Michigan

[Mom 2em All]

I should have put Mom2 and her DH to work when they were here yesterday.

right.....


As far as print size goes, if one has a hard time reading the print it can be changed in your personal browser to be set at 100%, or less...and up to 500%. It makes not just this website but all other computer sites easier to read and you dont have to worry about people remembering to set their type bigger. I have mine set at 90% because larger bugs me. Rather, having so few posts per page bugs me.

Yo0u can even mess around with different zoom levels until yo0u find the one that fits you best. I keep typing "you" incorrectly because I have a rather small keyboard here at home, and a larger one at work. Apparently I am not very well at adapting myself. lol.

 

[Olive Hill]

and Olive,

If, as I have read, a sitting hen knows when to return to her eggs if she takes a break to eat, drink or eliminate, what is the determining factor(s)? Does she factor in things such as ambient temp, atmospheric pressure, humidity, specific heat of egg mass and the like? If so where the hell did the expression bird brain come from to apply to intellectually challenged people? Seriously, though, how?


I know lots of you can read the smallprint, but I have trouble with it. Futhermore, I almost have to be able to read what I peck cause I can't remember what I wrote half the time.

Bob, I don't know if she takes into consideration all of those things, but I have absolutely noticed our hens -- of all species, chicken, goose, duck and turkey -- taking into consideration the weather. On nice warm days I have observed them taking more leisurely breaks from their nests. They will stay off longer than when it is cold or drizzly out. They definitely know what they're doing. As for the term 'bird brain', you know, I'm just not sure. I recall reading a study done a while back that showed chickens have the ability to count. And have observed the same in our hens. When they have a clutch of chicks they know how many there are supposed to be and I have noticed them stopping halfway across the yard to count and when one was missing, clucking loudly until it came running and peeping to catch up. They may not be the wisest animals, but they know how to do what nature intended for them. I'm reminded of a quote that circulates every so often, "Everyone is born a genius, but if you judge a fish by his ability to climb a tree he will live his entire life believing he is stupid." I believe it's usually contributed to Einstein.

I would also strongly second Opa's recommendation to let them be and agree with his sentiment of human involvement being a primary problem with broody hens. In fact, I'd be inclined to take it a step further and propose that human involvement is a primary problem with even artificially incubated eggs. I would just let your hens be. In 21 days, give or take a few hours, you will either have chicks... or you won't. Nothing you do, short of providing them adequate nesting areas, will change that for a better outcome. Good Luck!

 

[snowflake]

Power company failure.

Speaking of the ducks, the drake has been flying around the yard a bit and he returns to the last 2 hens as if to say, "look what I can do. Come with me". I expect that they will be leaving soon.

Aww kind of sad

Bob, my personal opinion with regard to hatching eggs with broody hens is to leave them alone.

Bob, I don't know if she takes into consideration all of those things, but I have absolutely noticed our hens -- of all species, chicken, goose, duck and turkey -- taking into consideration the weather. On nice warm days I have observed them taking more leisurely breaks from their nests.

smarter then you may think

 

[RaZ]

I may be out of line in asking this, but I'm not going to give up my chickens or freedom without a fight. I believe that I have a few rights still remaining.
I posted the comment below, addressed to the moderators, about using BYC comments by those entities seeking prosecution for whatever reason.

Agree with me or not, I would like to hear comments. Debate is a good thing...or at least it used to be.


I joined this group more than a year ago when I started my backyard flock. I've enjoyed the wisdom of so many people and have made several friends both on-line and in person. I have participated in chicken-stock events, swap meets and educational meetings and even legal proceedings that promote keeping of poultry.

Recently, I'm distressed that poultry detractors have been lurking on the forums and using BYC posts to prosecute or persecute those who keep fowl at their homes.

Some of our "guests" have been printing screen shots of posts with the sole purpose of creating problems for chicken keepers. Some of these print outs are are being cited as "evidence" in cases where the keeping of poultry becomes a local ordinance issue. I'm aware of a couple of local governments that are harvesting names and locations for the purpose of prosecuting "outlaw" chicken keepers.

I'm not asking that BYC makes a stand for or against keeping poultry from a legal standpoint. What I'm asking is if there is a legal reason that what is posted here cannot be used as "evidence" against one who has poultry and may be seeking legal remedy to do so.

In other words, can what I post on this forum be used against me legally? Can any of my comments be used (pro or con) by any outside entity, without expressed, written permission of the owner of this site?

Thank you,
Randy Z.

 

[taprock]

Spent a great weekend in Petoskey with my DH and while we were away another of my hens decided to start laying, YEAH! Now I have 3 out of 10 laying.

You were up our way.... we all avoided Petoskey this weekend because traffic was supposed to be crazy!

