Kristen’s Chickens and Farming Ventures

[BlueBaby]

My wife would love that. She used to sheep sit, Mary the lamb. I hope you have fun with the animals.

I do this every year for them for the holiday's since they moved in next door. They have also become my favorite neighbor's. I have no family to spend my holiday's with, so why not?

 

[BY Bob]

I do this every year for them for the holiday's since they moved in next door. They have also become my favorite neighbor's. I have no family to spend my holiday's with, so why not?

Indeed. Great neighbors are priceless. Glad you have some and are one.

 

[BlueBaby]

Indeed. Great neighbors are priceless. Glad you have some and are one.

You've got that right! They have always been friendly either speaking to me or at least waving to me, and they care enough to check to see how I am doing.

 

[Kris5902]

Speaking of good neighbors, one of my old city ones randomly dropped me an email today to say “hi”. It’s been about a year since we last chatted. I sent him a bunch of photos and stories of what we have been up to here lately. He was a great neighbor and became a good friend. He mentioned that there are more obnoxiously primary colored “modern” town homes going up in in the old neighborhood, but all my favorite neighbors are still there, our house, and the three up the street from it, including his. We would chat almost daily while I was doing the yard work or gardening in the morning before heading off to work for the day. Good neighbors are a blessing, much like chicken friends, to be cherished and appreciated... and sent lots of cute chicken pictures and then regaled with paragraph upon paragraph of chicken and cow adventures... Now if only I had as cute a Christmas card as Lilly does to send... hmmmm, elf themed hen saddles? A little Santa hat for Sammy? No Way am I trying to dress Chickie Hawk up in anything though! (I value my face and fingers too much for that) Maybe a project for next year? All said, it has been a very good day to “Internet” again.

If I don’t make it back online before Christmas, (I’m going to try to log on before then) Merry Christmas Everyone. May it be joyous, and filled with love and peace.

 

[BY Bob]

Speaking of good neighbors, one of my old city ones randomly dropped me an email today to say “hi”. It’s been about a year since we last chatted. I sent him a bunch of photos and stories of what we have been up to here lately. He was a great neighbor and became a good friend. He mentioned that there are more obnoxiously primary colored “modern” town homes going up in in the old neighborhood, but all my favorite neighbors are still there, our house, and the three up the street from it, including his. We would chat almost daily while I was doing the yard work or gardening in the morning before heading off to work for the day. Good neighbors are a blessing, much like chicken friends, to be cherished and appreciated... and sent lots of cute chicken pictures and then regaled with paragraph upon paragraph of chicken and cow adventures... Now if only I had as cute a Christmas card as Lilly does to send... hmmmm, elf themed hen saddles? A little Santa hat for Sammy? No Way am I trying to dress Chickie Hawk up in anything though! (I value my face and fingers too much for that) Maybe a project for next year? All said, it has been a very good day to “Internet” again.

If I don’t make it back online before Christmas, (I’m going to try to log on before then) Merry Christmas Everyone. May it be joyous, and filled with love and peace.

@Kris5902 I am always willing to do a little photoshop for you.

 

[BlueBaby]

@Kris5902 I just set 6 of my egg's aside, and will be adding more for the next couple of day's, to start another incubation going. I'm doing the brown NN and the cream NN hen's egg's this time. I just bought those 2 hen's a couple of month's ago. My NN rooster in my avatar will be a daddy again.

 

[Kris5902]

@Kris5902 I just set 6 of my egg's aside, and will be adding more for the next couple of day's, to start another incubation going. I'm doing the brown NN and the cream NN hen's egg's this time. I just bought those 2 hen's a couple of month's ago. My NN rooster in my avatar will be a daddy again.

More babies!!! Yay!!! I’m going to consider a small spring hatch, as many of the CX girls and Roostie’s as I get and some more of Chickie Hawk’s... I have a buyer for 6 pullet chicks, as soon as I can sex them, and I’m getting pretty good at spotting his boys early on I’m thinking a late February or March Hatch for April sales.

I’m a little annoyed at the people who bought my last 4, I promised them pullets or an exchange and warned them that I thought they might have a cockerel in their initial 4. They didn’t ask me for a replacement and have apparently been trying to offload the “boy” (gender is still a little questionable as there’s no pointy saddle feathers or crowing at almost 24 weeks of age) to other people. Roosters just eat and don’t lay... useless (I think not! Just look at my Brave Sammy protecting his girls from the evil owl) Maybe it’s one of those “stealth roosters”?

