Michigan

[Chickmate]

Big welcome IndyBlu! So glad to have you with us. Looks like you're an early riser like Opa! I wish I had some storage space. I have no garage, no basement and no attic, so if you don't see it in my house, I don't have it. I guess that can be a good thing or I would have stuff I don't need. I would also have a place to put baby chicks!

Awesome weather today! I volunteer at the Food Pantry on Fridays, so didn't get home until 2:30 to let the chickens out to free range, but better late than not at all. Sure wish it would stay this way until April.

This is Mama on her nest

Closer up

Five eggs: a FBCM, a BR, an ISA and 2 EE's. Who's your daddy? Either Joe the BR or Worf the EE. Might be some interesting mutts.

Today I got the dog crate situated in the coop and filled it with straw and got the chick feeder and waterer out to clean. Guess I'm counting my chickens before they hatch, but wanted to be ready if and when they do.
RBahmer - What a beautiful blue baby!!

KeepsPeeps - Congrats on becoming a chicken addict! So glad you were successful in convincing the neighborhood board! Can't wait to see pictures when you get your birds.

tville - What a beautiful rooster!!

LEEHAHA - Mink!! My nightmare. Please be sure to plug up any holes that are 1" as that's all a mink needs to get to your chickens.

My last year as Engineer Officer on the icebreaker KATMAI BAY was 2001 BTW. It was an easy year for us but the St. Mary's still was our main focus to keep the channel open for the 1000 footers. My grandfather told me stories about the lakes freezing over completely but nowadays they seem to stay open all winter allowing ships to move about freely.

pop-pop and RaZ - A friend of mine spent his entire career on the Great Lakes as a deck hand, second mate and pilot of many freighters. He retired after 30 some years. A great book to read is Deck Hand by Nelson "Mickey" Haydamacker. It answered all the questions I ever had about what it's like to live and work on a Great Lakes freighter. Very interesting read.

http://www.amazon.com/Deckhand-Life-Freighters-Great-Lakes/dp/0472033255

Edited to read 1" instead of 1'

 

[Hillbilly Hen]

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Chickmate, good luck with your broody. It does not hurt to be prepared.

I knew I forgot to post something earlier but couldn't remember what...
KeepsPeeps, congrats!

 

[Hillbilly Hen]

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So..... how many eggs are you going to let her have to hatch?

 

[RBahmer]

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pop-pop and RaZ - A friend of mine spent his entire career on the Great Lakes as a deck hand, second mate and pilot of many freighters. He retired after 30 some years. A great book to read is Deck Hand by Nelson "Mickey" Haydamacker. It answered all the questions I ever had about what it's like to live and work on a Great Lakes freighter. Very interesting read.

http://www.amazon.com/Deckhand-Life-Freighters-Great-Lakes/dp/0472033255

Edited to read 1" instead of 1'

Thank you Chickmate. Good luck on your eggs. I hope they hatch for you. Will be interesting to see what they look like.

 

[NovaAman]

SHE'S ONLY BEEN LAYING FOR A FEW WEEKS AND NOW SHE IS IN THE NEST BOX!

She already laid her egg this morning! There are no eggs in the box. But she was in there this evening, and its going on 11, I went to shut the light in the garage and Leila is in the dang box still! I guess I should not have said anything about artificial egg Hatcher... Think she's trying to tell me something? Like she is all the gator I need? If she still in there in the morning... I think I will move her and a few eggs to the dog coop with her own food and water and see what happens... Especially since there is a door on the dog house coop, it'll keep out the other hens and Mr fluffers. Also being in the garage, it'll stay much warmer. Silly silkie.

 

[keyt1969]

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Back in December I had only one hatch out of 31 and he is doing just fine. I do have some eggs that are suppose to hatch tomorrow and Sunday. If they hatch I will give you a couple. I'm not far from you. My daughter lives in E.R. I'm out by Duck Lake.

That's very sweet. Unfortunately we had to put the baby down today. I woke up to his intestines on the outside. I pretty much knew there might by a problem when he wasn't drying off or standing up. I'm so sad!

 

[RBahmer]

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Back in December I had only one hatch out of 31 and he is doing just fine. I do have some eggs that are suppose to hatch tomorrow and Sunday. If they hatch I will give you a couple. I'm not far from you. My daughter lives in E.R. I'm out by Duck Lake.

That's very sweet. Unfortunately we had to put the baby down today. I woke up to his intestines on the outside. I pretty much knew there might by a problem when he wasn't drying off or standing up. I'm so sad!

I'm so sorry

 

[NovaAman]

Leila is still in the nest box...

If I give her todays eggs, there would be 3 wyandotte/faverolle, 1 black EE/faverolle, 1-2 black Cochin bantam mutt/faverolle, and 1 faverolle/silkie or faverolle/faverolle... What a collection of mutts it would be... The dog coop is 12 square feet inside... I have enough fenceing to build a small indoor run area to keep the other hens away if she manages to hatch... Oh the temptation!

 

[RBahmer]

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Do it. Baby chicks are sooooo cute

 

[michickenwrangler]

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One of my barred rocks from Townline went broody last September. She hatched a single EE/BR cross. I'll post pics one of these days. Treasure your broody. Let her be a mommy.