Nevadans?

[sherylreno]

Oh how funny that must look Missy and very cute as well.

I put a bit of grit in iwth my chics since one of them had a bit of runny yesterday. All cleared up today so I took it back out until I get home and then will put it back in.

I couldn't let my chickens out this morning because the winds were so bad. The gusts were hitting really hard. I can't wait until they can get out again.

 

[2seth2]

no aubrey no the maran egg but i like that 2

I give mine a full bowl of sand to use as grit in the morning and it is gone by the evening is this bad?

 

[NevadaRon]

So Im finally going to start selling these bad boys and have at least half of my feed payed for by the end of the month. I feel as though my colors are growing dull right now. Is that normal for this time of year? I thought the dullness came later in the summer. Or maybe Im just used to my egg colors. I sure hope that if my gc marans is a girl it lays a good dark egg and that the OEs lay some cool colored eggs. I might sell them if they just end up laying brown. I have enough brown. Surprisingly my EEs arent laying as many as usual right now. Darla layed a teeny egg this week and thats about it. I am also having a hard time figuring out how i am going to sell all of these DIRTY POOPY EGGS. my broodys are taking over the nesting boxes and the girls are laying everywhere. I think i am going to need to start investing in one of those real stacky nesting boxes. Ill maybe go look online right now at some cheap options *sigh*


Sheryl, thursday works well for me. I can drop it off or you can pick it up but either way Im off at 3:00 and will most likely be home by 3:30 depending on if I drive or ride my bike.

Lacey I cant wait until you get A new camera, you used to post the most beautiful pictures.


Oh I almost forgot. I got an e-mail today from a friend who said that her sister is trying to find good homes for her two pet chickens. They are three years old but the family has to move and cant take them. Its a barred rock and a buff orp. I want them so badly to come here and live out their days but Mark said no more right now, and I have to respect that since he lets me get away with so much. I was wondering if any of you wanted some old ladies to come live out their days and retire? She says theyre still laying for now too...

Nice colors on those eggs Aubrey! As for the yucky poo on them - you'll have a lot more success selling them if you wash that off first!

I gather mine in a plastic bucket, then put just a drop of dishwashing liquid in, and fill with warm water. Let them sit a few minutes, then use a sponge (I recommend not using the same one you use for your dishes

) to get the nastiness off and rinse with clean water. Let dry on a kitchen towel and put in cartons for sale.

More computer problems this past week or so and way too busy at work (well except right now

) which is why I haven't been on and I'm suddenly 25 pages behind! I had to get a RMA replacement part (my boot disk!!!) for my computer so it took a little while.

I've also been trying to prep my garden for this year, which entails running a water line out to it and, as long as I'm at it, to my chicken coop, and installing two frost free hydrants. Anyone know which ones are the best (preferably made in USA) and where to get them? I bought two at Lowe's but then a friend of mine was over and said he bought one of that same (Chinese) brand and it didn't last 6 months!

So I'm taking those two back. The same guy has a 'bator and had five eggs to put in it but it's a fairly good sized one so I gave him 3 dozen or so more eggs to put in it. They will be the offspring of either Poppy Sr. (pure Black Am) or Poppy Jr. (Black Am x EE) and one of my half dozen or so other breeds. Should be some interesting mixes there!

BTW Missy you were asking how many chickens everyone has - I'm at 31 currently but spring is just around the corner! S&W Feed in Carson City has some Dark Cornish I'd really like to have... And Big R in Fallon has turkeys and ducks!

 

[NevadaRon]

no aubrey no the maran egg but i like that 2

I give mine a full bowl of sand to use as grit in the morning and it is gone by the evening is this bad?

Not with this wind - it probably all blew away!

 

[2seth2]

no mine are inside and they can't knock it over

 

[SunnyDawn]

Quote:
Establishing pecking order is very normal for pullets even at this age. The meanest chick I ever had was a pullet. She was too vicious. I tried everything with her but eventually she became soup for a friend.

Sunny, when are you planning on going over that hill? It doesn't look good to me going over it this week but I know you are on a timeline. It might be good to go with someone who travels that hill all of the time. I would be really happy to take you but I'm working all week long and my children are coming Friday and Saturday nights so I can't go. I told my youngest son to not come because of the storms and they live in Tacoma, Washington but he says he's coming anyways. I know he can drive in the stuff like it's nothing but still other people though who think they can?

It looks like a no go at this point. Driving over the hill doesn't bother me at all but Steve would prefer I have someone with me. Looks like we will have to wait.

Oh and I have a question for all of you incubator professionals on here. When can I open the incubator to get any of the ducklings out? I've posted this before in several places but no one has answered it so I'm hoping to find out from everyone here. Missy would like to take her ducklings home the day they hatch and I would love to give them to her as well so her imprint will be on them from day 1 but I read we should not open the incubator until all of the hatching is over and it can take several days. I don't like the idea of leaving them in there overnight or anything like that. What do you do?

You can open the bator when the hatch is complete and all the ducklings are dry. That's the proper way to hatch and anything else may effect your hatch. That's the rule and everyone I know breaks it (including me).

I do try to do it very quickly though. But overnight is nothing! I don't have a problem with that. It's the whole next day that I fight with myself to not open the bator. Myself always wins.

If you are feeding the medicated feed, it depletes the system of vit. B12. I would stop the medicated feed (I use Purina Flockraiser for all my chickens) and add some dry ground kelp (health food store) and some Quaker quick oats to their feed. I like to use the GQF Vitamin plus powder to the water (feed stores carry it) and it does wonders to give them a boost when they aren't feeling well. Also if you are feeding scratch they need chick grit. I do add a 7 grain cereal that is finely ground (I get at the health food store) to their feed and it has made for some super healthy chicks.

Hope this helps!
Quote: a
Don't get me started on medicated feed! Most of you know my opinions on that subject. I feed flock raiser and I do make a watery mash for them when they are little (or stressed). I use the chick vitamin powder too, mixing up a gallon at a time cause it is too much to do it each time they need clean water. I also put the littlest ones in a separate brooder til they catch up like Elizabeth mentioned. Candy is right. Unless you are going to carry the little tyke around all day it is too stressful for them to be alone.

Oh egg yolk is an excellent source of B12. Try feeding your chick some egg yolk.


Ron I can't wait to see pics of Poppy's babies (or Grand babies).

 

[americanvalkyrie]

As I give these chicks more space, a lot of chicken-testosterone is flying! Based on their behavior and combs, I estimate...
1:1 older BLRW, 1:1 new BLRW
1:1 older lavender, 2:3 new lavender
1:1 marans (one is VERY aggressive for such a little squirt)
all 4 of the black split, old and young, act docile
1:2 buff x wheaten
both wheaten/BW act docile, and I have a baby that's feathering out GORGEOUSLY and hope it's a girl.

 

[aubreynoramarie]

no aubrey no the maran egg but i like that 2

I give mine a full bowl of sand to use as grit in the morning and it is gone by the evening is this bad?

My blue birchin marans does not lay an egg like a marans, she lays an egg much different, it very well may be hers

 

[2seth2]

ok thats cool

 

[chickee]

These are my first hatches with the Ameraucanas so I am not even sure of the color on my three 6 1/2 wk old rooster chicks. I thought they were all three blue wheaten, but two look like wheaten now. I am no expert, so I will be learning through all the chick pictures you guys post

Oh, and anyone interested in a W/BW Ameraucana 3-week old+ cockerel? I'm not sure if it's wheaten or blue wheaten. I'm sure Candy can tell but I'm no expert on this breed by any means.