Colorado

[COChix]

I don't have a funny cartoon, but I did notice this odd thing going on with my chickens today:

I was trying not to pass out whilst replacing the tarp on the top of the run when I noticed everyone crowded in the corner where Athena & Calypso like to lay eggs. I walked over & found Calypso trying to get situated to lay her egg while everyone else lined up to watch her. Nausicaä sometimes would get in the nesting box with Calypso, poke her head around, then turn towards the others & make a really loud cluck-cluck-cluck at them before getting back in line. I think my flock is involved in some kind of fertility cult. That would explain the hiding of eggs...

Then before everyone went back to the barn for the night, Penelope laid an egg! So, I definitely have 3 hens laying (pretty sure Nausicaä is starting, too, some of the eggs lately have been really tiny). She waited until she was alone in the run to lay her egg. Performance anxiety, I'm guessing.

Hope y'all have a good week!

Too funny, glad they are starting to lay more for you.

Gonna be making some feeders today and working on getting my buckets started for waterer, heaters should be in by Friday.

Putting something together like this, haven't decided which bucket size I am gonna use. We have a 15 gallon I can use, but think the small opening at top would be a pain for refills, would have to use a funnel. So leaning more towards 3 5gallon feeders.

Anyone else using the no waste 5 gallon bucket feeders? If so do you like them?

 

[suncatcher]

Funny on the girls waiting for the nest box! Mine only like one or two of theirs too, I have 10laying boxes total, I hope more of them start using them more! I put in some fake wooden eggs, that seemed to jump start a few of them, but out of 17 hens, they should be laying more than two eggs a day!!

I have no idea on what size bucket would work best, I guess if you have to move it around the less heavy one would be be good, but then again how many chickens you are feeding would be another cosideration. With my 17 I really need a bigger one than the one I have, it is just a metal hanging kind, and gets filled every two or three days, less if I am also feeding fermented feed.

Love the KFC witness protection cartoon!!!

Sunny today here, but big change a coming......

 

[Ashdoes]

Been making crockpot Apple Butter for the last two days, and canning today...kept the house much warmer then usual. But, I can see the weather taking a turn again, which doesn't make me happy. On a much happier note, I'm finally looking at buying a Wagoneer, which I've been contemplating for the last year for a winter vehicle. My little Forte has the worst time in heavy rain and even the tiniest bit of ice...unless I have about two hundred pounds of feed in the trunk.
Still only getting one egg a day, possibly from two girls, but it's hard to tell and wouldn't we get two a day at some point? I'm sprouting boss for them, hoping it makes some kind of difference.

 

[Double Kindness]

Still no hatch/pip. Hmmph. I made an English toffee today

today's haul of eggs. 8 from 12 pullets.

 

[Ashdoes]

Still no hatch/pip. Hmmph.

First hatch is THE HARDEST! You know there's a timeline, but waiting it out is awful. Just remember, do not open the incubator...just keep waiting. We keep a bright flashlight by the incubator, and shine it in there every five minutes, checking for pips or shaking or any teeny movement. Prob not every five minutes, but pretty close

 

[COChix]

Interesting read on here and a recipe for non-GMO feed, got it from the natural Chicken Keeping thread that I post on as well.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/947979/conventional-non-gmo-whole-grain-seed-recipe-for-layers

Oh and today's eggs, we are getting back to to our average of 18

 

[21hens-incharge]

Oh no, don't tell me that. I already have my order in, but I can do 13 hours.

OH but it is true 13 hours each way. Not so far to go really.

I don't have any funnies to add.

I need to get my friend's chickens out of here. I think I need to break up my flock into their breeding pens. One of our silkie roos has decided he wants to be the head rooster and there has been fighting. Now our BCM rooster won't even come out of the coop most days. There is very little courting going on since they are so consumed with the pecking order. I haven't gotten an egg in a couple weeks again. I'm pretty sure it's the stress. A bunch of the girls won't leave the coop any more.

