Illinois...

[Justso]

Happy New Year all!
Unfortunately I've had a battle of persistent coccidiosis with the flock, I'm down one Java hen; of course the one that was laying. Anyway after she came up sick I treated the flock a 5 day corid, but should have treated aggressively and gone with a maintenance dose. Hindsight!
All that persistent cold wet weather we had made for perfect Storm around here. Besides the corid I've been trying to keep up with the run as clean and dry as possible.
Anyway the rest of the flock is looking good and enjoying all of the bakery leftovers I'm desperately trying to get rid of.
like many of you I'm spending a little time this winter shopping for what will come this spring. There are a couple of reputable hatcheries I'm thinking of ordering from. I love window shopping!

 

[Faraday40]

Happy New Year all!
Unfortunately I've had a battle of persistent coccidiosis with the flock, I'm down one Java hen; of course the one that was laying. Anyway after she came up sick I treated the flock a 5 day corid, but should have treated aggressively and gone with a maintenance dose. Hindsight!
All that persistent cold wet weather we had made for perfect Storm around here. Besides the corid I've been trying to keep up with the run as clean and dry as possible.
Anyway the rest of the flock is looking good and enjoying all of the bakery leftovers I'm desperately trying to get rid of.
like many of you I'm spending a little time this winter shopping for what will come this spring. There are a couple of reputable hatcheries I'm thinking of ordering from. I love window shopping!

I'm sorry you lost a hen but glad the rest of your birds are OK. I think we're all trying to keep coops clean & dry. My coop/run is sand, so it dries quickly..... but it's also more challenging when it's wet & then freezes.

What breeds are you looking at for spring?

 

[Faraday40]

Got my 2nd turkey egg today.
I decided to eat one for lunch. Tasted like chicken (egg).

Fertile or in-fertile?
(To the left is a light reflection, the egg spot is to the right.)

I couldn't really tell, so I took some pics to enlarge & share.

 

[cavemanrich]

I vote infertile,,,, only because I seen the chicken fertile eggs with more of a bulls' eye target. This to me looks like spot on infertile chicken egg, but slightly larger.

 

[Faraday40]

I'm torn..... but it could be my "wishful thinking."
I swear I see a very faint circle, but definitely not the clear bull's eye. It doesn't have the clear edge of an infertile egg. (Of course I don't see many of those.) I changed one pic to BW to get better contrast.

To solve this fertile egg mystery I'll either have to crack another turkey egg or sneak over to @BReeder! 's house and slip some turkey eggs into his incubator.

 

[cavemanrich]

take option #2

 

[Justso]

I'm sorry you lost a hen but glad the rest of your birds are OK. I think we're all trying to keep coops clean & dry. My coop/run is sand, so it dries quickly..... but it's also more challenging when it's wet & then freezes.

What breeds are you looking at for spring?

I really can't decide yet. I'm mulling a crapshoot run of rare breeds. Maybe a straight run of 15-25 chicks and then keeping just a couple.I'm looking at breeders that are linked with the livestock conservancy. I'd really like a dark egg layer too, so may end up getting a mixed bag dark layer run and doing the same thing. I don't know for sure yet I'll probably decide in March.

 

[Faraday40]

I really can't decide yet. I'm mulling a crapshoot run of rare breeds. Maybe a straight run of 15-25 chicks and then keeping just a couple.I'm looking at breeders that are linked with the livestock conservancy. I'd really like a dark egg layer too, so may end up getting a mixed bag dark layer run and doing the same thing. I don't know for sure yet I'll probably decide in March.

Barnevelders & Welsummers lay dark eggs & are very pretty. Never owned a Barnie (but on my long wishlist) and my only Wellie is so/so. Eggs are great & plentiful during spring summer, but she completely stops for winter. She's not a very affectionate bird but we decided to keep her anyway. The eggs are pretty.

 

[BReeder!]

I'm torn..... but it could be my "wishful thinking."
I swear I see a very faint circle, but definitely not the clear bull's eye. It doesn't have the clear edge of an infertile egg. (Of course I don't see many of those.) I changed one pic to BW to get better contrast.
View attachment 1635085 View attachment 1635087


To solve this fertile egg mystery I'll either have to crack another turkey egg or sneak over to @BReeder! 's house and slip some turkey eggs into his incubator.

I'm down for it! I see the circle. Looks fertile to me. Perhaps not so easy to see, but it certainly looks like a circle around the disc (distoma? cannot remember the proper lingo from all the article and threads I've been reading).

 

[BReeder!]

I have started my first article on BYC. It's a work in progress covering my start with raising chickens and now quail as well as my new coop. It essentially my coop page. Take a look if you are interested. I appreciated comments.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...raising-birds-and-my-new-coop.74639/#comments