Maine

[striperon]

My two laying pullets prefer the corner of the shed where the boat is stored, in a nest they made with leaves. One of them made a beeline to the shed nest right through the snow today, while her sisters and brother were loathe to put their feet in the poison snow. She didn't take long before singing the egg song and making her way back to the coop. They are so funny. Chicken TV. lol

 

[learycow]

I looooove turkens.

Probably about a quarter of my flock is turken but I have a very hard time selling the babies.

Be sure to post pictures!

Will do!
The first batch I hatched out I had trouble selling too. But then I ended up shipping them to VT. So locally they are not as popular. I agree with you there!

 

[longgrove]

Wow, lots of early hatching! One of the best things about chicken is the tremendous variety, size, uses, looks, personalities, etc.; there is something for everyone. I've heard the turkens (showgirls,too) have great temperaments. I do,tho, find their naked necks a bit disconcerting. I think it reminds me too much of what happened to my hens when a cockerel became too aggressive; half my hens acquired naked necks (and they were not happy). I really like to have a variety of chicken types (and a colorful egg basket). Recently, a new helper asked if the green eggs in the egg basket were "ones that got spoiled from being frozen". There seem to be a massive need to teach so many people about where their food comes from; even adults seem to think food comes from a little factory in the employee only part of their grocery store.

Funny story, Striperson. Mine detest the snow, too. Funny how they get a fixed idea in their heads. I have two large nest boxes (new covered trays intended for cat boxes.) For some reason, the hens all seem to think they must lay in just one of them per day. They are not always tolerant of each others company in the nest box. It leads to a fair amount of drama. Recently, my tiny bantam Wyandotte (best broody) decided that this was a good time to go broody. She hogged the nest box and tried to keep the other hens out (with limited success) but kept their eggs warm enough to have prevented the frozen eggs we might have, otherwise, had.

My favorite hen, Bertha, (Wandotte/Cochin mix) went into a molt (after just having had one 3 or 4 months ago). Covered in pin feathers just popping out, esp on her back side. She looks so pathetic without her beautiful silver (she is a blue) "bustle" . She was lethargic tho eating and drinking. I brought her in to the "chicken hospital" rabbit hutch in my bathroom.

She has perked up a bit and is eating and drinking as well as having many normal looking (no sign of worms) poops. She seems to have a bulge about 3 inches below her vent. It does not feel like a bound egg. She had laid an egg the day before, tho not since coming inside. Her weight might be down a little but, like the others, she is recovering from the "attentions" of a couple of guineas and two overly aggressive roos (now gone). Any one have ideas of what ails her and what to do?

 

[superchemicalgirl]

I also eat my extra roos, and turkens make a very nice carcass. They have overall less feathers to pluck, but the real reason is either mine have some kind of genetic deficiency (all hail inbreeding!) or turkens don't have the "hair" that other chickens do along with feathers.

 

[learycow]

I also eat my extra roos, and turkens make a very nice carcass. They have overall less feathers to pluck, but the real reason is either mine have some kind of genetic deficiency (all hail inbreeding!) or turkens don't have the "hair" that other chickens do along with feathers.

Very interesting! I've never processed one but they do have rather LARGE front ends

 

[IZZYBELLA]

My favorite hen, Bertha, (Wandotte/Cochin mix) went into a molt (after just having had one 3 or 4 months ago). Covered in pin feathers just popping out, esp on her back side. She looks so pathetic without her beautiful silver (she is a blue) "bustle" . She was lethargic tho eating and drinking. I brought her in to the "chicken hospital" rabbit hutch in my bathroom.

She has perked up a bit and is eating and drinking as well as having many normal looking (no sign of worms) poops. She seems to have a bulge about 3 inches below her vent. It does not feel like a bound egg. She had laid an egg the day before, tho not since coming inside. Her weight might be down a little but, like the others, she is recovering from the "attentions" of a couple of guineas and two overly aggressive roos (now gone). Any one have ideas of what ails her and what to do?

How is Bertha, longgrove? I have no idea what that bulge might be.

 

[longgrove]

How is Bertha, longgrove? I have no idea what that bulge might be.

Her pin feathers are gradually growing, I couldn't consider putting her back in the coop with temps so low until she feathers out more. She is eating well and drinking, stools are normal looking. She does seem less perky than usual but that could be the change in environment. I am considering bringing another hen in to keep her company as she doesn't seem ill. Until I got the Astralorp pullets, she was, by a sizable margin, my largest hen in the flock and always calm and gentle. While she was at the top of the "pecking order", it seemed to be based on her size as I never saw her bully any of the flock. She also laid a huge warm brown egg every day. She looks like a giant blue Wyandotte, the Cochin half shows up mostly in size and rather fluffy plumage. Really, my favorite hen. Sure hope she is back to her usual self soon.

Well, have had only one frozen egg until today when there were 3 in one morning. I hope it warms up soon. I can keep the house warm with the wood stove alone as long as it doesn't go below 20 for long. When we go to 10 below for night and highs of 10 and 8 in the day, it takes pushing the wood stove (up every 2 to 3 hours to feed the ravenous beast) and the propane wall furnace and the electric heater to keep it from dropping below 60 in the bedroom. I know it is Maine and it gets cold, remember worse Winters than this, but now that I'm alone and in a wheelchair, it seems more trying than it did in past years. I'll appreciate a warm-up when it comes!

 

[IZZYBELLA]

Her pin feathers are gradually growing, I couldn't consider putting her back in the coop with temps so low until she feathers out more. She is eating well and drinking, stools are normal looking. She does seem less perky than usual but that could be the change in environment. I am considering bringing another hen in to keep her company as she doesn't seem ill. Until I got the Astralorp pullets, she was, by a sizable margin, my largest hen in the flock and always calm and gentle. While she was at the top of the "pecking order", it seemed to be based on her size as I never saw her bully any of the flock. She also laid a huge warm brown egg every day. She looks like a giant blue Wyandotte, the Cochin half shows up mostly in size and rather fluffy plumage. Really, my favorite hen. Sure hope she is back to her usual self soon.

Well, have had only one frozen egg until today when there were 3 in one morning. I hope it warms up soon. I can keep the house warm with the wood stove alone as long as it doesn't go below 20 for long. When we go to 10 below for night and highs of 10 and 8 in the day, it takes pushing the wood stove (up every 2 to 3 hours to feed the ravenous beast) and the propane wall furnace and the electric heater to keep it from dropping below 60 in the bedroom. I know it is Maine and it gets cold, remember worse Winters than this, but now that I'm alone and in a wheelchair, it seems more trying than it did in past years. I'll appreciate a warm-up when it comes!

Glad she seems to be holding.

Wow - that is a lot of work to keep the room warm! We don't have a wood stove, so all I can do is complain about the bills. Outside I have valid complaints, though... the ground has heaved so much that the coop door now does not shut. I have it closed with a bungee cord. The same thing happened last year, only not nearly this bad. I am really hoping that the heaves go down sooner rather than later.

Well, update on the broody front. She is still sitting, but she ditched one of her two eggs yesterday. I stuck it back under her (I realize the flaws in that), but she kicked the same one back out again. Guess she decided she didn't like it. She's only got one egg under there now. I wish I had given her more at the beginning, but supplies were limited!

Keep warm, all!

 

[lazy gardener]

I'm guessing that one was not developing. They seem to know. I'm surprised she didn't eat it. Have you done an eggtopsy on it??

 

[superchemicalgirl]

How long have your eggs been in? I have some that I set on the 1st and some I set on the 3rd. If near yours I could spare an egg or two if you want to have more backup.