Kentucky people

[Mojo Chick'n]

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Ok, major bummer on the cochins - I swear SOMEONE doesn't want me to have bantam cochins!!! I can't get the eggs for them either, since her hen went broody, so I have to wait until spring for hers (they will be worth it, though, her birds are fabulous.)

I'm beginning to think it's a conspiracy.

The meaties - Broilers would be Cornish Rocks or Cornish cross - you just leave them to grow a little bigger for broilers, and butcher a little smaller for fryers.

If he absolutely cannot stand the idea of butchering them (and he can sell them and still qualify) then "sell" them to me, come over and butcher them here, and take em home,

You can just say ya found a great deal at the store on the way home

(yeah, I know, lying to children will put me in Hell fast - I got three sons, I'm already on my way by now, LOL.)

Not sure about the broody - my broody refused to leave the nest at all. I had to take her off to go poo - and then I had to put food and water in the nest with her. She was VERY dedicated,

I think I've read other people saying that 20 minutes is about average for the broody to "do her business" and get back on.

Good luck with the eggs ya got left -
Meri

 

[Mojo Chick'n]

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Or, if Hay would work as well, buy hay - then any extra you can throw around in the little yard area - they love to scratch in it and eat the hay seeds. With mine, if I put hay in the nest box I have to throw some out onto the floor or into the run, too - or they scratch it all out of the next boxes to play with it.

Hay isn't as hollow as straw, so not sure if it'll hold heat as well. But I always put hay into the nest boxes on top of the shavings. They love to burrow into it to lay their eggs. Plus, hay I got, straw I aint got.

Peace -
Meri

 

[shelleyd2008]

Yeah silly me bought a bale of straw for the nests, then went and bought a bale of hay for the bunnies!!
I would be careful putting hay in a broody's box. They might get to scratching around in the box, and kick the eggs out!

<edit> The bale of hay is turning into Princess's bed. It will probably last the bunnies all winter, if she doesn't flatten it first!! But Princess just LOVES her new doggie bed!

BTW--Speaking of dog beds...Meri, did you see Midget's bed when you were here? It was a small basket on the porch with a towel in it. She was really snuggled up in there one night, so I pulled a side of the towel out to cover her with. Now she has figured out how to do it herself!! She will be all wrapped up in there! It looks like a rat trying to get out of a bag when you go outside! She can get in, but she hasn't quite figured how to get out yet! So cute!!

 

[shelleyd2008]

Oh BTW, I put 2 different ads on that site I quoted a few posts back. I put one for hatching eggs (dad's) and one for chicks (mine). I have gotten emails from both so far, one from each!!

I will most likely take the ones I have now to that auction in Casey Co. this weekend. I really need to get rid of some mouths, and the woman at Day&Day said they bring pretty good $ there. Might get lucky!! Think I will probably take some of my red pyle boys there as well. I have 8, and surely don't need that many! But they are awfully pretty. There are 2 for sure I want to keep, and maybe one other. The real pretty one with the pyle marks is definitely staying, and the pure white one too. Maybe the buff colored one as well, but he is kind of aggressive. He is definitely cock of the walk around here! Even the veteran, my splash roo, moves out of the way when he is coming through! And Charlie as well, but he is such a pushover. I can't believe I got such a sweet game rooster! And I was so worried about a game fighting with my banties. He is definitely NOT a fighter! Ok, well I should really be getting to bed now. Have to get up at 6 for the bus, if we don't oversleep again! Had to take him to school today, but I needed to go to town anyway. Really don't need to anymore, especially for something silly like that! At least he is only in preschool, so neither one of us gets in trouble if he misses a lot. Not like I want that to happen, but he doesn't get tardies either, so that's good. Next year will be the same way, then after that I will have to be good!

Night all, if anyone is left!!

 

[shelleyd2008]

I have lost my BTW cockerel. It must have been yesterday evening. I closed them up last night, but I just let them go in by themselves. They, the silkies and japs, would all sleep in a pile on the floor, so I didn't notice. That really sucks! I went to feed them, and one of the silkies escaped, but she came back once I put the water in there, so I caught her and put her back in.

So, Meri---Do you want the pullet I have? I know Cindy already has two, and she is getting your extra roo. That way, between the two of you, you should have plenty of eggs in the spring, and I can try to start over.

It really sucks. I started with 12, sold 7. One died about a week after I got them. So that made me having 4. One pullet died a week or so after I sold the others, which left me with 2 roos and 1 pullet. In the past 5 days, the stupid hawks have almost cleaned me out. I don't want anything to happen to this one. I am leaving them locked up until the hawk threat is mostly gone. Heck, since these are pure silkies, I might leave them locked up indeffinitely. If Meri takes that pullet, there will only be 6 silkies in a 3x8 pen. I think that is plenty of room for them.

Just let me know if you want her Meri. One lonely little pullet will do me no good.

I have had a couple of inquiries on my chicks, from the http://www.bestfarmbuys.com/classifieds/ site. I hope they get back soon if they want them, Saturday will be here soon! I think I will keep a few of the dark blue pullets, and take the rest to that auction.

