Minnesota!

[Bogtown Chick]

It is weird an old guy like me getting all excited about an egg,,, Maybe I need to go to EA. (eggs Anonymous)

Nope. Have always been fascinated...even before I had chickens. When you find a meeting let me know where. Hahaha.

Bogtown - my brother did is Master's thesis on chicken brains. I am going to have ask him what he thinks of the whole "chickens have feelings" idea. I agree they have personalities, but I am not sure about them feeling such things as love. Heck, I know many people who don't even possess that! I am curious about the whole "birds of a feather" splits I see in the flock when they are out on pasture. They are prejudice, I think, and some are separatists that just don't want to mix with others. I can clearly see who the thugs of the flock are too.
I have learned to dispatch the various species of critters we have around here when needed, but I never feel good about it. I don't quite understand how other people can think that because I do what I HAVE to do, that I am willing to do their dirty work, but I have had people I know call me and ask if I will put down their animals or birds that they don't want to. I really don't understand that at all.

How interesting that he did a Thesis on that!

I believe they have prejudices too. I've seen it in action...but I also thought it territorial at the same time. Yeah....I'm not totally sold on anthropomorphic feelings thing. Their actions are highly dependent on eating and procreation. But I think they do create flock social dynamics and the Pecking order of course being the most recognized part of that. You know I do question why the Roo recognizes and is submissive to me one day and then has his hackles up another. Big dummy. I'm the food lady after all! Last Summer I put Sunny (The NH that Roger liked) down. She had Egg Yolk peritonitis. The roo didn't mourn for her...she had separated from the flock already near the end. Slowing down or keeping away or resting in a spot a while longer than they did. She removed herself from the flock essentially. And when I put her down...everybody went about their business. Unlike when I culled the extra Roo. After that culling everything was topsy turvy with the flock. It took two weeks to sort out...from what I could tell. Hens everywhere and not flocked together, the Rooster unsure of himself almost... I could just tell.

When I went to bed last night I thought about the above post and it got me wondering how many of you remember the bakers dozen?

When I was growing up it was the norm, I bet my kids have no idea what it even is.


When I go fishing and buy a dozen minnows if I only got a 12 minnows, I would go to another bait shop. But I admit I am old poor and cheap...

Fishing got me thinking, season closes tomorrow, I think. The ice houses have to be off the lake in 2 weeks, so they do not fall into the lake. When I stepped out the door, I get the feeling houses will not fall into the lake until June! It is so cold and windy, I am debating not letting the girls out today.

Our local Bait Store measures bait with a Metal Pint Measuring cup. They put in so much water and then fill it with crappie minnows or fathead minnows and they have it down to a science. I bet it's off by a minnow or two...usually to the good from the way it looks.

Of course because we're local ...we get quite a few extra in the minnow bag... Pretty good too us...especially if I bring the kids in with me. They love to see the kids fishing.

 

[Bogtown Chick]

I've posted this before. But I can't remember which thread. So forgive me if it's a repeat for the folks that have been here a while. But for the newer folks this is a fun video and your kids will love it too.

 

[duluthralphie]

I lost 4 eggs today.

We had to go to Duluth to see the grandkids. We had a great day but it meant adjusting the chickens schedule. I let them out at about 20 after 7 this morning. We did not get home until 8:30pm. During this time 4 eggs froze and cracked. I was hoping to keep today's porcelain egg for hatching, but I worry it got too cold to hatch now. It was not one of the cracked ones.

I plan to throw the porcelain eggs in the incubator in a coupe weeks. Hopefully to get porcelain egg layers.

I met EJB today and picked up two roosters from him, I am so excited about them. My wife was excited to start with, but about 5 minutes after we left EJB the one rooster started a one bird crowing contest. It got loud in the van.

She named the roosters the EE she named Ed. The other one she named Ole. When I asked how come she named them that way, she said everyone knows Ed is smarter than Ole, and that crowing rooster is not very smart!

I will try to get some pictures of them tomorrow once they are settled.


What do you guys think about the porcelain egg from today? You think it could hatch even if it got cold? I have no idea how frozen it is, it was in a nest with 6-8 other eggs, so it probably had birds on it most the day. The cracked eggs were alone in their nests.

 

[Dandelioness]

Ralphie, I know some people say you can store eggs in the fridge while collecting for hatching, and some say at room temp, so your cold one may be okay. They all say to turn them daily, as far as I can tell. I believe you want to collect over a 2-week period.

I wonder if anyone's noticed a difference in viability in refrigerated vs room temp hatching eggs?

Glad to hear you finally got some more EE roos - I just picked up a new roo myself.

He was a grand champion black copper Marans last year at the fair, but after the molt some tail feathers came in white and he can no longer be shown or bred for showing. So he was FREE to me because the little girl didn't want him to just be eaten. He is so beautiful and very friendly & calm. She named him Copper Toes, and he eyes me quietly when I say his name. He is in a separate pen with run, so the others can see him during the quarantine period.

I introduced my cuckoo Marans hens to him 2 days ago, and they are getting along well so far. I would have waited longer, but we had that bitter cold snap, and everyone appears healthy. Their offspring should be sex-linked, from what I've read. I do plan on caponizing and eventually eating the cockerels.

Stay warm, everybody. I've got to call for propane today. Can't wait until our woodstove can be installed...

 

[Cluckies]

Ralphie, I don't know if i'd keep that egg. you may be wasting your time. The temps at which eggs freeze is way colder than a fridge. I think I'd just eat that one and gather another one just to be safe. Ooooor do an experiment, try to hatch it and see what happens and report back, then we will know you know we all like experiments!

 

[duluthralphie]

I am thinking of hatching around 20 eggs so I will have lots of empty space in the incubator, so hatch it is.

Here are the boys I got from EJB...








?


Sorry the pictures are not so good, These guys are a little jumpy around me. As you can see they are special and living in my shed in a dog kennel for a few days..


Maybe EJB can tell us what breeds/heritage he thinks they are. I am slightly confused on it.. The Light colored one is Ole. The darker one is Ed.

 

[Bogtown Chick]

I collected eggs for a hatch and was pretty diligent to go to the coop every few hours for those eggs. It was a chilly week. Mainly I didn't want dirty feet on the eggs if I could help it. But I was also keeping them from getting overly cold in the process, I suppose too.

If they were on the "verge" of cracking...that is something you just wouldn't know. You know what I'm saying? Best to just set yourself up with success knowing with certainty the eggs were collected under the best conditions you could do. But an experiment wouldn't hurt either like Cluckies says.

I then put them down in my basement. (cooler conditions than upstairs) and tilted the egg carton twice a day. The eggs shouldn't be over two weeks old. That's about all I know.

Edited to add that when I collected I put on clean mittens or gloves to pick the eggs out of the nest. I didn't touch with my bare fingers.

 

[Bogtown Chick]

Ralphie: Ole is pretty handsome...But Ed... Oh my gosh. I love Ed!

 

[Chickenchick11]

Very nice birds Ralphie!

 

[duluthralphie]

Ralphie: Ole is pretty handsome...But Ed... Oh my gosh. I love Ed!

Unless Ed gets killed by falling coconuts, he is going to be daddy to a of of babies! He has major league HUGE thighs and legs.