NY chicken lover!!!!

[Beer can]

I've heard ceder is bad for chickens??
I used alder I believe, shavings in their nest boxes. I cut my own firewood so sawdust is free, mixed hardwood.

 

[Metella]

Yeah - the oil in cedar is supposed to be bad for chickens ..

so pine shavings - old leaves raked up and dried - pine needles - dried mowed lawn grass ... any natural bedding should work just fine.

but you have to stir it up - you don't want it so deep and hot you start a fire ! I've never heard of that - but mentioning the compost heap - made me think - you don't want to take this to that extreme.

 

[rancher hicks]

I think we are going to steal your idea of the hoop building although we are going to use it for our straw, wood chip, saw dust storage.

that kind of thing. Great idea and thanks for posting it.

I plan to do the same. I might put an addition on the back of this hoop, since there is a second door there and it will make cleaning in the winter easier. As a rule I put doors on both sides of my hoops. I did a make shift hoop but without support the snow crushed it and I can't get to the shavings. Next year I'll have it made correctly. Usually I get to do one cleaning during the winter. This year it was so cold there was not thaw.

 

[Gramma Chick]

Quote: There is a certain Satisfaction that comes with taking care of Animals ...you will find it again

 

[Lynzi777]

Hi All,
I'm up to 2 sizzle chicks that hatched over the weekend, waiting on one more and then an Orp egg too, only one took out of the 3 I put the n the bator with my Sizzles. All 6 of my friends Sebbie eggs are developing. And she just hatched her first three ever! So happy for her. I hope mine hatch as easily as hers did. She wasn't even home when they hatched! Lol she had to travel out of state and ended up having to leave them and her husband moved them to the brooder. I also have 6 sizzle eggs due on the 11th and 6 Magpie eggs from @LuvMyChicks1491. She packed and shipped me 6 and all 6 arrived perfectly and are all developing! So excited to have some Magpies again.

My Silkies from my winter hatch are getting big and could really go outside now. Id love to throw them in with my other Silkies but I'm worried about them getting bullied by the older guys. I'll just have to wait until we move I guess.

️Jagger is getting big and fitting in nicely here. Brought him to the vet this month and he's up to 108 lbs already. He'll be 8 months old on the 2nd.

Do you guys still have a lot of snow? It was melting here but then we've been flurries ever day so that hasn't been helping.

 

[PhoredaBurds]

I'd help, but my incubator is filled with duck eggs right now. I do have a broody, but she is a first timer and I don't trust her with good eggs. If one of my other girls goes broody I'll let you know. I would be happy to let them hatch some out...I have eggs lined up till chickenstock to put in my incubator, but after that I could help too...I knew I should have gotten the bigger incubator.  

Lol. I was thinking similar thoughts of a bigger incubator, but then realized that might not be a good idea for me. Incubating is terribly addictive! Good luck w ur hatch! No room in my bators either.

@aalissa welcome!!

 

[dragonlord483]

Our hatch didn't go as well as I would've liked last weekend. 12 chicks hatched 2 of those died the second day. Some of the pipped ones died before making it out and some just didn't hatch at all. We had fertility 30 of 50 made it to lock down. I collected the eggs when it was still way below zero for this hatch and I think that was the problem. We're setting another hatch this weekend. The first hatch 2 NN,1 BLRW, 3 brahma bantam, and 4 OE/EE. Going to set Del/cornish, lav orp, OE/NN, BLRW, and golden cuckoo maran. Hopefully will have better results now that it has been warmer.

Travis has killed 2 opossum the past couple weeks in our barn. Rats we have a problem with every fall when it gets cold. Now we have barn cats and that helps.

The stomach flu has gone through our house the past 2 weeks and hasn't been fun. It bothers me to see my babies look and feel like they did. The aches and pains hung on for days. I'm glad vacation is this week starting.

Rancher--I've been thinking of you and your wife. I wish she didn't have to be going through this.

Sorry to hear about ur hatch. Fingers crossed next batch will go well.

I've got a bunch in the hatcher which I had though gotten too cold, but there's 4 pips now. Of course the suspense is killing me.

Possums r a pain. I found one in my chx house twice in one week. (I had been wondering about the shortage of eggs in there) The second time I found him in there, we did a little relocating. He was very easy to catch bc he just played possum.

I had one GE got lead poisoning

 

[aalissa]

There is a certain Satisfaction that comes with taking care of Animals ...you will find it again

Yes the white rocks look pretty close. nice to see them again.
And yes I do miss taking care of something.lol I have empty nest syndrome as my kids (5) are all grown up. Although this isn't a fly by night thought. My husband thought it was but I have been pestering him for chicks for over 4 years. Maybe he as hoping it was a passing faze, its not.
I find life rather boring now that I am retired early... I need something to do with all my time. Something to research, talk about, care about.
At this point I think found my starter chicken... I think Wyandottes are going to be the bird. At least in the beginning.

 

[Pyxis]

Just wanted to pop this in here so that if anyone wanted to use it to pass it on, they could, since Easter is right around the corner.

 

[Gramma Chick]

Quote:
ohhh chicken Eye Candy ..they are just beautiful ...I read some where they are not the best layers ...Anyone else heard that ?
We started with comets & RIR ..both egg laying machines ...A egg a day for years ...Now we are looking for blue egg layers

Just wanted to pop this in here so that if anyone wanted to use it to pass it on, they could, since Easter is right around the corner.

Good Idea ...remind everyone ro be responsible pet owners