt to do it now.

Another day off because of the weather so I figured I should finish the brooder. Stretched and stapled the tarp around it to keep the bedding in and the draft out. Now all that's left is to add bedding. If my chicks are supposed to hatch around the 6th, when should I actually put the bedding down? Would it hurt anything to do it now?

 

[Pozees]

Another day off because of the weather so I figured I should finish the brooder. Stretched and stapled the tarp around it to keep the bedding in and the draft out. Now all that's left is to add bedding. If my chicks are supposed to hatch around the 6th, when should I actually put the bedding down? Would it hurt anything to do it now?

That looks great! I don't think shavings get stale, and it's so dry here I doubt there's any moisture for them to absorb.

 

[suncatcher]

So I talked it over with Beth, and she is game......

Mike the headless chicken day is already celebrated in Fruita, so we can't use that name....

but we can have:

Chicken Fest 2013,
sponsored by Windy Ridge Dominiques!
May 18th (tentative) at Windy Ridge Dominiques (weather permitting)

The purposes would include:

• giving people a fun introduction to chickens
• Socializing with fellow chicken owners and families
• Sharing food and chicken themed recipes
• etc.

Games and activities would include:

• Chicken feed sack races
• Dress like a chicken contest
• Chicken trivia contest
• Pin the head on the chicken game
• Chicken related side dish contest

Contest and game winners will each receive a FREE American Dominique Chick, courtesy of Windy Ridge Dominiques!

Windy Ridge Dominiques will supply either chicken or turkey hot dogs and chicken nuggets, also water and punch.

Thoughts?

Sounds like a fun day. When do you need RSVP's?????? So you have a more concrete head count.

 

[suncatcher]

Candled last night, results were ok. I have 10 firmly attached air cells, 10 loosely attached air cells (the edges move but they stay in place) and 2 rollers. So I am leaving the turner off for 2 more days then checking again.

You never know, you may end up with a bator full of chicks! YAY.

 

[Chick_In_The_Burbs]

You never know, you may end up with a bator full of chicks!  YAY. 

I am hopeful. Among other things, my turner doesn't turn the eggs more than 45 degrees in either direction so that will help when I turn it on. I will just need to put the eggs in cartons to hatch to give everyone their best chance.

 

[Pozees]

Wendell I think your idea sounds like a lot of fun. Can't commit right this minute, not knowing what will be happening at home and at work but I certainly hope to make an appearance.

My shed kit delivery is scheduled for this Friday. Fingers crossed really tightly. Once I get a time I can plan the rest of the day including picking up Bill and hopefully stopping by Wendell's on the way home. Unless the shed delivery will be afternoon and screws up the whole day LOL. Have a conference call late morning, and I'm hoping delivery is early so once the call is done I can hit the road. Poor Bill, I warned him I had been using his room for some storage and projects - wait until he gets here and sees a bin of meal worms and an incubator LOL. I actually told him already I had the meal worms in there - his response? "Cool!"

Speaking of incubator, the one I had delivered had faulty thermometer and hygrometer, which I could live with as long as the actual temp was stable. I ran it two days and the thermometer inside said 99.5 but the one on the lid said 89 (and with no water, humidity was reading 60-80%), so I unplugged it Sunday, and Monday on the way home stopped and picked up a thermometer at Lowe's to see which one was right. Plugged it back in, and it couldn't surpass 70 degrees even after 12 hours on all three thermometers. Packed it back up and shipped it off to return it. Stopped at Big R on the way home and bought a new one, because (OMG) I ordered 18 Silkie eggs from an NPIP show breeder in WA which are due tomorrow. Can't set them the moment they arrive of course, but I do have to know I can hold temp.

I also may be able to get some RIR eggs the following week from Greathorse, if if if his hens start laying better. If so I will add to the incubator, so I would have hatches a week apart, and will hatch (move eggs day 18) in a still air with no turner to keep the turner in the first one clean.

Spent some time this afternoon on the way home making sure I was still sane. I am simultaneously elated that my shed will be here and we should be able to get it put together in time for brooding chicks, and terrified I'll do something wrong; then I say to myself, come on, you've raised plenty of chicks before, hatching them here is the logical step, and the opportunity to have really nice quality chicks to start my broody flock and to be able to share or raise some really nice quality RIRs is one I can't pass up. Within a week or two I can pick up my share of the Bantam chicks from Dennarahl. Then the day old pullets will arrive, then the Albritton Sussex and the Urch Leghorns (plus all the poults and others' Urch chicks) and I will be immersed in fluffy chicks and think I am in heaven. Yes, even having to clean every evening and ensure feeders and waterers are filled and clean. I am excited beyond definition.