Michigan

[briana1975]

Wow it was darn right warm this moring compared to some of you guys. I went out at 6 am to check on chickens and water, and my temp outside was 12. I do love the snow, but since we don't have any this really cold air can go away. I really am ready for spring.

 

[zephyrcreek]

I'm not sure what the temp is here this am, but that sun is sure nice....and the wind finally quite. I actually let most of the birds out to enjoy! We have some new eggs popping up in the duck/Java pen. I really do not know who is laying. The egg I collected this morning is almost twice the size fo the eggs from my Dels that have been laying since summer. Way larger than any "Jumbo" egg I've ever seen. Is this a duck egg? It sure looks the same as the chicken eggs except it's a little rounder and lareger. Ugh! Wish I knew more.

Ellen

 

[Mom 2em All]

Zephyrcreek-

My daughter volunteered to take eggs to her church slumber party. She forgot to tell me until the day before. So, I went out to try my best to gather a dozen eggs in two days from five hens. I got ten, but one was so gianormous that it wouldnt fit into the egg hole of the carton well, and the lid wouldnt shut over it. lol. It was a double egg- I told her it probably had two yolks in it. The church women were VERY impressed, but it was only a single yolker. lol. My chickens worked hard on giving enough eggs, anyhow.

Every time I see one of those big eggs, all I can think is "Ouch".

 

[zephyrcreek]

That's exactly what I was thinking "ouch". All of the hens in that group are fairly small as they were hatched late in the year. I just can't imagine any of them laying that egg, but it's probably a chicken egg and I'm just wishing the ducks would start laying soon. Oh for spring to be here.

 

[Mom 2em All]

I have a pure white pigeon that I rescued-someone brought him in after a storm, found him with clipped wings in their dogs waterbowl. He is beautiful and I wish I could find a mate for him- of any color, really. He thinks he is a chicken and hangs with the girls- forages with them, eats with them, roosts with them. Coos to them, lol. I just took out a warm oatmeal/canned corn concotion for the girls evening snack. They dove into it like it was the best thing they ever ate. usually they snub my oatmeal, and pick out the corn. (that means it is very cold out). The pigeon ran over took up a beakful, and proceeded to wipe his beak on every surface he could come across and then drank and drank and drank water and went and roosted by himself and just watched the girls pigging out. It was like he was thinking "you chickens are crazy, that stuff is nasty!!' lol. It was sure funny to watch him.

I added new fresh hay to a few of the chickens favorite hangouts in the yard, couple old rabbit cages that I keep open, and underneath them. Those darn chickens went in there and threw out every bit of hay- so much for nice dry places to hide.

 

[Opa]

The girls went on strike today. Only three eggs after laying 8-14 each day this month. One hen has gone broody. I think that makes four for the winter. Watch when I finally have fertile eggs again I won't have a single broody. If you like rice pudding check out the recipe I posted https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=290725&p=2 post 16. I doubled the recipe. It sure was nice to use a dozen eggs at once for a single dish.

 

[Ooopsy_daisy]

Well I'm not singing the blues, but my farm has'nt faired well in this cold weather. 3 of my barns, grrrrrrrrrrrrrr are out of water and that is a first in over 20 yrs. You can be certain that its cold out there you'all. LOL

Frost bite? heck what is that?... been there done that years ago when I was foolish and dumb. NOW this winter my fingers get all frozen up at the drop of a hat. Skin hasnt peel'd back yet, so I guess I'm fine.(darn that hurts) AND note to self, do NOT touch metal barn door handles bare skin, with wet hands...as you will lose most of it.

Sad to say, I lost my oldest hen today...I got her at 5 yrs old. She was a fine girl and Ive said may times before, ROOSTER's watch it, as there are too many nice ones, too keep you nasty boys around. HA! AND the hens get da job done!!!

Any who, hope everyone has fared well? I didnt read back as so many pages...but hugs and prayers to you all.

 

[Mom 2em All]

Good Morning Everyone-

Sam, are you going to give your broody some eggs to hatch?

I am COLD today. According to the thermostat, its not cold in here- but I am shivering. There is a draft coming from the hinge-side of my front door===direct line to my computer seat.
I think I saw the weather forecast that THursday is supposed to get up to freezing temps. This is deja vu all over again. I thought we were done with the extreme bitter cold temps.The zeros.

My dad lives outside Chattanooga, Tn. In Soddy Daisy. He called me- he is snowed in. Cant make it out of his driveway because he lives on a hill. He says they got six inches of snow. The whole town is snowed in. In 1988, there was a blizzard that brought ten inches of snow. The entire town closed down, everyone was snow-bound. Crazy teenage me went to work. I had lived here, ten inches of snow was normal. heh heh. All the stores were closed. no McDonalds, no Pizza Hut. I got my little Omni hopelessly stuck in the snow, pre-cell phone days, and had to walk home.

Hope you all have a nice Sunday, and stay warm.

 

[Opa]

The coffee is on and I'm debating going out to check on the birds or waiting for daylight. Maybe I'll wait until it warms up to at least double digits. I won't be putting any eggs under the broody as I have no fertile eggs. All of my roosters have been spending the winter in cages inside the coop. I figured that it was the best way to lessen the chances of their getting frostbitten combs and wattles.
I think today I will start building the new brooders that I plan installing over the cages inside the coop. There will be two brooders; each controlled by a thermostat. The last chicks I brooded I had in the uber brooder that I sold to Bluemoon. It worked very well but was too large to use inside the coop. This won't hold as many chicks as that one but it will allow me to khave two batches of different ages going at the same time and will be in the coop instead of in my workshop.

 

[A2SciTeach]

Is it spring yet? I saw vultures yesterday!

The first sign of spring, and according to my personal bird record keeping, the earliest they have returned in 15 years.

Tuesday will be groundhog day already, so spring can't be too far behind. Have a great day y'all - today is my daughter's 23rd birthday, she sure is getting old!