Consolidated Kansas

[Trish44]

Karen, I sent you a PM, sorry I didn't get back to you sooner, I was busy all day yesterday.

My DH did come out & help me yesterday with getting the pop doors all cut out on the breeder coop & we got them done all except putting a latch on to hold it shut & one to hold it open. We had some squabbling at first until I let him know I wasn't going to put up with his whining & then he settled down & got to work. That's why I hate working with him most of the time, he doesn't know how to do things so he whines & acts up. I just don't tolerate whining adults very well, I just want to get to work & shut up about it. If you don't know how to do something then figure it out. We ended up having to get a little creative with the outside frame & all just because he couldn't manage to cut the openings quite right, but it turned out all right in the end, I figured it out. Next I need to put up roosts in each section, I can do that by myself & put up inside latches on the doors. I think that will about do it on the inside other than just putting the nest boxes in & litter for the floor. I decided just to leave the dried leaves in there on the floor that blew in before the roof was on, it will just add to the DLM in there.

Today I have to make a run to get the stuff for the panels outside & gates. I was hoping to do that yesterday, but it took all afternoon until almost dark to get all the pop doors done. I'm just glad they're done, really relieved because I wasn't looking forward to trying to do it by myself. The weather is supposed to be pretty decent this week, so I hope to get my pens outside done. I don't know about whether I'll get all the gates done or not, we'll see. My DH did drag over that other truck topper from the place next door that got abandoned, so I have that now if I want to make a shelter out of it. I haven't gone out yet to see what kind of shape it's in, he went over after dark & got it last night. He says there are windows over there too from one of the trailers, I would like to get those too next before someone else gets them. People have been stripping the trailer & travel trailer over there until there isn't much left of either.

 

[chicken danz]

Karen if you need another Lavender boy I have some nice Orpington boys. I haven't had any aggression at all in them. I have at least 2 o them I need to rehome. I don't want to eat them. They are too nice.

I have the farm innovators pro series incubator. I found there to be a moisture problem. I had 5 eggs drown before hatch. When eggs started hatching the humidity raised to 80%+. Does anyone know how to solve these issues?

When hatching starts do you have another air port to open? The problem is probably not enough oxygen. I've never had a drowning issue. I fight harder to keep humidity up high. My hatcher has lots of air movement so I suppose that is why.
Wow I can't believe those guys are crowing already. Mine sure aren't. You are also still welcome to these other birds the Pheonix raised. I just don't have a way to get them to you right now.

Tomorrow is lockdown for me on the frizzle cochin eggs. 3 of the eggs (all blues) are dancing around like crazy. I haven't seen the Mille's move yet but still hoping

, I am obviously candling challenged as I thought they were all no go's.
If you see development you won't necessarily see movement. If I can see veining and no red mark around the top of the area that contains the chicks they are usually viable. Congrats on your almost hatch.

Wow, a lot of posts to go through in a day or so. I vent sexed the 3 today. Two males. One female. The bloody things have got to go before everything starts laying again. They aren't mean or anything just loud....really loud....one gander and a quiet goose is fine but three ganders makes you want to pull your hair out. I might be willing to trade or work something out for any other exotic waterfowl. Or possibly silver phoenix???
Please pm me, i'm not as consistent as i used to be on here.

I'll send you a PM.

i will be trying to keep my flocks on grass (chicken tractors) and also separated for breeding during the growing season. My question is: will there be too much fighting between flocks when I put them all back together in my "winter coop"? Or should I plan on separate cages all winter also.

If you can let them free range for a few days before you put them all in one coop they will probably be fine. As hechicken said if the boys want to beat each other up you might have to house them separately. ( A lot depends on your ratio of boys to girls.) My roosters seem to get along really well but they free range or were raised together. Most of them are too busy chasing girls to worry about chasing each other.
Quote:

Karen, I sent you a PM, sorry I didn't get back to you sooner, I was busy all day yesterday.

