Consolidated Kansas

[WichitaKidd]

Chicks 2.0

My new chicks arrived on Wednesday morning.

Post office called just before 8:00am to let me know they had arrived. All 27 chicks were alive upon arrival, but 4 of them didn't make it thru the next day. They were a bit sluggish when I took them out of the box so I figured it would just be a matter of time. Called the hatchery Friday morning to report the loss. They did offer to ship replacements at no cost, but it would be the middle of April so I opted for the credit. Even though I lost a few I still think Meyer Hatchery is a great hatchery to work with. I've always had good success with chicks & great customer service.

Mix this year includes: Delawares, Barred Rocks, Partridge Rocks, White Rocks, Golden Buffs, Australorps, Silver Laced Wyandottes, Rhode Island Reds & New Hamp Reds. I think I may have gotten a couple of Brown Leghorns (which I didn't order) mixed into the shipment. Still trying to figure out what all is what. I ordered birds for 3 other people so not all of them get to stay home with me. I would have kept them all; just not sure what I would do with that many.



Also getting to try out my new EcoGlow 20 that I ordered. Still using heat lamps for a while to keep the temp up inside the brooder. So far, the top of the Eco has been more popular than underneath, but at least it's getting some use.

Enjoying the nice rain today & the occasional claps of thunder. Starting to feel like SPRING!

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

 

[JosieChick]

Oh how fun! Those cochin girls live to set on eggs I think. They are young too! If you let her sit you will want to consider moving her and her nest so she is safe from the other hens and when her babies hatch they don't get attacked by the other hens. I always move my broodies at night. I usually put them in a big vari kennel inside the chicken coop and give them something like a cat litter box to set in. Then they can have their own food/water and nest and peace! If you leave her in the nest box the other hens will kick her out to lay their eggs and they may damage the eggs she is setting or unless you mark her couple she "started" you will have a ridiculous staggered hatch and the first chicks might not make it because she won't get off the nest until she is done hatching everyone. Also, don't give her anything super valuable the first time around. Let her prove herself first. If she flakes out on a couple mutt eggs or is a terrible mother it won't be the end of the world but if she hatches out expensive chicks for you then kills them or leaves the nest part way through and you lose the eggs you won't be a happy chicken mom. (This coming from the voice of experience!)

Josie looks like one of the Cochin girls is broody she had a fit last night when I went to check on eggs. She had two buff eggs and one of her own. Do you think I should let her sit or try and break her?

It's a dark rainy morning for so far

Ahhhh! Can the rain wait until tonight? DH and the inlaws are out busting out chicken fencing and I would hate for them to be out in the rain! Why can't it rain during the week when everyone is at work? I have to haul a trailer of hay down behind the horse trailer today too and I hate driving with stuff tarped on the highway! I am sending you a PM!

She thinks its spring! If it were me I would be

Breaking broodies is rarely successful - once they get it in mind to incubate, its hard to convince them its not a good idea. I couldn't tell you how many threads I've read where someone has found a sure fire way to break a broody and a short time later there is a chagrined posting about how the bird is broody again already. So....the best way I have heard of breaking a broody is to let her brood. Once the chicks hatch, she will forget being broody and set about raising them. Can I offer congrats? I would look at this as a great opportunity to hatch some eggs you've been wanting to hatch - you can switch out the eggs she has chosen to sit on, for others that you are more interested in hatching.

Josie, congrats on the Sebastapol egg!

We've only had a trace of moisture so far - I hope the rain they've been promising does start in earnest soon.

I was beginning to think they were never going to lay this year. This is super late for them. Sybil laid her first egg last year on Jan. 18!! I will be soooo glad to get them moved on Monday and with one gander. These poor girls are taking a beating from all the ramped up hormones out there. SO sorry about your babies. Weird that they would just die at 4 weeks old overnight? Must have come in contact with something that was pretty hard for them to handle. Birds are so fragile sometimes.

