Minnesota!

[Cyrus83]

Ralphie I have no idea about the guineas. but I agree with you about the rooster crowing 110%. I have heard neighbor dogs barking my entire life at extremely odd hours, but somehow roosters get all the bad rap.

 

[duluthralphie]

Ralphie I have no idea about the guineas. but I agree with you about the rooster crowing 110%. I have heard neighbor dogs barking my entire life at extremely odd hours, but somehow roosters get all the bad rap.

That is so true.

And when I worked nights I had to hear neighbors awn mowers at 7 or 8 am! BUT If I tried mowing my yard at midnight, I was the bad guy!

I do not think you are truly living in the country or the rural lifestyle without a rooster crowing. I know if I am in my house, I cannot hear them crow unless they are right next to the house. Unlike a dog I can hear a quarter mile away.

 

[bantiesrule]

I agree on the roosters vs dogs. A crow sounds so much better then the barking. I also think some of the hens egg songs (which I also love) are alot noisier than the roosters crows so I really don't understand the no rooster policy.

Feathersite has a page with chicken/guinea crosses and some peafowl/guinea crosses. They are always sterile.
http://www.feathersite.com/Poultry/Guineas/BRKGuinHybrid.html

 

[Drea07]

I'm thinking they are collecting eggs, and when they have all the ones they want to incubate, then they put them in the bator. I know some who refrigerate eggs before incubation and most don't. I have no idea about comparative success rates, but I would agree that I would think your hatch rate would be better without refrigeration. But there are sooo many factors in a successful hatch. I've only used broodies!

It is the continued warmth from the broody or the incubator that starts the development of the embryo. So, room temp is not enough to trigger it.

It does seem odd to put them in the fridge. With my luck, I would put them in the fridge and one of my teen boys would eat them.

Like the idea of using a broody.

 

[Bogtown Chick]

Broodies are amazing. They chuck the duds out their back door with 100% accuracy ( at our coop any how) and then they save on the electric bill while they teach young roosters manners and hens how to forage and learn predator saaviness. The only thing tho' is the birds aren't as socialized to us if that's a drawback for you.

 

[AmericanKraut]

It does seem odd to put them in the fridge. With my luck, I would put them in the fridge and one of my teen boys would eat them.

Like the idea of using a broody.

LOL!!!!

My boys, too.

Btw, welcome Drea07

 

[Dandelioness]

I have a question wondering if anyone could answer:
I ordered my day old chicks from Mcmurray.  I was looking at the 4 weeks olds to possibly add to my current chicks since they would be about the same age.  Probably won't but still looking.  My question is this: In the description for the 4 weekers on Mcmurray it says They are vaccinated for Mareks, Coccidiosis, Newcastle and Bronchitis.  If my chicks are not vaccinated for these and the new ones are, am I putting my chicks at risk for any of these diseases from the new chicks?

I would quarantine them, like any other new members to the flock. There is a question of certain vaccines shedding live viruses in humans. Not sure if this applies to livestock vaccines, but a quarantine period should reduce the risk of infection (if there is one), and it's a good general practice anyway.

 

[Dandelioness]

Time for Ralphie's dumb question of the day::


I just read Guineas mate with chickens, is this true?

Have any of you seen it? 

Do they make a hybrid chick?

Is it viable?






And I keep reading about neighbors not wanting chicken owners to have roosters, so...

Who does not like the sound of a rooster crowing? I find it peaceful and nostalgic, I Wish my roosters crowed more. 

I think you should try it!

I was reading somewhere that it happens with either a guinea cock & chicken hen or a rooster and guinea hen. One or the other, but not both ways. And the hatch rate is not so good. If I find that book soon, I'll look it up & give you that info.

If they are sterile, will they still lay? And what will the eggs be like? Next spring, on "As the Worm Turns".

 

[Cluckies]

Wow, been gone a few days, took a few hours to get through all of this. lots going on here on "As the incubator turns"

So i've got one EE who has not picked up laying yet since the fall (she stopped in early November, she'd only been laying a month), is that normal? My other EE can't seem to get it right, very thin shelled eggs some "rubber eggs" i've added layer feed to their game bird feed (about half and half) I have oyster shell free choice as well. Not sure what else to do for her. last two nights i've been giving her yogurt with liquid calcium mixed in. When she does lay, she lays the biggest eggs! I think due to their size they make take too much calcium out of her? don't know... 2 eggs broke when coming out, that can be a real mess. One was just yesterday, then today a rubber egg below the roost on the poop tray. i'm worried that she can't seem to get it right. (she started laying in January). Hopefully it works itself out. I brought her in yesterday to clean her up (gave her a bath and blow dry, as she had a bunch of dried egg on her bum). poor thing. Praying things straighten out soon for her.

 

[rainin22]

Anyone think it would be too early to plant some sunflower seeds? I have this eyesore of an eye outside where the people before us used it as a burn pit. I've been filling the hole back with soil, but I still want to plant some sunflowers there to distract from the ugliness !