OHio ~ Come on Buckeyes, let me know your out there!

[autumnhearth]

Meyer is a great hatchery--I've gotten quite a few birds from them in the past  five years--maybe not 'show quality' but that wasn't my goal--still have some of the original dozen I started with at the ripe old age of six (this May)...love Annie, our Speckled Sussex, she's quite a social girl who chatters a lot.  And I've driven there to pick ours up also--more fun and you can check out the store while you're there and be tempted by the 'extra' chicks they have that want to go home with you...  Plus, I've always had great customer service from them.

Looking forward to going there, we'll be picking up our chicks and after hearing about the over hatch selection I'm hoping we might find a Cream Legbar, Ameraucana, or at least an Easter Egger to take home with us on the same day as the others.

 

[CourtsCacklers]

Hi CourtsCacklers! I am In the very NW corner of Ohio. Just 12 miles from IN and 10 miles from MI. Are you west of Toledo or east? I will have hatching eggs this spring. Mostly Buckeyes with some New Hampshires. The Buckeyes have fared so much better with this wicked winter that I am really going to focus on breeding more Buckeyes. The NH's have really suffered with comb and wattle damage. I do have a few Buff Bantam Cochins too - they are so adorable! Welcome to BYC!

Thanks Bunnibird!!! We are south-east of Toledo-- in Fremont-- Nice to see someone not too far away from me! I am not sure what I am doing yet-- I have some cranky chickens with all this snow that are beginning to get nasty with one another.... I might add some more in the spring but at this point I am not even chancing it until the snow clears. We have 2' + on the ground as of this morning and it is snowing right now....

One of my broody hens-- I have broken! I have 3 RIR and 3 Silver Laced Wyandottes. When I add more chicks I would like to add another kind....maybe some Buckeyes!!!! (from you!

)

 

[Della D]

I'm disappointed about the swap days county switch, as I was only minutes down the road here, but I'm sure I'm alone I'm that since most folks are up north haha.
I was away overnight last night taking a family member to WV for emergency surgery (started as a cat bite and trip to the clinic..didn't expect to be gone so long) and was worried sick about my feather-children (namely about leaving DH in charge of them..) while I was away.. and rightly so. Lost one of my roos in my absence, presumably to the cold.
On a happy note, I'm getting mail-order chicks! I had an opportunity awhile back to split an order, but that fell through and I couldn't afford to go in alone, so I gave up the idea. But I got the email from Meyer advertising their cheap 25 random breed layer pullets and DH (shockingly!) told me to get them if I wanted them. Maybe the tax return put him in a good mood lol. So they'll be here next week! Random hatchery birds, yes, but they're just pets here so it doesn't matter. I'm so excited about this. :cd Might have y'all help me IDing in the next couple weeks.

I ordered them to. To good of a deal to pass up. Excited to see what I get.

 

[chickadee5002]

Thanks Bunnibird!!! We are south-east of Toledo-- in Fremont--  Nice to see someone not too far away from me!  I am not sure what I am doing yet-- I have some cranky chickens with all this snow that are beginning to get nasty with one another....  I might add some more in the spring but at this point I am not even chancing it until the snow clears.  We have 2' + on the ground as of this morning and it is snowing right now....    One of my broody hens-- I have broken!  I have 3 RIR and 3 Silver Laced Wyandottes.  When I add more chicks I would like to add another kind....maybe some Buckeyes!!!!  (from you!  )

What I did to "entertain" them I put a head of cabbage on a string and they go bananas for it! It swings and they get exercise with some greens. And have fun!

 

[coop-er]

Looking forward to going there, we'll be picking up our chicks and after hearing about the over hatch selection I'm hoping we might find a Cream Legbar, Ameraucana, or at least an Easter Egger to take home with us on the same day as the others.

I drove there to pick up my order on Jan 21-I got lucky and was able to add buff silkies and white crested polish to my order from the over-hatch! They had alot more fun and intersting breeds also. Was tempted to take one of everything.

 

[ShayBaby]

On a happy note, I'm getting mail-order chicks! I had an opportunity awhile back to split an order, but that fell through and I couldn't afford to go in alone, so I gave up the idea. But I got the email from Meyer advertising their cheap 25 random breed layer pullets and DH (shockingly!) told me to get them if I wanted them. Maybe the tax return put him in a good mood lol. So they'll be here next week! Random hatchery birds, yes, but they're just pets here so it doesn't matter. I'm so excited about this. :cd Might have y'all help me IDing in the next couple weeks.

