North Carolina

[suburbanchickymama]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!

Hope you've had lots of fun celebrating, vfem! What delicious goodies are you making with your blackberries???

Thanks for the info, Bhep - I've saved it away for when I need it!

Lookin' good, allabout!! Y'all made quick work of building that coop!

Good night everyone!!

 

[BHep]

My fridge experiment is a success

I took 18 eggs from the fridge, from 1 day to 2 weeks. Added 2 more new eggs for an even 20 to incubate and so far 16 have hatched.

The biggest surprise was from a Silkie egg. I hatched a Silkie x Naked Neck.

WOW so cute !

The remaining eggs are from my layers, so fertility isn't the greatest on them, they hang out with my old man rooster.

I will candle them later.

I put 16 eggs in lockdown last night to hatch on my daughters b-day Sat. And 1/3 duck eggs (2 quitters) and it was already pipped, I am watching it very closely ! My duckling needs a friend. Although he is doing great in the bantam brooder.

I suppose the dry incubation is too dry for the ducks, even though they are misted daily.

If I need to incubate more, I will use the Brinsea with higher humidity. And NO I do not plan to incubate more ducks unless someone per pays for them. I am saving me eggs up for Ruthann to take home for baking.

I will admit to winning 2 auctions.

THEN I AM DONE !!!!

 

[Miss Lydia]

Quote:

 

[NewHomesteader2010]

BHep - does that mean you're NOT incubating duckie eggs for DD and I to take home with us??

Okay, perhaps we will convince you NEXT year to "cook" us up a batch of duckies...I aim to help enable!!

So what did you win at auction??

Vfem - I hope you had a wonderful birthday!!

ML -

I second your thoughts on Beth!!

HT - sure wish you lived closer so we could go to the chickenstock...sounds great. Thank you for doing that for our BYC'ers in the West/Mountain area.

Not much exciting going on here. I think one of my Roosters is either in a mating mood or just REALLY showing his dominance.

I have seen him "mount" one of the hens while she runs away protesting. So far no damage or pecking, so I am going to pretend this weather is making him frisky while making me slothful!!

I have seen my fair share of fighting between the top two boys. Cotton-tail is still slightly more aggressive than the rest and I am thinking I may have to either give him away or cull him because he will peck you just for walking into the coop.

I have "shooed" him away with my foot when he does that (note: that in NO way reads kick...I mean push...just wanted to clarify...I don't want you all to think I am abusive to my "kids"). Not sure what else I can do to prevent him from that!!
Today is going to be a rough day...

Last night my DD was "accidentally" given goldfish even though they all KNOW she is allergic to dairy.

Granted she was not given them, but why give them to another child in the nursery when you know there's ONE with an allergy to it? Think of how extreme allergies can get (ie: peanut), wouldn't you just want to "play it safe"? It would make more sense to just keep them up out of sight.

Maybe that's just me. Stupid allergies!!

She takes after her mommy... Spent 11-4 last night/this morning with a screaming baby (and bloody poo, thanks to the wonderful dairy).

I honestly don't know what else we can do to get the point across. So today I am making labels and (as always) more baby food. I plan to stick red labels on EVERYTHING she has (food wise) that states: DAIRY ALLERGY this includes ANYTHING from a cow or a goat. Perhaps that will help.

<sigh> Thanks for letting me vent!! You all are the best!!

On a happy note, DD is EXCITED about going to see an actual working farm (as opposed to ours...

) tomorrow to pick up some more chickens!! I may be excited too, but that's a totally different story. I have the car packed, directions printed, diaper bag ready, lunch will be made today, maps loaded into my phone...and I'll be praying that I DON'T get lost.

The only thing to do tomorrow is to make sure the tank is full and I haven't forgotten anything...like the baby!!

Have a wonderful day everyone. I'm off to cuddle little miss cranky!! (I secretly LOVE cuddle time...SHHHH!!)

 

[buttercup0884]

Wow!! I haven't been able to get on for a few days due to work and weather, and so much as happened!!

NewHome...I have a Polish Roo who seems to be in the same kind of mood...he is going after all the girls right now.

Its Raining here today....boo!! as much as I know we need it, my days off from work are few and far between...so progress on the coop is going to be delayed yet again.

I have some eggs in lockdown right now and I am really hoping that I just got the days mixed up, because today is day 21 and I don't even have a PIP, even though when I candled I had tons of movement...oh well...I guess I will just have to wait and see.

On an interesting note, my little BO with the hurt leg, seems to be doing better. I still have her separated, but she is putting weight on it and walking around her little crate. This morning around 4 am, however she woke the entire house up at 3:30 this morning, making an ungodly noise. it was almost like she was trying to crow...but she is definitely a girl??? Hunter thinks she may have been trying to lay an egg but shes not old enough...or atleast I don't think she is (born March 9th this year), what do you all think?

 

[Miss Lydia]

Quote:
I vote not old enough, but I have a hen that while she was raising her brood I heard her crow twice.

 

[vfem]

I've been out in the garden ALL day trying to repair the storm damage from the last week. I should have checked earlier and I would have noticed all the tomatoes toppled over. Ended up tying up vines and plants and putting new stakes in the ground EVERYWHERE. Flipped on the sprinkler, took DD out with me, and we did a good amount of work soaking wet in our bathing suits, what a great plan! However, I think the storms are rolling in here now so we had to dry off and come in.

We're going to bake for a bit I think, but its been an awesome couple of days here. Hate that I'll have to go to work tomorrow and saturday. I'm in a vacation state of mind all of a sudden. Must be a summer thing! LOL

 

[laughingdog]

have a hen that crows, aside from her other normal hen noises. usually only does it if alone, or no roo she will accept, then if unacceptable roos are around the will not crow and she beats them up as well as any other hen that dont entirely flat out submit. sounds ike she is a keeper though, as mine turned out to be an awsome pet and protector of the rest of flock i got to support her (i made her a leg brace, and she knows how to use it to do cripple kungfu!)... lol the rest of my hens aside from the one who hides and steals eggs are just normal. so sad or better not to much excitement from them all?

 

[DaddysChickens]

Hello all...Been working out of town and haven't been around in a while. Last week while I was out of town my wife went to feed teh chickens and boom one flogged her and got out. Wife said she hadn't seen her sense. I figured she was done cyotes bobcats all seen by myself regularly...Well I got home from Boston a lil while ago and was unpacking and looked out the window cause I was thinking of her. Bam, there she is near the coop. A tfirst I thought I was seeing things (side note I looked out once and thought I saw a medevil knight sword fighting in the woods. thought I was crazy, but no there was) but sure enough there she is...She is teh most skitish bird I have, soon as I opened the back door she bolted...Any suggestions on retrieval?

 

[laughingdog]

glue trap, or some bread wit liqour like shine mash (laugh, but the chickens wont be able to run far or fast as iv seen once in G-burg when they had to round them up)??? but now i need to hear the story about the knight! im to out of shape still to catch a chicken in the open, but have a herding dog to run them to me, if that is i can catch them zooming through my legs that the dog herds them right through! the dog looks saddened that either he didnt do a good enough job herding to me, or disgusted how im not holding up my end.. so now i just finally training him to pen them up himself (i can get him to herd individually or as group into pen, but not close the door, so he just sits and guards the doorway till i close it), and avoid the human error.