Consolidated Kansas

[tweetysvoice]

The thread you want for that answer is the SDWD thread (Society for Delaware World Domination). They'll be able to answer you about any memberships and whatnot.

awesome. Thanks!

 

[HEChicken]

...& a buff orpington to use for a broody hen. I have always heard the orpingtons are really good mothers.

Trish - That's the same reason that I ordered a Buff Orp. I'm hoping she'll be my broody and raise me some babies in the future!

I wish you both more luck than I had....I started out with BO's, and not from a hatchery either (since hatchery stock tends to be less broody), thinking all I had to do was sit back and wait for one or both to go broody. My two BO hens are my oldest hens now but at several years old, neither has ever shown the slightest inclination to broodiness. Instead it was my hatchery BSL who was my first broody last summer - at a year and a half old! Go figure.

 

[rittert3]

My dad had one for about a year around my senior year of high school. We got him as a tiny baby and he was really cool but he died coming out of his first brumation

. I was around alot of beardies in the 3 years I worked at a pet shop. I think beardies and rats were my favorite animals that we carried with the baby corn snakes (I wish they stayed that size) coming in 3rd, I hated the guinea pigs, lol.

Ritter - Yes, I LOVE my beardie! He just woke from a 3 month long brumation and I can finally play with him again. I've had him about 4 years now and he's the calmest pet I've ever owned (other than the betta fish.. lol) We created a cage for him out of an old bathroom cabinet. The only painful thing about owning bearded dragons is getting the right lights and they aren't cheep.

 

[tweetysvoice]

My dad had one for about a year around my senior year of high school. We got him as a tiny baby and he was really cool but he died coming out of his first brumation

. I was around alot of beardies in the 3 years I worked at a pet shop. I think beardies and rats were my favorite animals that we carried with the baby corn snakes (I wish they stayed that size) coming in 3rd, I hated the guinea pigs, lol.

That's too funny! I raised rats for about 5 years before I had my beardie. After the rats (boy do they breed, but they are very cuddly), I got a couple guinea pigs. I still have one and she still (after 6 years) won't let me pick her up. I raised her from birth and still is a scardy cat! I completely understand where you are coming from. Yes - I have owned many animals and that's why my DH is not surprised that I'm moving onto chickens now that we have a house that I can have them at. I had a bunny for several years and haven't been able to get one since - none will compare to my Boo. Thought about a ferret for a while, but i know they need a lot more attention than rats, bunnies, and even chickens.

 

[Ivywoods]

Not trying to rain on anyone's parade, but my buff orp hens never did go broody. My broodiest hens were my black copper marans. I didn't let any of them sit on their eggs except one hen. She only hatched one chick, but wow! She was the BEST mamma to that chick. I have no doubt that my marans will go broody again this summer. Gosh, two of my marans hens went broody in the roll out nest. That HAD to have been frustrating.... "I know I had an egg here. Where did it go? Ooops.. there goes another one" Even with all the eggs rolling out from under them, those two broody hens stayed in that roll out nest practically all summer! They caused some problems because they wouldn't let the leghorns back in to lay their eggs, so the leghorns learned to lay "where ever" which meant I had to go on an egg hunt every day! I was pretty worried about the two marans hens. They wouldn't stay out of that nest and it got SO HOT in there last year. They were two very determined ladies! Fortunately neither of them died from heatstroke, but it's a wonder!

 

[Hawkeye95]

I never heard of BO's going broody! That's news to me! My next door neighbor has like 15 BO's-- they are gorgeous and very sweet birds. I really like them. But I didn't get any for myself because I didn't want what he has. I can visit his. Anyway, he's had his for years, and I'm pretty sure as of this summer-- he said none of them has gone broody. Now, I know people buy a silkie or two for a broody hen. But they are really small birds... but super adorable.

Well, I loaded my incubator this morning around 7am! I counted out 21 days and they will hatch on a Sunday. So hopefully all the kids will be here at home and can watch. If I waited another day or two-- the kids would be in school and miss it. I figure if my silkies lay a couple more eggs today, then I'll throw those in too.

