Maine

[CoopChick719]

In non-chicken news, I just have to toot my own horn for a second. I can officially say I have lost 36, THIRTY SIX!, pounds since this date last summer!! Even better, I hardly have headaches now, my stomach issues are all but gone, and I have more energy. I feel GREAT! Though not having a single pair of shorts that fit has been quite the downside this week, without a belt I can literally walk out of them. lol I still have a ways to go to reach my end goal, but the difference already is incredible.

Congrats on the weight loss!! That is just awesome!!

coopchick - sorry about your cochin

Thanks MT!
:

CC719: I read an article re: egg color genetics some time ago. Will try to find it for you, but as I remember, the gist of it is: Blue is dominant over white (and from your experience, it sounds like blue dominates pink). Brown and blue should yield olive, and White and brown should give a lighter shade of brown. It might also be good to research comb dominance. It would be nice if pea dominates straight! (IMO)

I love my little blue egg layer. She's an EE without any of the puffy facial feathers that you would expect. She is very stream lined with gold hackles laced with black, has lighter gold abdominal feathers with black lacing. Very mild mannered. Her large blue egg from this morning was a double yolker. My girls have been laying for less than 2 weeks.

Any one out there have suggestions re: mosquitoes harassing birds at night? They've been aweful. Last night, the girls were clearly miserable. It's been so hot that I hesitate to block any more air flow through the coop, but I may have to hang some screens or sheer curtains over their windows. Even so, there will be mosquitoes that get in. I've been thinking about planting one of those geraniums that are supposed to repel mosquitoes. Not sure if it's called a citronella plant???? I wonder if lemon balm would have a repellant effect, If so, I could dry some and mix it in with their bedding.

LG, Your EE sounds like mine. Same colors and she doesn't have puffy facial feathers either. I have heard some people use lemon balm in their coops for insect repellant.

I bought my granddaughter a little pink butterfly net. Unfortunately, she doesn't get to use it much any more. I use it on a daily basis... to catch chickens, potato bugs and larvae, great to drop over yellow jackets to contain them long enough to stomp them... Japanese beetles have arrived... I go nuts when I'm out in the garden and can't readily lay my hand on it. So much so, that I bought a yard of netting to make an extra... so she can have her net back. I'll also make one for my Dad, but in light of trying to be gender neutral, I'll use yellow! (They didn't have any blue netting at Walmart!)

Love this! DH was helping me round up the babies to put in the coop. He said You need a little bug net to catch these guys!

 

[buckabucka]

Interesting uses for the butterfly net! I do have a net to catch chickens, but I think it is for netting fish or something. Bugs would fall right through the large holes. I also use mine almost daily, but hope that will slow down when I downsize. The first 8 cockerels will be leaving as soon as I can get an appointment. Some are pure breeds: cuckoo Marans, wheaten Marans, blue Ameraucana, should someone be seeking those. Personal, I think they are obnoxious!

 

[lazy gardener]

I agree re: roos being obnoxious. However, I wonder if there have been any studies done re: sexual maturity in pullets where there is a rooster present compared to maturity without a rooster. A friend of mine who got EE from the same batch I did, on the same day has yet to see any eggs.

 

[hoppy]

diet also probably plays a part in it as well, better food, better growth, earlier to mature.

I agree re: roos being obnoxious. However, I wonder if there have been any studies done re: sexual maturity in pullets where there is a rooster present compared to maturity without a rooster. A friend of mine who got EE from the same batch I did, on the same day has yet to see any eggs.

 

[Jazor]

If I could derail conversation for a quick minute, would anyone be willing to throw some simple advice my way? Getting my coop together and looking for 6-12 laying hens to put in there. I'm very green when it comes to this, but am willing to put in as much work as needed. I don't need to feed an army with the eggs, but would like to have a fridge that's rarely empty and also like to enjoy the cluckers in the yard.

Ideas?

Thanks

 

[CoopChick719]

CC719: I read an article re: egg color genetics some time ago. Will try to find it for you, but as I remember, the gist of it is: Blue is dominant over white (and from your experience, it sounds like blue dominates pink). Brown and blue should yield olive, and White and brown should give a lighter shade of brown. It might also be good to research comb dominance. It would be nice if pea dominates straight! (IMO)

I love my little blue egg layer. She's an EE without any of the puffy facial feathers that you would expect. She is very stream lined with gold hackles laced with black, has lighter gold abdominal feathers with black lacing. Very mild mannered. Her large blue egg from this morning was a double yolker. My girls have been laying for less than 2 weeks.

