Colorado

[Pozees]

Hatch update: Both Silkies and 11 from the (mainly) Production Red flock (mixed flock), have hatched, 3 of the chicks are black and one of them has white primaries; 2 more pipped, 2 that pipped and started to zip but one for sure didn't make it out of the shell and another that looks like it won't make it either (malpositioned). The Silkies and the first 6 Production chicks are in brooders, the next 5 are still wet and of course still waiting on the 2 pipped that should make it out, and there are still some eggs that may pip, once these dry and the pipped either hatch or don't, if no more are pipped I'll move the hatched chicks to a brooder and candle the rest of the eggs to see if there's still movement.

Overall I'm pleased, the chicks look big and healthy, and have merged perfectly with the Colorado Mayahns hatched last Wednesday, so all is well. The LF chicks are in a brooder out in the coop, in a large plastic storage container with the usual amenities, the Silkies are still in the house in a smaller brooder and zonked out.

Today I set a dozen Cream Legbar eggs from Ashdoes, 2 dozen Colorado Mayahns, and 21 Midget White Turkeys (shipped). Biggest set I've done yet. My own eggs are promised to others so they will be leaving in bubble wrap on Monday - one set for a swap and another for a keeper trying to rebuild his flock if I have enough to send him by Monday, he is to be the recipient of an "eggbomb" after a former neighbor poisoned most of his flock. My broodies have at least one hatched (Bob snapped a quick picture of it with his phone yesterday) but today they are sitting tight, so either the other two due today are hatching or have hatched. Now to watch and ensure one of the two that has them sits on the rest of the eggs they have, which have another two weeks to go. I will be checking all day tomorrow, if they come off and leave them I'll have to hustle them back into the house and put them in an incubator.

It's chick-fluff heaven here

 

[suncatcher]

Great hatch rate for the middle of winter and using table tops! Fingers crossed you get some MW;s to hatch, you will be the only person on the front range (that I know of) who owns them!

Who would poison somebodys chickes? Some sick people in this world, they just don;t get it,hopefully some day they will. Wishing him a great hatch!!!!!!

We have about six inches of snow last I checked, very fluffy stuff, easy to brush off the deck, makes it easy on the back!

 

[suncatcher]

no egg setting here yet. I'll be out of town 2-3 almost every week this month. I don't trust DD or DH to remember to turn the eggs or watch the temps for me so I'm waiting until the end of the month to hatch my first batch. I'll be doing some backyard mixes first. I think she has cochin and EE roos over cochin, EE, and some wyandotte hens. It's 19deg and snowing here. I don't expect the girls to be coming out of the enclosed area today. After seeing them staying in there in bad weather we have decided to expand their enclosed area (it's 40sqft but was intended for 4 chickens not 10!). We started getting things ready yesterday when it was 60deg out but didn't have time to get it built before this storm hit. Here is their coop (on the left) and their current pen. It's wrapped in plastic right now to keep the snow and wind out. This is looking at the front side of the coop with the door. On the ground you can see the wood, that's where the pen will get extended to. This view is from the main gate of their whole area.You can see we'll be doubling the width of the pen. Yes, those are my neighbors houses in the background of both pics. We live in suburbia (for now at least)! This tree is the one the hawk was sitting in after it tried to carry off our smallest chick. That was before the netting that's up now. There are still a few holes in our netting as you can see in the above pic above the pen. Luckily this will get closed off after this extension because we are making the new part taller than the old part so it will fill in this hole.

Will be good size run for ten chickens, I would never have thought to add plastic to the outside to block the wind, hmmmm, going to see what I can put up on my west facing side. Thanks for the idea!

 

[suncatcher]

Thanks Jime. We ended up getting a pair. They are doing well, keeping away from the chickens, and hissing at me if I get to close, but I'm still hopeful they'll get better with me over time. Been trying to give them treats to bribe them lol.

I don;t know anything about duck breeds, but they sure make a handsome pair!!

 

[trsturself]

Will be good size run for ten chickens, I would never have thought to add plastic to the outside to block the wind, hmmmm, going to see what I can put up on my west facing side. Thanks for the idea!

It works great. We originally only had the north side covered (where most of our wind comes from with the houses/fences) with a shower curtain liner (couple bucks from walmart) but when the freeze came we put up some plastic left over from the garden's row covers. We had 6-8 inches of snow outside and their area was completely dry. It is much warmer in their area too. Just this morning I was letting them out and watering them and was cool but not bad, but once I stepped outside the wind hit me and I was freezing! (it was 6 deg out)

 

[Camp Leader]

suncatcher, the little white hen laid a little light brown egg this morning. Have only collected blue ones for a month or so. It was a nice surprise to see something new.

 

[suncatcher]

suncatcher, the little white hen laid a little light brown egg this morning. Have only collected blue ones for a month or so. It was a nice surprise to see something new.

Nice! They are smaller, but still taste good! Are you using additional light? Mine are still on strike.......

 

[maggiemo]

have merged perfectly with the Colorado Mayahns
It's chick-fluff heaven here

Pozees, what is a Colorado Mabayhns?

 

[Pozees]

Quote:
Chicks hatched from eggs I got from Mayah (coloradogal) - her flock is a mix of Marans, EEs, Colloncas, Fayoumis, Cochins, Silkies, Barred Rock, and probably at least one or two other breeds I haven't remembered. She has some of the prettiest blue and olive eggs and some nice dark brown ones, probably no purebreds but all chicks that should do very well in the local climate and elevation. So far the chicks have done really well, the first one I hatched was a lone hatcher, I had the incubator temp too high the first two weeks of incubation so it's a miracle it hatched at all, second hatch was 5 of 12, would have been 6 but one clawed through its yolk sack and a blood vessel and it died. One looks like a Silkie mix, one looks like a pure or mixed Collonca, one is light tan or blonde with chipmunk markings, and the others are black with some yellow markings on the belly, throat, and head. They are out in the coop in a brooder, and it's getting really cold right now, but they have the 12 I just hatched from the keeper out on the Mesa to help stay warm under the heat lamp. Last time I went out there it was 11 outside and 35 in the coop. As long as they do okay tonight they should be fine going forward, tonight I think is supposed to be the coldest night for the next week.

 

[Camp Leader]

Yep I have all new birds, so wanted to get them started. If I can stay ahead of them, by selling and trading I might give them a couple months off next year. Haven't decided yet.