NY chicken lover!!!!

[Adoravachick]

Thanks...............I'll try again.

Let me know how it works out for you. Be generous with the amount of coloring.

 

[rancher hicks]

I've never done this personally, but I've heard that you can put a different color food coloring on the vent of each bird at night before they lay, and when/if they lay, a little food coloring will rub off onto the egg and there you go.

I suppose you could use blue kote. If the liquid food color doesn't work try the paste kind.

 

[rancher hicks]

Kit Kat, I'm not big on Cats' but I'll make an exception for you.

Chicks are hatching, today is day 21 so I'm not worried. 9/20 so far. I'm always happy with 50% hatches so one more will be nice.

So far 2 Marans, 3 CR's, 1 orp, 3 Dels. More are working so I won't call it for another day or so. The thing with hatching is one minute none and then a short time later the one you expected to hatch is still working and the one you didn't expect just pops out.

Winter pics after snow blowing trails for the birds. Good garden o' peas, the blower scared the EE's so bad they flew all over the place. Up on top of the runs and one straight across the yard and into another coop. Right through the door. I had to pick up birds stuck in the snow. Thought I buried a BR with the blower and frantically shoved the area I last saw her. Turned out she had flown over the fence and hid under the BM coop. The photo is taken from the second floor obviously.

 

[Tough Old Bird]

Chicks are hatching, today is day 21 so I'm not worried. 9/20 so far. I'm always happy with 50% hatches so one more will be nice.

So far 2 Marans, 3 CR's, 1 orp, 3 Dels. More are working so I won't call it for another day or so. The thing with hatching is one minute none and then a short time later the one you expected to hatch is still working and the one you didn't expect just pops out.

Winter pics after snow blowing trails for the birds. Good garden o' peas, the blower scared the EE's so bad they flew all over the place. Up on top of the runs and one straight across the yard and into another coop. Right through the door. I had to pick up birds stuck in the snow. Thought I buried a BR with the blower and frantically shoved the area I last saw her. Turned out she had flown over the fence and hid under the BM coop. The photo is taken from the second floor obviously.

HOORAY on the hatching!

3 little Dels!

Those are some nice meandering paths you've created for your ladies. I'm sure they appreciated your efforts once the snow blower was silenced.

Lots of new snow. Now you can look for fox tracks...!

It's also that time of year to listen for Great Horned Owls. You mentioned you are out and about in the wee hours of morning, so maybe you'll hear them. They are the first to nest among the owls and are more vocal this time of year.

Pics of chicks when you can. Can't wait...


TOB

 

[Tough Old Bird]

I candled the eggs that she is sitting on right now, they don't have any growth. I am thinking that they got too cold while she was making up her mind on whether or not she wanted to set. It's fine by me, I have 4 or 5 extra eggs from Isabel that didn't fit in the incubator, I'll put those under her tonight. She's good hen.

Awww, Julia will get to be a Mom after all...

That's nice!


TOB

 

[rancher hicks]

We are now at 3 BM's, 1 orp, 3 Dels and 3 CR's so that's 50%. Now to wait another day or two. Some have started but they may just be taking their time. Perhaps they're wondering if they should come out it's so noisy.

I suppose I should start saving eggs for the next hatch. Haven't told DW that I intend to hatch more.

Got two eggs from the BR's so the light must be working. Either that or the reduced scratch. I do wish they'd pick up so I can hatch some. I hate to hatch late. Which for me is spring since I like to get them out of the broody room asap and laying asap.

Don't know why folks want chicks so late. They just start to lay and you gotta shut them in for the winter. Unless they're hybrids, but I could be wrong.

It's hard with Purebreds that don't lay supersized eggs. Folks who buy eggs don't really care what the breed is. I did get a supersized egg yesterday but don't know who laid it. A double yolker too. I ate it for breakfast. I don't get to many of them. I do think it was a Del though. The ones I got when I started laid a few Jumbo eggs. Mostly they're extra large. 2.1 or more.

TOB do you have chickens already?

 

[pharmchickrnmom]

Evening all! So it took dh and I two hours to shovel 9 inches of snow out of the driveway and to all the coops and the runs. Not the whole driveway as I had to leave to go to work so he finished up. I told him I am saving up for a snow blower. Kids are grown and out now so its just us and neither of us have a good back so its time. Anyways, the terrorists stood in front of their big window and watched us impatiently as we shoveled out their run. Of course the first one out the pop door was one of the red sexlinks to check out the job we had done. Her approval led to everyone else piling out. The next run was the "big girls" run(the originals who are now 3). Holy cow, what a racket! Mean Marge and her sister nellie would not shut up while we were contorted trying to shovel out their run. They were up on the roost looking out the top vents and bawked at us the whole time. Mouthy barred rocks they are and always have been. Got an opinion on everything. I'm going to find them their own shovels and they can clean out their own runs while I stand there and nag at them. See how they like it.

My bareback hen downstairs is coming along nicely. Her back is healing up well. I have to dig around and make her an apron so I can get her back into the terrorist coop. She is not happy being caged and alone. I shall come up with something one way or another. Have to make a few for the favorite hens the boys are always on. Poor girls arent bare but getting there.

Rancher--I have found that if I feed too much scratch, egg production does drop. I have been buying more discounted greens lately to back off on the scratch. I always get more eggs when I do that. Not sure why. Good luck with your hatching. I am hoping to start at the end of the month. I like my 3 year olds but am not particularily attached to any of them except elanor. She is a glw with a crooked leg but she is a good hen with a nice personality who will be a good broody i think. The rest will go to freezer camp.

 

[Adoravachick]

Kit Kat, I'm not big on Cats' but I'll make an exception for you.

Chicks are hatching, today is day 21 so I'm not worried. 9/20 so far. I'm always happy with 50% hatches so one more will be nice.

So far 2 Marans, 3 CR's, 1 orp, 3 Dels. More are working so I won't call it for another day or so. The thing with hatching is one minute none and then a short time later the one you expected to hatch is still working and the one you didn't expect just pops out.

Winter pics after snow blowing trails for the birds. Good garden o' peas, the blower scared the EE's so bad they flew all over the place. Up on top of the runs and one straight across the yard and into another coop. Right through the door. I had to pick up birds stuck in the snow. Thought I buried a BR with the blower and frantically shoved the area I last saw her. Turned out she had flown over the fence and hid under the BM coop. The photo is taken from the second floor obviously.

Congrats on your chicks! I love the chicken maze. Looks like fun.

 

[Adoravachick]

Our first broody! I am so used to incubators, I was very interested to see what it looks like to actually see nature in action. When I went down to the barn today, Julia was off the nest, sipping water and having a snack. So, I hurried to change out the eggs, gave her 3 BBS and 2 white. She came back over, settled on the eggs, used her wings to scoop the eggs directly under her again, and she shifted them. I was like a monkey chattering in a tree when I came back up to the house telling my husband and the girls all about it. It was AMAZING.

 

[Tough Old Bird]

TOB do you have chickens already?

No, Rancher...spring, which can't come soon enough for me. I sent you a PM.

Our first broody.............When I went down to the barn today, Julia was off the nest, sipping water and having a snack. So, I hurried to change out the eggs, gave her 3 BBS and 2 white. She came back over, settled on the eggs, used her wings to scoop the eggs directly under her again, and she shifted them. I was like a monkey chattering in a tree when I came back up to the house telling my husband and the girls all about it. It was AMAZING.

I can just picture it and I would have been like

**sigh....** Keep us posted on Julia's broody journey!

TOB