I'm never gonna get an egg!!!

[CapricornFarm]

I saw a large deer on the way home from doctor and shopping this evening. It had the sense to stay in the woods!

 

[apryl29]

Oh I am so glad in many ways that I never married. When I was young I thought I wanted all of that, but then decided being single and free was the way to go. All of my friends had multiple divorces. I just can't see it. I also never wanted to chance losing everything I worked hard for in my life to an ex. Most of those agreements can still be challenged.

If I ever married it would be one time only. Now I'm just too darn cemented in my ways, but not totally against the idea. Of course, that would mean I have to leave the house and mingle with others and there's no time for that in the foreseeable future.

So I have that giant pile of wood chips, I put fencing around it to keep the chickens from spreading it all over. Then my mother starts talking about heat combustion and that pile is going to get really hot. Then it will set the trees on fire, and spread to these other trees, and the chicken house, and the barn, yadda yadda yadda.... so she's right (for ONCE). I ended up throwing about 20 snow shovel loads in the chicken run, and have taken about 5 wagon loads to another part of the yard where I'm spreading it out not too deep. I've still got a lot to move someplace. My back and knee are done for. Not sure as I haven't really watched the news, but I keep hearing snow in the forecast.

Also carted off about 4 or 5 wagon loads of pears that fell all over the front yard. I've put them out on the boundaries of the property for the wildlife. That way if trees sprout up it won't be a big deal. Seems I'm never going to finish building the in-coop brooder, but I really need to. Those babies are really growing! I've taken the Sweeter Heaters away and am giving them less "wet" chick food. I've been making it mushy like baby cereal and they seem to prefer it that way and some mashed egg on it.

My chickens are taking over my life, but I love it and them! One of the boy babies looks like he's going to be a nice deep mahogany red and has the biggest pinkish red comb already. I might have to try hanging on to him if he stays sweet

I'm in the same boat at this point. I don't really need or want anyone at this point in my life.. The last guy I dated turned out to be a huge jerk. I waited more than a year to let him meet my kids. I should have waited longer and saved me the time and energy. Oh well, it is what it is.. or was. I have a friend who got married to a guy a little more than a year after she met him. Met him in August, he moved in in March, they got engaged in May & got married in October. We hung out last weekend for the first time in a long time and her personality has changed so much. Like she has no empathy for other people anymore. I won't get into it b/c it's a political type thing, but it was so hypocritical what she was saying. I was actually shocked. It kind of makes me sad that she's lost so much of herself just b/c she didn't want to be alone. What was funny is while she was there last year's ex sent me a text (I had him blocked, but verizon only blocks people for 90 days so I have to reblock him) and the way she was talking it actually sounded like she thought I should get back with him b/c he wasn't 'that bad'. I'm not desperate enough to tolerate 'not that bad'.

I didn't realize that wood chips also could generate heat and combust. Good to know!

If your babies don't need heat why do you need a brooder in the coop? Is it more for getting them acclimated to the coop and letting the others get used to them or will you have to reheat your chickens when they go outside?

@Crooked Chicken ,be very glad you never married for all the good it's double the bad. As mine gets older he just gets crustier and harder to reason with. I am extremely laid back as long as I'm eating and housed I'm good. He wants money and stuff which he never does anything so i don't understand the need. I own the land and trailer and the bills are pretty small so i don't get why he thinks I'd put up with much of anything that i don't have to. I didn't get to see anything as cool as a bald eagle today, saw some buzzards though and a teeny little hawk.

Same. My ex-husband got a lot of ideas from his father about how a marriage should be... and 90% of them are wrong and those are the only ones he saw fit to adopt. My xFIL was an stingy adulterous jerk, but he cooked for his wife, did the grocery shopping, mowed and did household chores w/o being nagged and would take her car to get gas so she didn't have to do it in the winter.

I have a trail cam and saw a bunny and a cat on it the other night. We had bunches of prints in the snow... my mom saw a large hairy dog that came up to the house. I'm 80% sure I saw coyote prints. Bunny, cat and what I believe is a possum. None near the coop, except the bunny.

I saw a large deer on the way home from doctor and shopping this evening. It had the sense to stay in the woods!

We saw 4 smaller deer last night. I could only see 2, but my daughter saw 4 does. They stayed off the road, it's nice when they look before they cross the road.

 

[WVduckchick]

I’m new to chickens and especially egg laying...I thought roosters had combs? I didn’t know hens could have a comb. My Easter Eggers are about 30 weeks and no eggs and at this point I’m confused over their sex.

Let's see some pics
Roosters usually have pointed saddle and hackle feathers. That's usually the easiest way to tell the difference at 30 weeks.