I ordered them to. To good of a deal to pass up. Excited to see what I get.

Oh, great! Let us know what you get! It'll be fun to see if we get similar orders.

You all are making me really want to pick up my chicks. It's only 4 hrs one way, but I doubt DH would let me. They're meant to be shipping out tomorrow or Tuesday I think anyways. Probably just as well.. I'd come home with 26 plus some pocketfuls of extras.

 

[WYNot]

You guys are a whole lot nicer than I am. ANY dog that comes onto our property and harasses livestock (chicken, cow, horse, sheep, etc) would quickly be put down. Livestock is livestock. Grew up raising beef cattle. I've seen the damage that pet dogs that "just want to play" can do. I've also seen the damage that a pack of wild dogs can do; not a pretty sight. If someone actually values/cares about their pet then they will keep them under control.

Oh my gosh!   I am so sorry to hear of your loss.  How terrible!  Glad to hear you're going to rebuild, but still, how heartbreaking to have to do it that way.  Hope all goes well.  I lost one of my Buckeye hens last summer when a dog ran 1/2 mile from the state park to our backyard and scooped her up and ran all the way back to his owner...ended up catching the dogs buddy and DH shut him in a stall till the guy came looking for him.  Ended up being pricey, highly trained hunting dogs ( German Shorthaired Pointers) with costly GPS's on their collars...funny how the guy knew the dog had run over 800 yards but didn't attempt to call him back.  And my poor girl was one of the four who always jumped the 5' fence to free range in the yard, she just happened to be the closest one.  Anyways, guy was very apologetic, had chickens himself and knew dogs would go after them, just didn't know how good his dogs nose was...paid me for her loss but can't quite make up for losing a nice girl.  Can't imagine losing almost all of them at once. 
And best of luck finding a new home for the dog...instinct can be hard to overrule.  Hope your son isn't feeling too bad--he was trying to help out a stray.

 

[JoieD]

I am in the northern part of Union County and Geez! I don't know how much more my girls can take. The stress from this weather has got to be getting to them. I know it is me! But they are laying like crazy. Had a scare yesterday morning. My husband forgot to count the girls when he locked the coop and left one out all night in the run. Poor thing was huddled up against the coop door when he went out to open it at 6 this morning. Amazing but she seems just fine! Hopefully this is the end of the deep freeze.

 

[ShayBaby]

They're here! e

Box-o-nuggets

Bigger box-o-nuggets

I have plenty of time for IDing, but, you know, new chicks..dying to know what you got..

Assuming the rainbow pullet pack includes mainly just your basic layers...

There are 9 white ones.
Maybe sexlink? WR?

There are 4 pale reds. So maybe NHR? BO?

Then 5 darker reds, with varying amounts of black/dark markings. Pretty sure RIR.

4 blacks w/ white underside/headspots. Probably BR.

3 either EEs or SLWs (pretty sure SLW).

And finally 2 SL polish. One vaulted. I was really hoping they'd throw in a couple polish, so I'm a happy camper.

Overall a success, and I'm pleased with Meyer! The non-vaulted polish and one of the RIR are weaker than the rest, so I naturally don't expect them to thrive, but at least they offer a 48 hour guarantee if not.

I'll be converting one of kiddo's big toyboxes into a brooder today, and if that is successful I'll probably post pics of that, too.

@Della D Did your fuzzybutts make it safely today?

 

[chickadee5002]

They're here!

Box-o-nuggets


Bigger box-o-nuggets


I have plenty of time for IDing, but, you know, new chicks..dying to know what you got..

Assuming the rainbow pullet pack includes mainly just your basic layers...

There are 9 white ones.
Maybe sexlink? WR?


There are 4 pale reds. So maybe NHR? BO?


Then 5 darker reds, with varying amounts of black/dark markings. Pretty sure RIR.


4 blacks w/ white underside/headspots. Probably BR.


3 either EEs or SLWs (pretty sure SLW).


And finally 2 SL polish. One vaulted. I was really hoping they'd throw in a couple polish, so I'm a happy camper.


Overall a success, and I'm pleased with Meyer! The non-vaulted polish and one of the RIR are weaker than the rest, so I naturally don't expect them to thrive, but at least they offer a 48 hour guarantee if not.

I'll be converting one of kiddo's big toyboxes into a brooder today, and if that is successful I'll probably post pics of that, too.

@Della D Did your fuzzybutts make it safely today?

Oh Shay they are adorable! I am so jealous right now!

Can't wait to pick my babies up now! Hopefully the weather starts to cooperate a little bit more.