My DH did come out & help me yesterday with getting the pop doors all cut out on the breeder coop & we got them done all except putting a latch on to hold it shut & one to hold it open. We had some squabbling at first until I let him know I wasn't going to put up with his whining & then he settled down & got to work. That's why I hate working with him most of the time, he doesn't know how to do things so he whines & acts up. I just don't tolerate whining adults very well, I just want to get to work & shut up about it. If you don't know how to do something then figure it out. We ended up having to get a little creative with the outside frame & all just because he couldn't manage to cut the openings quite right, but it turned out all right in the end, I figured it out. Next I need to put up roosts in each section, I can do that by myself & put up inside latches on the doors. I think that will about do it on the inside other than just putting the nest boxes in & litter for the floor. I decided just to leave the dried leaves in there on the floor that blew in before the roof was on, it will just add to the DLM in there.

Today I have to make a run to get the stuff for the panels outside & gates. I was hoping to do that yesterday, but it took all afternoon until almost dark to get all the pop doors done. I'm just glad they're done, really relieved because I wasn't looking forward to trying to do it by myself. The weather is supposed to be pretty decent this week, so I hope to get my pens outside done. I don't know about whether I'll get all the gates done or not, we'll see. My DH did drag over that other truck topper from the place next door that got abandoned, so I have that now if I want to make a shelter out of it. I haven't gone out yet to see what kind of shape it's in, he went over after dark & got it last night. He says there are windows over there too from one of the trailers, I would like to get those too next before someone else gets them. People have been stripping the trailer & travel trailer over there until there isn't much left of either.

Sounds like you made some progress. I sure need to get on the stick here. I have so many to get pens ready for.
I put all those birds out in the ghetto camper yesterday and they wouldn't stay in side. I kept trying to put them back in and they'd run back out. I finally rigged up another heat lamp and set it under the trailer in hope they would crowd around it and not get too chilled. I'm almost afraid to go out today and see if I lost any. I'm not sure how I can get them to stay in. I couldn't catch them and put them in fast enough. I don't really have a latch for the pop door so it wasn't working very well.
Sure wish I knew who to call to do some of this work for me.
I've also got to decide what I am going to do for housing for the new birds soon.
Why do I get birds before I have a place to put them? I'm so dumb sometimes!

 

[Hawkeye95]

Yeah, Hawkeye,

sorry about the lack of fertility so far.


I am wondering about the Black Ameraucanas split to Lavender. If I breed splits to splits, won't I get all black, no splits, in the chicks? Is that correct? I want to be sure I know what I'm doing.

I was going to post the chart again, but looks like you found it!

They are wanting carpenters and electricians to work on a new addition at the church. I told them I'd come in and help as soon as my hand was well. Why do I commit to more than I can already handle??? I am terrible at keeping my mouth shut. I like doing that kind of thing for someone else other than myself.
I moved the last 50 birds to the ghetto trailer too. They will be pretty crowded in there but they should be okay. I was going to go back out and treat their water with ivermectin but I didn't get back out there. I figure since there are more of them now it's more likely they could get mites or something.
I really need to take some time to build some roosts for them. That would help it seem roomier anyway.
My brooder house is actually empty right now. I hope to get out there and clean and disinfect it thoroughly in the next day or two so I can move some birds out. I still have two bins with chicks here in the house. I put a few more eggs in the hatcher today so I guess there'll be a few more to put someplace.

The only up side is that your hand is injured. You can just say that your hand isn't coming around like you need it to. I think you probably have enough on your plate as it is! But I totally understand! I do the same thing and I am volunteered up to my eye balls at my church, too! I do the welcome speech for our Praise Team (contemporary service) each morning (I have to plan and prepare, practice for it each week) and beyond that, attend weekly meetings to plan for the services, and then show up on Wed nights to help set up--which involves MANY things. I bring in food for our table on Sundays, etc, etc... Then, I still have a Sunday school class I attend and my kids are involved in Choir, and my oldest is an accolyte and the list goes on and on! THEN-- I'm doing the Poultry Superintendent which I've been to meeting after meeting for recently, numerous emails with the County convincing them to let go of money to buy more show coops for the barn, set up for the coming show, and THEN I'm also the new Community Leader for our local 4-H club... I'm doing the newsletters (have my first one drafted up already!) and really... if I could sit here and think, I could tell you about more things I'm committed to that I have forgotten about! My calender is nuts with all the things I'm doing and this doesn't count all the things the kids are in. My DH and I really split our time up so we can get everything done. I'm thinking I need to become less committed! LOL But I really do enjoy it all.

