Mahonri's 3rd Annual, BYC Easter Hatch-a-long!

[debs_flock]

I have 100 posts to read , or it is 200 , since 25 hours ago. Yikes!! It was a beatiful day today so I took my kids to a birthday party and washed lots of dishes (DW broke ! ) and worked on a run a bit. THen the day is gone. . . again.

Your wife broke???

Deb

 

[2seth2]

if we are chatting and guessed eggs should we be on the map?

 

[CayuseRanch]

Have a questions for you Platinum Poultry members. I am thinking about getting a membership but I really just want the ability to make the posts seen by page up to 100 so it wont take me so long. Not really sure that is worth $60. Are there some other benefits that you use a lot that you could share with me?

 

[crazypetlady]

Here is the finished Silkie pen we are building the run to it tomorrow.

 

[AK Michelle]

And how did AKMichelle get the baby moose out of the pasture?

We went to the fireworks stand and bought packs of firecrackers to "shoo" them with but when we got home we didn't see any sign of them. I saw a rump moving into the trees today but was unable to tell if it was inside the fence or outside. time will tell...

Whew, all caught up. Good thing I love to read. Now to make everyone else read, too!

Yesterday I set my 12 turkey eggs, then went to the post office to send a money order to get me some of onagadori's pretty Yokohama eggs. Not sure if they'll be here in time for the Easter hatch, but that's not a problem. Also did some Paypal-ing for frizzle Polish eggs.

Today I ended up missing church because lots of fowl stuff was going on.
1. For starters, we were still an hour behind, having forgotten to change the clocks.

2. My currently indoor silkies tipped their water and it spilled across the entire room. As soon as Mom started mopping, one of them freaked out and knocked herself silly against the wall. Mom grabbed her and tried to calm her down, and the silkie literally passed out in her hands for a few seconds. I was worried because she has a vaulted skull, but she recovered within a few minutes and has been behaving normally all day.
3. While preparing a portion of the outdoor coop for my week-old chicks, I heard a strange crackling sound. Looked over, and one of my hens was eating an egg and more were rushing over. I ran over, GRABBED the egg (and with it a handful of poopy shavings

), ran in the house, and threw it away. After returning to the scene, I came to the conclusion that the hen didn't break the egg herself, but that one of the *three* hens crammed into the nest box above had "dropped" it over the edge and it landed right in front of her. Hopefully she didn't have enough time to see what it was she was eating.

4. I have discovered that since the rooster went to freezer camp, one of my black star hens has become a bully who terrorizes the others while they are trying to lay by standing over them, braying like a donkey, and pecking/pushing them out of the nests. She does not sit to lay after doing this. She's conditioned them to scream death threats at anyone, chicken or human, who comes within 10ft of them when they're in the nest boxes. I banished her from the coop and run for several hours while the poor girls were sitting. What a difference it made! The coop was silent but for contented cooing sounds.
5. Not particularly "fowl," but it did take a bit of time with site preparation and much cleaning of brooders - I got my chicks moved comfortably to their new outdoor home. My ducklings were moved to the bigger brooder they had occupied, making room in their old brooder for the new chicks that have begun hatching this morning. They are the last of my dearly departed (and delicious!) rooster's legacy.

First, that is quite the visual, thanks for the giggle. Second, I love that relaxed "silence" when the pest is evicted so everyone else can have some peace.

Congrats to GJ Kate, participant # 200!
We are now up to 203 total!

WOO HOO!

GJ Kate, as lucky number 200, you are the winner of a 6 month Gold Feather Membership!

Thank you for joining our crazy parade

I just put some eggs on the crazy 24 hr auction any questions ask

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/330991/crazy-24hr-auction/6800_20#post_8555764

I do not need more eggs, I do not need more eggs, I do not need more eggs
Let me just LOOK at the link

Waaaaaa where is my crying smily? Hit day 22 with a full bator and nothing. Second failed hatch. I can't figure out what I am doing wrong

Tell us what you did and be sure to check with us every day going forward. We will help you succeed.

