Minnesota!

[The BlanchRanch]

Going to bed early. This never happens. Hoping for a predictive day.
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[lalaland]

ive got 50 hens to feed for the winter!

we sell our eggs and so we are hoping that the sprouts will help keep the color, flavor, and nutrient content up on our eggs while they arent free ranging. I got the oats for $2.50 a bushel which is darn cheap! i am kind of counting my eggs here so to speak... if they hens dont like oat sprouts i might be ear deep in oats

my hens fight for oats. 2.50 a bushel is really really cheap. lucky you!

 

[MinnesotaNice]

i got my new incubator out and put together.  i have read the instructions a few times through and watches some youtubes.  I kind of want to plug it in and try setting the temp but then i will want to set some eggs... if you give a mouse a cookie

Do it! The hatch a long thread was very informational when I was hatching. I used a bator similar to what you picked up.

 

[KlopKlop]

Do it! The hatch a long thread was very informational when I was hatching. I used a bator similar to what you picked up.

but where am i going to put chicks in january!?!?

 

[MinnesotaNice]

Oh, you'll find somewhere to put them. 21 days to worry about that

 

[KlopKlop]

Going to bed early. This never happens. Hoping for a predictive day.
.

Sweet dreams, BR

 

[KlopKlop]

Oh, you'll find somewhere to put them. 21 days to worry about that

they could be christmas day chicks

still not doing it haha

 

[MinnesotaNice]

It is a horrible addiction! Did you get a fan with the bator?

 

[Minniechickmama]

i got my new incubator out and put together. i have read the instructions a few times through and watches some youtubes. I kind of want to plug it in and try setting the temp but then i will want to set some eggs... if you give a mouse a cookie

You will need to set it all over again when you do want to fire it up to actually use, they don't always hold their setting.

DW got her hands on a few odd pallets and wanted to get crafty. of course that meant she needed my help. I rebuilt/reinforced and cleaned up the pallets then laid down base coats of paint in my shop. then she got to do the fun painting bits. i think they turned out pretty cool for pallet art. They went to work with her today to cheer up the nursing home patio. I spent a bit longer in my shop tonight making a second tree out of the scraps of the first one. just need to get it painted.

Very cute. I see a lot of this kind of stuff with pallets of late.

So both the new silkie and the little bantam, meep-meep, are laying teeny tiny eggs. They are so funny! At least 6 hens are laying right now, I think 5 of them are the new pullets. Maybe this weekend I'll get a chance to check out the coop action and find out.

I'm really liking this warmer weather. Except for the lilacs budding. I brought the flock a pan of leftover enchiladas from a work event (they had been in the work frig for a couple of days) and I left them out for the flock this morning at 4 am. Got home in the dark, of course, but that pan looked licked clean - not a drop. I take it they liked them!

ARG!!! Almost all the trees we have here are budding!!! I hope that it doesn't screw up the trees for Spring!

Yeah, i know better

I have had a nuts week at work what with my new trainee and taking care of month end processing (we process our data for the prior month on the first few days of each month) it has been a bit of a nightmare week with issues. at least i havent had to work any nights.

If we need a new topic to discuss - i have the day off tomorrow and will be working on starting my fodder sprouting system for the chickens. i have 11 bushels of whole oats in the basement to start growing for the girls! any tips or tricks or questions welcomed!

I want to do fodder trays too, but I don't know if that is going to happen this year. I have a ton of indoor projects I want to try getting done this Winter.
The only tip I have is you better not have mice down by your oats or you may have oats ALL over your house by Spring.

but where am i going to put chicks in january!?!?

DON'T DO IT!!! Trust me, you are better off waiting until about February at the earliest unless you have everything set up to grow them in mid-Winter. It is just really frustrating to start them too early, and they don't thrive as much when they have to struggle with the cold so much. That is, unless you have a place IN your house to raise them until they are 3 months old. I wouldn't do it.

 

[cottonlouie]

I was worried a few posts ago that I developed an allergy to hay (or asthma or some deadly lung disease) because I've had chest and throat issues for about a month. Yesterday and this morning I've had no issues, even after sitting with the goats amid the hay for about 30 minutes. I also have more energy. Sooooo....I think I have been sick and am not dying. Whew!

My new rooster, seems quite mellow and is accepted by the hens, jumped at my chihuahua (who was stealing some food scraps from the hens). I glared at the roo and gave him a few words, which also stopped my little dog, and the roo glared back and then walked away. I guess I won't be letting my chi mingle with the chickens anymore, at least not if there is food. I'm worried because he's a beautiful rooster and the hens seem to like him well enough, but my chi is my buddy and I really don't want him to be in danger. He LOVES coming out to the coop with me.