Okay, I just flipped back to Hawkeye's Lavender chart so now I've got it. Thanks, Hawkeye for the chart. I'm in need of a chart for everything since I read extremely fast but only retain bits and pieces. I'm going to save it so I don't keep asking the same question every other week.

I don't get to help JosieChick Sat because I have to taxi kids. Our oldest is taking the SAT's and one of our girls has an all day honors band thing. DH and I will have to divide and conquer.

I got my Swedish Flowers in their breeder pen today - yay!

So far I have my Black split Ameraucanas penned and now the Swedish Flowers. Once everyone is in their breeder pens, Danz is going to come and do their NPIP testing.

Happy Superbowl to fans of such things. We have it on -- DH has been looking forward to it. I have an aunt and uncle coming by in a little bit for a visit.

I'm not 100% sure I can do Saturday either... but have to see how this week pans out before I can say. I have a couple of things that might stop me, but might not!! Ugh!! Hope your SuperBowl party was fun! We had a great time at a friend's house. Usually we host it, but our huge tv downstairs died. Knowing my DH, he would have run out and got another one, but we need to wait to see. I am wondering how we will get that thing out of our downstairs. It took like 4 guys to get it down there. Either my DH needs to call in a favor to his friends, or we hire the junk guys to come get it.

Wow was I glad for the sunshine this weekend. Last of the breeding pens all separated but we leave them for at least 3 weeks to make sure all are fertile by the exact rooster that we want with them--I know this is probably longer than need be but I would rather wait longer just to make sure as my luck I would be the one to have a "hmm what is this". Boy was it a crowing contest tho--made me laugh. The slw bantams and sfh should be good to go in another week.

Tomorrow is lockdown for me on the frizzle cochin eggs. 3 of the eggs (all blues) are dancing around like crazy. I haven't seen the Mille's move yet but still hoping

, I am obviously candling challenged as I thought they were all no go's.

Josie hope you had a good workday

Trish--Thanks again for my dear Sven--he showed me today how well he can "puff up" to show off for his 2 girls and that he can crow really loudly each time I was anywhere near his pen. Have you figured anything out with the game camera yet as to what is happening?

Hawkeye-oooh darn about the silkie, hopefully just needs a little more time as the AI doesn't sound like too much fun to me

Hechicken--yeah that they figured out the door ---most of the time its the little simple things that make our lives a bit easier

Waiting 3 weeks is very smart, and doing that, you'll have exactly what you want. I don't currently have the room to keep chicks or birds that don't fit in with my plan, so I'm with you, I just wouldn't want to take the chance either. Good luck on the eggs! And AI isn't too bad, it's just really time consuming and a real pain in the bootie.

ocap, I've never separated them out as you are suggesting. My feeling would be that there would be some initial squabbling and then they will figure out a pecking order and will be fine. My only concern would be the multiple roosters being combined. I just had to process some younger cockerels because the head roo wouldn't tolerate their breeding with "his" hens, and it was creating tension for the whole flock, as instead of being a good roo and keeping a watch out for predators, he spent his time watching the cockerels so he could chase them away from any hen they approached. So in your scenario, I'm guessing there will be some fighting among the roosters once they are all combined. Perhaps you can have two winter coops - one for the boys and one for the girls?

OCAP-- I agree with HEchicken here-- I would either make two pens of all girls and all boys, or don't put them back together. I have limited experience, AND I'm working with Silkies which are laid back anyway-- but I created an all-boy pen and an all-girl pen for this winter. That way, the girls didn't get beat up because I wanted to jump right into the Spring shows coming up and can't have them over bred or their feathers messed up. The all-boy pen worked out pretty good. They were all raised together (except for a few of them) and I made sure I put the new boys in at the same time. The other boys didn't know who to pick on first and they sorted it out really fast. Now they get along great. I did have to remove 3 boys from the all-boy pen this winter, though. They had to go in separate pens. I have stacking pens in the garage, so two of them went in there. They are still there. They just are too hormonal and wont stop fighting. If they weren't breeding quality boys, I'd just get rid of them. But they fit in my plan, so for now, I can't. The 3rd boy was being attacked and flew over the low fence into the girl side. I left him there as he obviously hasn't figured out he is a boy yet. The problem would be once I separate out adult boys and then try to put them back together, they will fight.

