Maine

[Jazor]

I'm looking to re-home some cockerels, if anyone is interested please PM me!

I have:
*Buff silkie cockerel, about 14 weeks old
*Black silkie cockerel, about 14 weeks old

++My barred rock rooster is also up for grabs if anyone is looking for a purebred Roo. He has marek's and cocci vaccinations and came from an order with pullorum certificate if anyone cares. He's not quite a year old yet (got him in September as a day-old), poor bugger got frostbite on his comb--so he's not entirely pretty. He's a great flock-watcher, but I want the coop space for more layers. He puffs up at humans from time to time, but he's responded well to being trained. He always backs away in the coop, and it seems the more I train him the better he gets even when out in the field.

Any takers?

 

[Widget]

I did not think that I would be able to participate in all the happy hatching news that has been going on here. But my broody turkey hen surprised me yesterday and when I checked on her I discovered four newly hatched poults.

. There was a fifth that did not make it out of the shell. No idea if any more hatched overnight since it is just a bit wet out today. She is firmly planted on the nest that is right next to the house under some raspberry bushes. She is damp but the babies should be nice and dry under her.

In other news I just got my truck back. It has been in the shop since Monday. About $1100 later (donations accepted for the $500 + I still owe my mechanic after giving him what I could spare from my bank account) I now have a working vehicle. Had to have the fuel pump, gas tank (since the fuel pump was so rotted and could not be removed from the tank, various hoses, a rear brake line that burst, a front brake line, rotor and a caliper. Other than eventually replacing the rest of the brake lines (thanks to the lovely salt mixture the state uses on the roads in the winter that corrodes everything) I was told the truck is actually in decent shape. Anyone looking for a great mechanic who does not charge an arm and a leg or require your first born I highly recommend Pete. Great guy. Knows what he is doing. And works with you to get you back on the road. Heck he even came to my house to pick me up so I could pick up the truck.

 

[MustardTiger]

gosh so much happening in here. Ash I owe you some chickens! I just couldn't manage to bring them with me and deliver them to you. I will make time soon!

So I have no eggs the chickens have not laid in over a month! Every since I wormed them they stopped. I used Wazine first and then followed up with ivermectin. Has anyone had this happen? I had to suck it up and buy eggs. so depressing!

In better news my chicks are now moved into their tractor. Happy they are out of the basement!

 

[quailtrail]

Have one of our own eggs popping!!! Only had 2 go into lockdown out of four. And 4 going in lockdown Sat. These were to test what we did with the polish hatch to see if we are finally up and running! !! Yay!!!

 

[lazy gardener]

Congrats QT. I see Doms in your future!

MT: my girls have cut back from 4 to 2 eggs/day. I'm wondering if it's time to invite them to a bbq along with the meat birds.

I found the true murderer of the gold fish: Turned out the culprit was my cat. So, he's managed to kill all 4. Luckily, they were just cheap feeder fish. The next ones will be sure to have a sturdy cover over them.

 

[ashandvine]

Mustard your birds are probably just at their molt.
Yes, I have a bird or two for you as well.

 

[quailtrail]

@lazy gardener me too!!!!! So excited things are finally on track. So we have a new Buff Orp

♡

...and boy did chicken math take over...started with 6...and now have a total of 20!!!!!

 

[CoopChick719]

Certainly looks redfox to me, although the lighting could be fooling me.  Dont rule out a coyote, they range in colors.  I'd also be concerned as to why it lost the fur. Was that caught on a fence?  A fox with a bad case of mange could really go nuts and end up being a danger to humans as well as animals.  Did you photo the droppings? Sounds silly to think of, but could help ID the sneak.

This fur is very red w/blond tips. I, too, wondered why he lost fur--3 small clumps--not caught on fence just lying behind coop near the poop. I did not photo the droppings. I should have. Very small almost cat-like not black like a coyote though. No seeds or such in it either. Need to pick up another camera for outside the coop. Have 1 inside.

Widget--congrats on the turkeys!

 

[MustardTiger]

That is very true. I forgot about molting. There is something that just feels so wrong about supermarket eggs. Like I am cheating on my chickens!

The garden is pathetic this year, I must say. The only thing that looks good are the onion sets. We never managed to get raised beds in and I am regretting that. If we dont build them it will take us years and years to amend the clay-thick soil we have. We brought in 3 truck loads of compost from the dump (free - yay) and it made nearly zero difference. Id rather put the good stuff into the raised beds. Something ate down all my bean seedlings as they emerged. Sad since last year was a bean bumper crop for us. We are also over-run with carpenter ants in the house this year and we have never had them before.

I am thankful for my perennial garden. It thrives and nearly everything I put in last year camp back. I even put in a climbing rose. I must say that if anyone is near Falmouth ASL garden center really is a great place. They are not cheap but they will make deals for you and offer great advice.

The poor chicks were not happy about all that rain. I had to add a tarp to the tractor.

 

[dlynne1123]

Ugh, just lost all but one chick to a fox this morning. He or she found a weak link in my chicken tractor after 4 weeks! ****. All I have is a wounded roo. Anyone know of any swaps that will have older pullets? Can't trust my tractor so they'll have to incorporate into my pen inside a pen system until they can be mingled.
There goes that breeding program for blue and black Ameraucanas.
D