Ha! Ha! That reminds me. They threw one of their squeaky dog toys outside their pen today. I picked it up and squeaked it in my head gooses face when I went out to feed them . He hissed at me. First time I had heard that from any of them. I don't know if he didn't like me squeaking it or if he was mad cause I had his toy. Silly birds. Then when I threw the toy in the pen he was all normal again. I wasn't intimidated at all. I guess I know him too well. I'm too used to the sissy scream and running with his wings in the air!!! I must say I am glad I didn't see all those birds in person before I talked to her. I would have bought the whole bunch. Those lavenders are gorgeous. I think I am going to have beg you for eggs!!!
I got a message and it looks like I am going to get some more chicken hatching eggs this weekend some time. Yeah I know! More danzsizing. I'd rather be hatching for myself this fall and then hatching for profit next spring any way.
oh wow, your geese sound fun! We used to have the plain jane geese when I was a kid. I don't know what breed they were-- they were white, and not overly large. I don't remember them being too friendly. Uh oh-- more eggs, hu? What kind? Another fancy one? I have to admit, that those heritage or fancy breeds do look like fun!
Hawkeye, do you think that your good hatch from shaken up eggs was due to them sitting with the big end up for a couple of days? If it's perfect shipping temps and I have lots of indoor area ready, maybe I should take advantage of it? Are hatching eggs priced better at different times of the year? I keep admiring the pics of the silkies and they're so cute and fuzzy it makes me think they're little, but I realized that it's just becuase they look so fluffy that I think they are little. They remind me of babies. How big are they? This event that you are going to sounds like a huge deal, and a lot of work. I'm so sorry that you have sick kids, that's a lot going on. I hope they get better quickly.
Funny about what your kids said! I often laugh at what mine say, and yeah, I have had to walk out of a room because I didn't want them to see me laughing because I was supposed to be acting serious. Yeah, those shaken up eggs only made it because I let them sit out a couple of days on the counter with big ends up. If I hadn't done that, the air wouldn't have come back up to the top. All shipped eggs should be candled before you throw them in your incubator to make sure that the air is at the top and if not, let them sit until they are (or most of them are). I then will mark the ones that don't look good-- the ones I don't think will hatch. I like to see if I'm right or wrong. Usually I'm right, though. You can see by candeling if they will hatch by the quality of the air sac, how badly it is detached, etc.. Silkies are bantams, so they are small. But they are not as small as some bantams. Silkies are on the larger side of a bantam. But they do lay pretty small eggs. And they only lay about every other day-- sometimes less! They are pretty worthless, actually, because they have black skin, black bones and black meat! So I can't even kill them and eat them. I couldn't stomach the idea of black meat. BUT--- they made up for their "worthlessness" by being super friendly, quirky and of course, fluffy! LOL! They are more on the delicate side-- they shouldn't get wet in the rain, and they are more sensitive to heat in the summer, and winds and the cold in winter. (their feathers are NOT waterproof, so they get chilled to the bone fast) In the summer, I had a fine water mister in their pen to keep them cool. In the winter, I put them in a horse stall to stay out of the winds. They don't always do well with bigger birds, but if you're careful and have a large enough pen, they can do just fine! Most people just have silkie pens and don't run them with anything but silkies. They can't see very well and they will walk into feeders, walls, etc. But a lot of people do run them with the rest of their flock successfully. If you do decide to buy silkie eggs, be sure to ask me to who buy from! I have a list I am keeping of breeders that are not very responsible (like they are breeding split wing, bad toes, bad type) and then good breeders-- those birds will look more like what the SOP calls out for. (standard of perfection) They are more expensive eggs, but that is the way it goes. I pay right around $60-80 for a dozen eggs and I consider that pretty fair. Right now, you may not get a good selection of eggs, as most birds are molting and not laying. But you never know! This would be pretty perfect shipping temps so long as it doesn't freeze.
Now it wont stop, I told DH this before I brought the first ones home and I am asking for an incubator for xmas lol...
So the new pullets I adopted, I took one more today,, yea I know but I didnt have a buff orpington and she just looked at me and didnt run when I came to her and she was free and I am saving her from having to go to a home were she will be treated terribly. I was going to take all 10 but knew I could not.. These girls are the ones I have isolated and they have gotten out twice and foraged among my flock, I am glad they are healthy but I am still worrying..
I got an incubator for xmas last year! Best gift I've gotten in a long, long time! I would recommend the
Brinsea Octagon if you are going to get a small incubator. It holds about 24 eggs. They also have larger sizes-- 48 and on up. But that one is such a good price and just about the right amount for starting out.
Brinsea has a facebook page that they will run coupon codes on. Then when they do and you are ready to buy-- go sign up for their email letter and they will send you another coupon code that you can combine with the first one. But they only give you like 30 days to use it. So don't do it until you are ready to buy.
Josie, congrats on the job interview!
Danz, more Danzsizing!!! What kind of eggs are these that you are getting?
Hawkeye, sorry about your sick kids - strep sucks. I hope she feels better soon. Good luck at the show!
MaidenWolf, do you keep a "log" of the funny things your kids say? When my kids were little I kept a little notebook and wrote down those funny things and now I'm so glad I did as I would have forgotten many of them otherwise. They are now teens but love to get out those notebooks and read through them and we all have a good laugh.
Yeah, my youngest is just really whiney. Sigh. I love the idea of keeping a book of what the kids have said. I haven't done that.