Congats Josie. Mine are kicking out eggs pretty well now. Usually at least 1 but sometimes 2 a day. The midgets are picking up in numbers as well.
I've got to get moving here. I made an appointment to get feed this morning at the coop. They have very limited service and just for a few hours on Saturday morning. When DH fed the other day her over fed and so my plans of having enough feed for the weekend weren't looking good.
I got up this morning to find 6 dead chicks in the bin in the house. I am kicking myself and wondering what on earth happened. Of course one of those was my cream legbar pullet that was about 4 weeks old. The only thing I did different was grab a different food pan from another bin so I wouldn't have to clean out theirs. It appeared clean but I'm thinking maybe it might have had some minute mold spores somewhere on it or something. I just feel sick. So everything got a thorough cleaning with activated oxine and new shavings etc. The bin they were in was immaculate though. No mess, no poo, nothing that looked potentially dangerous. I've got more chicks coming out of the hatcher today and it really bothers me. I am afraid I am missing something.
Michelleml I'd certainly want to know something about the breeder before I bid on the eggs. Also are they close or do they have to be shipped? That makes a huge difference in your hatch rates too. I honestly wouldn't give over $3 an egg unless they are from SQ lines. If you figure a 50% hatch that would be $6 a chick. Not to mention additional cost for whatever shipping is. If they are well known SQ lines and from a reputable breeder that is a whole 'nother story.
I got the back wall on my hoop coop yesterday and started cutting for the front coop wall inside. I am still not sure how I want to do it. I made a mistake of asking DH to hold the OSB up so I could mark it to cut. Of course then he wanted to reinvent the wheel. I got crabby with him. It is my project and I didn't want him to take over and start building things his way. He hasn't even looked at designs and ideas so he doesn't know what I am doing. I don't want him second guessing my plans. It was so cold out there. Not at all like the forecast. Of course they are right about it being cold today. I think the cold front moved in early.
We took off last evening for Ottawa and got another 10 X 10 kennel from Orschlens while they were 25% off and picked up a couple more heated dog bowls since they were on sale for $12.99. Cheap!!! And the DIY sale flyer ended today as well, so I bought 5 more cattle panels for my next hoop coop. I didn't buy lumber or anything. I am trying to watch money for now but I figured I would save enough on the panels I could get them now while they were on sale. I've got to finish the current hoop coop before I start another one anyway. And I want to do some more planning before I tackle it since I am building a whole new double coop concept in that one.
Mstng67 if you get a chance I would really like the see the front of your coop you have in your hoop house.
I am thinking of building a double door. Sort of a pop door with a man door on top so I can walk in there to get eggs and such. Kind of like what I did on this last dog house. The top stays shut and locked unless I go in there.
I did look at chicks at Orchslens last night and wasn't at all temped. Yay! I figure I have a lot nicer ones here.
HeChicken can't wait to see your pictures of your finished coop.

Momma hens are so cute with their little babies. Just be careful because the other hens in your flock will care less and they can and will just turn around and kill a young chick. It is hard for a mother hen to stay on top of her whole brood sometimes.

Hechicken I think it would be so cute to see chicks running with a hen but my other girls are laying in the same box she is setting in. So should I just take the bo eggs and leave hers?

Egg auction is closed so if anyone has a few fertile welsummer or marans eggs let me know

Michelle

Well it is grey out but not raining yet. Hoping it holds off at least until we get down with the horses and hay and get unloaded. I don't know that it will but one can wish! I need to get the house cleaned up and start packing stuff in here. SO tired.

 

[mstng67]

Danz - I'll get some pick tomorrow or Monday. I'm of at an all day scouting event today. Luckily it's not raining too much.

 

[Trish44]

Chicks 2.0

My new chicks arrived on Wednesday morning.

Post office called just before 8:00am to let me know they had arrived. All 27 chicks were alive upon arrival, but 4 of them didn't make it thru the next day. They were a bit sluggish when I took them out of the box so I figured it would just be a matter of time. Called the hatchery Friday morning to report the loss. They did offer to ship replacements at no cost, but it would be the middle of April so I opted for the credit. Even though I lost a few I still think Meyer Hatchery is a great hatchery to work with. I've always had good success with chicks & great customer service.

