NY chicken lover!!!!

[rcentner]

hey all! ya...frozen water here too....only outside though, the coop is staying a good 10 degrees above outside.

What kind of heater are you gonna use in the coop? I am entertaining the idea since I now have 7 chicks in there and dont really wanna use my heated dog bowls this year. I have some large waddled roos that will definately get frostbite that way. Figure if I keep the coop warm then the water will be too. My DH was thinking about using propane, but I am worried about using any kind of heater. How do I know it will be safe? worries me, but it'll be atleast a month for I need to have that figured out. But the time of having water in the runs is running short.

Hope everyone is staying warm and enjoying these nicer days when they come. It will be a long winter since I am, in a sense, a broody hen myself, due to hatch in the late spring. I just think about what a pain in the but last winter was with the waters and how darn cold and dark it was! Hopefully this year will be better with my new coop and more chickens, forgot how much they eat in the winter though. I am already going through more food.

My 2 mama hens are getting along in the same enclosure right now. Funny how the chicks want to interact with eachother, but the mamas wont let them.

anyone else get chicks this late in the year?

 

[elieugene6]

I have chicks. The youngest ones are 2 wks old. With more due to hatch on Monday (hopefully). I am putting more eggs in the incubator tomorrow and some quail on Friday. The oldest ones will be getting moved outside (hopefully) within the next couple weeks. If I can get the 3 due for freezer camp into the freezer. I really would like to have my basement back but I am thinking that I might need to attend some more hatchers anonymous meetings, although they enable more that help. Darn incubator is my downfall, but they are so cute and they remind me of spring. I really hope the quail aren't as cute as everyone says or I will be in real trouble. I just can't help myself there are so many cute chickens out there. Good thing I can't find my call duck eggs for a reasonable price or I would have some of them too.

 

[chicken stalker]

Quote:
I have chicks due next Thursday. I have a hen who is fostering an old chick that is going to another family this weekend. If I'm lucky she'll adopt these little ones so I won't have basement babies.....we'll this month at least. I plan on loading the bator for a New Years hatch, if the ladies cooperate.

rcentner- what about using a ceramic bulb? It would help to keep the temps above freezing. They sell them at pet stores. They just screw into a light socket. I have a heated bucket in one coop, a heated base pan in another, and a home made cookie tin heater for the banties.

 

[happyhensny]

Just needing to put a "wanted" out there for my local NY'ers

Anyone have Black East Indies ducks, ducklings or eggs? I have a VERY lonely drake that needs a buddy or 2.

Thanks!

 

[Karen_at_LittleBrook]

Quote:
I understand your excitement! We have some new ones laying also and love to go out and see if we have a new one. I agree that was a heavy frost...no frozen water bowls. My silkies have not started to lay...well I think not....I have 18 new ones to start! Can I ask what you mean by "squating" ? Enjoy!

Hi Cydney83, well to explain the squatting thing... when you walk into the coop or run, pretty much anywhere near them or reach down to pet them, they kind of hunch down, belly to the ground, wings up a bit (not out, but up toward their ears) and stamp their feet!!! First time I saw them do it I was like WTH? I came in and read-up on it and thats what they do for the Roo when they are ready to mate. It's kind of funny. And if you pet them while they are doing it, they squish down even more, then fluff out and shake it off and walk away! Mine started squatting about 5 days before they first layed. So it's a good indicator for when there will be eggs!

 

[Cydney83]

Well you learn something everyday! Thanks...I have noticed that put didn't put it to laying eggs!

 

[Tab's chicken obsession]

Shut the boys and girls in last night did a head count and realized my splash BLRW roo was missing. Searched all over last night and again this morning with no luck, not even a pile of feathers some place. I'm hoping he turns up today.
The week before christmas I plan on incubating some eggs and was wondering if anyone would have some BLRW eggs that they would be willing to part with.

 

[rcentner]

Tab's chicken obsession :

Shut the boys and girls in last night did a head count and realized my splash BLRW roo was missing. Searched all over last night and again this morning with no luck, not even a pile of feathers some place. I'm hoping he turns up today.
The week before christmas I plan on incubating some eggs and was wondering if anyone would have some BLRW eggs that they would be willing to part with.

I hope he shows up for you today!

I have some splash BLRW's but they are not SQ...would be willing to give you some if you want, but the pair I have, both could have better leg color (pale yellow instead of bright yellow) and I have been told that her lacing leaves something to be desired. After seeing a splash BLRW at a show (which I didn't think that was a recognized color anyhow) I think my roo looks pretty good.​

 

[Cydney83]

Tab's chicken obsession :

Shut the boys and girls in last night did a head count and realized my splash BLRW roo was missing. Searched all over last night and again this morning with no luck, not even a pile of feathers some place. I'm hoping he turns up today.
The week before christmas I plan on incubating some eggs and was wondering if anyone would have some BLRW eggs that they would be willing to part with.

OH No! I really hope he was just roosting somewhere last night! Let me know when he comes back!...

Good luck with your eggs!

 

[Tab's chicken obsession]

Good news! Once the sun came up a little more my roo came out of hiding. We found him down by our second coop. He's my younger roo and I think the others were bullying him a bit so he went to visit the other girls. He gave me quite the scare. I love my birds but I favor the BLRW.