NY chicken lover!!!!

[stonykill]

BTW - I have a hen #9 who doesn't come in at night. She shows up to eat and I expect she's got a nest somewhere but don't know where. I tried to watch her to see where she goes but couldn't spend the time needed today. Will try tomorrow. I know the area she's came from but haven't hunted for her spot.

Has anyone had this happen with a hen? She's a BR and I'd hate to lose her as she's one of Kathinmo's and not replaceable. I will be hatching in the spring but they just started laying this spring and still to young.

The CR's from Scott in GA should be laying soon. They are tall birds.

ever? try all the time!

Too young? I hatch eggs all the time, well ok the girls do from hens that age.

 

[rancher hicks]

It's recommended that you hatch only eggs from hens that are older. I would like to wait at least until they're two but they have other ideas. The reason being you can see how hardy they are. Some birds are just not hardy and die or have other problem early on. I prefer to work toward a hardy line. I don't have time to coddle chickens.

Right now I have two BR's in the nest sitting on nothing. The box is to big and I do have to divide it, but I toss them out and they come right back.

One of them hatched one chick out of twelve. In all fairness the coop has been very hot. One day over 100*. I haven't figured out how to cool things off in there yet.

Anyhow this hen is in the woods somewhere not far. I'm afraid something will sniff her out. I've had no pred problems lately, though I do intend to fence things in when time and money allow.

I've had to babysit the last two days so I haven't had time to spend hunting her down. Well I didn't "have" too but my GD is more important.

We went to the zoo yesterday.

 

[vmdanielsen]

Morning all!

Going to be a beautiful day today so I will attempt to do some coop housekeeping today. You never know how many muscles you use in your abdomen on a daily basis until someone cuts into them and they are definately all connected!!! Feeling better each day though so its time to push a little and get some things done.

The red boys are putting on weight now so the rapists may go sooner rather than later. I;m sure the girls will be relieved when that happens. They too are filling out nicely. All are now 16 weeks old now and some of the pullets have red faces so I am hoping they start laying soon. These terrorists certainly keep everyone busy and the girls are a chatty lot. I feel like the pied piper cause they follow me around the yard when I am doing stuff.

One of my hens laid a fart egg in the coop this morning and I caught Betty trying to eat it. She ran and hid on the far side when she saw me cause she knows I will yell at her. I did. Elanor is still sitting on the empty nest. She is a good broody wyandotte and I will definately keep her around to hatch eggs next year. Winter project will be to build her a broody enclosure that is custom to their coop.

My chickens must be weird because I tried to give them pumpkin and they wont eat it, even cooked. They will do anything for meat though. One of the red pullets tried to steal the pork off the bbq the other night while my dh was grilling. I couldnt believe what I was seeing. He had to boot her away before she would leave it alone. Her new name is Barb--hehehe!

Amy, I have to cook my pumpkin then put kefeir on ot. After a few times, they will eat pumpkin on their own. ditto with zuchini, summer squash and the like. Kefir on everythng, then top off with meal worms(think sundae) and it WILL disappear. The latest discovery was.. kefir and banana peel(chopped)

 

[stonykill]

It's recommended that you hatch only eggs from hens that are older. I would like to wait at least until they're two but they have other ideas. The reason being you can see how hardy they are. Some birds are just not hardy and die or have other problem early on. I prefer to work toward a hardy line. I don't have time to coddle chickens.

I suppose if you don't know your flock, sure. If you know your flock then you know the offspring of #4 hen and #1 rooster will be hardy. I just had a Sumatra pullet lay eggs for 2 weeks, she is 19 weeks old. She is broody. on eggs. Some hers. I KNOW they will be hardy birds.

Starting with a new flock, I've just waited until they laid over winter, and hatched from the best layers. i have always had strong and healthy birds. Which is basically the same as you are going to do

 

[vmdanielsen]

I have red sex links and I just got my first egg on Saturday. They turned 16 weeks last Tuesday...

congratulations!!! how did it taste?

 

[stonykill]

congratulations!!! how did it taste?

the 1st few dozen taste expensive

 

[vmdanielsen]

the 1st few dozen taste expensive

you are so NOT kidding!! People ask me how much I shoould charge to actually make money. I reply, "about $50 an egg'. iT IS A LABOR OF LOVE THAT'S FOR SURE1!!!!!!

 

[Henicillin]

you are so NOT kidding!! People ask me how much I shoould charge to actually make money. I reply, "about $50 an egg'. iT IS A LABOR OF LOVE THAT'S FOR SURE1!!!!!!

"You have chickens? That must be great to get free eggs." I always want to ask people who say that to let us know when they find a chicken-keeper who gets free eggs, as we'd all love to know the secret!

 

[pharmchickrnmom]

Ginny---do I have to share all my food with the cheeps??? I have kefir every day on my cereal. Yesterday I sat outside eating an apple (mistake #1, sitting outside eating an apple) while everyone was out freeranging and before I could say boo, I had a sexlink pullet in my lap eating my apple. I was then surrounded by begging thieves and so had half an apple and they all fought over the other half. Really??? I eat so little and they took that away from me!!!

Rancher--working on making things clearer. Info is there, just revising. Will send you the revision. Nice birds by the way. GD must have loved the zoo!

Hen--dont you know by now we work for free? Or we arent really busy? Thats what I am told by the customers anyways..."oh you;re not busy, can I ring out here?". Sure, the 5 people I have coming back in the next 10 minutes can wait, along with the ringing phones and the customer behind you with scripts to drop off. Yup, those eggs are free because we didnt clean, feed, water, examine, build, freerange and fence anything!!!

Heard one of my little silkie boys crow for the first time this morning. Frodo I think. He is becoming a beautiful splash cockeral and his brothers are looking really good too. So cute his little crow was. Of course Little Man had to answer right away to let him know who the big roo on the block is.

Another beautiful day in the neighborhood. Dragging DD to the grocery store for my big first day out today. Need someone to reach and carry the heavy bags and if she wants to eat, she will come! Hehe.

 

[rancher hicks]

I suppose if you don't know your flock, sure. If you know your flock then you know the offspring of #4 hen and #1 rooster will be hardy. I just had a Sumatra pullet lay eggs for 2 weeks, she is 19 weeks old. She is broody. on eggs. Some hers. I KNOW they will be hardy birds.

Starting with a new flock, I've just waited until they laid over winter, and hatched from the best layers. i have always had strong and healthy birds. Which is basically the same as you are going to do

The only flock I have had for a long time is my Dels, but I suppose there might be a weak link in the line sometimes. I haven't had any get sick or any problems with them.

The BR's and others are new to me lines.

I started with 10 BR hens and am now down to 8. One is up for adoption as she's been wounded and the other was killed by the rooster or others I don't know which. I've never had this problem so I'm having a hard time getting a handle on it. He's a nice looking rooster but has attacked me more than once. If he survives the winter he will go immediately after hatching a replacement. I had three and sold two. Not a smart move I admit, but I've never had mean roosters and didn't expect this. She didn't mention this when I got them. I would have at least been aware of what to watch out for. I don't know if its a young rooster thing or what.

I have two Blk orp ross and one of them is aggressive too. Hasn't attacked me but has DW and my GD. When I figure out which one he is he will go too. I'll to band one and see which it is.