Karen, I sent you a PM, sorry I didn't get back to you sooner, I was busy all day yesterday.

My DH did come out & help me yesterday with getting the pop doors all cut out on the breeder coop & we got them done all except putting a latch on to hold it shut & one to hold it open. We had some squabbling at first until I let him know I wasn't going to put up with his whining & then he settled down & got to work. That's why I hate working with him most of the time, he doesn't know how to do things so he whines & acts up. I just don't tolerate whining adults very well, I just want to get to work & shut up about it. If you don't know how to do something then figure it out. We ended up having to get a little creative with the outside frame & all just because he couldn't manage to cut the openings quite right, but it turned out all right in the end, I figured it out. Next I need to put up roosts in each section, I can do that by myself & put up inside latches on the doors. I think that will about do it on the inside other than just putting the nest boxes in & litter for the floor. I decided just to leave the dried leaves in there on the floor that blew in before the roof was on, it will just add to the DLM in there.

Today I have to make a run to get the stuff for the panels outside & gates. I was hoping to do that yesterday, but it took all afternoon until almost dark to get all the pop doors done. I'm just glad they're done, really relieved because I wasn't looking forward to trying to do it by myself. The weather is supposed to be pretty decent this week, so I hope to get my pens outside done. I don't know about whether I'll get all the gates done or not, we'll see. My DH did drag over that other truck topper from the place next door that got abandoned, so I have that now if I want to make a shelter out of it. I haven't gone out yet to see what kind of shape it's in, he went over after dark & got it last night. He says there are windows over there too from one of the trailers, I would like to get those too next before someone else gets them. People have been stripping the trailer & travel trailer over there until there isn't much left of either.

Sounds like you got a lot done!! YAY!! I'm dying to get started on my breeding pens!! My DH is dragging his feet. We're planning on putting the auger on the tractor and digging all the hole in one day and then setting them. After that, we're going to put up a tin roof and then wire the pens-- all open air. But I'm thinking of going ahead and putting up some kind of siding for the west side to keep the horrible sun off of them. Then I'm going to plant honeysuckle around the pen and that should screen them well. I've had amazing luck with the honeysuckle-- it become a very dense thick barrier and provides a lot of shade, but still lets a breeze thru. I figure I'll still need to hook up a water mister system into the roof line anyway.

I'd love to see what you do with the truck topper! I'd certainly try to get those windows if you can, too!

I put all those birds out in the ghetto camper yesterday and they wouldn't stay in side. I kept trying to put them back in and they'd run back out. I finally rigged up another heat lamp and set it under the trailer in hope they would crowd around it and not get too chilled. I'm almost afraid to go out today and see if I lost any. I'm not sure how I can get them to stay in. I couldn't catch them and put them in fast enough. I don't really have a latch for the pop door so it wasn't working very well.
Sure wish I knew who to call to do some of this work for me.
I've also got to decide what I am going to do for housing for the new birds soon.
Why do I get birds before I have a place to put them? I'm so dumb sometimes!

How about just stapling some chicken wire over the pop door, leaving the bottom unstapled and then tossing in a bird under the wire to keep them in? You could bend a nail or something to hook it down or even use rope or string, etc to keep the screen down?? I'd be worried too. I see 'handy men' listed on CraigsList all the time.

 

[Deerfield Acres]

Trish, sounds like you got lots done yesterday! It feels so good to make progress!

I'm looking forward to getting lots done this week and having DH home for awhile. We may even sneak out to lunch by ourselves -- woot!

I'm moving slowly this morning after having processed 6 ducks yesterday. Now all I have to do is figure out how to cook them. A google visit is on my horizon. I'm taking it easy today and not feeling a bit guilty about it because I know I'm going to be hitting it hard the rest of the week.

