Icelandic Chickens

[The Sheriff]

Monday is a big day around here. The miracle-they-survived-the-Brinsea hatchlings are being picked up and driven to Utah and Jake's hairy chicks are boarding a plane bound for Washington. I won't know what to do with myself without babies in my office and my garage. Maybe I'll get some work done. The miracle babies have been cheeping all day. I just realized they are cold! I moved the light a little bit closer to them, gave them a scrambled egg, and they are out light a light. I am weaning Jake's babies off heat so they are better acclimated for travel. I turn their heat lamp off during the day and the turn it on at night but with a screen in place instead of the glass door. They huddle directly under it too! They are 5.5 weeks old so they should be fine. I have heat packs for their trip.

I was incubating for my customer who wanted 15 chicks. It is day 9 and I am down to 14.

Hopefully I will get enough to ship or I will meet her halfway.

Michael helped me clean out the Jail and Saloon coops today. I did a little rearranging of the nest boxes, feeders, and food storage containers so it would work a little bit better. Plus, I can see the nest boxes from my office again! I have missed that.

 

[The Sheriff]

I put a video up on my website of Lukka and her babies at treat time. Mind you she is holding off a dozen other birds! You can see Bjorn trying to get the babies to take a noodle from him. So cute. He is, so far, one wonderful roo! http://www.bucknrunranch.com/chickens/2011/12/7/treat-time.html

 

[kathyinmo]

Quote:
Have you decorated for Christmas yet?

 

[The Sheriff]

Quote:
Have you decorated for Christmas yet?

Lights are up on the deck railing if that counts! I have been having muscle spasms in my back for two weeks so i don't know that I will decorate the coops this year! The saloon does have a red light on over the door though.

The aroma of the persimmon bread is killing me!

 

[The Sheriff]

I have to get fruitcakes made. I ordered ingredients from King Arthur Flour and a bottle of Fiori de Sicilia opened in the box and soaked everything. Now they are re-shipping it. I give fruitcake to my parents and my ex-husband at Christmas. It is not the typical fruitcake. It is a variation of Alton Brown's Free Range Fruitcake. I am making three fruitcakes.

 

[kathyinmo]

Quote:
Have you decorated for Christmas yet?

Lights are up on the deck railing if that counts! I have been having muscle spasms in my back for two weeks so i don't know that I will decorate the coops this year! The saloon does have a red light on over the door though.

The aroma of the persimmon bread is killing me!

I was thinking of using lights on the coops. Christmas lights. It might encourage the free loaders to start laying too.

I like the red light idea.

 

[The Sheriff]

The red light is an actual old railroad lantern that I bought at an antique store. It was retrofitted for electricity and the globe painted red. Perfect for a dancehall/saloon. Not so much for getting them to lay! But I have to give props to Judge Judy and Martha Stewart for even being alive. They are in hard molts and both are nearly naked. Michael really looked at them for the first time today and agrees that they should stay inside until this is over!

Judy look almost ready for the roasting pan.

 

[The Sheriff]

I see Gresh is still hanging around.

She is hooked.

She wants some Icelandics!

We got another one!

 

[Mahonri]

I'm so happy that Boston has them... and I want at least two more now. If I can get another "coop built" , I can reduce the number in the big coop and split them up a little. Boston thinks when they have more room, they lay better. Probably true.

I got an e-mail from a fellow south of Bisbee who wants Ameraucanas... maybe I can talk to him about Icelandics too and he can take them in to Mexico. Mexican Icelandics!

 

[kathyinmo]

Quote:
I still have 2 hens molting. I believe all the others have finished, or close to it. The 2 late ones look a fright though. Sheeesh, it is too cold to be naked now!

I see Gresh is still hanging around.

I noticed that, too!