Official Squatch Watchers

[21hens-incharge]

Probably be a pain to find a milking stool that short anyway.

Have to dig a hole to sit in.
Or elevate that piggie.......


RJ,
I made the peach honey. My hubby thought I was nuts but it came out really tasty! I did toss in some brown sugar and a few TBSPs of real honey.
It is super good as syrup on French toast.

 

[rjohns39]

yup. my first try was really runny so I added a bit of pectin... Now I warm it up in the microwave before I use it. Turns into a brick in the fridge.

 

[Redhead Rae]

@apryl29 I was worried about the feathered feet too. Thinking they would just be one glob of mud but I think mine with feathered legs and feet are cleaner. I think it's because they can feel the stuff in their feathers so they clean their feet. I still get the dirty toenails and dirty feathers on the feet but not the one massive mud clump I was expecting.

If you want a cockerel I have a few! LOL I need to decide what to do about mine. Taterhead clearly fathered one of the new boys. He looks just like him.
So option 1 is get rid of Taterhead and keep Jr and Trouble. With Trouble already being older I thought he might mold Jr into the rooster he thinks he should be.
Option 2 is get rid of Taterhead and keep the OE rooster and Trouble. I'd love to see him grow up. He's such a cool bird.
Option 3 is get rid of both older boys and keep two young ones. Not the option I'd go with... but it is an option. Any way I choose 4 boys need to go.
Have a BO and another Swedish Flower....

I originally said "I will never have feather footed birds on my farm!" for this exact reason. What does the hatchery send as my "Free Rare Chick", my standard Black Cochin. I was originally going to give him away or eat him, but I was pleasantly surprised at how docile he was, even as a hormonal cockerel, and how clean he kept his foot feathers, even in the muddiest of conditions. Now they are one of the breeds I plan on keeping.

 

[apryl29]

You're a harder chick than I lol! Of course I can just chuck mice out to the girls and turn my head real quick. I totally get offing Odin before winter having to shuffle birds around in the cold is awful! That is a huge reason behind giving Cookie away, I wasn't having to shuffle yet but he was starting to challenge Negan so it was coming.

You know as soon as Bacon goes into heat those piggies are going to make more piggies without a doubt and litters don't tend to get smaller either lol! That is really a teeny window of time just ten days I thought it was longer. I wonder if you milked Bacon if it would delay her cycle? Milking a pig probably wouldn't be the easiest thing to do but I wonder if it would work.

My run is covered so I would have had to toss it in through the coop. Plus my chickens are dumber than a box of rocks.. Like I have to literally point out, pick up, dangle in front of them, then put down a worm for them to eat it, then it takes them about 19 tries to get it in their mouth... I don't trust that it wouldn't escape... b/c I've seen WORMS escape my little morons.

I felt horrible about his situation last winter too. He was in a 2'x4' space that was only 2' tall. He did have an enclosed outside space, but even that got blocked off when it was really cold. And he was alone so he had no one to huddle with for warmth. This way, IF I can't find someone to take the boys, I can at least keep one of them w/o too much of a struggle. I mean, he'll be HUGE, but hopefully be non aggressive.

I've heard that even the young boys will mate the mama pretty quickly too. @rjohns39 , I'd at least separate the boys from the girls until you figure out what you're doing. I guess breeding like rabbits is good if you're breeding for sale though. Bacon needs some birth control. What are you doing w/ the babies? Raising for food, or selling? (you probably said already, but I forgot).

@apryl29 I was worried about the feathered feet too. Thinking they would just be one glob of mud but I think mine with feathered legs and feet are cleaner. I think it's because they can feel the stuff in their feathers so they clean their feet. I still get the dirty toenails and dirty feathers on the feet but not the one massive mud clump I was expecting.

