Michigan

[Ferrret]

I have no idea what happened between last night and this morning but one of my silkies has a large bald spot on her head now. Another silkie looks like she got picked at too but not as bad. They are all doing fine and getting along now, no fighting, so I don't know what's up. They have all been fairly nice to each other, never plucking out feathers and now this.
Do chickens just sporadically pluck each others feathers out? She's not bleeding and she seems just fine, but I'm concerned.

 

[Mom 2em All]

Good Morning all. I spent the past few beautiful days in the hospital. Being treated for cellulitis in my left forearm due to some cooties biting me at work. I have to have outpatient antibiotics for the next seven days and have an IV catheter in my right hand. My left arm is swollen- but I can type!

I had eggs delivered on Wednesday- while I was in the hospital!!!! My kids set them in a carton large end up- and there they sit. I am trying to get the incubator to the right temperature. They were shipped out on Monday. Do you think they will still be any good? I am really bummed but there was nothing I could do.

 

[fifelakelooper]

Quote:
So sorry to hear of your misfortune! I hope you get well soon. As far as the eggs...I was curious so went online (have never hatched out eggs with incubator) and the answer was that eggs should be kept at 55 degrees, 75% humidity until being placed in incubator. The eggs should be turned once per day until being placed in an incubator and that after 5-7 days the chances of hatching out go down considerably. Good luck

 

[Olive Hill]

Thought I'd add onto our countdown today...

26 Days Until St. Patrick's Day!

30 Days Until the Spring Equinox

41 Days Until April 1

Had a lot of snow melt here yesterday. I can see much of the ground now, the garden is even uncovered, just the thick areas where there were drifts a few feet or more high are left. And the piles from plowing... but most have shrunk to about 3 feet at their center, so there's progress.

When I did chores this morning I walked around and gathered all the "stuff" that seems to accumulate under the snow over the course of a winter. Still baffled as to how it gets there. Looks like we're going to get a few chilly days this week, but then another "warm" up thereafter -- at least that's what weather.com's 10 day tells me at this point -- If that's the case the snow should continue melting and that's a very good thing as far as I'm concerned.

Ferret -- They can get in tiffs from time to time and this weather seems to contribute to it. Everyone is a little friskier when it feels like spring after a long winter.

M2EA -- I would certainly give it a shot. Just because they were shipped Monday doesn't mean they're old. The seller could have collected them all on Monday too. Or even if she collected them on Monday, Sunday, Saturday and the previous Friday and Thursday... they'd STILL be okay. We routinely hatch eggs as old as 10 days and since I like it warmer than 55 and my hatching eggs are stored in the house, they are stored at greater than 55, too. I also don't bother turning them. We tend to have hatch rates in the 90th percentile. Unless I mess something up like I did last time and didn't pay attention to which eggs had frozen in the coop before being collected. We ran more around 50% with that one. Whoops!


*Edited this to add more because it wouldn't let me just post another one. Anyone else having trouble posting lately?

 

[Olive Hill]

Wouldn't post this one so I go edit the previous one and when I'm done what shows up below it? This post.

Oy! Edited this one so as not to have duplicate content.

 

[fifelakelooper]

Quote:
Thanks for the countdown Olive Hill....they are calling for 1-3 inches here in Kalkaska county. UGH We lost a lot of snow too however and although our seasonal road is a mud mess...I WELCOME the mud....sick of snow.

 

[Olive Hill]

I haven't watched the actual news lately to see what the weathermen are saying about accumulation, but I do know the forecast says "snow showers" for, I think it is, Tuesday. I should probably check it out. I think we'd probably need to get a few inches to have it really stick though.

It is a muddy mess out there. I rebedded all the hog pens thick in straw yesterday because they were just slop. Penning the geese up this weekend and will keep them there until breeding season is over, it keeps them from hissing at unsuspecting visitors, children and passing cars on the road. Yes, two ganders in particular have taken to chasing cars. Which is both annoying, dangerous AND hilarious. I mean really? They were hissing at the county road grader the other day. You know, because all 20 lbs of their goose selves is clearly capable of taking on a piece of heavy equipment. *sigh* Luckily they just run along the edge of the road, in the yard and don't -- so far, knock on wood -- chase them INTO the road. Idiots. They've also taken to sneak attacking my husband when he gets home. He pulls in, they walk calmly out of the way and around the truck and then hurry to the back when he parks, wait for him to get out and then "silently" they run up behind him and hiss when they get within about 3 feet. Only problem is their big, slappy feet make a lot of noise in the mud as they run towards him so it's not nearly as sneaky as they seem to think. But if those aren't reasons enough for them to go to their breeding pens it should also give their usual hang out areas a chance to green up this spring without them making a big mud pit out of them like they've been doing so far. I'm with you either way though, I prefer mud to snow at this point!

 

[FunnyBunnies12]

Actually they are saying it may be ugly with a frozen mix and 1/4in of ice, but models are changing so much! I thought I had my kennel up and stayed put, but realized that I have to move my kennel that is extending outside of the patio to the other side because it's just on or slightly by or over our septic system and I need to get that cleaned out soon, so I better do that today before nasty weather returns.

 

[Olive Hill]

Call me crazy but I'm hoping for "wintry mix" instead of snow. Mix definitely won't stick. I'm good with a day or three of ice if everything doesn't have to end up covered in snow again!

 

[keyt1969]

Quote:
Tells ya what I know lol. He's still young yet and he looks similar to the RIRs we already have. Thanks for the advice!

FunnyBunnies, they do look similar! I just want to re-home mine because although they are sweet, they aren't what I want. I want to make room for some skovies. I also need female calls but doubt I'll find any this time of year.