 

[ChooksChick]

I never heard of BO's going broody! That's news to me! My next door neighbor has like 15 BO's-- they are gorgeous and very sweet birds. I really like them. But I didn't get any for myself because I didn't want what he has. I can visit his. Anyway, he's had his for years, and I'm pretty sure as of this summer-- he said none of them has gone broody. Now, I know people buy a silkie or two for a broody hen. But they are really small birds... but super adorable.

Well, I loaded my incubator this morning around 7am! I counted out 21 days and they will hatch on a Sunday. So hopefully all the kids will be here at home and can watch. If I waited another day or two-- the kids would be in school and miss it. I figure if my silkies lay a couple more eggs today, then I'll throw those in too.

Silkies often hatch a day early, so you should still have a hatch over the same time frame.

I haven't ever had a BO go broody, but I have had Blacks, Blues, and Lavenders go- and they are good mamas. My broodiest birds BY FAR, even moreso than the Silkies, or the Marans: Chanteclers. Those mamas are determined to hatch air, and in order to break them I have had to move them from the farm to my backyard coops. They are great mamas, though, and because they are a large bid, I can put 15 eggs under one an know she'll hatch them all. Banty Cochins are exceptionally broody, too, and so I have a few LIving Incubators: Silchins. I bred a Silkie to my Cochin hens for a bit, and the resulting adorableness is the cutest bird with a tremendous amount of fluff and a predilection for broodiness that is insane! One pullet went broody before she ever laid an egg!! I'll keep working on them, trying to get them a bit bigger to cover more eggs. That would be the best!

Get out and enjoy the sun, everyone! I'll be using some of those bags of leaves I collected to put down on the mud, over scattered birdseed and grass seed. This is the way I keep my runs from being decimated bare earth every year. It plants the millet, milo, sunflowers, etc. The leaves break down into lovely humus. It's about time to plant peas in the rocks lining the base of many of my coops, and I think I'll plant climbing spinach along the fences, too. I've got grapes going up many of my fences and they are growing into living ceilings on one run- I trained them over fallen limbs that I wired into a dome. This will provide shade and falling fruit! Hawk cover, too!

 

[chicken danz]

I've been looking for grapes myself to put around some runs. No luck though unless I get one year plants. I am looking for two or three year plants so I don't have to wait forever to get fruit. I was thinking I was feeling better but I'm back to sneezing and blowing. Ugh! I really was hoping this would only last 3 days. I really was ready to get out and get some work done today. But now I'm not so sure. I've been sleeping a lot and I'm starting to feel really lazy.
I have a bunch of eggs hatching today. They were some I found in the barn in a pile. Looks like it might be 100% hatch. You just never know when the weather has been cool.
I've hatched so many Seramas that having some big fluffy chicks hatch is such a thrill again.
My daughter has buff orps and hers are always broody. She is always trying to break them from it. They are only allowed 10 chickens in Austin, and because of them she keeps going over her limit.
In my own flock the number one broody hens I have are the silver pheonix. The cochins, brahmas, and the faverolles have gone broody but these Pheonix are the champions. I guess some just tend to be more so than others.
I wrote my nephew and asked about getting some peacock eggs to hatch. He typically steps on the eggs because he hates them. He said his dad would probably just give me a pair of birds.. I'm not sure I want a pair of grown peacocks,and I don't have a pen for them, but it would be nice to hatch some eggs and make a little profit. That is what I had in mind. I told him if he brought me eggs and I hatched them I would give him half of all I made off of them . I wasn't really prepared to have full grown birds around. I guess we'll see what happens.
My DH would kill me for sure!
I gave the puppies their first meal last night. Marshmallow had taken a pup out and placed it by the Fluff's food bowl. I decided that she was trying to get it to eat. I put a pan of moist food in their house. Those babies were covered from head to toe with food but it sure didn't take any coaxing to get them eating. I hate to shut the kennel gate but I am afraid that Marshmallow is going to start dragging her pups out all the time. I really haven't messed with them much so they are a little timid. I wish the weather would warm again so I could get them out and let them get used to chickens and such. Maybe next week will be better. I think I like having warm weather pups better.

 

[shotah]

Silkies often hatch a day early, so you should still have a hatch over the same time frame.