Mix this year includes: Delawares, Barred Rocks, Partridge Rocks, White Rocks, Golden Buffs, Australorps, Silver Laced Wyandottes, Rhode Island Reds & New Hamp Reds. I think I may have gotten a couple of Brown Leghorns (which I didn't order) mixed into the shipment. Still trying to figure out what all is what. I ordered birds for 3 other people so not all of them get to stay home with me. I would have kept them all; just not sure what I would do with that many.



Also getting to try out my new EcoGlow 20 that I ordered. Still using heat lamps for a while to keep the temp up inside the brooder. So far, the top of the Eco has been more popular than underneath, but at least it's getting some use.

Enjoying the nice rain today & the occasional claps of thunder. Starting to feel like SPRING!

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

I'm sorry about the loss of the chicks, shipping can be hard on them. It looks like you got a nice mix of breeds though. I have used my Ecoglow for two different batches of chicks now, still have one in my galvanized tank where my Salmon Faverolles & Wheaten Ameraucana chicks are hanging out. They really have liked the Ecoglow & any time they feel threatened they run under there. It's kind of a hidey hole too besides being warm. I haven't even taken my new one, the Ecoglow 50 out of the box yet. It's going to be used in the new larger brooder I got for the broiler chicks coming next month. I need to get to work on the garage though to get it cleaned up & get things moved so I can have a place to set up that brooder.

It's really cloudy here, we have had a brief shower, but not much yet. I'm hoping it does rain some more because it hasn't rained enough yet to hardly wet the ground.

 

[sarajoy]

Last year I got so sick of this gal showing up and just walking on my property I was bound and determined I was going to put a privacy fence up and a gate so no one could just walk in here. But of course finances kept me from doing so. I wish my dogs intimidated them a little more. I don't like people just driving up and walking around without asking. It really ticked me off.

Two years ago, during the pre-census process, a census guy showed up on our property, I guess he was supposed to be getting GPS coordinates with a little thing he was carrying. But I was right there, working in a front flower garden. He didn't come over and introduce himself to me, just started walking around the yard, like he was looking for something, doing some kind of an inspection. I walked over to him and asked him who he thought he was and what he was doing on our property. He hemmed and hawed and said this was his first census stop, and he was trying to work up his nerve to go up to the front door - where he was supposed to do his GPS thing. I was spitting mad. I told him he had no right to be walking around on our property, and I was right there in plain view. He could have come over and introduced himself and asked permission. He said he was working for the federal government and didn't need any permission. He went on to try to interrogate me. He said I was lying when I told him our address. He had once lived in the area, before the new 400 had been put in. I live on the old highway. He knew it by the highway name. He also couldn't figure out our address, it wasn't in his system at all because there had been no home here on this property before we moved the mobile home onto it.
He insisted he was right and I was lying!! Talk about a bad choice for a census employee!! Frankly, I don't think much about any of the census business - feel like its way way way too invasive, and this GPS locator was just over the top. But to not even believe the resident as to the address they were living at. Its a good thing I didn't have my dogs at that point is all i can say. I was so so so spitting mad!! Sara

 

[Deerfield Acres]

WichitaKidd, Congrats on your new chicks!!!!

Sorry about the lost chicks. Danz, hope everything is fine now, it certainly should be.

I'm so glad to have some rain. It's been coming down over several hours but not so heavy that it will just run off. It's the perfect amount. It would be lovely to get some water in the pond for the ducks. Speaking of ducks they are loving the rain!

I'm putting my first batch of eggs in the bator this evening! Let the hatching begin! Most of these are just barnyard mixes -- the pricier birds aren't laying anything consistently yet. I'm not that concerned since they are just coming into lay. Anyway, I'm ready to get going! I'm sure enjoying my Wheatens and Barred Rock chicks. Those rocks are just the biggest chicks ever!

Trish, I forgot to tell you that I'm getting an egg daily from the Ameraucana pen! Yay! And the eggs are pretty, not funky like that pullet egg. What a relief! I'm also just beginning to get a couple eggs every other day or so from the Swedish pen. That's a happy thing. The Germans are a bit behind in the laying department but any day now....