Big bummer that the fellas are fighting. I am thinking the friend should do something with her chickens too. The silkie roosters I had ended up being totally horrid to deal with. Meanest chickens I have ever had. It was many years ago and an accident that I ended up with 4 of them all at once.
The stress is hard on the ladies for sure. I would be telling that friend that the time is coming to an abrupt end. But then I had been taken advantage of with caring for someone elses cattle before and it left a very sour taste. I tend to not have much patience for it anymore.

I told DH that I am thinking I should just drive and get them. LOL the look I got was priceless. I said "What? Did you not buy me a car that gets great mileage and is super reliable? Did you just get me the car so I can go back and forth for work? Can't I do something fun with it?" LOL he had to cave and say "If that is what you want to spend your vacation time doing I wont stop you."


Uzi,
Those are some very nice looking birds you have. Cool that they are supportive of the one laying.
I am glad you did not pass out doing the tarp. Remember take it easy on yourself.

Suncatcher,
I know how you feel getting so few eggs from so many hens. Today I got only one and it was from a bantam lol.
The squirrel I posted hehehehehehe I call it a squiger. I think it is cool looking but am certain it would have a taste for littles.

Double Kindness,

A watched egg never pips. The waiting must be driving you batty by now. Toffee is a good distraction. It looks like it should taste great.

CoChix,
Those look exactly like the eggs I am missing from my nestboxes. Dark brown, yup missing, green, yup gone too, light brown, none accounted for here, Medium brown, absent. It seems my hens must have a teleportation device and are sending the eggs to you. Silly chickens.

Ash,
Good that you are getting a heartier vehicle. MMMMMMMMMMM Apple butter. I have not done that in forever. I like the crockpot method it is so much easier then the stove top.
One would think that at some point they would lay on the same day by mistake even.

Hoping for better tomorrows always.

Babs

 

[trsturself]

I emailed my friend telling her that 4H was reminding us that kids are supposed to care for their animals themselves even if boarded somewhere else and asked her if she had been looking for another place to house the chickens. I think she got the point, though I could tell she wasn't pleased.

I would love to get eggs again!

I love DH. Tonight at dinner I mentioned, "I think it would be cool to figure out a way to keep ducks in the garden area" before I could say why he was spitting out a cool idea. I know he's always wanted ducks. He sure seemed to have put some thought into this idea before tonight. lol!

 

[uzisuzuki]

Thank you very much, @21hens-incharge! I'm trying my best to keep them nice looking. I was also glad I got that tarp up - not just because of the snow last night, but the dang chicken hawks have started circling our neighbor's yard again. I would rather those hawks busy themselves with their hens instead of mine!

 

[COChix]

.

CoChix,
Those look exactly like the eggs I am missing from my nestboxes. Dark brown, yup missing, green, yup gone too, light brown, none accounted for here, Medium brown, absent. It seems my hens must have a teleportation device and are sending the eggs to you. Silly chickens.


Babs

Lol on the teleportation and I am pretty sure none our birds are a silkie.....your are bound to start up again or are you still debating about freezer camp?

I emailed my friend telling her that 4H was reminding us that kids are supposed to care for their animals themselves even if boarded somewhere else and asked her if she had been looking for another place to house the chickens. I think she got the point, though I could tell she wasn't pleased. 

I would love to get eggs again!

I love DH. Tonight at dinner I mentioned, "I think it would be cool to figure out a way to keep ducks in the garden area" before I could say why he was spitting out a cool idea. I know he's always wanted ducks. He sure seemed to have put some thought into this idea before tonight. lol!

Yea on giving you friend the hint, hooefully she will get it this time and you can go back to dealing with your stuff.

Thank you very much, @21hens-incharge! I'm trying my best to keep them nice looking. I was also glad I got that tarp up - not just because of the snow last night, but the dang chicken hawks have started circling our neighbor's yard again. I would rather those hawks busy themselves with their hens instead of mine!

Can't say I have seen a chicken hawk, or maybe I have I just don't know what they look like.

@Ashdoes nothing better than some homemade apple butter on a fresh homemade biscuit! So jealous! My grandma made the best apple butter, never made it before in the crock. Sounds like my kind of project.

Guess we are back to winter for a day or so...

I did not get very far on my projects of the HN and my feed buckets. Good day for projects inside.