 

[JosieChick]

Hi everyone!!!! I am so far behind! Had a fabulous whirlwind trip to Maine for the baby shower this weekend. SO nice to see family and close friends but I was exhausted after the party. It is a lot of work being pregnant and the guest of honor!! Apparently the baby sensed the excitement because she kicked and rolled practically non stop all weekend!

So I'm a bit disappointed this morning. I made up a bunch of scrambled eggs. I had been collecting silkie eggs that I wanted to check for fertility. I have my black boy in the girl pen and just curious to know if he's old enough to be doing his job or knows what the heck he is doing, or if he is a "natural breeder". Like cochins--- Silkies have a lot of issues about being natural breeders because of the extra fluff and cushion in the rear, and as some of you recall last year, I had to AI ALL of my birds! that sucked! My rooster has been in the girl pen for about 2 months now, and I cracked open all of the eggs that came out of that pen and NONE of them were fertile! Sigh. I know he's young, but he's certainly old enough to be breeding by now. I got him as a 6 month old boy, and that was in the Fall-- so I'm guessing he is about 9 months old. I hope it's just because he's cold and isn't in the mood lately because it's winter.. That's a good excuse for a chicken, riiiiight???

I think I see a lot more AI in my future this Spring. Shoot. My other boys are WAY fluffier than he is. It's not looking good.

Glad your hand is feeling better, take it easy!!! Poor Fluff! Could you put the pups up for sale now and take deposits for when they are ready so people know they have a puppy coming and don't buy elsewhere?

New internet device is up and running. Yay! Trish I just got around to joining. I decided I had put it off long enough. I went ahead and became a full member so I can vote. I'll just have to do some more reading later I guess.
My wrist/hand is much better today. As soon as the soreness goes out I'll be good as new. I've got about $200,000 tied up in this stupid thing. I probably over-reacted to it but when the doctors tell you that if you mess it up there is nothing left to fix it sure gets your attention.
I swear I posted earlier this morning but it's not showing up. I had one of my dog buyers buy a dog this week so I am out a sale. So I need to get serious about getting some buyers. I would have never planned pups for this time when I am so busy but my dumb dog had other ideas. Oh Fluff is going to go see the vet in the near future so we don't have any more unplanned pregnancies. I'll have to find another male in a year or so to breed Cloud back to.
Yay! Mammahen is coming this afternoon. I am happy. Her DH and a couple of her girls have been here but not her before. She's taking the rooster I posted pictures of a while back and some eggs to hatch.
I think I've gotten almost all my stuff in to file taxes. I still have one more form to get then I can get them done. I can definitely use the funds.
I've also got to start figuring out where I am going to house my new birds next week. I am so done with this stinking cold weather.

I don't know a ton about this but I do know that a LOT of white orps carry the cuckoo gene. That is why I asked you if you had an extra white orp roo to let me know because I thought it would be fun to play around with lavender cuckoo which is really beautiful. You would have to look up on here how the breeding works but I do remember that a white orp roo (who is carrying the cuckoo gene) over lavender hens is the first generation. Then I think you take the hens from the first generation and breed back to the original white roo so some of those hens (you won't know which) carry the cuckoo gene and the roo carries it so it will express in the second generation in some chicks. Of course you could have a white roo who isn't carrying the gene and get no where!