 

[red horse ranch]

Oh I am so glad in many ways that I never married. When I was young I thought I wanted all of that, but then decided being single and free was the way to go. All of my friends had multiple divorces. I just can't see it. I also never wanted to chance losing everything I worked hard for in my life to an ex. Most of those agreements can still be challenged.

If I ever married it would be one time only. Now I'm just too darn cemented in my ways, but not totally against the idea. Of course, that would mean I have to leave the house and mingle with others and there's no time for that in the foreseeable future.

So I have that giant pile of wood chips, I put fencing around it to keep the chickens from spreading it all over. Then my mother starts talking about heat combustion and that pile is going to get really hot. Then it will set the trees on fire, and spread to these other trees, and the chicken house, and the barn, yadda yadda yadda.... so she's right (for ONCE). I ended up throwing about 20 snow shovel loads in the chicken run, and have taken about 5 wagon loads to another part of the yard where I'm spreading it out not too deep. I've still got a lot to move someplace. My back and knee are done for. Not sure as I haven't really watched the news, but I keep hearing snow in the forecast.

Also carted off about 4 or 5 wagon loads of pears that fell all over the front yard. I've put them out on the boundaries of the property for the wildlife. That way if trees sprout up it won't be a big deal. Seems I'm never going to finish building the in-coop brooder, but I really need to. Those babies are really growing! I've taken the Sweeter Heaters away and am giving them less "wet" chick food. I've been making it mushy like baby cereal and they seem to prefer it that way and some mashed egg on it.

My chickens are taking over my life, but I love it and them! One of the boy babies looks like he's going to be a nice deep mahogany red and has the biggest pinkish red comb already. I might have to try hanging on to him if he stays sweet

I've been married almost 50 years now and there is nothing better than being with your best friend as we enjoy our older years. The good times FAR out weigh the bad!

 

[Chickassan]

You my friend got very lucky.

 

[CABINHOLLOWNC]

Thought I'd share my big poser with you guys! After work I go out to the coop and give them a snack and drink a glass of wine with them. I'm usually still in the coop when my husband gets home...Zaffer announces his arrival everyday...I caught him tonight! Then there is what I refer to as my sharks...they circle me while I'm sitting with them. They are contemplating flying up into my lap. Oh and please take note of my festive Red PJ bottoms and wore out sneakers...my top is a red shirt wit snowmen on it...I went all out to bring the holiday spirit to work today (I work from home)!

 

[Chickassan]

You've got a pretty little chicken family!

Thought I'd share my big poser with you guys! After work I go out to the coop and give them a snack and drink a glass of wine with them. I'm usually still in the coop when my husband gets home...Zaffer announces his arrival everyday...I caught him tonight! Then there is what I refer to as my sharks...they circle me while I'm sitting with them. They are contemplating flying up into my lap. Oh and please take note of my festive Red PJ bottoms and wore out sneakers...my top is a red shirt wit snowmen on it...I went all out to bring the holiday spirit to work today (I work from home)!
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[Sunshine Flock]

We have eggs again!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

One of the hens laid an egg on the solstice yesterday, and she did it again today. They all decided it'd be fun to molt as eight month olds. Most weren't laying yet, so we've been without eggs for a good while.

So glad they still know they're chickens!

Oh, and the very first egg ever was laid during the time span of the solar eclipse!!

 

[Chickassan]

I got to actually see an egg happen today....pretty darn freaky.

We have eggs again!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

One of the hens laid an egg on the solstice yesterday, and she did it again today. They all decided it'd be fun to molt as eight month olds. Most weren't laying yet, so we've been without eggs for a good while.

So glad they still know they're chickens!

Oh, and the very first egg ever was laid during the time span of the solar eclipse!!

 

[WVduckchick]

Thought I'd share my big poser with you guys! After work I go out to the coop and give them a snack and drink a glass of wine with them. I'm usually still in the coop when my husband gets home...Zaffer announces his arrival everyday...I caught him tonight! Then there is what I refer to as my sharks...they circle me while I'm sitting with them. They are contemplating flying up into my lap. Oh and please take note of my festive Red PJ bottoms and wore out sneakers...my top is a red shirt wit snowmen on it...I went all out to bring the holiday spirit to work today (I work from home)!
View attachment 1215786
View attachment 1215787
View attachment 1215788
View attachment 1215789

We have eggs again!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

One of the hens laid an egg on the solstice yesterday, and she did it again today. They all decided it'd be fun to molt as eight month olds. Most weren't laying yet, so we've been without eggs for a good while.

So glad they still know they're chickens!

Oh, and the very first egg ever was laid during the time span of the solar eclipse!!