Minimum Effort Farms

[m0ther_g00se]

Found an egg shell in the yard. looked like it had been crushed, and I've suspected Mymble has been going to lay for a few days now... Upon closer inspection, it's definitely a duck egg. It's Mymble's, alright. I think the brooder light I have for the babies has stimulated her to lay, since she can see it. Normally I don't give them supplemental light during the winter, but unfortunately I don't have anything to block it off, and I don't think the babies are quite ready to go off heat yet (will be soon, but not yet). So... winter eggs it is!

 

[AngBantamLuv]

Found an egg shell in the yard. looked like it had been crushed, and I've suspected Mymble has been going to lay for a few days now... Upon closer inspection, it's definitely a duck egg. It's Mymble's, alright. I think the brooder light I have for the babies has stimulated her to lay, since she can see it. Normally I don't give them supplemental light during the winter, but unfortunately I don't have anything to block it off, and I don't think the babies are quite ready to go off heat yet (will be soon, but not yet). So... winter eggs it is!

Are you using a white or red light? Red will provide heat without disrupting sleep/circadian rhythm.

 

[m0ther_g00se]

Are you using a white or red light? Red will provide heat without disrupting sleep/circadian rhythm.

I'm using a red light... I don't know all about it, all I know is I found one of her egg shells in the yard. Maybe she's just a winter layer. She did just get out of a molt, and the weather patterns are different here than in Washington. Not complaining, just confused lol

 

[AngBantamLuv]

I'm using a red light... I don't know all about it, all I know is I found one of her egg shells in the yard. Maybe she's just a winter layer. She did just get out of a molt, and the weather patterns are different here than in Washington. Not complaining, just confused lol

Then yep, might just be her system!

 

[m0ther_g00se]

Officially introduced the babes to the adults today. it went swimmingly!! And it was just in time, since a thunderstorm hit an hour or so after I put them in the chicken house together. I would've let them out before, but they didn't really want to come out, and I could already smell the rain coming. I gave them another chance to come out of there when I went to give their dinner. I even shooed them out and everything... and when my back was turned, they went right back in!! So I fed them inside there and I'll let them out in the morning for breakfast.

Whenever the babies are big enough, I'll leave the chicken house basically as a free choice area during the day, but I'm worried some of them can fit through the welded wire fencing we have so I'm waiting. The ducklings are big enough to let out already but the chicks aren't.

 

[m0ther_g00se]

Apologies for the lack of updates, it's finals week and I decided to focus mostly on school as opposed to updating the thread.

Today is the babies' one-month birthday! They're coming along nicely. The welsh harlequins are so pretty already... and they only have like three feathers in. lol.

I have suspicions one of the wyandottes may be a roo... They've got a pretty red comb for a baby, and plenty of spunk. Hoping they're just a hen with a big personality, but I wouldn't mind too much if they were a roo.

 

[AngBantamLuv]

Apologies for the lack of updates, it's finals week and I decided to focus mostly on school as opposed to updating the thread.

Today is the babies' one-month birthday! They're coming along nicely. The welsh harlequins are so pretty already... and they only have like three feathers in. lol.

I have suspicions one of the wyandottes may be a roo... They've got a pretty red comb for a baby, and plenty of spunk. Hoping they're just a hen with a big personality, but I wouldn't mind too much if they were a roo.

I wish i had your discipline! I got new chicks myself, but too early to even guess who is what. I might need to start a flock thread.. orrr focus on important things for a change!

 

[m0ther_g00se]

you can start a flock thread AND focus on important things!! that is what i have decided. and it is never too early to start guessing! you just have to deal with the possibility of being very, very wrong. Like I thought the little pale chicks were leghorns- they're not. They're buff orpingtons. And they are BIG. still good, but way off from my original guess. lol

I think tomorrow I'll let them out for some supervised stints into the animal yard to go forage. The ducks are definitely big enough to be let out, but I'm not so sure about the chickens. They're a bit smaller than I'd hope for at this stage, and a lot more adventurous than this batch of ducklings, meaning there's way more kinds of trouble for them to get into. The ducklings need to learn how to forage for their food though, and also to get some exercise... they're a bit chonky. Not like I'm really one to talk, but still.

 

[AngBantamLuv]

I made a schedule for tomorrow, so if i actually complete it, I'll start a thread.

The chicks definitely invent trouble. I had mine indoors.. whhyyyy get stuck behind the giant tv center, or under the coop, or behind a dvd player???

 

[m0ther_g00se]

I let them out this morning, watched them for about an hour, and no issues came up, so I'm just leaving them alone and checking every so often. I couldn't find the adults at first because they were hiding behind the building instead of in front where they usually are, and didn't come when I called them either. Way to give me a heart attack, guys.

The drake seems to not like the babies as much now that they're beginning to feather out, but they have plenty of places away from him to run to, so I'm not too worried. I'm a little worried. But not a lot. No nipping or anything, but unless Mymble is there with him, Joxter will chase them off. Not sure why. I separated their pools (the adult ducks' and the ducklings') in hopes that the territorial dispute will end soon.

he doesn't care nearly as much about the chicks, but they stay away from him anyway. Probably smart.