North Carolina

[Matt A NC]

A molt normally lasts 1-3 months. Then again, Big Boy(standard cochin) has been slowly molting since September and he still ain't done.

Matt

 

[ramirezframing]

A molt normally lasts 1-3 months. Then again, Big Boy(standard cochin) has been slowly molting since September and he still ain't done.

Matt

I had an old polish roo that molted and never got his tail or neck feathers back

he ran around like that for over a year, til I retired him from his pen and had let him free-range during the day and a hawk got him. I guess his receding hair line finally showed up

 

[atmaclean]

I had the smelly problem too. I made room in one of my sheds and took a shipping crate and cut it in half and made a top for it and put a light in it. Then they got too big for just the box so i moved it outside, cut a 18"x12" hole near one corner and made a little run out of cut down tree branches and wire for them.

What is a shipping crate? Is it made out of pallets? I've got a lot of rabbit type cages. I just switched another batch of babies to one of these cages so the poop can fall through instead of constantly changing paper towels. The day olds and week olds are still in rubbermaid tubs with paper towels down on the bottom. I sure wish it would warm up so I could put them outside. Any idea when chicks are "fully feathered"??

Angela

 

[wildriverswolf90]

What is a shipping crate?  Is it made out of pallets?  I've got a lot of rabbit type cages.  I just switched another batch of babies to one of these cages so the poop can fall through instead of constantly changing paper towels.  The day olds and week olds are still in rubbermaid tubs with paper towels down on the bottom.  I sure wish it would warm up so I could put them outside.  Any idea when chicks are "fully feathered"??

Angela

Chciks usually become fully feathered around 8 weeks, but you shouldn't introduce them to full grown chickens until they are 14-16 weeks. With that said, I moved mine into a sectioned off corner of the coop at 6 weeks old 3 weeks ago, I made sure they had a heat light all to themselves, a small roost and plenty of room to grow.

 

[Southpawtech]

Tree roosting?? sounds like chicken boot camp.. Now ladies, up that tree, now down, now up. come on Mabel, get your fat behind up there. Now move it over, time for your field foraging exercises. 1, 2, 3, 4, 1, 2, 3, 4.... Dust bath hup......

It amazing how we end up being the slaves to our new masters, our chickens.

Nope! No chicken boot camp here, although I am a former Marine. Low stress, no stress is the way.

 

[Hollowoakfarm]

Good Morning, Happy People!

Another long Thursday coming up! But when it's over, my week is done!

I hope you all enjoy your day...stay warm!

 

[BHep]

 

[NewHomesteader2010]

Well...good morning everyone!! I have heard that we MIGHT get snow tomorrow afternoon!!

I have so missed the white stuff, so much so that even my children don't know what it is...I think that is a crime...to be a child and NOT know what snow is or to even play in it!! However, I am smart enough to know that more than likely we will get rain while everyone else gets the white stuff. So...if you get snow...please let us visit!! LOL....

Spent ALL day yesterday making a dress for my oldest to wear to church last night. Why? Because she asked. The best part was as I was making progress, she stripped down and kept telling me she was "ready" to wear it. LOL. I sure wish I COULD sew that fast, but alas, it took most of the day!! She was so excited that she (almost) cried at not being allowed to sleep in it. For not being a seamstress, that warmed my heart!! I hope she continues to have this gracious attitude!! Sadly, today I must play catch up on all those things I ignored yesterday while sewing...lol, unless I can find another project to do!!

I really need to do a good deep cleaning, but for some reason (I can't understand it) things just keep "popping up" that cause my focus to go elsewhere and that cleaning never gets done!! LOL

Ah yes, I loathe housework...give me a chicken coop to muck out any day (or a horse stall....or a cow stall...sheep/goat?? I don't mind). Well, I am off to make plans for the day (what to fix for supper...hmm), make baby food, and (ack) stuff diapers...work on a few baby quilts...really, I'm just going to see what all I can do to AVOID cleaning!! LOL. I think the chicks need close attention - right, one MIGHT be a boy, so I'd better go investigate...pull up a chair and watch JUST in case!!

Have a great day everyone! Stay warm!!

 

[Hollowoakfarm]

I'd far rather clean out a coop or stall than wash one single dish myself! But I did come home yesterday and make myself do housework. Being cold out helped with that one. It's supposed to be wet tomorrow and I'm off, so hopefully that will motivate me to clean indoors. The floor always needs sweeping, with four dogs. And my desk is a mess. But I'll have exams to grade, and they might distract me from the housework! Hmmmmm....maybe it'll be the other way around!

Actually, I have learned to set a timer on myself. Clean for thirty minutes, do something else for thirty minutes, and keep switching around. Not only does that help me tackle things I don't want to, but I find I work faster when it's "only thirty minutes". Plus, it keeps me from sitting a good part of the day when I have grading and prep to do. Thirty minutes of something sitting, then thirty minutes on my feet. Works for me, when I remember to set the timer!

Chores are done. Everyone is fed. The calves look good and the foxes didn't eat here last night. All is well at Hollow Oak Farm. Hope all is well with you today.

 

[atmaclean]

Chciks usually become fully feathered around 8 weeks, but you shouldn't introduce them to full grown chickens until they are 14-16 weeks. With that said, I moved mine into a sectioned off corner of the coop at 6 weeks old 3 weeks ago, I made sure they had a heat light all to themselves, a small roost and plenty of room to grow.

Great! Thanks for this info. I could do something like that in my garage area beside the hen's coup - it would just be a totally separate "coup" just for the babies. This would probably be the easiest thing to do. I'll just wait until my new hatches are older since I only have 2 BCMs that are 4 weeks old. Everyone else is only a week or so old. I tried to put the newbies with the BCMs when the BCMs were just 2 weeks old and they almost picked the eye out of one of my little Rhodebars!!! I could not believe they would be so mean at just 2 weeks!! Luckily, with some doctoring, his little eye has totally returned to normal and his fluff is growing back around that eye, poor baby.

How high of a wall should I make for the babies so they can't fly out? Or should I just make it to the ceiling? Sounds like another project will soon be under way.....

Oh, I had 4 out of my 5 Isbar eggs hatch!!! They are just the cutest little things. I think I have 2 splashes, one blue and one black...or it could be two blues. I can't remember how their coloring goes....

Thanks again for the info!!
Angela