 

[Hawkeye95]

Chicks 2.0

My new chicks arrived on Wednesday morning.

Post office called just before 8:00am to let me know they had arrived. All 27 chicks were alive upon arrival, but 4 of them didn't make it thru the next day. They were a bit sluggish when I took them out of the box so I figured it would just be a matter of time. Called the hatchery Friday morning to report the loss. They did offer to ship replacements at no cost, but it would be the middle of April so I opted for the credit. Even though I lost a few I still think Meyer Hatchery is a great hatchery to work with. I've always had good success with chicks & great customer service.

Mix this year includes: Delawares, Barred Rocks, Partridge Rocks, White Rocks, Golden Buffs, Australorps, Silver Laced Wyandottes, Rhode Island Reds & New Hamp Reds. I think I may have gotten a couple of Brown Leghorns (which I didn't order) mixed into the shipment. Still trying to figure out what all is what. I ordered birds for 3 other people so not all of them get to stay home with me. I would have kept them all; just not sure what I would do with that many.



Also getting to try out my new EcoGlow 20 that I ordered. Still using heat lamps for a while to keep the temp up inside the brooder. So far, the top of the Eco has been more popular than underneath, but at least it's getting some use.

Enjoying the nice rain today & the occasional claps of thunder. Starting to feel like SPRING!

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

So excited for you, David!! YAY!!!! They are cute! I'm sorry about the losses, but that's pretty good. I like Meyer too-- that is where my layers came from.


SaraJoy-- I'm afraid I would have met him with something else. If someone comes out here during the day and they aren't UPS, FedEX or my mail lady, I just figure I better protect myself. Last summer a scary looking car that was half rust and half paint drove up into my drive while I was out working in the yard. There were two men and a lady in the car. I was VERY nervous. I ran inside and got my gun and when I came out, the lady said she was selling candles and they were wanting to "clean my carpet" and asked several times if they could come inside. I then made it clear they were to get the He!! off my property quickly when it looked like the two men were going to get out of the car. I have no idea how dumb they thought I was! I just figured they were up to no good.

Danz, so sorry about the 4 chicks that died. No clue what happened, I hope it's just as simple as you said-- that it was because of the new bowl you used. If that's the case, all should be fine!

Josie-- So glad you have your horses at your new home! I bet that is exciting! Let me know how they like their new digs! I can't wait to see more pics of your chicken pens! When will those be done?

 

[HEChicken]

Well, I started reading and had some posts multi-ed, then looked at the time, realized I was late to be somewhere and now that I'm back it didn't remember my multi's so I'll try to just remember what I read.

WichitaKidd, congrats on the new chicks - they look great. Sorry about the losses but I think I would do the same and get the credit because if you get replacement chicks, you'll have to brood them separately and have mixed ages. Oh, by the way, Betty is laying!!! I saw her in the nest box for the first time a couple of weeks ago but didn't know if she was just checking it out or really laying. Then a few days ago I was in the coop and while I was there, she stood up and laid the egg right in front of me.

Danz, sorry about the loss of your chicks - that sounds really weird. I hope it is a one-off.

Sarajoy, that would make me mad too. One time I saw a figure go past my front window and by the time I went outside, it was to see a guy walking into my backyard. I called out "Can I help you?" and he said he was from Westar and was there to read the meter. I pointed out that the meter is in the front yard, so then he changed it to he was reading the Kansas Gas meter because they are contracted to read both while they are there. Maybe that's true. But I was upset because he left the gate wide open when he walked through it, and he had to walk all the way across the backyard and back up the other side to get to the gas meter. I had a flock free-ranging my backyard at the time in addition to two dogs who were in and out and any of them could have walked through the open gate while he was on the far side of the house reading the meter. So I really let him have it for that reason and told him he should never leave open a gate he found closed and made him go back up and close it before he went to read the meter. Sheesh.

