North Carolina

[tammyfarms]

If Coop Scoop Boogie does not have enough olive eggers for you, I have olive eggers and easter eggers. They are 5 week olds so they might be older than you want...

Meg, I have been on the fence about buying POL chickens. Knowing how you are with biosecurity, I want some (4-5) of your Buff Orps if you have enough - I don't want to jump in front of anyone though!

Sometimes I think I have WAY too many chicks... then I remember how many other people have!

 

[NewHomesteader2010]

Good afternoon everyone!!
Spent the morning mowing the forest back into a meadow

all the while dodging chickens and ducks who were chasing the tractor trying to be the first to pick off the HUGE grasshoppers and bugs that were trying to dodge the tractor. I thought we were suppose to have a HUGE cicadas emergence this year, did I miss it?? Oh well, I'm not complaining. I did see two of my gentlemenly neighbors who "scolded" me for mowing the lawn in my "condition" - I thought that was sweet, but didn't realize pregnancy was a "condition"...

Hubby is already off of work (MIRACLE) and on the way to the feed store to pick up 200# of feed to tie us over for a little bit...he was worried we'd forget once the new baby arrived and well...he's probably right. Anyway, this afternoon is a build a playset for the kids afternoon, followed by stuff a dozen eggs under ANOTHER broody!! My OE has been sitting in an empty nesting box for several days now, so we decided to give her some of our eggs to see if anything hatches (especially since we had that predator attack and it took all of our babies!!

) She will "share" the broody box with our BR who is sitting on duck eggs and if my math is correct (always a dangerous assumption there) these chicks would hatch around the same time as the ducklings!! I wish I knew we were going to let her sit on eggs, because I would have asked to buy some eggs from BHep or someone - to get a little variety back in our flock. DH is STILL planning to add 25 freedom rangers next month as well, but we're going to be keeping them in a modified tractor, separate from the rest of the flock. This ought to be interesting.

I hope everyone has a great day!! Congratulations on all the babies that are hatching!! Can't wait to see pictures!!

 

[tammyfarms]

Good afternoon everyone!!
Spent the morning mowing the forest back into a meadow

all the while dodging chickens and ducks who were chasing the tractor trying to be the first to pick off the HUGE grasshoppers and bugs that were trying to dodge the tractor. I thought we were suppose to have a HUGE cicadas emergence this year, did I miss it?? Oh well, I'm not complaining. I did see two of my gentlemenly neighbors who "scolded" me for mowing the lawn in my "condition" - I thought that was sweet, but didn't realize pregnancy was a "condition"...

Hubby is already off of work (MIRACLE) and on the way to the feed store to pick up 200# of feed to tie us over for a little bit...he was worried we'd forget once the new baby arrived and well...he's probably right. Anyway, this afternoon is a build a playset for the kids afternoon, followed by stuff a dozen eggs under ANOTHER broody!! My OE has been sitting in an empty nesting box for several days now, so we decided to give her some of our eggs to see if anything hatches (especially since we had that predator attack and it took all of our babies!!

) She will "share" the broody box with our BR who is sitting on duck eggs and if my math is correct (always a dangerous assumption there) these chicks would hatch around the same time as the ducklings!! I wish I knew we were going to let her sit on eggs, because I would have asked to buy some eggs from BHep or someone - to get a little variety back in our flock. DH is STILL planning to add 25 freedom rangers next month as well, but we're going to be keeping them in a modified tractor, separate from the rest of the flock. This ought to be interesting.

I hope everyone has a great day!! Congratulations on all the babies that are hatching!! Can't wait to see pictures!!

I was all excited for the cicadas because I love to listen to them at night, then I found a map and they were to hatch no where near us. I guess that is what happened to you... It is so funny to mow and watch the chickens run after the mower to catch crickets, grasshoppers, etc. I love it. Good for you mowing the lawn... THAT should bring on labor LOL.

I knew the predator got one chicken but didn't realize it got all the babies, did you ever figure out what it was? That really stinks!

Pics to come this afternoon! Has anyone successfully treated splayed legs? One of my little guys has splayed legs. I am giving sav-a-chick and I am hoping that and food help but they are pretty bad. I am guessing that if I splint it needs to happen soon. Just wondering what the success rate is with splinting?

 

[dutchbunny83]

SUNSHINE FINALLY!!!!!

I need to go get this coop & run done before I leave for 2 weeks tomorrow.

Any advice on an outdoor brooder???
I've never done that before, but know some people do.
The coop is 6'x6' and 6' tall. I was going to run a heat lamp out to it and just leave it running? It's hot during the day, but I want to make sure they are warm enough at night. I am putting on a screen door so they don't get too hot.
There are 18 of them so they should be able to pile together if they're cold or spread out if they're hot.
I'm paying the kid next door $100 to come over everyday and give all the animals fresh food & water, check on the chicks, and water my garden. Fingers crossed everything goes ok!!!

 

[moomoodiddy]

I don't know about eggs, but I usually see cornish cross meat birds on craigslist for about $3 a piece.
Hatcheries they are $2-$3, but then you have all the shipping charges so I think it averages out to about $3 for the chicks
But I've only bought them twice so I may be wrong.
I got 10 of the cornish cross broilers on craigslist once for $30 then recently placed an order for 25 freedom rangers broilers for $68 after shipping.

k thanks they arent worth as much as i thought.... what about americanas/auricanas?

 

[ramirezframing]

moomoo do you have meat cornish or pure breed cornish (LF or bantam)? also depends on color of the ameraucanas and the araucanas are really hard to breed.

 

[ramirezframing]

tammy do a sreach on here for splayed legs it'll tell you how to fix them

 

[dutchbunny83]

If you get a rare color of americauna you can't get at a hatchery the price goes up.
If you buy your own hatching eggs depending on the seller usually $10-$20. Ebay you can sometimes get some really good prices, that's what I've done for my hatches.
Easter Eggers which hatcheries sell as Americaunas are usually $2 and change for a sexed female.
Buying them locally depends on the seller, but chicks are usually $3-$5. I'd never pay more than $5 for a chick unless it was a really rare breed.

 

[greenchickenman]

Quote:
Has been a few days since I have been back, yes they did hatch and everything is good. Didnt realize who I was talking with either, until I saw your email from my computer. My phone doesnt show the email address all the time. Jeremy

 

[greenchickenman]

Quote:
Love this post!