Falling Down Heights, my daily life

[fluffycrow]

I have a couple of whiny ladies - they go on and on and on.... sheesh!

They are just bored and tired of the snow and cold.

Yeah, prolonged confinement, and low temps can make even the most easygoing chickens moody.

I can't even let them out on Mount Poopmore (my manure pile) it's too cold and it's all covered in snow too! Which is unusual, normally the heat it generates keeps it snow free, but the extreme cold has it covered in snow.

Well that’s a whole different way of putting it into perspective just how cold it is! Manure and decomposing litter piles is where a few species incubate their eggs, and it’s managed to get snow all over it! I’m shivering just by reading this.

Another month and hopefully will see some milder weather. Though I have seen extremely cold and snowy weather end of March and well into April many times.

Are there usually any signs that the winter is going to overstay its welcome, or none at all?
Isn’t there a marmot or something that supposedly predicts how long the winter will last? (Not that there would be much precision or truth to that but…)

 

[fluffycrow]

Don't have any worry about frost bite, it's not windy in the barn and they are good at staying under the IR heat panels.

Broody: I have my two silkies broody again - Georgie and her daughter co-broody - they do this all the time. Last Fall I gave them those 4 Noirans to raise up they went 6 weeks broody and wouldn't stop! I told them 'wait until April and I will give you both a bunch of chicks each'. I have 23 chicks arriving mid April, so I am hoping I can throw some under a few broodies - it would be great if I have 5 or 6 broodies to raise them all hahahahahahah!

Good that frostbite isn’t an issue. Full single combs can be quite magnificent!

If they break soon, they might just be ready for the chicks in April. Of course, being silkies, if they break too soon, they might be ready long before then!
Broodies always seem to be abundant when you don’t want them. At least that means that you’ve managed to make their space warm enough that two girls decide it’s good enough to raise chicks. That’s quite the achievement!
I’m hoping you don’t run into that problem. Seems like you hate artificial brooding just as much as I do .

 

[Canadian Wind]

Yes I remember the problems you had with the Fayoumi eggs, I am getting day olds, just 3, going to try them out and see how they do. Wish I could ship some day olds to you
I'll have to come and visit and bring a bunch to you hahahaha.

You're just trying to find a reason (ANY reason) to go to Greece!!

 

[Canadian Wind]

Apart from weather, not much happening over here. But where my rabbits are being boarded, that's another story!!!

Brie, my Belgian Hare, gave birth to NINE lively, squiggly kits!!!

 

[Ponypoor]

Apart from weather, not much happening over here. But where my rabbits are being boarded, that's another story!!!

Brie, my Belgian Hare, gave birth to NINE lively, squiggly kits!!!

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That's great to hear - hopefully they stay toasty warm in this cold weather, looks like mama was building an awesome nest for them!

 

[Ponypoor]

Good that frostbite isn’t an issue. Full single combs can be quite magnificent!

If they break soon, they might just be ready for the chicks in April. Of course, being silkies, if they break too soon, they might be ready long before then!
Broodies always seem to be abundant when you don’t want them. At least that means that you’ve managed to make their space warm enough that two girls decide it’s good enough to raise chicks. That’s quite the achievement!
I’m hoping you don’t run into that problem. Seems like you hate artificial brooding just as much as I do .

Oh I don't mind hand raising the chicks, and actually find that I have less trouble with hand raising than with broody hens who pick fights with everyone for just walking by!!! Though Georgie and Holly know the ropes.

I think that if I can get them to stop in the next couple of weeks, they will get back into laying eggs, lay for a week or two and then go broody again which might be into April. I once gave chicks to Curly who was not even 2 weeks broody and she took on the chicks and raised them. So I could try that with Georgie and Holly if they are just starting to be broody.

With hand raising chicks I can control when they go out and about, usually by a week old they are running around the barn with the gang; my chooks don't even look sideways at babies anymore they just accept them in the group. I keep an eye out for them, and don't let them out unless I am around, but by the time they are 4 weeks old they are fully integrated into the flock, and as long as it isn't freezing cold can run with them all day.

Now the chicks I am getting in April, half will be going to someone else (a person I rehomed one of my Roos to), so I will be keeping any chicks that are not being broody raised up at the house away from the main flock due to the Mycoplasma Gallisepticum (MG) I have here.

I'll have to have a chat with the Vet I was talking to last month on this. It might be ok for them to be with the main flock if no one is showing signs of MG. April is a ways off but it's coming up fast!

 

[fluffycrow]

my chooks don't even look sideways at babies anymore they just accept them in the group.

That’s very impressive! Takes both a stable and an experienced bird to react to chicks with indifference

 

[Canadian Wind]

That's great to hear - hopefully they stay toasty warm in this cold weather, looks like mama was building an awesome nest for them!

They're in a heated barn, with lots of fluff in the nest. The group pic was taken when my friend took them out to clean up any bloody straw.

There are also two more due today/tomorrow, and one more kindled today although they aren't my does. But the father for two of the litters is mine. So, lotsa beans!!! Very excited.

Keeping my fingers crossed these guys make it. They'd changed the formulation of the feed late last year and it caused temporary infertility (temporary because it was caught and feed was changed!) and the kits I had died by week 2, as did the ones in another litter. But, we currently have two litters that have made it passed that (not mine) so...

 

[Ponypoor]

That’s very impressive! Takes both a stable and an experienced bird to react to chicks with indifference

I have had a bunch of them here

Now we will see what Petra does, she has been terrorizing the silkie chicklets!

 

[Ponypoor]

You're just trying to find a reason (ANY reason) to go to Greece!!

Today would be the day I load everyone up and go there hahahaha.

It’s just darn cold and the wind is still high. Still under a cold and blowing snow advisory here. -17C (2F). Sunny but gosh it’s cold!