Bob - I totally agree with Opa and Olive. I did not candle but had the eggs marked. One egg was repeatedly kicked out and it did not hatch. She knew what she was doing. Mine was broody in March and rarely got off her nest. I put her water and feed close enough she didn't have to leave unless she wanted to.

We are getting lots of rain with thunder and lighting tonight. So nice, I was just thinking I needed to water tomorrow. Plus side - first ripe tomatoes, Minus side - first tomato worm.

I spent a very lazy day today. I think my busyness and stress have caught up with me, I had no motivation to do anything. So I did nothing, sat around, read a little, watched some soaps, petted chickens, and ate chocolate. Maybe tomorrow I will feel like doing something. My stress will go down now, our niece moved out this weekend. She said she couldn't live with our rules. Two that were a big issue was 30 minutes of each internet and phone, and having to use a clothes line. We told her she could get a job and pay for them on her own but no. So while it means less stress for me, I don't think she is really ready for it, maybe just the rude awakening she is going to get.

I am loving my Russian Orloffs, I have never had such unafraid 3 month olds out of all my chickens. Usually they hit this age and run from you, hide and act like you are going to kill them. These guys come running when they hear me and follow me around. I just love them!

 

[Olive Hill]

I may be out of line in asking this, but I'm not going to give up my chickens or freedom without a fight. I believe that I have a few rights still remaining.
I posted the comment below, addressed to the moderators, about using BYC comments by those entities seeking prosecution for whatever reason.

Agree with me or not, I would like to hear comments. Debate is a good thing...or at least it used to be.


I joined this group more than a year ago when I started my backyard flock. I've enjoyed the wisdom of so many people and have made several friends both on-line and in person. I have participated in chicken-stock events, swap meets and educational meetings and even legal proceedings that promote keeping of poultry.

Recently, I'm distressed that poultry detractors have been lurking on the forums and using BYC posts to prosecute or persecute those who keep fowl at their homes.

Some of our "guests" have been printing screen shots of posts with the sole purpose of creating problems for chicken keepers. Some of these print outs are are being cited as "evidence" in cases where the keeping of poultry becomes a local ordinance issue. I'm aware of a couple of local governments that are harvesting names and locations for the purpose of prosecuting "outlaw" chicken keepers.

I'm not asking that BYC makes a stand for or against keeping poultry from a legal standpoint. What I'm asking is if there is a legal reason that what is posted here cannot be used as "evidence" against one who has poultry and may be seeking legal remedy to do so.

In other words, can what I post on this forum be used against me legally? Can any of my comments be used (pro or con) by any outside entity, without expressed, written permission of the owner of this site?

Thank you,
Randy Z.

There is no expectation of privacy on a public forum. Just as there is no expectation of privacy in a grocery store. If you don't want something used against you don't post it.

 

[RaZ]

There is no expectation of privacy on a public forum. Just as there is no expectation of privacy in a grocery store. If you don't want something used against you don't post it.

I don't disagree. My question is that BYC claims a copyright on posts and pictures. If that is the case, then permission should be required to use that material.
Or am I missing something?

 

[Olive Hill]

I don't disagree. My question is that BYC claims a copyright on posts and pictures. If that is the case, then permission should be required to use that material.
Or am I missing something?

BYC claims usage rights. Regardless, an item's copyright status does not exempt it from use in legal proceedings. Such use is covered under "Fair Use". There have been plenty of times when a writer's own words are used against him/her. If we couldn't use copyrighted material how would we prosecute owners of certain illegal images?

 

[Rusty Byrd]

Opa and Raz... Thank you

 

[BobBry]

WOW,

I am thanking all of you that had input to Bobs' (hopeful) enlightenment.

Last year I fabricated a tractor cage of 1 x2 in lumber and half inch hardware cloth. It is 8 ftx 3 ft x 18 in high. We didn't use it, so we removed the wire from both ends and one side. From stuff used or not on other projects, we added a 2 x 10 x 8 ft plank ( No, it's not over kill) to a three quarter 4 x 8 sheet of plywood giving a 10 inch shelf 3 ft above the floor. We slid the altered cage to the edge of the (shelf) after installing a piece of plywood to devide it into left and right halves. I planned to use milk crates covered with canvas or something similar for the broody nest boxes. I'll fashion some door structure at each end to add or remove stuff. Hopefully, after the time required/desired by ma hen and the eggs to hatch, the chicks will be able to live within for a week or so and then I'll open it up and watch. I have only one other hen remaining and she was high "man" on the totem pole, so I do not anticipate much conflict.

I still don't know the viability duration of fertile eggs prior to putting the eggs under the broody. Do I have 4 or 5 days or two weeks? Is it an ASAP thing?......... and, since the two broodies are seemingly determined to share the same nest should I split em up as soon as the structure described above is finished. Tomorrow. !

I do not have serious vision problem. Just do not like the small print. I'll work on setting the print larger for the whole thing but the 125 % is not for me.

bewildered Bob