I’ve directly offered to replace “him” three times for them, to both of the parents. I even said I wouldn’t process him unless he became extremely violent. They can even come visit him. I also offered them a pair of white pullets (of Sammy’s which I personally want to keep) at 18 weeks old to make integrating them easier. Exchange two pullets for one “rooster”, tell me where you’re going to get that offer? I mostly don’t like hearing gossip about them wanting to rehome a boy I have promised to, and will happily replace for them. I also offered a cash refund... I can’t think what else I can offer them? The joys of small towns and trying to maintain a good reputation.

 

[BlueBaby]

More babies!!! Yay!!! I’m going to consider a small spring hatch, as many of the CX girls and Roostie’s as I get and some more of Chickie Hawk’s... I have a buyer for 6 pullet chicks, as soon as I can sex them, and I’m getting pretty good at spotting his boys early on I’m thinking a late February or March Hatch for April sales.

I’m a little annoyed at the people who bought my last 4, I promised them pullets or an exchange and warned them that I thought they might have a cockerel in their initial 4. They didn’t ask me for a replacement and have apparently been trying to offload the “boy” (gender is still a little questionable as there’s no pointy saddle feathers or crowing at almost 24 weeks of age) to other people. Roosters just eat and don’t lay... useless (I think not! Just look at my Brave Sammy protecting his girls from the evil owl) Maybe it’s one of those “stealth roosters”?

I’ve directly offered to replace “him” three times for them, to both of the parents. I even said I wouldn’t process him unless he became extremely violent. They can even come visit him. I also offered them a pair of white pullets (of Sammy’s which I personally want to keep) at 18 weeks old to make integrating them easier. Exchange two pullets for one “rooster”, tell me where you’re going to get that offer? I mostly don’t like hearing gossip about them wanting to rehome a boy I have promised to, and will happily replace for them. I also offered a cash refund... I can’t think what else I can offer them? The joys of small towns and trying to maintain a good reputation.

Well, I decided to go ahead and hatch some from the 2 new NN hen's that I bought a couple of months ago, because I don't have any pullet's from them yet. Then after this, I will be waiting for the 3 Barnevelder pullet's to start laying egg's which they should start the end of Feb. Those will be the next hatch then. I don't want to set other egg's when I do the Barnevelder one's, so I can see how those one's turn out.

 

[Kris5902]

Which Rooster were you going to put over the Barnvelders? And did I miss pictures of them while I was offline? It should be an interesting cross...

As I was relocating my soon to be “freezer camp” boys back into the tractor and away from all the dangerous “big birds” and the cows this morning, I noticed a big weight difference between Chickie Hawk’s boys and Sammy’s. Chickie Hawk x Columbian Rock hen seem to be the biggest, then the red boys that take after daddy with the cheek poofs and feathered feet, then the mottled red and white boys with the single combs from Mama, then Sammy’s boys who are significantly lighter and taller. I’m still considering holding one of them back... me and my darn Rooster collection!

 

[Aussie-Chookmum]

Hi everyone, still here and working on the build, getting ready for a hopefully quiet Christmas. The weather has been ok, mostly rainy but not too cold. I hope to get the phone/internet situation resolved for the new year. Some sad news to share.

I had my first loss to predators on Monday in the early morning in the Barn. Missy was headless near the roost, and Zeta looks to have panicked and died next to the nest spot attempting to hide, after laying her egg. Sammy was a good boy and managed to save Hoppy and Mrs B by sitting on them like a mama hen in the corner behind the isolation crate, he covered them so completely I couldn’t see them at all until I picked him up. Croppy hid so well behind the Freezer, I was certain it got her too for a while. They are safer, but a little less happy, in the meat tractor for now with the chicks from my last hatch. Much Rooster hugging occurred as I checked Sammy over for injuries then the two girls. Roostie and the meat girls are back in the hospital tractor.

It's lovely to hear from you Kris. So sorry about your hens. The owl is beautiful, I can see why you couldn't "deal" with him. I'm very impressed with Sammy's bravery.

I'm glad the build is moving along. Hopefully it will reach lock up stage in record time!

In the mean time have a very Merry and relaxing Christmas and a fabulous, productive New Year!