Maine

[Jazor]

After last week's weak attempts, my silkie roo hadn't bothered crowing. This morning he figured it was worth giving it another go. Still not quite there yet, but he's trying--and it's hilarious. That is all.

 

[anyasmifya]

After last week's weak attempts, my silkie roo hadn't bothered crowing. This morning he figured it was worth giving it another go. Still not quite there yet, but he's trying--and it's hilarious. That is all.

Nothing is funnier then a cockerel learning to crow! All my roos have acquired their grownup crows now, it's interesting how different breeds crow differently. I'm so used to it now, it doesn't wake me up anymore!

 

[anyasmifya]

I also got 2 eggs today from the one girl who is laying. I checked the nest late yesterday afternoon, and it was empty. Found one egg at 0800, and an other at 1430. Had one girl last summer that laid 2 rubber and one normal egg in a 14 hour time period. 2 rubber eggs witnessed, and the other one of 2 from my only 2 brown egg layers.

I've been giving the girls a lot of sprouts. Where the weather is warmer, I started some FF this week. They went ape over it this afternoon. Hope to be able to offer it mid day as long as the weather is half way decent. ~~ Nice to see crops well filled out. They're all showing a lot of stress marks in their feathers, in spite of them having free feed all winter. Hoping the FF will bring them back into good condition.

Ok, I've got to ask what is FF????
All I can think of is french fries. I bet they'd love some french fries.

 

[suzMEchicks]

Lazygardener- what is FF! I have a hard time with abbreviations!

 

[lazy gardener]

So sorry. Yes, I bet they'd love some French fries. So would I, and the greasier the better! FF is fermented feed. If you're curious, go to the thread re: feeding and watering your flock. It's super easy to do. A bag of feed goes a lot further. There's no waste, and in theory, the feed they do eat is better utilized b/c the FF is loaded with probiotics and their guts are healthier, so they are better able to absorb the nutrients in the feed, as well as the feed being a bit pre-digested. Kind of like comparing yogurt to whole milk. One thing I've noticed when they're on the FF is that their poops are no where near as stinky.

Yes, I know what you mean about all of these abbreviations. When I first started researching chickens, I thought LF meant late feathering compared to SF meaning slow feathering! The other day Widget was talking about liking 4WD. And I wondered why she liked these four WD, and if she had five of them, would she like the fifth one just as much? And, if she liked them so much, perhaps I should get some too, even though I didn't know what they looked like or what kind of combs they had!

 

[IZZYBELLA]

So sorry. Yes, I bet they'd love some French fries. So would I, and the greasier the better! FF is fermented feed. If you're curious, go to the thread re: feeding and watering your flock. It's super easy to do. A bag of feed goes a lot further. There's no waste, and in theory, the feed they do eat is better utilized b/c the FF is loaded with probiotics and their guts are healthier, so they are better able to absorb the nutrients in the feed, as well as the feed being a bit pre-digested. Kind of like comparing yogurt to whole milk. One thing I've noticed when they're on the FF is that their poops are no where near as stinky.

Yes, I know what you mean about all of these abbreviations. When I first started researching chickens, I thought LF meant late feathering compared to SF meaning slow feathering! The other day Widget was talking about liking 4WD. And I wondered why she liked these four WD, and if she had five of them, would she like the fifth one just as much? And, if she liked them so much, perhaps I should get some too, even though I didn't know what they looked like or what kind of combs they had!

Haha! Your 4WD comment made me laugh, LG!

 

[suzMEchicks]

Ok so is there a list of approved abbreviations? 4WD is 4 wheel drive chickens? They would be good in the snow! LF vs SF ? IDK! Thanks for the FF reference. Funny thing . I have recently been adding fermented food and probiotics to my diet!

 

[anyasmifya]

I love fermented foods. I am currently fermenting some ginger ale. mmmm

 

[lazy gardener]

OK Anya, talk to me! Tell me about your fermented ginger ale. What else are you fermenting for your own consumption? All I can say is that my girls have been starving themselves all winter. In the last 2 days of FF, their crops are nice and rounded. If we get an other cold snap, I may have to buy an other heated dog bowl, b/c below 20 degrees, the FF just doesn't stay thawed long enough for them to eat it. Same with sprouts. One BYC person made a double bowl affair with dry rice microwaved, and nestled the FF bowl into that, and had pretty good results. Our grandparents didn't coddle their chickens the way we do ours!

 

[GrafixMuse]

I really enjoyed that owl picture. So beautiful but so treacherous! I am so glad this weekend is over. Driving into work Saturday morning was one of the worst I've ever had but I made it. Not one drop of sand or salt on the state roads. Its ridiculous. One really good thing happened over the weekend was all the ice dams on my roof melted away.
Odd thing happened yesterday. When I came home from work I went out to check the chickens and collect the eggs. It was about 8 pm by then. Anyway, there were 7 eggs. I only have 6 chickens and there werent any eggs when I checked on them before I went to work. I asked them if they invited a friend over but no one's owned up to it yet! Isnt that odd?

When my Easter Egger laid for the first time, I was surprised to find two warm eggs in the nest box. I am positive it was her because none of the others were laying at the time and she is the only one who lays blue eggs. I did some research and it is possible.

All of a sudden this week there is a line at the nesting boxes and some sharing. I am pretty sure all seven of my girls are laying now. I am so excited!