North Idaho / Eastern Washington

[CGilbert]

Woot it's been busy. My son had an awesome birthday party, I've reintegrated all my adult chickens to one coop. I have to scrub down the little coop to move the Bieles into it and then prep for the Ameraucanas that will hopefully hatch in another 11 days. So exciting oh and! I think I have a Buff Orp trying to go broody. She's been grumpy and taking a long time on the nest box, and whenever I catch her on the box she puffs up and hisses at me, which she never did before....Silly chicken either way.

Definitely sounds like she wants to go broody. Congrats on all the accomplishments

 

[CGilbert]

Spring fever has hit here. I have a Muscovy hen sitting on goose eggs (day 19 today), 2 goose hens sitting on the same nest, 1 silkie sitting on a few chicken eggs, 1 duck sitting on a huge nest of her own eggs and another duck sitting on a nest somewhere else.

The muscovy also "adopted" (read tolerates) a trio of cockerels that had to be moved from the chick pen for fighting. Plus, all 15 ducklings are back there and have formed a gang, beating up anyone in their way, except the scary duck sitting on her nest under the rabbit pen. Oh, and 3 silkie crosses that hatched out last month are back there running around like crazy, too. Plus, everyone is getting well-feathered out in the brooder. I'm down to just one chick inside the house and I will be getting my replacement Serama eggs next week hopefully.

Lol, sounds like a full of fun fowl farm (say that 3 times fast)

 

[Saris]

Definitely sounds like she wants to go broody. Congrats on all the accomplishments

Thanks! If she keeps it up I will stick my Blue Am's eggs under her to hatch out some EEs or maybe have her foster the chicks that are due on the 21st.

Does anyone know if a broody will accept chicks before 3 weeks of brooding is up? It seems like they would have a known time of when chicks would hatch.....

 

[gimmie birdies]

The youngest chick fluffed up, and a group shot.

 

[WPFarmstead]

They will, if you slip just hatched, but dry and fluffy chicks underneath them at night and take away their eggs.

 

[CGilbert]

Good news! My husband is apparently just learning to count! There were 3 in there when I got home!

Pretty sure I know who the culprit is...

But we're putting up a game camera to find out for sure.

Good news/bad news: Kia (our black lab) was found innocent. Turns out the neighbors dog is getting past their invisible fencing...golden retriever with thick fur... They know that shaving the fur will fix the problem.

 

[UGLYFOOT]

Wow! Sounds like everyone is pretty busy these days! I am still over run with chicks. The Craigslist add has only brought me one customer that took 9. Might have another 8 or 10 sold. That still leaves me with 40ish mixed breed babies. Won't do that again! I guess I will have a large egg laying flock for eating egg customers, and some roosters for freezer camp. I am patiently (ok not really ) waiting for my Black Copper Marans pullets to start laying. Their combs and wattles are really starting to redden up. I have moved them into the layer pen, but the established girls are throwing fits when they come near the best boxes. Silly chickens!

Glad to hear the dog gets a reprive.

The hen sounds like she's trying to go broody to me also. We have a buff that's taking her time on the nest also.

 

[Saris]

Wow! Sounds like everyone is pretty busy these days! I am still over run with chicks. The Craigslist add has only brought me one customer that took 9. Might have another 8 or 10 sold. That still leaves me with 40ish mixed breed babies. Won't do that again! I guess I will have a large egg laying flock for eating egg customers, and some roosters for freezer camp. I am patiently (ok not really ) waiting for my Black Copper Marans pullets to start laying. Their combs and wattles are really starting to redden up. I have moved them into the layer pen, but the established girls are throwing fits when they come near the best boxes. Silly chickens!

Glad to hear the dog gets a reprive.

The hen sounds like she's trying to go broody to me also. We have a buff that's taking her time on the nest also.

I really hope she does go broody. She got off the nest though.

North West Seed and Pet sometimes buys straight run chicks for a couple dollar a each. You could call and see if they'll take them.

 

[firedragon1982]

Yeah, we haven't had any luck selling the ducks yet either. Have some one who wants 2 females and a male, but we only had a few females we're keeping... So more meat for our freezer.

On that note, I processed 4 more boys last week and have decided I need a butcher buddy. I was so bored plucking by myself, and it goes so much slower when only 1 person is doing it all.

And the sickly d'uccle chick died like I thought it would, had to put the one with slipped tendons down. Down to 3 chicks. Sigh.

 

[UGLYFOOT]

Thank you!!! @Saris I will try there.

@firedragon1982. Sorry about the chicks. I didn't get a single one from 10 replacement eggs sent to me for the silkie/showgirl duds. Had two make it to lockdown, only to die in the shell. They were fully formed silkies.