Minnesota!

[Minniechickmama]

Sad day here

. We lost our CX hen... She would have been two years old this spring

.

Sorry to hear that

 

[MinnesotaNice]

I did something today that I haven't done in a very long time. After work, I stopped in the store and picked up a carton of eggs. You might be curious why a guy with 50 laying hens is buying eggs... Perhaps I am crazy!?!?

I need fresh material to write about on our farm page so I bought eggs to do some segments on the difference between our farm fresh eggs and store bought eggs. I will try and share on here as well for fun. I am going to try and focus on making this educational and not snarky or high and mighty.

Very creative Klop! I'd be interested in reading what you come up with.

And they say dogs are mans best friend! I sat down by the edge of a bale feeder and she came and layed down next to me! Next thing u know I am being used as a pillow!

This is the cow I used in 4H last year.

Awesome, Holm!

 

[athalia17]

@holm, sorry about the loss! Tough losing a good hen.

For everyone- does anyone have a rooster that crows with their mouth mostly closed? Our new roo started crowing finally today. He doesn't open his mouth all the way though. It's weird. I'm ok with a quiet roo, but at least he's crowing now. I'm hopeful he will feel better finally.

 

[MinnesotaNice]

I wish my Rooster kept his mouth closed! I'm sure he'll get there and you'll missed the days he was a bit more quiet.

 

[cottonlouie]

Loving the spring-ish discussion.

My hen hatched a chick, and is still sitting on 6. I've not been an attentive chicken owner and I'm a newbie....and have fallen in love with the chick. So without fully knowing what I was doing I attempted to candle 2 eggs. I then decided to do some research and read that by this time I wouldn't be able to see anything anyway and shouldn't handle the eggs at all. Did I destroy the eggs? What should I do now? The hen got those eggs over a span of time. Is it ok that I allowed that to happen? She is still diligently sitting. I wish I had paid more attention to everything and done more research. I just kinda let it all happen.

 

[scandiafowl]

@everyone

Am so jealous of all the new life! Chicks and calves! My mother reports our ladies are venturing out into the neighbors cornfield, and a couple of broodies to contend with.

Cancun is nice but I miss Minnesota.

Holm - your cow is so sweet. You must be so good to her..

 

[KlopKlop]

Big Buck has moved into the "love nest" with his cornish harem (3 dark cornish, 2 WLR cornish, 1 corish cross)

i havent handled the cornish in a while because they dont care to be touched but boy o boy are they meaty birds! can i just sing a little more praise for the birds that @Minniechickmama raises and sells!!!???!! i can't wait for eggs to hatch! i will be powering up the incubator tonight to get it settled

 

[Minniechickmama]

@KlopKlop Looks like a great set-up! I am sure their little love nest will be perfect to make meaty little birds. You know you will probably want to butcher the girls too, they won't lay worth beans if they take after the Cornish. They are worth it though. You could breed a son back to those mothers too to try getting more muscle expression, I think.

 

[Minniechickmama]

Loving the spring-ish discussion.

My hen hatched a chick, and is still sitting on 6. I've not been an attentive chicken owner and I'm a newbie....and have fallen in love with the chick. So without fully knowing what I was doing I attempted to candle 2 eggs. I then decided to do some research and read that by this time I wouldn't be able to see anything anyway and shouldn't handle the eggs at all. Did I destroy the eggs? What should I do now? The hen got those eggs over a span of time. Is it ok that I allowed that to happen? She is still diligently sitting. I wish I had paid more attention to everything and done more research. I just kinda let it all happen.

Order of operations for candling:
First, research what to look for and how to tell different stages of development. THEN go out and candle them

Did you see anything? Candling them while she is setting is no big deal. However, now that she has one hatched, she might want to leave the nest to tend to it rather than setting on the remaining eggs.

 

[athalia17]

@cottonlouie unless you had the eggs out a really long time to candle them, I'm sure they are fine. Eggs are fairly resilient... as long as your broody doesn't crack one open and get the goo all over the rest of them. I've heard even then they can still hatch. Mine didn't however. I guess that's what I get for letting a chunky red ranger go broody.