Maine

[ashandvine]

those are beautifulllll!

Thank you for saying so. I can't believe he sold us the black he took the basket show. He thinks Sebastian would be a good junior showman which might be the only reason for it. AND he doesn't like the mottled birds but I love mottling That was an easy sell lol

I think I need a picture of the parroting.

I agree. Pics of this kind of thing are priceless.

My neighbor has had a fox laying under his coop. Yup. You read that right. He lost another bird yesterday despite the NH cock trying to fight it off. My neighbor has decided to give up chickens all together. He has offered to kindly hunt the fox though. Phew. Once his buffet closed it was only a matter of time before Mr. Renard came over here for meals.

 

[superchemicalgirl]

I'll share a picture:



This is Caramel, my LaMancha/Oberhasli goat. She's a tomato monster. Feed her a tomato and she will suck it into her mouth as far as it will go, and then squish it, and slurp the seeds and the tomato.

Ash - those crazy bumblebees are back. I guess I didn't kill the nest completely. One was after one of my chickens, tried to sting her for about 15 feet before she managed to get it off and then I stepped on it. I'll be gassing their home again tonight. I wonder why they're so psychotic?

 

[quailtrail]

Wanted to jump in and show off some of the new feathered friends. I know I said I wouldn't buy grown outs from Maine BUUUUT these are Hawe's birds and the kids love them so I am crossing my fingers and toes and legs and arms and eyes hoping... One Mottled Blue pullet, one blue cockerel, two black girls who are just lovely and the gal above which variety we don't know. They are all young and most are this year's birds I believe so their color will settle out.

beautiful! !!! Great deal!!!

 

[ashandvine]

So, what a morning already!
We had a little bird fly into the window- a juvenile cedar wax wing so I got lovely pics of that with my girls. And yesterday I found a few poofs of feathers on the orchard.... it occurred to me that Renard had already been here!!! [see last post for reference]. So I didn't let the small birds out and fed others close to the house today since they free range. I went in to send pics of the birdie with girls to California Grandma and my son came down so I started to tell him who I hadn't let out and why when he says, "THE FOX IS COMING-- RIGHT NOW. I SEE IT!" No way! Oh yes, and where are the guns? Both at SO's cousin's! So I run to the neighbor's house and rouse him. He gets on a shirt and his gun. Foxy sat in the field, sat and sat and sat, right in the sun. Neighbor tried to shoot it from the deck and juuuuust missed. DARNIT! Still feeling the adrenalin. What else can this day hold?

Here's a pic of the bird in hand, who also shat berry turd on me as it convalesced, just so I can share


Note the tangerine tail tips. Adults have yellow and develop other markings. I was very taken with the tail. Oh, and you can see how we would brace and shoot of the deck into the field too

SCG... I am wondering if those really are bumbles now.

 

[MEMama3]

One of my pullets laid this morning. I wish I knew who it was (not only because of curiosity, but I am neurotic about record keeping). It was very pale with 3/4 of a shell. One of my araucanas laid today too. Still trying to give the guy who sold them to me the benefit of the doubt. This was the 4th egg between the two of them over a span of 3 weeks. One has pretty blue eggs, but I've only gotten two from her. Today was the second from the other. Her last one was laid over two weeks ago. It's cream colored and appears to have a powder coated appearance. Seriously, these are old birds, aren't they?

 

[chickery-do]

One of my pullets laid this morning. I wish I knew who it was (not only because of curiosity, but I am neurotic about record keeping). It was very pale with 3/4 of a shell. One of my araucanas laid today too. Still trying to give the guy who sold them to me the benefit of the doubt. This was the 4th egg between the twoode of them over a span of 3 weeks. One has pretty blue eggs, but I've only gotten two from her. Today was the second from the other. Her last one was laid over two weeks ago. It's cream colored and appears to have a powder coated appearance. Seriously, these are old birds, aren't they?

I'm in the same boat. I purchased 2 Cochin from BYC "humpfreyfarms" and she stated they were born 5/15/13, Well I bought them 6/13 and it took one til 7/27 to lay and the other still hasn't laid! She told me they laid 3-5 a week but this is not funny! And their like you, happy, contented hens. And the one who hasn't laid had feathers on her back that were missing cuz the rooster rode her to much. But she is so pretty and nice to us!

