Maine

[Widget]

I have pipping

. From what I can see without opening the incubator there are at least 4 or 5 out of 20 who are trying to hatch.

And the coop/pen is almost done for the Silkies. I built the door and now have to figure out how to secure it to the front of the pen. I have some ideas and I'm sure one of them will work. Where's MacGyver when I need him.

 

[kinsey228]

I'm so sorry, do you have any idea what she got sick from?

It's a few inches bigger than 4 feet...

I have no idea how she got sick. She seemed fine yesterday morning, but when I went to close the coop doors last night, she was huddled against a wall. Are you going to the Skowhegan swap this Saturday ?

 

[hoppy]

I hope the rest of your group is fine. sometimes it's something as dumb as they ate some weed they should not have and other times we never know what happened. one woman in our poultry club said she lost a bunch because they ate an ivy that was growing into her chick pen.all ivy's are poisonous.

I have no idea how she got sick. She seemed fine yesterday morning, but when I went to close the coop doors last night, she was huddled against a wall. Are you going to the Skowhegan swap this Saturday ?

 

[kinsey228]

I hope the rest of your group is fine. sometimes it's something as dumb as they ate some weed they should not have and other times we never know what happened. one woman in our poultry club said she lost a bunch because they ate an ivy that was growing into her chick pen.all ivy's are poisonous.

I just started letting her outside last week, so maybe she did eat something. All of the others SEEM to be doing just fine. I just hope they stay that way. On a happier note, 1 more week until my Orpingtons and Marans hatch. I am so excited to see all of the different colors ! The Orps are from a Black roo over black, blue, lavender, and splash hens, and the Marans are from a black copper and blue copper roos over black copper, blue copper, and splash hens.

 

[superchemicalgirl]

I hope the rest of your group is fine. sometimes it's something as dumb as they ate some weed they should not have and other times we never know what happened. one woman in our poultry club said she lost a bunch because they ate an ivy that was growing into her chick pen.all ivy's are poisonous.

Mine eat poison ivy that crawls into their pen, luckily we've had no issues from them eating it. I wish they'd eat it on the other 4 acres of property that I have, we're heavily infested here but unfortunately there's too many other goodies for them to eat outside of the run.

 

[buckabucka]

SCG, I am on the trail of my own turtle! They have one in Westbrook for $20, and I plan to be in Portland on Friday. I'm not sure It will work out, so I may still be in touch about the pool.
My run is covered, but rain comes in from the sides, so ideally, I'd like something with a cover. Does the turtle cover keep out the moisture pretty well?

 

[Widget]

One just hatched with a second close behind. Both are from the green eggs.


And on another note I picked up two kiddie pools from Walmart last year. They are about 4 feet in diameter. Found them to be great for my ducks as a swimming area. And as a brooder. Could work for a community dust bath too. Just have to be careful if it rains. Then they would turn into a nice mud bath. They were less than $10 each.

 

[superchemicalgirl]

SCG, I am on the trail of my own turtle! They have one in Westbrook for $20, and I plan to be in Portland on Friday. I'm not sure It will work out, so I may still be in touch about the pool.
My run is covered, but rain comes in from the sides, so ideally, I'd like something with a cover. Does the turtle cover keep out the moisture pretty well?

The turtle and cover work great. I've never had a leak (unless you count those two times I left the lid OFF). I did have to strap the lid down for the hurricane we had come through (Irene?) recently, but it's weathered all the other storms just fine. A couple of bungee cords between feet on opposite sides did the trick for the hurricane
.
I also like the turtle because in the winter when the ground is frozen I can (if I've kept it shoveled) just take the lid off the turtle and they can dustbathe. There's usually a line for the "spa."

 

[hoppy]

I know I said i was done hatchingmay 7th, well, plans have changed. i candled my sizzle eggs last night- 12 were due thursday, 11 duds. i can't beleive that, I have 2 roos and 2 hens in the pen and only 1 egg was fertile. moved the hens in with a different roo so in 4 weeks, that will be my final hatch. I can't go 1 yr with no new sizzles, they are just too cute.

 

[bwockbwock]

Hoppy, that sure is a big disappointment!
I know you are a pretty crafty person do you happen to make chicken diapers? I was looking at them online, U Tube has a video to make them, however the learning curve for me is probably not worth the time.. It is two pieces of fabric and some elastic.
BTW i have to take a video of a roo I have here I bought from you last year, I bought a set of three, 2 hens which I killed with the Sevin dust, and he came through fine except for being huge, has no clue he is a rooster, has never crowed, the other roosters don't bother him, and he hangs with the hens. He is a black orpington. We throw things to eat across the yard just to watch him run. He runs about like I do, it is hysterical, down hill is even funnier when he tries to put the brakes on. When you put the feed in the dish he is like a woman with PMS and a chocolate bar.
For anyone who uses the aprons, will they stay on a hen that free ranges? I have a few hens which I would really like to use them on. How about overheating problems with them? The boys are just doing a number on their poor backs.
A general update on the two turkey chicks I have in the house with the bantam hen. One thinks I am surrogate Momma and flies up on top of my head, and happily rides around while the other one follows us. I put the hen out morning and evening to do her business and get her dust bath, then let her back in and she hops in the cage with them. They are going to be as big as she is soon and are quite the sight when they each try to get under a wing now. I gotta get a pen set up in the barn to get them out of here soon. Another two weeks and I will need a second pen for ducklings that will be hatching
Who is going to Skowhegan Saturday and what are they bringing? I really should stay home but my roomie is egging me on, and insisting we need to go. I have done well and stayed away from the last two swaps.