Official Squatch Watchers

[Redhead Rae]

Hello everyone!

I had a wonderful nap, watched a few shows, made dinner, changed out the broody house, and now we are eating.

I stopped at TSC on the way home from church because I realized I was running low on wood chips. I stopped to show the Milk Drinker the chicks. He was pointing at them and saying "kack, kack, kack" at them. He thinks chickens say quack. When I pointed the ducklings out to him, he didn't say anything. Those poor chicks. I've never seen so much pasty butt in my life. Several of them had poop stains the size of quarters on their behinds. The duck pen was practically drowned in water and the ducks were all huddled up under the light. I know ducks are messy, but there were two empty brooders they could have transferred them to. At least they could have thrown down more wood chips!

It was depressing to say the least.

While I was there, bought a bird feeder to hold the main flock calcium supplement and some smaller feeders to put in with the birds in the PVC runs. I also bought some rabbit water bottles because, who can have too many of them.

 

[21hens-incharge]

It hit 47° so we took the bikes out.

RJ, those post pounders are great......until you hit some tatering hard thing. It's a serious jar when it happens.
I hope you can get some good sleep. I am sure you have some muscle rub ointment.

I hope the pigs are enjoying having more space and that the onions get to grow.

 

[FlyingNunFarm]

I was able to dig up a lot of different plants from her farm besides the Aconite. She lived on an 80 acre farm and so I have quite an assortment from her woods Trillium Bluebells, Jack in the Pulpit , Dutchmans pipe, snow drops, Helleborous and several species of ferns. She also was quite a gardener and would always give me starts of her perrenials. Hostas Peonies, Bergania, Daisies and Iris just to name a few. She was a very unique lady and just passed away a few weeks ago. I'm so grateful to have had her in my life and also to have a little bit of her that lives on in my garden.

I love jack in the pulpit but can’t ever get it to transplant. (Someone told me it’s cause there are microbes or something in the soil that they need. So you have to bring lots of their surrounding soil) I plan on sneaking some snow drops when I leave here. My parents have Japanese iris that spread like crazy so I know I’ll get some of those too. (We’ve given away garbage bags of them) I’m going to try and do all perrenials in the ground with maybe a few pots of annuals.

 

[TexasSam]

Us two together would get in big trouble

Something tells me you don’t need any help

 

[TexasSam]

OK, so I need a bit of advice from you (more) seasoned chickenheads.

I think my broody girl Olive, gave up. Like 2 or 3 days before the hatch. Which sucks, b/c she's been sitting for maybe 6 weeks and I really think she deserves to hatch out these eggs.

Anyway, my other silkie, Phoebe Buffay, is now sitting on those eggs as of this AM. I also have a Brahma girl sitting, and in my other coop, a broody Cemani who is kinda fierce.

So....should I just let Phoebe sit on them now? Should I try slipping half of them under my Brahma? Should I try to put Olive in my hospital coop/brooder in the garage with all the eggs, and see if she resumes interest in her eggs?

I can always try sticking some under my Cemani. And if all else fails I still have space in my bator. I just don't know if once the interest in brooding declines, can they get it back? Or is that it?

I so wanted her to hatch ot those eggs. In any event, I wanted one of my hens to brood out the chicks in the coop. Is it too late to hope that a different one will do that with 2 days left to go?

I'm gonna set up an emergency brooder that is ready to go, just in case. But I so want to see a mama hen with some chicks. What to do?

Thanks in advance, you smart little Squatchers.

 

[TexasSam]

Wow really? I’ve never had bad produce from them.

We don’t go there any more because of that. It wasn’t only once three times so told the wife no more. I tried washing the fruit and vegetables really good and still taste it. Secondly it is owned by a company from the Middle East and I do my best not to send money to other countries. Yes it is difficult but I try.

 

[Redhead Rae]

Here are pictures of the Milk Drinker helping Mom-mom feed the horses.

 

[TexasSam]

Only slip eggs in close to hatch for a broody having sat a few weeks.

If its new eggs not close to hatch you want a fresh broody. One that has been sitting 5 days or so.

Hens are so fickle and broodies way more so!

Great info

 

[TexasSam]

Yeah, she has totally given up, it seems.

It's so crazy; she sat unremittingly for a good 6 weeks, now it's like she could give a tater! She's wandering around free ranging with the others in the backyard for over 3 hours, even wandering into the Cemani run, dust bathing, scratching....totally lost interest.

Here's what I did.

I slipped the 2 BC eggs under Luna, my Cemani, who is my super-broody (she's been for only about a week, but she is FIERCE, and she was broody for a good long time, maybe a month before).

I am leaving the 5 Serama eggs under Phoebe, who has only been for the last 2 days, but is sitting faithfully and doing all the proper broody things. She was a strong broody in the past to the point where I had to put here in jail.

If she gets off the eggs, I will put them under Luna as well, and/or if Luna doesn't do the job, then I guess I will stick em in the bator as a last resort, and brood any that hatch myself.

That's my plan!

Cindi (off to prepare the brooder, just in case)

I’m uncertain about brooding chicks normally I just wait for a broody hen to do it all. I hope i do well.

 

[pitbullmomma]

(Shhhhh..... )

(I just went out to tuck in the chooks (with my headlamp on like a sneaky little dork, lol)
and Luna was sleeping on top of her little clutch of surrogates. Yay!!!!)

(We'll see how she does tomorrow. )

G'night all. Sweet dreams, sleep tight, don't let the bedbugs bite. Love y'all, and see you tomorrow!