Illinois...

[bellaisa]

Good luck! Keep us posted!

Thanks. Hopefully my rooster is fertilizing the eggs. They will be mixed breeds for the most part. My roo is a light Brahma but I have 6 different breeds of hens.

 

[homeschoolin momma]

Hopefully my rooster is fertilizing the eggs. They will be mixed breeds for the most part.

1 rooster for 13 hens, he may be spread a bit thin, but i bet he's getting the job done!

 

[WhyDoILikeChickens]

Thanks. Hopefully my rooster is fertilizing the eggs. They will be mixed breeds for the most part. My roo is a light Brahma but I have 6 different breeds of hens.

I just got 2 light brahma pullet chicks. Cant wait to see them grow

 

[Faraday40]

@homeschoolin momma

Here's the feeder materials & instructions

1. Any kind of plastic container. Trace the circle of the narrow elbow end onto your container.
2. 90' elbow from the plumbing dept. You need one end wide to make a stop which prevents the elbow from sliding completely inside the feeder.

Prior to cutting:

After cutting
Middle part is what you need

slide into your cut container.

Use pliers & coat hanger wire to make a handle if you wish (I like to hang feeders & waterers to prevent scratching broody hens from dumping & making a mess.)

This idea was not invented by us. I saw someone who made a feeder out of a huge storage tub. We make these for chicks & bantams. We used a kitty litter bucket and larger elbow for the adult orpingtons.

 

[Faraday40]

@homeschoolin momma
BTW- so sad you passed up the ducklings. I might be incubating some for @BReeder! so you'll have another chance for ducks if you change your mind.

* I now say "might" because I don't know the future plans for schools in Illinois. I'll still incubate here but the 2 preschools are now scheduled to reopen on April 8. That date may change again, so my hatching dates are very flexible.

 

[homeschoolin momma]

I really dont mind ducks. But until the lower half of my main coop gets built up to accommodate them at nighttime, I wont be getting any. I'm not going to keep feeding the local nighttime predators with fresh duck meat. I personally also like welsh harlequin ducks the best. The drakes are so handsome and the hens are just as beautiful. I dont know about any other duck breeds, but my drake was the best adoptive daddy. He raised those girls wonderfully!

I went ahead and decided to incubate spitzhauben eggs for the hatch-a-long. I picked 24 eggs, trying to get the bigger ones from my older girls. 9 will go in my more reliable small inky and the other 15 in my iffy styrofoam. Will set them tonight. I would like them to hatch on easter morning. I think that would be better than the day before!!

 

[BReeder!]

I'm came back in around 5pm to cook dinner. I managed to get half the run netting up and all the old netting and zip ties down.

When I first went out earlier though I found a terrible situation. As I started taking the old netting down (it already collapsed and tore pretty bad) I noticed a peice was stuck by two old tires I have in the run. As I went to unsnag it I found Dutchess, our laced Orp, laying dead.
She got her foot tangled in the net and got stuck. Iknow she was fine just the other day when I did a headcount in the evening. She must have gotten snagged on the net yesterday and likely died from stress. She didn't look dehydrated and I doubt one day without water would kill a healthy chicken. Her leg was bruised and chafed pretty bad.
I knew the net was hanging low, but didn't think it was low enough for them to get caught in it. It must have torn a bit more and fell to reach the ground.

 

[Molpet]

I'm came back in around 5pm to cook dinner. I managed to get half the run netting up and all the old netting and zip ties down.

When I first went out earlier though I found a terrible situation. As I started taking the old netting down (it already collapsed and tore pretty bad) I noticed a peice was stuck by two old tires I have in the run. As I went to unsnag it I found Dutchess, our laced Orp, laying dead.
She got her foot tangled in the net and got stuck. Iknow she was fine just the other day when I did a headcount in the evening. She must have gotten snagged on the net yesterday and likely died from stress. She didn't look dehydrated and I doubt one day without water would kill a healthy chicken. Her leg was bruised and chafed pretty bad.
I knew the net was hanging low, but didn't think it was low enough for them to get caught in it. It must have torn a bit more and fell to reach the ground.

Sorry for your loss
But they find novel ways to commit suicide

 

[homeschoolin momma]

As I went to unsnag it I found Dutchess, our laced Orp, laying dead.

No! So sad! So very sorry. I love all those laced orps!

 

[homeschoolin momma]

I found the spitzies secret stash of eggs tonight. Frozen, ice cold! No telling how long theyve been there....a week, a month? Put them in my fridge for our consumption and not selling or hatching. Dont think those would hatch a thing.