Been watching my turkey hen all afternoon. She has been acting restless and looking for a nest. I made her two options and it still took her hours to settle down and finally give me one of these:


She's a week late but I think if I might see if I can save them and maybe get another incubator and off set them from this hatch so I can have baby turkeys

SA-WEET

I need a better camera! Going to be setting some of these for Easter. My girls are starting off with a a kind of a gray egg and then I get this. Hoping to get a deeper violet or lavender one of these days.



Here it is with eggs from birds I'll be adding to my project

What kinda chicken lays lavender eggs?

Happy Sunday all!
I am back from a Pump it Up b-day party for Pastrymama's boy. I am dog-tired.
BTW--if you ever have to run an obstacle course wtih Pastrymama, be aware: she cheats.
It's alright though, because I won anyway.

She cheats but you won... Anyone else reading between the lines here

Why don't you try the pepper trick? It seems there is no real reason that it should work but there are lots of people who swear by it. I've heard cayenne pepper and I've heard black pepper. Maybe someone can tell you which and how much. I think I might try it myself, I have 10 hens and 11 pullet/hens that should be laying by now but I only get 5 - 8 eggs a day.

1 tsp of cayenne to about 3 pounds of feed. Works like a charm but may take a day or 3 to kick in so start now.

It is definately too hot to keep chickens in AZ. Today the DH and I were designing the wiring for a fan system we are putting in using a cast-off solar panel and a bunch of scrounged 12" server fans.
Laree's coop: Classy.
ETA: someone told me once they keep chickens in Iceland.

Iceland is actually rather temperate. Much warmer than Alaska, BUT, I believe we are comparable with north and south Dakota as far as winter temps are concerned

 

[AK Michelle]

Did you see that we have over 200 participants... Look at the list.....

I know I know I know

We Rock!!!!

 

[Mahonri]

So Michelle, you'll need to PM Terri and tell her your re-gifting/prizing the 6 MO GFM.....

Congrats!!!!

 

[CayuseRanch]

Ooops, posted too soon.
I tried the dry hatch this time. I had 3 thermometers in there and ended up getting a second hydrometer because the first one was off 45%. I did put in the new hydrometer on day 20 thru the window, but steamed up the room first. Temperature was great the whole time except for the hour and a half when they changed out the electrical poles but the temp only went down to 87 that day and it was around day 7. I didn't over candle because I am horrible at it, only at 7 days, 14 days and day 18. Took out 2 stinky eggs.

I have only done 3 hatches, first one was 50%, last two were failures. The only thing that I did different was the first one it was colder outside, so I had a little heater going in the bathroom, to keep the temperature up during the day while we work and our thermostat goes down in the house. After those first chick hatched I moved out the heater. For the Easter hatch, I am going to move that back. But I will say that during the weekend days, I have not seen a fluctuation in temps during the day, so I did not think that was an issue, but at this time, I just don't know what else it could be.

Tell us what you did and be sure to check with us every day going forward. We will help you succeed.

 

[AK Michelle]

So Michelle, you'll need to PM Terri and tell her your re-gifting/prizing the 6 MO GFM.....

Congrats!!!!

I'm on it. I haven't talked to Ms. Lacey in awhile but I'm holding an apron kit I got from her... coincidence?

 

[gryeyes]

I've been having the nicest day off, just resting and piddling around doing minor but important things: replacing the burnt-out light bulb over the stove. Discovered there had always only been ONE light in a two-light fixture. Fixed that, too.
Installed six solar-powered pathway lights up one side of my driveway.
Gathered eggs. Refilled feeders and waterers.
Emptied a box of packed books, actually INTO a bookcase!

Looked at the incubators and decided I'd clean them tomorrow. Trying to remember how many shipped eggs I have coming my way....

Loving on the furred & feathered kids.

And I get tomorrow off, too!