NY chicken lover!!!!

[Adoravachick]

We woke up to little peeps this morning.....from inside the egg and a day early. I just got done saying that I was concerned that the temp spikes in my incubator might have done them all in. That's what I get for not hatching from the Brinsea. I took them out of the Brinsea and put them into the Little giant at lockdown to make room for Isabel's eggs (one of which I cracked being OVERLY cautious

) So, imagine my surprise when the peeping came from the LG. Babies will arrive soon! Yay!! My daughter is thrilled because she helped collect the eggs, she learned how to store the eggs until incubation, put them into the incubator, and we candled them. This is our first batch from the time the eggs were layed by our hens. This first baby will be special for us.

On an upsetting note, Sam, my new rooster, and my D'uccle hen is MIA. Apparently, DH let all the chickens out yesterday while I was at the tailgate and walked away. 2 birds were missing when I got home. I am just sick over it, I literally have a knot in my stomach. I am hoping that they turn up today.

I don't know what could have happened to them.

 

[rancher hicks]

Thanks, Rancher! You're excellent!

I have a raised wooden coop, but in the winter time, they hate the snow. So, they all hang out under the overhang portion right by my house and the door. As a result - it's a poopfest. I'm hoping to fence that off this year so they can't get close to the house. I'll need to make them some sort of a room of their own that's sans snow and protected from the wind. This will be perfect Does the heat maintain better with the clear stuff even in the winter?

The plastic creates a "green house" affect. Because chickens exhale alot of moisture. The humidity in a coop of any kind has to be defused through ventilation. Many folks worry about birds being cold but they deal much better with the cold than the heat. I think we think it's the warm weather that causes them to lay more in the summer but I wonder if it's just the longer daylight.

The back door to the coop is not covered during the warmer weather but I did cover it with plastic for the winter. I'm thinking of covering it with burlap, felt or some other fabric. I did cover the front of the coop with felt last year during the winter. I may not this year.

 

[Glasshen]

Home from our vacation in the southwest! Home is best. Even though I felt like a miserable dragging semi human being I went out to see the flock first thing. Jessie my chicken sitter did a fabulous job. They were content, clean and quiet. This morning I woke up to rooster crows, as I should! And today I am human. All night travel doesn't work for me.

 

[Lynzi777]

Good Morning,
Well, no more crowing since Saturday morning from my roo. And also haven't had any eggs from my silkies since last week. When I switched them over to the new coop, one of them layed in the nestbox but it was a mess! I actually didn't even see a hard shell, just some "lining" and yellow yolk all over the place. The next day I found a broken egg shell but was completely empty. Not sure what's going on. I did come back from dropping off my son at school this morning to my daughter's silkie clucking away, so maybe we finally an egg. I wont know till I take my break from work and go out there to check.

Rancher love the pics of your chickens! My son keeps telling me he wants those "black and white" chickens, as he describes them. LOL Our neighbor has one or two of them and they're his favorite out of all she has over there.

 

[marquisella]

My raccoon came back. Was getting into the cat food in the barn, making a mess,knockinng over the water.
Eating eggs I forgot to take inside....

So, this time I baited the trap with an egg and cat food, and success! It was a huge raccoon!

It was so big, that it managed to lift off a cement block that we put ontop of the plastic box with the cat food in it....

I hope that is the end.

 

[featherz]

I hope that is the end.

Yikes!! I am so glad you got it!!

I am *loving* this weather!! =) Finally got the driveway coated and still trying to get some house stuff done before I start new job next week.

Still looking for a couple of day old baby chicks - preferably incubator hatched, any breed is fine. Trying to convince a few broodies to stop hogging the nest boxes and I am hoping they don't have to wait another few weeks! =P

Anyone looking for hens soon? Nothing fancy, just 14 months (ish) hens that I may rehome so I don't have so many chickens to feed for winter. Would be inexpensive, but again nothing 'show quality' or fancy. PM me if you are looking!

 

[Nambroth]

The plastic creates a "green house" affect. Because chickens exhale alot of moisture. The humidity in a coop of any kind has to be defused through ventilation. Many folks worry about birds being cold but they deal much better with the cold than the heat. I think we think it's the warm weather that causes them to lay more in the summer but I wonder if it's just the longer daylight.

The egg cycle of a chicken is triggered by photo-period-- so, while other factors (like stress, age, breed) can of course determine how many and when for eggs, daylight duration is absolutely a key factor.

 

[littlecritters]

We woke up to little peeps this morning.....from inside the egg and a day early.  I just got done saying that I was concerned that the temp spikes in my incubator might have done them all in.  That's what I get for not hatching from the Brinsea.  I took them out of the Brinsea and put them into the Little giant  at lockdown to make room for Isabel's eggs (one of which I cracked being OVERLY cautious )  So, imagine my surprise when the peeping came from the LG.  Babies will arrive soon! Yay!!  My daughter is thrilled because she helped collect the eggs, she learned how to store the eggs until incubation, put them into the incubator, and we candled them.  This is our first batch from the time the eggs were layed by our hens.  This first baby will be special for us.

On an upsetting note,  Sam, my new rooster, and my D'uccle hen is MIA.  Apparently, DH let all the chickens out yesterday while I was at the tailgate and walked away.  2 birds were missing when I got home.  I am just sick over it, I literally have a knot in my stomach.  I am hoping that they turn up today.  I don't know what could have happened to them.    

They may surprise you and come back home when it is dinner time. I had this happen recently with an "escapee" pullet. She showed up for dinner like nothing had ever happened.

 

[rancher hicks]

Just got home from school and boy and I beat.

Lynzii - I have eggs if you want to come and get some. They're BR's from Kathy in MO. If you ask me how much I'll slap you one.

Marq - glad you got the coon. I've been dealing with squirrels. Have one coming into the garage. Trish said she lost her turkey to a coyote. It came back and when they heard the chickens going off, Mark went out with his gun and killed it.

Featherz- I got chicks hatching under broodies as I type this. So far two and two. Two are Birchens but they're staying. The other two are a del and orp lav/split. Each hen has an egg or more to go. I'd like not to leave either one with no chicks as they don't break but just keep on being broody. The sooner they raise chicks the sooner they go back to laying.

Adora - I'm with Litter, I've had hens not come in only to show up the next day. If you haven't seen any preds they may just be around. Keep your other birds close.

Take care everyone.

Rancher

 

[Adoravachick]

Adora - I'm with Litter, I've had hens not come in only to show up the next day. If you haven't seen any preds they may just be around. Keep your other birds close.

Take care everyone.

Rancher

Thank you, I'm hoping so, no sign so far.