Maine

[Mainechick168]

I can't offer fertile hatching eggs this time of year, either.

The only "breed" on that list that I have is olive egger, but mine are not guaranteed olive eggers, because they would be F2's.

I could eventually offer fertile lavender Ameraucanas or Basques, but I don't have show-quality kinds of birds.

Mainechick, where did you get your Welsummers? Do they have a dark egg? I have two Welsummers here from Meyer hatchery. Both had very pretty dark eggs, but they are older now and eggs from them are rare. Someday, I'd like to get more, but I'm still on the fence about hatching this spring.

Bucka- I got the welsummers from a BYCer- wifetoabirdman - she is in Houlton I think. She said she got them from a breeder somewhere south of here I think the breeders name way helen byers?....I can't remember where exactly they came from! Their eggs are not all that dark- they are more of a cinnamon color. I like them though- the hens are a little small, and they are noisier than some of my other girl, but they are sweet, good layers and the rooster is the best- super sweet and people friendly

 

[IZZYBELLA]

Cool!!! I would love to see what they do in the coop lol!

They are the funniest when it comes time to negotiate who uses what nest box and arrange themselves on the roosts at night. Some girls will only use one box and stand there in line bawking until it's empty (or if they are a BR, they just get in regardless of who else may be there!). Others are like Goldilocks and try all of the boxes before deciding which to use. What surprised me most is how busy they stay all day long and how loud they are! They are constantly scratching, pecking and hopping around. I wish I knew what all the different noises meant. There's a coo, a trill, a bawk, a squawk, a low growl/grumble...really amusing!

 

[dowgirl71]

They are the funniest when it comes time to negotiate who uses what nest box and arrange themselves on the roosts at night. Some girls will only use one box and stand there in line bawking until it's empty (or if they are a BR, they just get in regardless of who else may be there!). Others are like Goldilocks and try all of the boxes before deciding which to use. What surprised me most is how busy they stay all day long and how loud they are! They are constantly scratching, pecking and hopping around. I wish I knew what all the different noises meant. There's a coo, a trill, a bawk, a squawk, a low growl/grumble...really amusing!

That does sound so cool!! Both of my BO's have started this low growl, when I give them treats. Almost like they are telling the others, "Back off! These are my treats!" No one really pays any attention to their threats. It's so funny!

 

[striperon]

I got an early present from my husband... a coop cam! (He can never keep presents a secret.) It has already provided hours of hilarious entertainment.

Could you tell us the make and model of the camera, and what you like and don't like? It might be helpful for others thinking about making that purchase. Thank you.

 

[IZZYBELLA]

Could you tell us the make and model of the camera, and what you like and don't like? It might be helpful for others thinking about making that purchase. Thank you.

Sure. It's the Dropcam Wi-Fi Wireless Video Monitoring Camera. He ordered it from Amazon.

Pros:
- easy to install
- stable and clear image (not grainy at all)
- offers two-way sound... I can hear them and I can speak to them if I want. (they get really freaked out, so I don't!)
- has night vision, so I can watch at night
- it has a decent field, so I can essentially see three full sides of my coop... I chose to set it up so I can see the nest boxes instead of the roost.
- has all sorts of options - alerts for when there is motion or sound detected, setting the camera to only film during certain hours, etc.
- the mobile app was really easy to download and it works great
- came with a free 15-day trial of cloud video recording, so you can rewind. I don't think I'll pay the approximately $100 a year to continue that feature, but it is really fun to have.

Cons:
- we had to purchase a wifi signal booster, so that the wifi signal would reach the coop. not expensive, but an additional cost.
- it would be nice to have a camera that rotates, so I could have put it in the middle and could pan to see the nest boxes or the roost, rather than having a fixed view. (There are cameras out there that do that, but they get pricey fast, I think.)
- have to pay extra for the cloud recording feature

Let me know if you have specific questions I haven't covered!

 

[striperon]

Sure. It's the Dropcam Wi-Fi Wireless Video Monitoring Camera. He ordered it from Amazon.

Pros:
- easy to install
- stable and clear image (not grainy at all)
- offers two-way sound... I can hear them and I can speak to them if I want. (they get really freaked out, so I don't!)
- has night vision, so I can watch at night
- it has a decent field, so I can essentially see three full sides of my coop... I chose to set it up so I can see the nest boxes instead of the roost.
- has all sorts of options - alerts for when there is motion or sound detected, setting the camera to only film during certain hours, etc.
- the mobile app was really easy to download and it works great
- came with a free 15-day trial of cloud video recording, so you can rewind. I don't think I'll pay the approximately $100 a year to continue that feature, but it is really fun to have.

Cons:
- we had to purchase a wifi signal booster, so that the wifi signal would reach the coop. not expensive, but an additional cost.
- it would be nice to have a camera that rotates, so I could have put it in the middle and could pan to see the nest boxes or the roost, rather than having a fixed view. (There are cameras out there that do that, but they get pricey fast, I think.)
- have to pay extra for the cloud recording feature

Let me know if you have specific questions I haven't covered!

 

[dowgirl71]

Merry Christmas to all my chicken buddies!!

 

[MEMama3]

Merry Christmas everyone!

PS: We have a ritual of getting jammies every Christmas eve. Santa got me chicken jammie pants!!!

 

[anyasmifya]

Merry Christmas fellow Chicken Enthusiasts! I made my girls some yummy oatmeal with milk and scratch for their christmas breakfast!

 

[dowgirl71]

My chilly chickies.

They spent some VERY brief time outside, yesterday.