NY chicken lover!!!!

[Tough Old Bird]

I like the 1588 I use it as a hatcher atm since I got a sportsman. But I started with the 1588 and egg turner worked great for me. I hope you the best of luck hatching. As of right now I don't have any fertile eggs. I've had bad luck with lately. Had 5 ducks on day next I had 2 both males was in coop and no females so now I'm hatching their eggs. As for chickens I have like one out of 7 laying and others should be laying soon but aint and the silkies are not laying at all. Not to mention the one silkie who has laid an egg died with the first snow this year.

BTW all I'm still alive but haven't been on lately. I hope everyone has been ok while I've been off here.

First of all, nice to hear from you JLaw -- hope you are doing OK these days, and your family, too.

Secondly, sorry about the silkie dying. I have had two hens die in the past month. No fun, as I'm an emotional person when it comes to animals.

Lastly, if it makes you feel any better, my little flock has only 1 reliably laying hen; the 2nd one lays, but only every other couple of days, but she just recently came out of her molt, so I've got to give her some credit that she's laying at all. The other two birds are just eating, but not "giving back!" Also, two fairly recently molted birds. Their combs and wattles are reddening up nicely, so I'm hopeful................!

Winter / low light doesn't help the whole egg production thing!!!

Take care!


TOB

 

[rancher hicks]

I met two folks at TSC tonight and gave them my card with BYC on the back. Invited them to join us here.

One lady said her son processes birds so who knows we might have some close by.

 

[Tough Old Bird]

Speaking of eggs and low production due to molting birds and low light season, I had to buy a carton of eggs for the first time in ages! HORRORS !!!

I compared a cage-free store bought egg against one of my girls' eggs (Molly, one of my Columbian Rocks). My birds get to free range a few times a week. I'm sure you can guess which one is which. Neat to see the difference with my own eyes, instead of just reading about the benefits of raising your own chickens.



Hope everyone is doing well and getting through this early, severe cold snap.

Be safe & stay warm!


TOB

 

[boskelli1571]

Speaking of eggs and low production due to molting birds and low light season, I had to buy a carton of eggs for the first time in ages! HORRORS !!!

I compared a cage-free store bought egg against one of my girls' eggs (Molly, one of my Columbian Rocks). My birds get to free range a few times a week. I'm sure you can guess which one is which. Neat to see the difference with my own eyes, instead of just reading about the benefits of raising your own chickens.



Hope everyone is doing well and getting through this early, severe cold snap.

Be safe & stay warm!


TOB

I was in shock from the $$ for what I consider to be sub-standard eggs!

 

[rancher hicks]

I use a higher protein feed in the winter. Even if you don't buy a poultry magazine you can read them for free at Barnes and Nobles.

Your egg if fed right will lay a healthier egg than you can buy in the store. Understanding the terms, "cage free" , " free range" and "pasture fed' will help you see how the commericial industry can skirt having better eggs.

I had a friend call for eggs. He can't even eat Egglands Best without getting sick.

 

[jennianne]

Appreciate the feedback. Got him in a kennel down the cellar for the night, great idea!

Jenn

 

[Tough Old Bird]

I was in shock from the $$ for what I consider to be sub-standard eggs!

I know! They are pricey, especially if you want the cage-free, etc., ones!

Your egg if fed right will lay a healthier egg than you can buy in the store. Understanding the terms, "cage free" , " free range" and "pasture fed' will help you see how the commericial industry can skirt having better eggs.

I had a friend call for eggs. He can't even eat Egglands Best without getting sick.

Funny that you mentioned Eggland's Best, Rancher. Because that is what I bought and I boiled some for my younger son (he likes boiled eggs). Anyway, he came up to me afterwards with some left over egg on his plate. I asked him why he didn't finish the eggs, and he said they "didn't taste right" and the "yolks were chewy." He had no idea they weren't from our girls! So after eating our hens eggs almost exclusively for over a year, he has become an egg snob!

TOB

 

[LuvMyChicks1491]

Has anyone ever raised a crested duck before? My crested magpie duckling, Lottie, has a HUGE crest on her. Her mom didn't ever have that big of one, but then again my runner drake was so rough on her that he pulled out all of her crest feathers. I think that he pulled them out so often that they aren't growing back. (Glad that he found a new home.) My other Magpie boys are more gental on her... I'll have to get a picture of it tomorrow, but her crest is HUGE and hangs over to one side most of the time. It may be cause she is getting the rest of her feathers so that may be part of it, but I have never seen a crest so big before. Does this sound normal? She is just so cute. She has a little mark on her breast and it looks like a sideways heart..Man I hope that she is a she and not a he...

Everything else here is going well. The ducks are loving their new coop/run. On these super cold days when I would go out to check on everyone they would always be in their house. 2 of the 3 girls lay their eggs in a nest by the door the third like to lay a little farther back, but I have a garden hoe that I use. I was going to buy one of those grabbers, but the hoe works well for me so I'll stick with that.

The chickens are doing well. The other morning I think that there was some kind of fight. When I let them out in the morning as I opened the door, there was some blood splatter on the door and on the wall next to the door. Looked everyone over, looks like some one got after Pudgie one of my younger roosters. He had some dried blood on his comb. My sizzles girls, the twins I call them, I can't tell them apart, are 18 weeks this week so maybe they will start laying on of these days soon. The rest of my chickens are slackers and if I'm lucky I get 1 egg a day...if I'm lucky...I didn't want to have to put lights in the coop, but I think that this weekend I may just get them set up. 15 hens and only getting 1 egg sucks...suck the money right out of my wallet.

Hope that everyone is staying warm!!!!

 

[Gramma Chick]

Appreciate the feedback. Got him in a kennel down the cellar for the night, great idea!

Jenn

Cool !

 

[Gramma Chick]

Has anyone ever raised a crested duck before?..Man I hope that she is a she and not a he...I hope so too. we were disappointed we got 3 boys Luck of the draw..LOL...my hubby found someone to take the ducks..now I just have to screen him ...

Everything else here is going well. The ducks are loving their new coop/run. On these super cold days when I would go out to check on everyone they would always be in their house. 2 of the 3 girls lay their eggs in a nest by the door the third like to lay a little farther back, but I have a garden hoe that I use. I was going to buy one of those grabbers, but the hoe works well for me so I'll stick with that.

looks like some one got after Pudgie one of my younger roosters. Probably your other roo