Josie, I hope you are able to get the hay and horses moved without too much trouble in the rain. Wow - we need the rain but the timing on this has been terrible. I've just come back from picking up one of our horses where he was away in training and bringing him back to our barn. Sloshing through the mud it didn't feel like the smartest choice to do it today but we had only contracted his board through today and the place he was at needed the space and really needed us to pick him today. At least my cheap Tractor Supply boots are holding up and didn't leak even though I walked through ankle deep puddles over and over this morning.

We have had some really good rain so I really can't complain. The ducks flew over the chicken yard fence and are thoroughly enjoying paddling in the puddles around our house. I set up my rain barrel under the coop gutter to try and catch some rain water so it should be filling nicely. It will be nice to have a water source right there at the coop for the next little while.

 

[Trish44]

WichitaKidd, Congrats on your new chicks!!!!

Sorry about the lost chicks. Danz, hope everything is fine now, it certainly should be.

I'm so glad to have some rain. It's been coming down over several hours but not so heavy that it will just run off. It's the perfect amount. It would be lovely to get some water in the pond for the ducks. Speaking of ducks they are loving the rain!

I'm putting my first batch of eggs in the bator this evening! Let the hatching begin! Most of these are just barnyard mixes -- the pricier birds aren't laying anything consistently yet. I'm not that concerned since they are just coming into lay. Anyway, I'm ready to get going! I'm sure enjoying my Wheatens and Barred Rock chicks. Those rocks are just the biggest chicks ever!

Trish, I forgot to tell you that I'm getting an egg daily from the Ameraucana pen! Yay! And the eggs are pretty, not funky like that pullet egg. What a relief! I'm also just beginning to get a couple eggs every other day or so from the Swedish pen. That's a happy thing. The Germans are a bit behind in the laying department but any day now....

Karen, yay on the eggs! Are they blue or more greenish? I know one of the lavender hens lays a pretty sky blue egg & the other one lays an equally pretty but a little more green cast egg. I got my lavender hens moved to their new pen with the other rooster, so hopefully they will start back up soon. They have taken the longest break ever, but I think this is pretty common for that breed not to like to lay in cold weather. They laid great in the summer last year, even in the heat. Maybe the bigger pen will inspire them to get busy, I sure hope so, I have people waiting for chicks. My Swedish Flower Hens are not doing a thing. One had laid a couple eggs at one time, but then stopped & now I have moved them, so they have to get acclimated to their new home. None of the birds I moved into the new coop are laying right now with the exception of one Cream Legbar. It is a pretty bluish-green egg, not the sky blue like some report, but still pretty. I can't wait to get the new pullet & rooster here. I will have at least one Cream Legbar rooster up for sale after I get the new one here. He won't really be breeding material, so it will need to be someone who doesn't care about the SOP because this one has a crooked comb, something everyone is pretty much fighting to breed out. Both of my roosters also have a lot more color than the UK birds, although they're direct descendants from Greenfire Farms. I'm hoping to get a lighter colored rooster from Eileen on Monday so I can start trying to get the proper color to meet the new SOP.

Well, I started reading and had some posts multi-ed, then looked at the time, realized I was late to be somewhere and now that I'm back it didn't remember my multi's so I'll try to just remember what I read.

WichitaKidd, congrats on the new chicks - they look great. Sorry about the losses but I think I would do the same and get the credit because if you get replacement chicks, you'll have to brood them separately and have mixed ages. Oh, by the way, Betty is laying!!! I saw her in the nest box for the first time a couple of weeks ago but didn't know if she was just checking it out or really laying. Then a few days ago I was in the coop and while I was there, she stood up and laid the egg right in front of me.

Danz, sorry about the loss of your chicks - that sounds really weird. I hope it is a one-off.

Sarajoy, that would make me mad too. One time I saw a figure go past my front window and by the time I went outside, it was to see a guy walking into my backyard. I called out "Can I help you?" and he said he was from Westar and was there to read the meter. I pointed out that the meter is in the front yard, so then he changed it to he was reading the Kansas Gas meter because they are contracted to read both while they are there. Maybe that's true. But I was upset because he left the gate wide open when he walked through it, and he had to walk all the way across the backyard and back up the other side to get to the gas meter. I had a flock free-ranging my backyard at the time in addition to two dogs who were in and out and any of them could have walked through the open gate while he was on the far side of the house reading the meter. So I really let him have it for that reason and told him he should never leave open a gate he found closed and made him go back up and close it before he went to read the meter. Sheesh.

