NY chicken lover!!!!

[rancher hicks]

Rancher,

I am quite impressed with the Buff Orpingtons. I have 4 hens and 1 roo. The hens started laying at 20 weeks and I was getting close to 2 dozen eggs a week until one went broody a couple weeks ago. She is setting on 3 that should hatch later this week. They forage really well, and when they are able to free range, they may go several days and hardly touch their feed. I'm hoping I end up with a couple more hens out of the three eggs my broody is on. If not I will be looking for a few more to add this year.

Dave

I had some and should have kept them but I can only keep so many breeds since I choose to hatch my own. My rooster was very nice. I gave him to a friend and I know he died. I was afraid to ask how. I don't give chickens to folks who I feel don't take care of them properly.

Think my egg turner quit on me. (Insert panic here). It was working before I put eggs in, but now I only see it pointing north, has not rotated south. Ugh. Tried unplug and replugging it in, motor is hot. :faceplant

Mine quit too some time ago. I bought a new motor and switched it out. It's not hard or expensive. Check Incubator warehouse for parts. If you order one you should have it in time. A week of turning on your own won't be so bad.

 

[bakingintherain]

Well I'm glad everyone is Eggcited to hatch chicks. Wonder how many TSC will sell or why anyone would buy chicks. Even in my worst hatches I get enough chicks. I suppose it's being able to tell the xes. 

Anyhow I've seven chicks now and dumped far to many unhatched eggs. I'll be setting more soon. Don't know why. 

I had a guy call to buy chickens and offered him the 7 C. Rocks for $70.  Four of the hens just started laying this winter, so they are young. He says yes but I'm still waiting for him to show.  There are 6 hens and the rooster. I didn't realize there is a 7th hen in there. She's got more while. 

The plan is to downsize enough so I can travel. 

I figured to empty the back Marans coop and just have birds inside the fenced in yard. 

Does anyone here hire a sitter to care for their birds while they're away?  

We have been in fl for a week and I have me brother in law taking care of the house and dog, and a fellow chicken friend taking care of the chickens, ducks, and goats

 

[Gramma Chick]

Think my egg turner quit on me. (Insert panic here). It was working before I put eggs in, but now I only see it pointing north, has not rotated south. Ugh. Tried unplug and replugging it in, motor is hot. :faceplant

Too many eggs ? Did you say you loaded it up before ? time for manual turning ..

 

[Gramma Chick]

well my cellar nest is empty..



Took the Blanket down that was dividing the coop


A few hens checking out the cage

.I kicked them out today...to the coop ..in their own cage inside it..so there is no pecking issues .
I put a board in front of the cage so the hens dont steal all the baby food

I miss the 2 of them already...but I dont miss the mess .
.to go through their area ..you had to watch where you walked
& I picked up the poo at least once or twice a day..so you could walk through their area

 

[Purpletie3]

well my cellar nest is empty..



Took the Blanket down that was dividing the coop


A few hens checking out the cage

.I kicked them out today...to the coop ..in their own cage inside it..so there is no pecking issues .
I put a board in front of the cage so the hens dont steal all the baby food

I miss the 2 of them already...but I dont miss the mess .
.to go through their area ..you had to watch where you walked
& I picked up the poo at least once or twice a day..so you could walk through their area

I like the waterer in the bowl idea & crate withing the big area. My little guys are always getting flakes into it. I have my brooders set up at the farm this year. I guess they firgured out how to get the top ajar the other day and my boyfriend can't count or look...anyhow he missed two...and they had a poo palooza while I was gone...UGH Luckily, their little house just got delivered yesterday so I can put it together. I found a plastic chicken coop to try out.

 

[Purpletie3]

Think my egg turner quit on me. (Insert panic here). It was working before I put eggs in, but now I only see it pointing north, has not rotated south. Ugh. Tried unplug and replugging it in, motor is hot. :faceplant

...it's always something with incubators!!! UGGH Time for the X on one side and O on the other and turn....I really take the turners for granted. I remember what a pain it was to turn 50 eggs 3 times a day. I hope you can get this fixed soon.

 

[Purpletie3]

This was my hatch from this weekend. Got a couple white pavlovskaya's in there, spitzhaubens, silkies, speckled sussex, Isbar/BCM mix and a couple cute mutts!

This is one of my last GreenFire shipment chicks- white pavlovskaya They are 4 weeks old today. I also got some more Jill Reese CCL and another type of sulmtaler.

 

[myfivegirls]

Sheesh - I really want to get some turkeys this year ... 

Enablers All !


(guess it is payback)

all of you who want turkey's that are coming for chickenstock contact myfivegirls. She has turkey's and said she would bring us eggs or babies if interested.

I'm doing a test hatch now of the turkey eggs, as I'm not sure if they're fertile yet or not. First year hatching turkeys, so no guarantees! The one hen lays for 10 -14 days, then tries to sit on the empty nest. I'd want her to raise her young, but right now would prefer her to continue laying eggs. The 2nd hen is a little younger & hasn't started laying yet.

I think I may have overdone it, b/c I went & set 100 eggs for the Easter Hatch-a-long!

Since I'm testing out the new cabinet cooler bater, I don't expect them all to hatch, but if they do, I'll have chicks to help enable others add to their flock! But, I may raise some out for the mini Chickenstock if anyone's interested.
More chicks due to hatch this week also, so have to move the Feb hatch chicks & the two broodies out of their brooder. Though this time, there's no broodies to assist with these chicks.

 

[tao chick]

This was my hatch from this weekend. Got a couple white pavlovskaya's in there, spitzhaubens, silkies, speckled sussex, Isbar/BCM mix and a couple cute mutts! This is one of my last GreenFire shipment chicks- white pavlovskaya They are 4 weeks old today. I also got some more Jill Reese CCL and another type of sulmtaler.

I love Pavlovskaya!

 

[Purpletie3]

I'm doing a test hatch now of the turkey eggs, as I'm not sure if they're fertile yet or not. First year hatching turkeys, so no guarantees! The one hen lays for 10 -14 days, then tries to sit on the empty nest. I'd want her to raise her young, but right now would prefer her to continue laying eggs. The 2nd hen is a little younger & hasn't started laying yet.

I think I may have overdone it, b/c I went & set 100 eggs for the Easter Hatch-a-long!

What kind of turkeys are you raising?