NY chicken lover!!!!

[Cass]

Just spent half an hour rearranging chickens. Why? Cuz I wanted the big birds in the big side and the little chickens in the little side. Silly, I know, but at least the rooster can go back to being a MAN, instead of a nanny. LOL The broodies had cut the apron strings so all the lil' peepers took to sleeping under the roo. I am hoping the move will break the broody D'uccle. I don't need any more birds. I am thinking 37 is enough. But wait!!! The hen I bought, cuz it was making featherz nuts with her broodiness, has decided that SHE wants to hatch some eggs. I may give her some if she keeps in the box a couple of days. I would love to have some more Ameruacana hens. I am pretty sure the one surviving Am chick is a roo.

As far as incubator problems, I am a huge fan of letting the broody do the work. Doesn't matter if only one chick hatches....the momma raises it and if it is cheeping his fool head off, she has to deal with it, down in the coop, not in my back room. Now to find (then patent) a formula for making a chicken go broody when *I* want, not when it darn well pleases!!

 

[featherz]

Just spent half an hour rearranging chickens. Why? Cuz I wanted the big birds in the big side and the little chickens in the little side. Silly, I know, but at least the rooster can go back to being a MAN, instead of a nanny. LOL The broodies had cut the apron strings so all the lil' peepers took to sleeping under the roo. I am hoping the move will break the broody D'uccle. I don't need any more birds. I am thinking 37 is enough. But wait!!! The hen I bought, cuz it was making featherz nuts with her broodiness, has decided that SHE wants to hatch some eggs. I may give her some if she keeps in the box a couple of days. I would love to have some more Ameruacana hens. I am pretty sure the one surviving Am chick is a roo.

As far as incubator problems, I am a huge fan of letting the broody do the work. Doesn't matter if only one chick hatches....the momma raises it and if it is cheeping his fool head off, she has to deal with it, down in the coop, not in my back room. Now to find (then patent) a formula for making a chicken go broody when *I* want, not when it darn well pleases!!

Hahahaha.. and now I have yet another broody as well! =) It's my big orange who knows what chicken, who has already been broody once this year. I've got a few eggs hatching in two weeks - I'll give a few chicks each to these two crazy ladies and if you need a few Cass, you know where to meet me.

If it's the splash that went broody, at least at my house she was an excellent mommy. To like four batches of chicks.. grr.

 

[vmdanielsen]

Just spent half an hour rearranging chickens. Why? Cuz I wanted the big birds in the big side and the little chickens in the little side. Silly, I know, but at least the rooster can go back to being a MAN, instead of a nanny. LOL The broodies had cut the apron strings so all the lil' peepers took to sleeping under the roo. I am hoping the move will break the broody D'uccle. I don't need any more birds. I am thinking 37 is enough. But wait!!! The hen I bought, cuz it was making featherz nuts with her broodiness, has decided that SHE wants to hatch some eggs. I may give her some if she keeps in the box a couple of days. I would love to have some more Ameruacana hens. I am pretty sure the one surviving Am chick is a roo.

As far as incubator problems, I am a huge fan of letting the broody do the work. Doesn't matter if only one chick hatches....the momma raises it and if it is cheeping his fool head off, she has to deal with it, down in the coop, not in my back room. Now to find (then patent) a formula for making a chicken go broody when *I* want, not when it darn well pleases!!

I agree that hatching by broody is the easiest way, but also as you said they go broody when they please. The biggest advantage I find with the incubator is the one can hatch more eggs, when one wants. I laughed when you said you had enough chickens at 37. I am up to 36 and was done, but wait!!! I have a broody! I'll move her to the broody coop tomorrow (too hot today and that coop is great in the spring, but in direct sunlight all afternoon in the summer). Should be a bit cooler in a few days. I wanted her to hatch in her regular coop, but when I would toss her out for water, she would come back and go into the box with one wooden egg.

So, how many eggs do I place under a large fowl?

 

[rancher hicks]

We have Bluebirds that love them and the chickens love them ... I put them on CL but no bites yet... I think I will freeze them ..... at least most of them ... it's a pretty neat process, actually ...

If you vacumm packed them could you mail them? or do you need to? I see an opportunity to make a few bucks here. They can't weigh much can they? They're loaded with protein right? If they are, they'd be great for added protein in the winter time, right?

One thing I've read about heritage breeds of chickens is they need a higher protein feed than hybrids. I was buying Agways 21% egg producer but it went up in price so I'm back to Dumor 16%, which came down.

 

[kamir]

Kamir - I have four pages on incubation from a past issue of Practical Poultry that I can send by e-mail.

Rancher hicks, thanks but I don't believe I'll be into incubating chicks, or should I say eggs?

My interest in chickens is mainly to have something alive around here; I'm allergic to cats, I don't like dogs, and there is no SO nor expectation of one.

But...I'll keep your offer in mind...never say never!

Regards,
kamir

 

[TonySorrento]

Quote:

If you vacumm packed them could you mail them? or do you need to? I see an opportunity to make a few bucks here. They can't weigh much can they? They're loaded with protein right? If they are, they'd be great for added protein in the winter time, right?

One thing I've read about heritage breeds of chickens is they need a higher protein feed than hybrids. I was buying Agways 21% egg producer but it went up in price so I'm back to Dumor 16%, which came down.

You can mail them live as well ... they are super light .... we bought 2,000 originally and they were mailed alive to us .... now we are inundated with them ... I am going to see if I get any bites on CL or even here ... the chickens absolutely love them ...

 

[Henicillin]

My roo has crowed exactly once since I let the birds out a half-hour ago. Playing husband/daddy/nanny/broody referee all the time must be wearing him out!

 

[Adoravachick]

Bringing them into the barn is probably a good idea. My chickens don't like snow that is more than an inch deep. While being to airtight( the plastic), being to confined in a too small place, should be avoided also. With the snowy winters we have here it is good to be able to have the chickens where they aren't on top of one another. They can get really cannabilistic when bored. I remove part of the lattice work from under my porch, shovel them a path to the porch, where they delightfully run around under the porch, even on the coldest days. Wish my barn was big enough, but it isn't. Just make sure you can secure them at night.

Stoney, do your sumatras go inside during the winter?

Since I am going to have mainly silkies, they dont really fly. Just hop and flap. The only thing is there is no water to the barn, so carrying a huge bucket of water down the hill in the winter wind....

I wil have to think about this some more.

 

[rancher hicks]

Since I am going to have mainly silkies, they dont really fly. Just hop and flap. The only thing is there is no water to the barn, so carrying a huge bucket of water down the hill in the winter wind....

I wil have to think about this some more.

What I do in the winter is carry water in milk jugs. I have a wagon that I put the jugs in. I fill them with hot water and by the time the chickens get it it's warm enough for them to drink. I do have to do this twice a day though. I haven't got into heated waterers. It means more cords and all that. Plus I like them to have clean water and they get it so messy. I do have the nipple waterers but they don't seem to get enough from them.

 

[Cass]

Hahahaha.. and now I have yet another broody as well! =) It's my big orange who knows what chicken, who has already been broody once this year. I've got a few eggs hatching in two weeks - I'll give a few chicks each to these two crazy ladies and if you need a few Cass, you know where to meet me.

If it's the splash that went broody, at least at my house she was an excellent mommy. To like four batches of chicks.. grr.

It is the Splash. I have to wait a week to give her eggs or they will hatch when I am on vacation. Grrr....oh well, if she is still in the box in a week she gets her wish, if not I get mine. (No more chickens. LOL)