Josie, I hope you are able to get the hay and horses moved without too much trouble in the rain. Wow - we need the rain but the timing on this has been terrible. I've just come back from picking up one of our horses where he was away in training and bringing him back to our barn. Sloshing through the mud it didn't feel like the smartest choice to do it today but we had only contracted his board through today and the place he was at needed the space and really needed us to pick him today. At least my cheap Tractor Supply boots are holding up and didn't leak even though I walked through ankle deep puddles over and over this morning.

We have had some really good rain so I really can't complain. The ducks flew over the chicken yard fence and are thoroughly enjoying paddling in the puddles around our house. I set up my rain barrel under the coop gutter to try and catch some rain water so it should be filling nicely. It will be nice to have a water source right there at the coop for the next little while.

That's a good idea about the rain barrel by the coop, I should do that because I have a lot of water running off my new coop roof, I could save it for the chickens that way. We have had one good gully-washer here just as my DH left to go to work. It looks like most of the rain now is going to the east of us, figures. a lot of the time we just sit in the middle & the moisture goes on either side of us. I have no idea how much rain we have gotten today, but probably not nearly enough.

 

[Deerfield Acres]

Karen, yay on the eggs! Are they blue or more greenish? I know one of the lavender hens lays a pretty sky blue egg & the other one lays an equally pretty but a little more green cast egg. I got my lavender hens moved to their new pen with the other rooster, so hopefully they will start back up soon. They have taken the longest break ever, but I think this is pretty common for that breed not to like to lay in cold weather. They laid great in the summer last year, even in the heat. Maybe the bigger pen will inspire them to get busy, I sure hope so, I have people waiting for chicks. My Swedish Flower Hens are not doing a thing. One had laid a couple eggs at one time, but then stopped & now I have moved them, so they have to get acclimated to their new home. None of the birds I moved into the new coop are laying right now with the exception of one Cream Legbar. It is a pretty bluish-green egg, not the sky blue like some report, but still pretty. I can't wait to get the new pullet & rooster here. I will have at least one Cream Legbar rooster up for sale after I get the new one here. He won't really be breeding material, so it will need to be someone who doesn't care about the SOP because this one has a crooked comb, something everyone is pretty much fighting to breed out. Both of my roosters also have a lot more color than the UK birds, although they're direct descendants from Greenfire Farms. I'm hoping to get a lighter colored rooster from Eileen on Monday so I can start trying to get the proper color to meet the new SOP.
That's a good idea about the rain barrel by the coop, I should do that because I have a lot of water running off my new coop roof, I could save it for the chickens that way. We have had one good gully-washer here just as my DH left to go to work. It looks like most of the rain now is going to the east of us, figures. a lot of the time we just sit in the middle & the moisture goes on either side of us. I have no idea how much rain we have gotten today, but probably not nearly enough.

Trish, they are more greenish, but you're right it is a pretty green! I'm so excited to have them get their laying going on! Woot! Hopefully, once your SF's and CL's get acclimated they will really get with it. Speaking of the SOP, I just ordered a copy from the American Poultry Assoc. from their website. I'm really looking forward to getting it in my hands.

These birds from Frank Reese are something else. I've never seen chicks like these. They look like 4 - 5 week old chicks, but beyond that their heads are broad and their legs are thick, even the pullets. These birds fascinate me. I picked up some for Danz and she got some New Hamps from him -- they are huge! Even my German New Hamps didn't have as broad a head as a couple of these bruisers. Yet, they aren't crazy wild. When I go visit them they just look at me curiously, certainly don't want to be picked up but what chick does?

Greenfire says they've imported the lighter strains of CL and have those chicks for 2013.


Hey you new people, don't be shy just jump right in! Take some pics of your birds, coop, whatever -- we love pics and nothing has to be fancy.

Speaking of pics, I need to take some pics of my chicks. I'll do that tomorrow.