If you want a cockerel I have a few! LOL I need to decide what to do about mine. Taterhead clearly fathered one of the new boys. He looks just like him.
So option 1 is get rid of Taterhead and keep Jr and Trouble. With Trouble already being older I thought he might mold Jr into the rooster he thinks he should be.
Option 2 is get rid of Taterhead and keep the OE rooster and Trouble. I'd love to see him grow up. He's such a cool bird.
Option 3 is get rid of both older boys and keep two young ones. Not the option I'd go with... but it is an option. Any way I choose 4 boys need to go.
Have a BO and another Swedish Flower....

Good to know, but thanks... I'm good in the boy dept right now. The hazards of hatching... I told the girls if we hatched again we'd get cornish crosses b/c then we could eat the chickens and not have to worry about what to do with the boys, and you'll be shocked to hear that they didn't like that idea. Even selling them at the fair they'd know what was going to happen to them. They were horrified to see the meat birds last summer.
If your older ones aren't bad, I'd keep them... the devil you know.. right? But if they are taters not just in name, then keep the youngers if they're better behaved. Your boys are beautiful so I would think someone would want them. I'd take a pretty one, but I've got enough testosterone here. You *could* make a rooster coop for the boys once you get settled in, but winter's a comin' and that's not going to be an easy job.. Though you could do like I did and divide a section off for them and make a separate run.. but it's a royal PITA.

Probably be a pain to find a milking stool that short anyway.

I can't imagine the pig would be very cooperative either.

 

[apryl29]

I originally said "I will never have feather footed birds on my farm!" for this exact reason. What does the hatchery send as my "Free Rare Chick", my standard Black Cochin. I was originally going to give him away or eat him, but I was pleasantly surprised at how docile he was, even as a hormonal cockerel, and how clean he kept his foot feathers, even in the muddiest of conditions. Now they are one of the breeds I plan on keeping.

I'll keep that in mind if I'm ever dumb enough to get more chickens... Right now I need to minimize my clan. My 3 orps are going to be elephants and I'm not sure what will happen to the cemani/orp cross... She looks thinner than the others, but they're all growing like weeds.

 

[21hens-incharge]

yup. my first try was really runny so I added a bit of pectin... Now I warm it up in the microwave before I use it. Turns into a brick in the fridge.

I did have to add pectin. mine in the fridge is similar thickness to real honey stored on the counter.
Thank you for the great idea! I will make more in the future for sure.

 

[ronott1]

Woot indeed!

Look what I found in my incubator this morning!
View attachment 1513294
The little one didn’t need any help after all. I’ll move it down to the brooder once it fluffs up and can walk steadily.

Thanks, I am too. He is usually quick about picking up new routines if we are consistent.

Overall he’s a pretty good little guy. He’s never cried for longer than 30 min at a stretch except for one time when he was really sick.

If he has a fault is that he is as stubborn as a mule. I need to figure out a way to keep him from running off. Right now he thinks it is a game of chase if he is walking away and I call him back.

So cute!

 

[FlyingNunFarm]

Trouble is a good boy. He's always been on the leaner side but its always made me think he's fragile or something.
Taterhead is really Captain but I never call him that. He's so beautiful but he just plain doesn't like me. I know he needs to go. I just hate that outcome. I need to come to terms with it though. It really isn't healthy for any of them. I doubt Taterhead is not happy not being top rooster. After he lost that status is when his problems started. I'm sure Trouble would prefer not to have to keep a constant eye on Taterhead.... the whole dynamic of the 2 of them must cause stress for everyone.
It's so hard to rehome boys! I don't think I could pay someone to take them let alone get paid for them.

 

[Chickassan]

77 gram egg from Hobo! She must be happy about the one rooster situation. That is a Marlene sized egg out of a teeny Hobo butt....no wonder she was just randomly doing her egg song this morning sheeze.

 

[Chickassan]

Ya'll ever see these people with pretty coops all perfect and painted and just chuckle to yourself because you KNOW in a couple weeks it will be full of poo and spiderwebs? Or is it just my evil self that has such thoughts?