Michigan

[Chickmate]

Well woo hoo! My chickens free ranged today for the first time. I closed the pop door, locking the 8 week olds in the run, took the 4 week olds out of the brooder and let them have the run of the coop, then took a deep breath and opened the run door. They hardly hesitated at all! They were out from about 3:00 till they started going back in the run on their own at 5:00 p.m. They loved it and it was so much fun to watch them discover worms and bugs.

I really want to get the 4 week olds out in the fresh air too, but would have to lock the big ones out of the run completely so the babies could have the run. I hesitate to do that because then the free rangers can't get under cover if a hawk shows up. Not sure what to do, but they sure had fun today!

 

[RIRJen]

So today my hen "Big Bertha" won Reserve of Breed!!

There was only one other exhibitor there and 9 speckleds shown. I got a lot of good information from the judge...very interesting to see the similarities and differences between a rabbit show and a poultry show.

Pictures coming soon!

Oh...and some how these cute lil' buggers got into my van...perhaps magic?

yes...yes...that's what we'll go with if my husband asks!

 

[Mom 2em All]

Phew ! Dont scare me anymore then, Sam!

Congrats Jen!!!! Whoo hooo! ANNNNNDDD you can slip that showgirl pullet in my van at Chickenstock- I will let you.

Chickmate- what GORGEOUS property you have!!!!!!!! I think it would complement some muscovies very nicely!

Let me add my cockerels to the list of needing homes.
I have three OEG banties. Three boys, two girls. They arent even the size of a chicken nugget.
I DID have three little pullets but now I have two.

Something got one- and of course it got a girl instead of a boy.
I will let them all go- or in pairs with a spare. Or just little cockerels. I believe they are seven weeks old now.

ANDDDDDDDDDDDDD

I had ten muscovy babies hatch out last night and today. ADORABLE.
annnnd the other mama is sitting on FOURTEEN eggs. Dont know how- some have to be behind the rest. She had four, I took seven...that makes eleven. Once she decided she was going to stay put on her nest, I gave her back her seven eggs. Todays count- fourteen. That means the other duck is laying in her nest and making a huge mess of problems for me.

i also pulled eight infertile (no roo) frizzle eggs out of nest. She was incubating them, and I had no idea.

I will candle them after her brood hatches- this muscovy bites me hard when i reach in her nest- and see how far along the extra eggs are.

So anyone up for some muscovies at Chickenstock? I have lots.

 

[keyt1969]

Quote:
WOW, gorgeous place! I wish I could my chickens free range. I let my ducks out because they behave for me and stay together. My chickens would go every which way!!

Jen, how can you tell they are roos so young? I would like an OEG roo because I have a pullet about a month old.

Sam..or anyone...is the chickenfest going to be advertised, like on craigslist or something, or is it private?

I'm still looking for BCM or female calls!!

Has anyone heard from Vicki? I sent her a msg and haven't heard back nor have I seen her post on here in a while. We drove by her house the other day pretty late on the way home from the store and didn't see anyone or anything. I hope everything is ok!

Someone sent this to me on my wall on facebook. I think it's pretty hilarious!!

 

[CricketYang]

I'm going into lockdown tonight! I have 13 BCMs, 6 EEs and 4 barnyard mixes. I can't wait!

DH is trying to convince me that this should be my last hatch for the year seeing as how we have 40+ chicks/ducks in the baby room and 25 freedom rangers coming in the mail in a few weeks... I say "what's another 20 or so?!" It's not like we don't have the room.

I also found out that my chickens love papaya but not mango so much.

 

[fifelakelooper]

Quote:
Beautiful coop/run Chickmate! Glad your babies had some outdoor time. My first hatch is also 4 weeks but I still have the heat lamp on them...it has been down to 32 at night sometimes and yesterday it wasn't quite 50 here with winds blowing hard enough I think it would blow them away.

 

[Opa]

Quote:
I'm glad to read that it is starting so well and hopefully it will continue. My Welsummers are starting to lay much better and the color of the eggs has improved. As I was filling the incubator with bantam eggs I had a couple of open spots. I had to fight the urge to stick in a couple of Welsummer eggs in with them.

 

[A2SciTeach]

Quote:
Beautiful coop/run Chickmate! Glad your babies had some outdoor time. My first hatch is also 4 weeks but I still have the heat lamp on them...it has been down to 32 at night sometimes and yesterday it wasn't quite 50 here with winds blowing hard enough I think it would blow them away.

Getting everyone outdoors is such a relief, isn't it? Is that a pond, or just a temporary "rain lake" like we have in our backyard? I wish my husband was more accepting of ducks, but we just will not be getting anything with webbed feet in the future, but chickens are more than welcome. Sam, don't resist the temptation to hatch Welsummers, you know we can't say no to any of your hatchlings! Jen, are you bringing Sussex to Chickenstock? I hope so, my little SS is without her sister now and we are looking for a few to even things up. Is anyone interested in my LF BBS cochin trio?

Buck the rooster

Baby Blue

If so, I'll bring them to Chickenstock.

 

[Stacykins]

T-minus 3 weeks until I move to Escanaba. I am so excited! I want out of the city SO BADLY.

My chicken coop is already up there and ready for chooks, the land is screaming to have a vegetable and flower garden planted, and I have a perfect place for beehives, too!

 

[Chickmate]

Jen - let me add my congrats for your win! Those showgirls are so pretty, makes me want some of them too!

Thanks fifelake, keyt and Mom2emAll for the compliments on the property. I love my little 5 acres. I do have a pond in the back with no ducks on it except the wild mallards and wood ducks that always come in the spring. I couldn't have them before because I had a pair of mute swans who would have killed them. The female died for some unknown reason and I rehomed George, the male last year. I would like to let the pond "rest" for a while and come back to life before I put any water fowl on it again, but I sure am tempted to get a few ducks.

My biggest concerns right now are how to integrate my two age groups together without the little ones getting picked apart. It's a problem because I didn't plan my coop well at all and it's only one big room inside, no way to separate the two groups. The gentleman who built the coop for me has been in and out of the hospital and unable to come over and build me a divider. I tried to do it myself, but my building skills are somewhat lacking. Actually, more than somewhat.

My second biggest concern is what to do with all these roos!! Right now I know for sure that I have 2 BR roos and 8 FBCM roos. I don't know how many of my 12 Ameracauna's are roos at this point. I will be bringing lots of roos to Chickenstock and probably PAYING people to take some! I know some people use Craigslist and I use it for other things, but not for animals. You have no way of knowing what kind of person you are selling to or what will become of that animal. I couldn't bear the thought of any of my animals suffering because I sold it to the first person with money in their hand.

Feebie - You said you would take one of my BR roos, are you still good for that? I hope so! Please verify?

A2SciTeach - Wow, if I wasn't up to my armpits in roos, I would love to take your cochins! Buck is so handsome!

Maybe I should just give up on hens and eggs and keep roosters! They would all get along if there were no hens, right? I'd have the first rooster farm. No sleeping in around here!!