Maine

[CoopChick719]

LazyGardener--we had a cat just like that growing up. Thought he'd move if we turned the water on...Nope...just let it wash over him. Crazy cat!

hoppy--Your maran egg is just beautiful!

 

[joanie_maine]

I'm so excited. i received word today that the center of maine crafts will now be placing an order for my carved eggs!

Good for you, Hoppy!!!!

 

[Widget]

Woo hoo. The house is now up to 52. When I got up this morning is was at 47. That was with the pellet stove on low. I put it up to medium and it is slowly heating up the house. The bedroom didn't get above 57 last night. I'm sure with the sun coming up and the temperatures getting above 10 will help too.

On a side note anyone who says parrots must be kept at 70 or above has not met mine. My Grey is acting like he always does. Just a very talkative active bird looking to see what trouble he can get into. I have never covered his cage at night and he does great. Just because an animal originally comes from a warmer climate doesn't mean they can't adapt to a colder one. Apollo was hatched in CT and has never known what it is like to be in a more tropical climate. Birds aren't as fragile as people make them out to be. In fact when I was living in Chicago we had a parakeet who hung out at the outdoor bird feeder we had set up at the zoo. This was in the middle of winter. The keet hung out with the sparrows and was the fattest of all the birds. It was someone's escaped pet and we did try to catch it but it wanted nothing to do with that. So we just enjoyed watching a very colorful bird and made sure the feeders were full.

Right now it is -5 outside. Plenty of frozen water buckets but everyone was very vocal and eager for breakfast. And my attempt at insulating the horses' 30 gal water bucket for the winter did work. Not that I didn't have to chop ice but it was only a couple inches thick instead of a solid block of ice like the goats' bucket.

 

[joanie_maine]

Woo hoo. The house is now up to 52. When I got up this morning is was at 47. That was with the pellet stove on low. I put it up to medium and it is slowly heating up the house. The bedroom didn't get above 57 last night. I'm sure with the sun coming up and the temperatures getting above 10 will help too.

On a side note anyone who says parrots must be kept at 70 or above has not met mine. My Grey is acting like he always does. Just a very talkative active bird looking to see what trouble he can get into. I have never covered his cage at night and he does great. Just because an animal originally comes from a warmer climate doesn't mean they can't adapt to a colder one. Apollo was hatched in CT and has never known what it is like to be in a more tropical climate. Birds aren't as fragile as people make them out to be. In fact when I was living in Chicago we had a parakeet who hung out at the outdoor bird feeder we had set up at the zoo. This was in the middle of winter. The keet hung out with the sparrows and was the fattest of all the birds. It was someone's escaped pet and we did try to catch it but it wanted nothing to do with that. So we just enjoyed watching a very colorful bird and made sure the feeders were full.

Right now it is -5 outside. Plenty of frozen water buckets but everyone was very vocal and eager for breakfast. And my attempt at insulating the horses' 30 gal water bucket for the winter did work. Not that I didn't have to chop ice but it was only a couple inches thick instead of a solid block of ice like the goats' bucket.

It was -20 here earlier this morning....now it's only -10

Wish I lived further south!!

 

[kinsey228]

I have a question for all of you seasoned hatchers out there. When would be the best time to start hatching for the swaps? And Hoppy, my husband is dreading the swaps because he thinks I will come home with a whole new flock from you

 

[Widget]

I have a question for all of you seasoned hatchers out there. When would be the best time to start hatching for the swaps? And Hoppy, my husband is dreading the swaps because he thinks I will come home with a whole new flock from you

Now. If you put eggs in today they would hatch in mid-February. By mid-April the chicks would be at the magic 8 week mark. That means you wouldn't have to worry about having to sell six chicks per sale law. Of course if you had started last month or even before that the chicks would be closer to the point of lay age when the swaps start up which is what many customers want.

 

[lazy gardener]

thank you all, I had to run out and grab a marans egg to practice on. and this other picture is for you chick magnet- it's the best of breed RI red from maine at the congress

Awesome carving Hoppy!!!

 

[lazy gardener]

Woo hoo. The house is now up to 52. When I got up this morning is was at 47. That was with the pellet stove on low. I put it up to medium and it is slowly heating up the house. The bedroom didn't get above 57 last night. I'm sure with the sun coming up and the temperatures getting above 10 will help too.

On a side note anyone who says parrots must be kept at 70 or above has not met mine. My Grey is acting like he always does. Just a very talkative active bird looking to see what trouble he can get into. I have never covered his cage at night and he does great. Just because an animal originally comes from a warmer climate doesn't mean they can't adapt to a colder one. Apollo was hatched in CT and has never known what it is like to be in a more tropical climate. Birds aren't as fragile as people make them out to be. In fact when I was living in Chicago we had a parakeet who hung out at the outdoor bird feeder we had set up at the zoo. This was in the middle of winter. The keet hung out with the sparrows and was the fattest of all the birds. It was someone's escaped pet and we did try to catch it but it wanted nothing to do with that. So we just enjoyed watching a very colorful bird and made sure the feeders were full.

Right now it is -5 outside. Plenty of frozen water buckets but everyone was very vocal and eager for breakfast. And my attempt at insulating the horses' 30 gal water bucket for the winter did work. Not that I didn't have to chop ice but it was only a couple inches thick instead of a solid block of ice like the goats' bucket.

A friend moved up from Mass, bringing an entire menagerie including goats and geese in the back of their station wagon. (Got a lot of strange looks and comments going through the toll booths!) Of course, they had to build the barn before the house, and lived in that into the winter until the house was built. Their parakeet was a happy soul in the barn. She slept under the newspaper at the bottom of her cage, and even managed to lay a clutch of eggs in that cold weather. No one ever told her she was not supposed to live below 70 degrees.

 

[superchemicalgirl]

Now. If you put eggs in today they would hatch in mid-February. By mid-April the chicks would be at the magic 8 week mark. That means you wouldn't have to worry about having to sell six chicks per sale law. Of course if you had started last month or even before that the chicks would be closer to the point of lay age when the swaps start up which is what many customers want.

x2. Almost no one wants chicks at the swaps - the rule of 6. Older birds are sexable, and closer to laying age.

 

[ChickMagnet207]

thank you all, I had to run out and grab a marans egg to practice on. and this other picture is for you chick magnet- it's the best of breed RI red from maine at the congress

Nice work on that egg! That red looks pretty darn good. Maybe needs to be a little more squared off in the front(might be the angle of the picture) but that's about it. Pretty sure i know who brought this guy. Thanks! Hoppy, Did you take the picture?