Aw hawkeye that sucks!! Maybe the cold is just too much for him and he'll come around. But you'd think he'd be fertile by now. Are the girls previously proven?
I agree on the hatching thing and I am trying very hard not to start hatching too early. I know I miss sales when people are rushing to order chicks but in reality it is too cold for them to be shipped right now. I am of course test hatching but I don't know what to do with the chicks I have hatched other than to just raise them as layers.
I had by the way one chick die of pasty butt this morning. I hadn't been taking the time to watch them carefully. It came from the mixed orpington eggs. It was about a week old so it has some wing feathers. It appeared almost solid white (which wouldn't be unusual for a lemon cuckoo cockerel - they are much lighter than the pullets when hatched.) however when I examined it's wings it looked like it had some lavender barring on them. That made me really curious. Would it be possible for a lemon cuckoo crossed with a lavender (self blue) to produce a lavender barred offspring? I think that would be a very unique bird.
Here is another question I have for chicken genetics. If I were to use a white Orpington with dominant white and breed it to a lavender orpington or lemon cuckoo orpington would it be possible for the offspring's offspring to produce a light colored lemon or lavender if bred back to a non-split cuckoo or lavender? I had looked up genetics and understood that dominant white will only produce white. But I do know that it is necessary in order to maintain good quality in orpingtons that they need to be bred back to white or black occasionally. So this confuses me. If white produced white always surely there has to be a way to get back the colors. It's all so contradictory.
And the other thing that confuses me is that white orpingtons are not all white chicks. They have lavender or grey colored markings randomly but grow in white feathers. Strange huh?
Wish I understood all the genetics. I was a biology major when I first started college, before going into law enforcement. I thought I had genetics down to a T but that has been some 40 years ago and we never studied chicken genetics.
Thank Heavens! I would probably have messed up my GPA big time.

Congrats on your eggs! Hope for a great hatch!

Tomorrow is lockdown for me on the frizzle cochin eggs. 3 of the eggs (all blues) are dancing around like crazy. I haven't seen the Mille's move yet but still hoping

, I am obviously candling challenged as I thought they were all no go's.

Josie hope you had a good workday-Just to clarify, next weekend is our work party just in case anyone wants to come! Don't want you to think you missed it!

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[checoukan]

Wow, I guess we all had busy weekend.
Danz, take care of that hand and wrist, I know that had to hurt a bunch.
Josie, glad you had a good time and welcome home,
trish, you made some progess, and that is what counts.
I know others posted, but don't want to go back and re-read everything.

Well, Ivy brought me down the rest of her birds, and I took them over to the turkey creek swap and sold them for her. I also took some "spare's" that I had running around here that I did not want anymore. I took over 39 birds of different breeds, and sold 32, traded for 2, and bought 1 Not to bad

Is someone raising bantam SLW's? I need a couple of hens. I bought a cock bird, but they had no pullets. I traded for some very young s. sebrights, just for fun.

Started on cleaning out the old barn last night, and guess I had better get out there and clean some more. Get it done now, and I won't have to clean again until next year. I sure aint gonna clean in summer that is for sure. We put up 3 runs last night for the large fowl, I need to get out there and put a top on one, so I can let the birds out, I know they are ready, but, I had to wait for my DH, to drive the T- posts with the uniloader. That works so fast, and easy! No pounding post around here anymore!!!

Hope everybody gets out, and at least soak up some sun, sure helps with the winter blahs! I was starting to get them, staying in the house while I was sick, still coughing, but I may do that until summer I think.
They are working on the new barn today putting up more time and skylight. I will take a picture tonight after they leave.

 

[chicken danz]

Oh Josie a lavender barred orp would be to die for!!! I did hatch a lavender today. It's still in the incubator. I had read that too about the barring and hoped to do some experimenting.
I just spent 2 hours watching a film by a professional in the poultry unit of Arkansas university. Poor quality film made by one of the participants but I learned tons. I have complete answers to the question about how long it is before you get pure breeding. The answer in short is 24 hours.
I'll try to sum it all up. Once ovulation occurs there is a 20 minute window for the egg to get fertilized and it is such a small range that it has to occur within 2-3 minutes. Then the egg drops into the ovaduct where it takes 24-26 hours for the shell to form. The empbryo is actually formed during this time. You can slow down it's growth by reducing temperature once it is laid for a period of time.
Any way the hen does have the capability of storing sperm. Sperm collects in a tubular shaped duct that puts the oldest sperm on the bottom and the newest sperm on top -so the hen will always be using the newest sperm. As the older sperm ages it dies off so it is no longer any good. It can live 21-22 days but after day 12-14 the mortality of the sperm gets greater and greater.
So to sum it up. If the hen is being actively bred by a rooster say withing 2-3 days especially, you will always get that roosters sperm.
If you bred with a red rooster from day 6-9, a black rooster from day 3-6, and a white rooster from day 1-3. The first chicks would be from the white rooster, second group would be from the black rooster, and third group would be from the red rooster. But if you left the white rooster in with the hen all of the chicks would be from the white rooster.
Also interesting was that if a hen lays of clutch of 12 eggs in 12 days that the albumin will be thicker in the first eggs than in the last eggs. So those eggs would actually benefit from not being incubated until a few days after they were laid.
I feel perfect content and safe to know I can no hatch orpingtons with no crosses whatsoever. I heard it from the horses mouth. They actually had timed the whole thing and did tests where the hen had to be sacrificed to contain the data.
I probably wouldn't have watched this if I'd known it would take so long but it was worth it. Later in the film you can learn more about incubation. Unfortunately he cut that part short.
The address is

