North Carolina

[NewHomesteader2010]

Thanks everyone!! I knew you all would understand!!

ML - we don't have "close" neighbors...he's 1/4 mile away, which is why he rode his ATV out. It's probably cheaper to fill up than his truck.

VFem - I wish my daughter was old enough to have that talk with her...okay, only part of me does. I like the baby stage!!

Gavin/Allison - I have nothing against dog people...in fact I LOVE pugs...so long as they belong to someone else.

My big frustration was the whole letting them loose to run all over the place and peeing on my play pen (which is what she "plays" in while we work on the barn construction...well, while the dangerous tools are out in play). I do understand "old schoolers" and I don't mind him holding her, and such, it was just the whole driving her around thing. He had to take his hand off her so he could shift, and all I could do was see her fall and get really hurt.

looks like I am already a mother hen!! As for silkies...no thank you!! I'd be too afraid of someone stealing them, or worse...keeping them all cute and fluffy. Besides, Bird Collector put a scrunchie in hers...and I might be tempted to do the same and next you'd see me on some reality program because I was sewing cute little dresses to match the scrunchie and then I'd be locked up in some asylum.

I was just trying to see if I could start to tell the different breeds from one another. Like I think I saw a Barred Rock pellet in the TSC bin as well...but I'm not positive. I just like fuzzy legs. That's why, someday....someday I'm going to get a certain BYC'er (she knows who she is) to start handing out her English Cochins my way.

Okay, while that won't happen, I can certainly dream. They're so FAT & FLUFFY!!

See you all tomorrow??!!

 

[suburbanchickymama]

Good morning!

Vfem, LOVE the pic of your daughter! She is too cute with her little casual tutu and her pouty face! Love it! And those chicks are adorable!!!!!

NH - Sounds like you are going to have to put up a fence before letting your chickens out. I highly doubt those dogs are very chicken friendly. And I agree that it is super inappropriate for him to pick up your daughter at all - much less take her on a joy ride. BUt I probably would have done just like you and awkawarly watched to be polite rather than speaking up knowing at least his intentions were good...

Bhep and HT - good luck with your hatches!! Sounds like you have a fun mix from your last hatch, Bhep! And I love that pic of your rooster. Too cute!

I'm sure I missed more so hope you all had a good day yesterday. My little one is recovering nicely but my toddler did break his foot!

Luckily he doesn't have to have a cast though. Hopefully it will heal quickly. In the meantime I'm getting an extra workout and he is rediscovering crawling. What a week.

Meanwhile, it is day 22 for my single little Cochin egg and I just know it is not going to hatch. I don't think willing it to hatch is going to work. I am about ready to try and open it out of desperation but know that's pointless and silly. I'm am so bummed!!! Sooo, do any of you guys have LF Cochin eggs for sale or even chicks??? I was thinking, doesn't MattinNC a Cochin guy??

Bhep, sorry about your Marans craziness, too! Hope you get that all sorted out! I am loving my little Marans - they are very sweet and the calmest of the group.

Here's a couple recent pics with their beautiful wing feathers coming in. They graduated to pine shavings last night and so far they're loving it and I haven't seen them eating any. Their water situation has been driving me nuts so I've added a nipple waterer in hopes they'll get the hang of it and I can get rid of the others. Any tips?

Have a good day!!

 

[Chickeninthemeadow]

Got my chicken peeps! 6 Speckled Sussex and 6 Buff Orpingtons from Sumner Byrd Farm. My son helped me make "Chicken Kool-aid" (Sav-a-Chik electrolyte stuff) and he enjoyed that! He wanted to hold the box on the way home from Fuquay, but I don't trust him that far (about an hour drive). They are loving their new digs. Can't wait for them to be big enough to let outside of their brooder in the coop!

 

[BHep]

Ruthann........ I think you will need to ask your neighbor nicely to leave his dogs home. Explain that dogs are predators to chickens and you are worried about that, maybe a promise of some fresh eggs when they start laying. If the dogs know the chickens are there, they may try to come up without their owners. Loose dogs drive me insane !

Now do not get me wrong I LOVE LOVE dogs ( I have 12

) BUT my dogs are house dogs AND properly contained in a gated area. I know without a doubt that any of my dogs would kill my chickens.



Great pics everyone.... and

HT !

SCM.... don't crack that egg open yet, Can you candle it first and check for movement. ????

