Meyer Hatchery Chicken pics anyone??

[trsturself]

Wood ash? As in, burn wood and use the left over ashes? Does that not make them like REALLY dirty and black looking?? Lol

Every time we do a fire in our fire pit we give them the ashes. They've never really cared for them but I know it's good for them so I put it in there anyway. I haven't added sand. Maybe I'll pick up a bag of it at the hardware store next time I go. They prefer my garden beds for their dust baths. lol They won't have access to those again until fall though so they need to figure something else out!

The class was fun. The kids seemed to really like it. They loved holding the chicks. 1 or 2 families are considering getting them.

 

[christine9]

I have sand in the coop and dirt in the run. They will bath in the one and then go straight to the other. Considering adding sand to the run and will try ash whenever I collect some.

 

[NanaLynn]

Wood ash? As in, burn wood and use the left over ashes? Does that not make them like REALLY dirty and black looking?? Lol

Just google "the benefits of wood ash for chickens" and you'll see. Since mine is mixed in with dirt and sand they do not seem to get too dirty from it. Guess it is more noticeable on my white chickens. They just shake it off pretty much.

Some say to add DE but I have never done that.

Every time we do a fire in our fire pit we give them the ashes. They've never really cared for them but I know it's good for them so I put it in there anyway. I haven't added sand. Maybe I'll pick up a bag of it at the hardware store next time I go. They prefer my garden beds for their dust baths. lol They won't have access to those again until fall though so they need to figure something else out!

The class was fun. The kids seemed to really like it. They loved holding the chicks. 1 or 2 families are considering getting them.

Mine love the garden soil too, so I add a little of that to the wood ash and sand. They mix it up for me. I'll add a little more of it here and there as it gets low. They seem to think it's a while new thing when I add more of anything. The snow is all melted here and they've been digging and dust bathing in all the garden beds too. Soon they'll be restricted from there when I plant more veggies, so I'll need to have their baths ready. Guess we need to have another outdoor fire in the next few days! Ooooh roasted marshmallows, yum!!!

 

[sonderah]

Just google "the benefits of wood ash for chickens" and you'll see. Since mine is mixed in with dirt and sand they do not seem to get too dirty from it. Guess it is more noticeable on my white chickens. They just shake it off pretty much.

Some say to add DE but I have never done that. 

Mine love the garden soil too, so I add a little of that to the wood ash and sand. They mix it up for me. I'll add a little more of it here and there as it gets low. They seem to think it's a while new thing when I add more of anything. The snow is all melted here and they've been digging and dust bathing in all the garden beds too. Soon they'll be restricted from there when I plant more veggies, so I'll need to have their baths ready. Guess we need to have another outdoor fire in the next few days! Ooooh roasted marshmallows, yum!!! 

I'm not doubting you. Just pictured my buffs coming out of a "bath" black as coal. Lol

 

[shannybell]

Quote:I'm not doubting you. Just pictured my buffs coming out of a "bath" black as coal. Lol

The wood ash is actually a light gray...ours, anyway. If you have any logs that didn't burn all the way and are like charcoal, you can put those in there with the chickens. They love to peck on them! I add the DE to our dust baths. I use equal parts dirt, sand, wood ash, DE.

 

[shannybell]

Our 20 rare breed assortment and 5 bantam EE's should be arriving tomorrow morning! I can't wait to see what's in the assortment. Be ready for lots of pics!

I also got my skelter already. It came quick!

I love chick time. I can't wait to see pics of everyone's orders coming in. Sounds like some good assortments.

Our youngest polish laid her first egg the other day and I'm pretty sure our cochin started laying again.

I also found lice on the birds. They haven't had a good dust bathing area with all the snow we've had. I put a tub of dirt in their area like someone on here suggested a long time ago but they don't seem to like it. Every once in awhile it looks like it was used but overall they ignore it. I just put some fresh dirt in it today hoping to spark their interest. I sprayed them all with a natural spray, cleaned out their coop and sprayed in there too. I hope it does the trick. Our poor Barred Rock has a bare patch on her back end.

We lost one chick from our feed store batch. My daughter said it had pasty butt earlier that morning. She had cleaned it off but thinks that may have done it in. The rest are doing good, no other pasty butts.

My daughter is giving a class today for some other homeschool families on how to raise baby chicks. It's too bad the meyers order won't be here until tomorrow. I had no idea we'd be ordering them when we scheduled the class or I would've made sure we had them. Oh well. At least we have the 8 from the feed store. I'm going to have the class setup my second brooder for me too.

YAY for you!! My chicks should be here to me tomorrow too!! I have a tracking number but it hasn't been updated since the chicks left the Cleveland post office late last night. I've been checking it all day today to see where they are, and nothing! Ugh! I sure hope they make it here to Alabama by in the morning...

 

[primaknits]

I've got Meyer chicks coming tomorrow too, I am so excited. This is my first year ordering, last year we bought some from a feed store and they are doing their job but they didn't have many breeds to choose from so I decided to order from Meyer. I was a little late on ordering, because most female breeds that I thought I wanted I couldn't get until summer so I decided to have them surprise me. I should have 18 total coming, 15 are various breeds from the white, brown, and rare egg assortment. The other 3 will be roosters (Blue Ameraucana, Black Copper Marans, Blue Splash Marans. Not sure if I want 3 roosters but I have none now so I figured it was time to get some.

 

[christine9]

Yay can't wait for pics!!

 

[shannybell]

I've got Meyer chicks coming tomorrow too, I am so excited. This is my first year ordering, last year we bought some from a feed store and they are doing their job but they didn't have many breeds to choose from so I decided to order from Meyer. I was a little late on ordering, because most female breeds that I thought I wanted I couldn't get until summer so I decided to have them surprise me. I should have 18 total coming, 15 are various breeds from the white, brown, and rare egg assortment. The other 3 will be roosters (Blue Ameraucana, Black Copper Marans, Blue Splash Marans. Not sure if I want 3 roosters but I have none now so I figured it was time to get some. 

Excited for you too! Your roosters will be beautiful!!

 

[christine9]

I totally would have picked the same three. Worst comes to worst, you pick your favorite one, or build two more coops! LOL