 

[Mojo Chick'n]

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I must have missed the doggy bed, I'll have to look next time I'm over there.

That does sound cute. Lily (my big mutt) has her own blankie. LOL It is a full sized puffy sort of comforter that usually is draped over the couch (to keep dog hair off the couch). She'll climb up onto it and scrunch it all up and bury her face into it, rubbing her nose all over it and snuggling - it is so cute, LOL.

Toby, on the other hand, just sprawls wherever he can find an empty spot.

Peace -
Meri

 

[Mojo Chick'n]

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That really sucks on the btw jap. Yeah, I'll take the pullet, and you can have some eggs when they start to lay.

You've lost a lot of birds this week!! Are you sure it's a Hawk? you guys live so close to the woods, it could be almost anything - although, I suppose if it were racoon or something, the dogs would bark, but maybe a rat or a weasel?

Yeah, I think I'd be locking them down, too - as much as they'd hate it. It's gonna get expensive to replace those birds if ya lose too many.

Meri

 

[Mojo Chick'n]

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That's cool that you've gotten some interest. I was wondering how many farm folks would want chicks this time of year (as opposed to us weird chicken addicts who want any chicken anytime, LOL.)

Yeah, George is like that, too. He'll only fight with another roo if they start it, and as soon as they back off, he walks away. He's not really a fighter, either.

Atticus is acting sort of punky this morning. I'm not sure if it's just because it is cold out, or if he has a cold. I'll be keeping an eye on him. I had planned on breeding him with the blue splash girls, since he is a spangled, I figured they would make pretty babies. Hope he pulls out of his funk.

Oh, and the last few days, I've noticed that Little Man's tail has been listing to the side!!! He has such a fabulous tail, I'd hate it if he had that permanantly. I've heard it is a fault that shows up in oegb, so I am hoping it is just a passing thing, and not something here to stay. I'm not sure if I bred him if it would show up in all of his boys or just some of them, but it would certainly be passing on the tail listing gene.

Someone just wanting a backyard flock probably wouldn't care, but he is VERY typey and Very gorgeous and I had planned on doing something a bit more than just backyard flock with him (his girls are all very typey and pretty, too.)

LOL I wonder if I taped a popsickle stick to it if it would go back straight, LOL. Oh well.
I doubt he would appreciate that

Meri

 

[shelleyd2008]

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That really sucks on the btw jap. Yeah, I'll take the pullet, and you can have some eggs when they start to lay.

You've lost a lot of birds this week!! Are you sure it's a Hawk? you guys live so close to the woods, it could be almost anything - although, I suppose if it were racoon or something, the dogs would bark, but maybe a rat or a weasel?

Yeah, I think I'd be locking them down, too - as much as they'd hate it. It's gonna get expensive to replace those birds if ya lose too many.

Meri

The body I found yesterday was for sure a hawk. You could see the talon marks in it's back. The other OEGB and the two BTW cockerels always hung out in the front pasture, so I doubt it was a rat or weasel. Princess would for sure notice them there. The crele bantam that I had would hang out in the woods, but I would still lean towards hawk. Princess won't let any type of predators near the house. Plus she really likes coons. She has killed many in her life, most as big as she is. If only she could fly!! Then I wouldn't have to worry about hawks either.
I heard a lot of birds calling yesterday, tried convincing myself they were all crows. I know they aren't but they kinda sounded like it. I'm sure they are red-tails. The bigger 'chicken hawks' or dad calls them buzzards, just circle around.
This one makes 5 for sure that I have lost, all roosters. Plus the one of the hen's that is 'missing'. I will probably take her out of the tractor when they go to sleep. I hate to take her babies away, but I don't want to loose any more. Her chicks all stay pretty close to the house, but Gertie's go all over the yard and the fields. Stupid hen would take them everywhere, then she left them at 5 weeks. I wish I had a net. Then I could tell which are Gertie's and catch them. They hang out together during the day, and crawl in the nest with the splash hen at night.
I need to put my splash chickens, and the black dutch hen in a pen too, or I'll be losing them next. That's the bad thing about bantams, they are bite sized, so anything can get them.
But my brother did say when he lived here that he had a hawk take off with his huge game rooster, so I guess the big ones aren't safe either.
Idk, I wish I had a way to lock them all up. I am so worried that I will lose most of them. A friend of mine told me that the hawks are the worst in the winter. That's just great. There will be no leaves to hide them under the trees. Plus they will probably be in the horses' pastures, scratching at the road apples. Then they would be prime targets. That's what happened to the BTW jap roos, and the OEGB cockerels. The gray ones anyway. Like I said, the crele would usually be in the yard or the woods.

 

[Mojo Chick'n]

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I can see the Japs being picked out easily - they are mostly white and they stand out fromt he crowd. You would think the dark ones and the crele would fit into the scenery a bit better, though. However, I do think it is gonna be a harsher winter than last year, so maybe more predators are trying to 'stock up" on fat bellies earlier than usual.

I am wondering how many of the banties I'll be losing this winter to the cold - they seem so dang delicate sometimes!! Maybe it's just my particular flock, but man, you would think they could handle a little cold.

Meri