I haven't ever had a BO go broody, but I have had Blacks, Blues, and Lavenders go- and they are good mamas. My broodiest birds BY FAR, even moreso than the Silkies, or the Marans: Chanteclers. Those mamas are determined to hatch air, and in order to break them I have had to move them from the farm to my backyard coops. They are great mamas, though, and because they are a large bid, I can put 15 eggs under one an know she'll hatch them all. Banty Cochins are exceptionally broody, too, and so I have a few LIving Incubators: Silchins. I bred a Silkie to my Cochin hens for a bit, and the resulting adorableness is the cutest bird with a tremendous amount of fluff and a predilection for broodiness that is insane! One pullet went broody before she ever laid an egg!! I'll keep working on them, trying to get them a bit bigger to cover more eggs. That would be the best!

Get out and enjoy the sun, everyone! I'll be using some of those bags of leaves I collected to put down on the mud, over scattered birdseed and grass seed. This is the way I keep my runs from being decimated bare earth every year. It plants the millet, milo, sunflowers, etc. The leaves break down into lovely humus. It's about time to plant peas in the rocks lining the base of many of my coops, and I think I'll plant climbing spinach along the fences, too. I've got grapes going up many of my fences and they are growing into living ceilings on one run- I trained them over fallen limbs that I wired into a dome. This will provide shade and falling fruit! Hawk cover, too!

My Silkie has gone broody twice, and she's finally back to laying after I broke her up this last time. I did see my Ameraucana breed her yesterday . . .now wouldn't THAT be an interesting cross? After some mental debate, I decided not to hatch her eggs this year. I'll have my hands and my coop full enough with the 15 that are coming next month

I do deep litter too--inside and out in the run. It's kinda hard to keep those leaves from blowing up against the fence tho. I'll have to tell my hubby about the grape idea. He's always wanted some and that would be a great way to do it! Hmm, I wonder if cattle panel hoops would work.

 

[shotah]

I've been looking for grapes myself to put around some runs. No luck though unless I get one year plants. I am looking for two or three year plants so I don't have to wait forever to get fruit. I was thinking I was feeling better but I'm back to sneezing and blowing. Ugh! I really was hoping this would only last 3 days. I really was ready to get out and get some work done today. But now I'm not so sure. I've been sleeping a lot and I'm starting to feel really lazy.
I have a bunch of eggs hatching today. They were some I found in the barn in a pile. Looks like it might be 100% hatch. You just never know when the weather has been cool.
I've hatched so many Seramas that having some big fluffy chicks hatch is such a thrill again.
My daughter has buff orps and hers are always broody. She is always trying to break them from it. They are only allowed 10 chickens in Austin, and because of them she keeps going over her limit.
In my own flock the number one broody hens I have are the silver pheonix. The cochins, brahmas, and the faverolles have gone broody but these Pheonix are the champions. I guess some just tend to be more so than others.
I wrote my nephew and asked about getting some peacock eggs to hatch. He typically steps on the eggs because he hates them. He said his dad would probably just give me a pair of birds.. I'm not sure I want a pair of grown peacocks,and I don't have a pen for them, but it would be nice to hatch some eggs and make a little profit. That is what I had in mind. I told him if he brought me eggs and I hatched them I would give him half of all I made off of them . I wasn't really prepared to have full grown birds around. I guess we'll see what happens.
My DH would kill me for sure!
I gave the puppies their first meal last night. Marshmallow had taken a pup out and placed it by the Fluff's food bowl. I decided that she was trying to get it to eat. I put a pan of moist food in their house. Those babies were covered from head to toe with food but it sure didn't take any coaxing to get them eating. I hate to shut the kennel gate but I am afraid that Marshmallow is going to start dragging her pups out all the time. I really haven't messed with them much so they are a little timid. I wish the weather would warm again so I could get them out and let them get used to chickens and such. Maybe next week will be better. I think I like having warm weather pups better.

Let me know if you hatch any Faverolles this year!! I WANT! My neighbors told me I could keep anything (including Guineas) EXCEPT peacocks. Shame too, because those whites are just stunning. Ah well, they're good neighbors, we get along well, and I'd like to keep it that way!