 

[MEMama3]

I'm in the same boat.  I purchased 2 Cochin from BYC "humpfreyfarms" and she stated they were born 5/15/13,  Well I bought them 6/13 and it took one til 7/27 to lay and the other still hasn't laid!  She told me they laid 3-5 a week but this is not funny!  And their like you, happy, contented hens.  And the one who hasn't laid had feathers on her back that were missing cuz the rooster rode her to much.  But she is so pretty and nice to us!

mine were suppose to be last springs chicks so just over a year. He told me an egg a day between the two. Both of mine were obviously bottom of the pecking order. One has since grown back her feathers, but the other is very submissive and will be wearing an apron until after her next molt. She isn't even getting pin feathers.

 

[Chambertin]

I've been looking for a good used incubator for a long time, but just keep coming up short.
Plus whenever I ask in the Michigan threads they just steamroll the post and question with coffee talk and other beakbook-esque ramblings.

So back to my home of heart if not address

What would you guys say about the Hova-Bator incubators?
I'm leaning toward the 1688 because I have greatly appreciated the digital controls on past incubators
https://www.gqfmfg.com/store/comersus_viewItem.asp?idProduct=77

However the 2362N is cheaper and that speaks volumes to me wallet.
https://www.gqfmfg.com/store/comersus_viewItem.asp?idProduct=275

Any advice?
The best price on the 1688 was 160
The 1620N seems to be about 120 (both prices include the 1611 turner, yeah I'm lazy)
I'm really leaning to the more expensive one as these things are re-usable and as we all know ambient temperature changes quite a bit over the seasons so self adjusting system with fast feedback seems very worth the extra money.
(I know it was welcomed in China as I had to adjust the manual temps every few days it gets so hot in the summer)

 

[Widget]

I have a Hovabator 1588 (the Genesis) and love it. I also have the auto egg turner. Love that it is preset and I do not have to fiddle with the temperature. I have had mine for two years and have had no issues.

I've been looking for a good used incubator for a long time, but just keep coming up short.
Plus whenever I ask in the Michigan threads they just steamroll the post and question with coffee talk and other beakbook-esque ramblings.

So back to my home of heart if not address

What would you guys say about the Hova-Bator incubators?
I'm leaning toward the 1688 because I have greatly appreciated the digital controls on past incubators
https://www.gqfmfg.com/store/comersus_viewItem.asp?idProduct=77

However the 2362N is cheaper and that speaks volumes to me wallet.
https://www.gqfmfg.com/store/comersus_viewItem.asp?idProduct=275

Any advice?
The best price on the 1688 was 160
The 1620N seems to be about 120 (both prices include the 1611 turner, yeah I'm lazy)
I'm really leaning to the more expensive one as these things are re-usable and as we all know ambient temperature changes quite a bit over the seasons so self adjusting system with fast feedback seems very worth the extra money.
(I know it was welcomed in China as I had to adjust the manual temps every few days it gets so hot in the summer)

 

[superchemicalgirl]

I've been looking for a good used incubator for a long time, but just keep coming up short.
Plus whenever I ask in the Michigan threads they just steamroll the post and question with coffee talk and other beakbook-esque ramblings.

So back to my home of heart if not address

What would you guys say about the Hova-Bator incubators?
I'm leaning toward the 1688 because I have greatly appreciated the digital controls on past incubators
https://www.gqfmfg.com/store/comersus_viewItem.asp?idProduct=77

However the 2362N is cheaper and that speaks volumes to me wallet.
https://www.gqfmfg.com/store/comersus_viewItem.asp?idProduct=275

Any advice?
The best price on the 1688 was 160
The 1620N seems to be about 120 (both prices include the 1611 turner, yeah I'm lazy)
I'm really leaning to the more expensive one as these things are re-usable and as we all know ambient temperature changes quite a bit over the seasons so self adjusting system with fast feedback seems very worth the extra money.
(I know it was welcomed in China as I had to adjust the manual temps every few days it gets so hot in the summer)

No Hovabator here, but I do have a Brinsea Eco 20 which has been pretty good to me.

Pretty sure I had a Hoppy spotting at the Windsor Fair in the Poultry Barn.