NY chicken lover!!!!

[cheeka]

...and the lecture begins...

starts with "give them away"

 

[vmdanielsen]

You're in my prayers Tab

I don't post here often but I try to read every day and your strength has been amazing. I love the picture, it's beautiful.


I do have a question for everyone. I'm looking to buy an incubator, just a small one. I don't plan on hatching too many. Key word there is plan...I mean who am I kidding haha
The problem is I'm not really sure where to start looking/what the best ones are. I've been looking on amazon a bit and the reviews are all over the place and not always reliable...I don't mind turning them, however automatic turning would be a plus.

I love my brinsea!!!I purchased the auto turn cradle. Love it!!

 

[Cass]

...and the lecture begins...

starts with "give them away"

Ends with "who pays the bills, does the work and eats the eggs?" Right?

Edited to add: When Ray (my SO) buys his first bag of feed, carries it to the coop (wheel barrow is broken), Opens it, fills the feeder, carries the bucket of water from the house to the waterer, adds wood chips to the nasty nest boxes and bring in the eggs, THAT'S when he gets to say how many chickens I have. Until then, not a peep or he gets NOTHING that contains eggs for life. (and he loves homemade cookies)

 

[JayLyn07]

Hey everyone it's been a while since I have been on but it's been pretty sucky around here. Lost my whole flock of 15 about a month ago to a weasel! so now i have 5 5 month old blue and black silkies that i would like to find a home for. (cant handle the same thing happening to them!) I purchased them from sterlingsue def one roo started crowing 2-3 girls and one unsure they are all beautiful. I would like them to all go together. The remaining feed I have will also go with them. If interested please pm for the details! Thanks everyone.

 

[featherz]

ugh! today is chicken health day.. first I see my little araucana limping.. I pick her up, feet look perfect but her NAILS are about an inch long! This is what happens when you work all week and only see your chickens in the dark. So I trim her nails as best I can (cat nail clippers).. seems like an improvement. Then one of my NN girls turns around and YUCK, I see poopy butt. Grab her take her in the house and she has a prolapse there, thus the poopy butt. Butt bath for a chicken (yuck!) and her rear is smeared with raw honey and she's sitting in a dark cage for now. Seems perky but she smells like rotten chicken. Ugh, I really wish I had time off during the week when it was daylight - the flashlight checks just aren't doing the trick..

Other than that, everyone's happy to get out in relative sunshine!

 

[cheeka]

Ends with "who pays the bills, does the work and eats the eggs?" Right?

Edited to add: When Ray (my SO) buys his first bag of feed, carries it to the coop (wheel barrow is broken), Opens it, fills the feeder, carries the bucket of water from the house to the waterer, adds wood chips to the nasty nest boxes and bring in the eggs, THAT'S when he gets to say how many chickens I have. Until then, not a peep or he gets NOTHING that contains eggs for life. (and he loves homemade cookies)

mine expects to take 2 dozen eggs home each time... I have to let him get the lecture out, I've learned that much in 6 years... I "yes dear" him til he quiets down, and get my way regardless. for those above stated reasons exactly.

 

[stonykill]

Ends with "who pays the bills, does the work and eats the eggs?" Right?

Edited to add: When Ray (my SO) buys his first bag of feed, carries it to the coop (wheel barrow is broken), Opens it, fills the feeder, carries the bucket of water from the house to the waterer, adds wood chips to the nasty nest boxes and bring in the eggs, THAT'S when he gets to say how many chickens I have. Until then, not a peep or he gets NOTHING that contains eggs for life. (and he loves homemade cookies)

 

[AQHAchick22]

I've had a Hovabator Genesis for 7years now. I used it as an incubator for 2 years, then when the eggs didn't fit in anymore, bought a Sportsman. I still use it for the last 3 days & hatch in there because I don't want my Sportsman getting gunked up by chick dander.

Forgot to say, it is digital, so you don't have fiddle with the temp. It holds the temperature very well. The other brand,don't buy a little giant whatever you do. I hate mine. I won it in a raffle thinking to use it as a back up for hatching, but I couldnt get the temperature to regulate and its not tall enough for large breeds...just isn't a good incubator.

Thanks everyone for the advice! I'm thinking of a Brinsea...however for my first hatching venture maybe I will go with the $50 one from TSC...decisions decisions...maybe an early Christmas gift for myself

Thanks for the advice on the little giant, I was originally looking at one of those but the reviews don't seem too great, it seems there are a lot of issues with the temperature regulation.


In other news, one of my dogs ate a chipmunk today

gross...usually he just catches them, kills them and then runs off bored when they stop "playing" with him. Today for some reason he decided eating it would be a good idea. Now I have a sick dog on my hands. No doggy kisses from him for awhile. Yuck.

 

[pharmchickrnmom]

Jaylyn--sorry to hear you are having weasel problems. Any chance of trapping and killing it? Too bad you are so far away as I would take your silkies. Hopefully someone else will. Check with Aria...she was looking for some a while back.

Cheeka---where theres a will, theres a way!

The ladies were late off the roost this morning. Guess they wanted to sleep in as well. Cheeps got some freerange time today and some goodies. Got them some cabbage and fruit on markdown. My silkie boys decided to make a try for me today and I had to remind them who is boss. Just a quick reminder and they were good.

Another long work week ahead but my baby gets home next sunday! She has gone to the dark side and wants polish chickens!

 

[rancher hicks]

Where to begin. I like to let everyone know I'm reading whats' going on.

Tabs - I meant what I said. If you need to get out call and stop over DW will be baking Christmas cookies. She always does tons.

Cheeka - was it you with the furnace. Please be careful. I hope you've got a CO detector and it's in good working order. Chicks can be replaced.

Speaking of which I had to toss my young EE off the nest this evening. I thought it was funny she was on the nest so late, when I collected eggs. At close up time she was still there. I had hoped she'd lay larger eggs by now like her mother but I fear they may be just medium sized. Unlike her mother who lays a 2.2 oz egg. Though something happened while I was gone and she hasn't laid an egg in a while.



Now Jaylyn - to deal with weasels you need to make a trap. You can find the instructions on Youtube and it looks fairly easy. Its a rat trap set up and if you hang it in a tree you should be fine. I have one I'm going to set up for squirrels.

As for the incu - Like Marq, I have a Genesis 1588 and it works fine. From what I've read it seems to me you just need to get in your groove. What works for you. My temps I keep about 100. That seems to work good. Also the location is more important than I thought. Sometimes I think the instructions don't go far enough into detail.

Hope anyone hatching does well. I doubt I'll get started on the first of Jan. My grandkids will be here and using my office for sleeping. The office is my hatching room since it's small easy to maintain a room temp and low traffic.

Now back to Tab, If you plan on new chicks and don't think you'll have the time? I'm your guy. I'll do whatever eggs you prefer. I just don't want you to stress over it. No charge of course, just do we're clear.

Take care everyone and stay warm,

Rancher