Hawkeye I know I should just say I can't do these things but I hate to say no to the church. I never volunteer for the nursery or anything like that because if I have my Dad with me I don't want to leave him alone. I guess I do cook for dinners and stuff. But this is during the week so I could actually do it and I feel guilty about saying I will and then not doing it. Right now they are working on ceilings and wiring lights up. I don't like working over head because my neck doesn't bend...just like my stupid wrist, so trying to do that work is painful. I would much rather be working on walls and stuff. I'm thinking I might be able to talk my older sister in to helping when I do. We love doing projects together....even though she doesn't attend that church. Maybe it would get me in building mode so I'd get more done around here!
So I wasted all this time watching this video and I need to get out and take care of birds. Better start moving that direction.

 

[michelleml]

Only two of the birds are proven, the others are my young ones that are coming of age now. But I still think I have a rooster problem. I've not ever witnessed him trying to mate them... so maybe he hasn't figured out he's a boy yet. He's been in the girl pen because he managed to fly the 32 inch wall separating the boys from the girls. Trust me-- for a silkie, that was quite a feat!! And since he was being picked on, I left him in there since he wasn't causing trouble and the girls weren't running around screaming with him after them. He's really laid back, a very good boy. Maybe his hormones will kick in this Spring when it warms up. They are also not in the direct sunlight-- they have the plastic wrapping their pen.

There is a color called Isabel (or also known as Porcelian) but to make matters more confusing, the silkie people are now calling it Blue-Cream-- even though it is NOT out of a blue breeding. Basically it's a Lavender X Buff breeding and the color is gorgeous! It's a fantastic combination of the lav and buff, and I can't even describe it well, so I'll see if I can hunt up a picture.... The buff shows up on the wings and back and the lavender is the "base" color of the bird... Maybe you would get something like that???? This might give you an idea of what you could get:






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Okay, I am loving today! I didn't get a ton of stuff done, but enough that we were able to play outside and get water cleaned out and refilled for the birds. Here are a couple of pics from the layers and the silkies... the silkies were sun-bathing and all sprawled out.





The layers enjoying a BOSS treat outside.

love the silkies they are so cute

So earlier this afternoon I grabbed the little bird that lost the toes. I had thought it was a pullet but I am convinced now it is a cockerel. I hadn't looked up close before. I brought him in and took his picture while I was holding him so it is too close and fuzzy and the flash went off which made the picture too bright. But you can get the idea of how messed up his feet are. It looks like he has two more dead tips that will fall off. I thought he would keep those but they are dead as well. You can see from his stubbles that he simply walks on the balls of his feet. I also took a picture of his feathering so you could see what colors he is. First picture. He really is a pretty young bird. I'm kind of sad now cause I know he'll just be butchered eventually.
Any way here's the pics. Excuse the quality.

poor thing will he or she be okay.


Dh is attempting to make a ladder style roost in the new coop i want to move my little flock over there soon. What is better to get day old chicks or laying hens to add to flock? Can someone tell me what is the best measurements for a brooder? if it's best to add day old chicks then i would like to have one i don't plan on adding very many no more than a dz

 

[JosieChick]

Danz- I am sending you a PM about roos. Everyone is crowing out there!! I thought a few were maybe pullets, I don't like pea combed birds, they are so tricky sometimes!

 

[chicken danz]

That is why I tend to feather sex. Wait until I get this group of Breda's going. They have no comb at all!!!