 

[NewHomesteader2010]

Good afternoon everyone!! Well...I have FINALLY purchased everything needed (I think) to finish the coop. We picked up a bazillion and one rolls of hardware cloths, deer netting (for my garden...shhh), bird netting (just for the rafters), "u" shaped staples to secure the posts oh, and groceries, but they don't count. Haha. Believe it or not, I ended up getting my bedding from Walmart's pet aisle as it was about $3 cheaper than the ones at Agrisupply & TSC. I guess that more than makes up for what we've spent on the coop so far, right??

I'll just keep all the receipts hidden from DH. No one will be the wiser.

So can chickens eat cauliflower?? I have some organic cauliflower left over from making DD's baby food and I don't know what to do with it.

DH won't touch it.

I second what BHep says SCM - don't open it JUST yet...I NEED that cochin to develop and hatch for me...I mean you!!

Besides, perhaps it's just a slow developer...it's all alone, so it's taking it's good old time. Also...LOVED the photos!! Super cute. Looks like you're going a wonderful job!!

A special

to your little guy with the broken foot.

I hope it heals quickly for him.

Chicken -

gorgeous pictures!!

HT - Hope this hatch goes well for you.

I'm waiting for photos of the ones that have hatched to feed my addiction!!

I think Em is being held hostage by her Emu's....anyone know what the ransom demands are??

Hope she is doing well. Okay everyone. Tomorrow's the BIG DAY!! I will post pictures of what we get accomplished then and post pictures of the new ones when they get here!!

!!

P.S. BHep - you SURE you don't want to hatch those 2 mystery bird eggs? I'm sure they're smaller than a bantam egg...only about 1" big if that. I'm sure the chickens would accept the mystery birds as one of their own.

Just feel bad they're not going to hatch I guess. Can't blame a girl for trying to feed your addiction.

Thanks again everyone for the advice/support!! I plan to take some goodies over to him later on next week, and I will ask him if he can keep his dogs at home in the future when he visits. We'll see how that goes. I'm pretty sure we won't be able to fence in our yard...it's just too big (8 acres - I know some of you have more, but it would still be VERY expensive). If all else fails, we will just make our run bigger...that is, IF he refuses. We will see.
OOhh...i forgot to mention this, if anyone has extra eggs, I don't know how feasible it will be for you but the secretary's husband for my DD's pediatrician said that there are NO egg sellers at the Raleigh or Clayton Farmer's Market. Don't know if it would cost to set up a booth or anything, but thought I would pass that along in case any of you who are close to Raleigh would be interested!! I'm OFF to work on a coop!!

Have a great evening everyone!

 

[HenThymes]

Hey everyone, just popping in to let you know how the hatch is going.

5 of 8 bantam marans
3 of 4 olive eggers
1 of 3 lav orps
2 of 3 penedesenca
2 of 5 bbs orps

Still have several with pips and several without. Will be candling in a bit to see wha't going on in those with no pips yet. Moving those that have dried to the hatcher soon and will start to get pics in the morning.

 

[Miss Lydia]

congrats HT looking forward to pictures, especially those penedesenca, never heard of them

 

[greeneacre]

Going out to batten down the hatches and try to get a little more work done on my last coop. Finally got the paint on it last night and will be putting finishing touches this morning if the rain holds off long enough. Stay safe today.

 

[HenThymes]

Good morning NC'ers!

Going to be a busy day here, it is my DD's 8th birthday party. What had been planned for outside has now been moved inside.

chick update as everyone is finally done hatching so these are final numbers:

10 of 11 Bantam Marans - 1 is still drying in the hatcher
3 of 4 Olive Eggers
3 of 3 lav orps - 1 lav, 2 split black
5 of 5 bbs orps
2 of 2 project bantam orps

What I thought was penedesenca was actually three large eggs from a tiny bantam marans hen, he says he doesn't know how she does it.

Bless her little heart.

Pictures to follow when I get a chance later today, going to be allot of black from all those adorable bantam marans.

Hope everyone has a wonderful day, despite the weather.

Oh, and I go into lockdown again next Tuesday!

(going to be some exciting stuff hatch too

)

 

[vfem]

Looks to be a rough ride today. Like greeneacre said, going to go get everyone and everything situated! I'm supposed to work, but I don't know what is going to happen with the power?