Any one out there have suggestions re: mosquitoes harassing birds at night? They've been aweful. Last night, the girls were clearly miserable. It's been so hot that I hesitate to block any more air flow through the coop, but I may have to hang some screens or sheer curtains over their windows. Even so, there will be mosquitoes that get in. I've been thinking about planting one of those geraniums that are supposed to repel mosquitoes. Not sure if it's called a citronella plant???? I wonder if lemon balm would have a repellant effect, If so, I could dry some and mix it in with their bedding.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...ies-and-recipes-for-chickens/90#post_11218937

Found a list of herbs for the coop & the chooks. I thought all geraniums & marigolds had some mosquito repelling properties.

 

[longgrove]

Looks as functional as it is attractive! A beautiful coop, Good luck in finding just the hens you want.

I just finished my coop/run (except for the gate for the run end--a friend is building if for me.) Built by me (almost 60) and my friend Jennifer (almost 57) and 6 hours each from two guy friends. Jennifer & I spent lots more than 6 hours! It's floored and walled with hardware cloth--we have weasels--with gravel and loam and oak leaf deep litter on top. I'm exhausted and delighted. Now...to find hens.

 

[pellepeterson]

THEY ARE HERE!!!!! IT WAS WORTH THE WAIT, SADLY I AM HOME ALONE SAVE THE DOG, CAT AND CHICKENS. THIS IS VERY EXCITING HERE AT THE PELLEPETERSON RANCH AND WE WANT TO THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR WORDS OF ENCOURAGEMENT! NOT SURE WHO DID IT, BUT, ALL THE GIRLS GOT SOME FRESH PEAS FROM THE GARDEN AS A TREAT FOR DOING SO WELL!

 

[lazy gardener]

If I could derail conversation for a quick minute, would anyone be willing to throw some simple advice my way? Getting my coop together and looking for 6-12 laying hens to put in there. I'm very green when it comes to this, but am willing to put in as much work as needed. I don't need to feed an army with the eggs, but would like to have a fridge that's rarely empty and also like to enjoy the cluckers in the yard.

Ideas?

Thanks

You'll have a blast! How many eggs does your family eat/week. Do you want to have extra to sell to help cover your feed costs, and if so, do you think you have a ready market? How big a coop do you plan to build? How much space for a run? Are you mostly interested in having an abundance of eggs, or are you looking for an assortment of hens that will be pleasing to YOUR eye? Do you have young children who will be interacting with your chickens? Will you allow the birds to free range? or keep them confined? Will you in the future want to hatch your own eggs with a broody? With an incubator? Would you be happy with a barnyard mix of chickens, or would you prefer heritage pure bred birds, or hybrids that lay like crazy but burn out sooner. Do you want a dual purpose bird that will be useful on the kitchen table when her laying days are done? Would a rooster be an asset or a pain in the neck?? Are you going to be set up to provide supplemental heat in the winter? All of the answers to these questions will help you to decide what kind of birds to get. Every body has their own opinion about what kind of bird is the best one to have. If you ask a dozen BYC people what is the best chicken to have, you'll probably get 20 different answers!!

On a side note: Japanese beetles are coming on strong in my yard. I dug out last years trap with last years bait and hung it in the chicken's run. Before I even go it hung, beetles were stacking up on the bait disk. I've been enjoying watching the pullets hanging out under the trap snagging the beetles out of the air. This in addition to the several handfuls of beetles they've already had today. And I was worried that my pullets were bored! I predict that the girls won't be eating as much FF during the next few weeks! Lately, bu the time they're ready for bed, their crops are quite distended.

 

[lazy gardener]

THEY ARE HERE!!!!! IT WAS WORTH THE WAIT, SADLY I AM HOME ALONE SAVE THE DOG, CAT AND CHICKENS. THIS IS VERY EXCITING HERE AT THE PELLEPETERSON RANCH AND WE WANT TO THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR WORDS OF ENCOURAGEMENT! NOT SURE WHO DID IT, BUT, ALL THE GIRLS GOT SOME FRESH PEAS FROM THE GARDEN AS A TREAT FOR DOING SO WELL!

Congratulations on your first eggs. Well worth the wait!