***OKIES in the BYC III ***

[Ksane]

My Serama chicks are 4 weeks old today! They're feathering in nicely and getting bigger. The mama, who I've finally named Bunny, has decided she's fed up with her chicks. She no longer calls them to food she's found and has started pecking at them. Today I caught her flinging them around with her beak, so she's no longer in the same area and is now back with her boyfriend, Sidewinder. The chicks have been calling for her, but they'll get along fine on their own now. What drama!

Well this certainly makes me feel better about taking away my Cochin bantams eggs. She makes herself practically sick wanting to sit on eggs and I had a hunch this is what she'd do to the babies after a month. Flinging them around with her beak? That's harsh for a mama to do lol Although what parent of a teenager hasn't considered it....?
(James, I'm watching you!)

 

[mjgigax]

You are sure right on that NN, thats an ugly you cant wash off. But I have gotten pretty fond of them. I appreciate the offer on the toe mark. I have 3 differant pens of LF asil eggs in there and 4 pens of asil bantams. If I was hatching them here I would probable mark them differant and toe mark some, but what I will do is throw them in brooders and sort when they get older. Most of them should be color coded. But again thanks for the offer.

I miss the NN I had. They are cute chicks. I might have to get a couple more!

 

[poultryand bees]

There is a Newcastle sale this week right? Think I will try to make it, because DH has duty. Chicken auction is better than spending the night home alone. Anybody else plan on making it?

I am planning to go to the Newcastle auction tomorrow evening. There are some pearl guineas that I want to sell, so I can let the lavender guineas out of the grow-out pen, where they have been since they were about 10 weeks old.

I catch my guineas with a net or @ night while they are asleep. If they are free ranging I can catch one. Put it in the cage then everyone else will come over to investigate. I do have one or 2 that seem to give me a harder time than the others.

Last Saturday, I bought a huge fishing net at Mary's Swap meet. It is so huge that when the handle is extended it is about 6 feet tall, with about 1/3 of it being the net. We had lots of comments about the net as we walked around, about the size of fish it could catch. I just told them that I wanted it to catch chickens and guineas

Unfortunately, my guineas roost on top of the peacock pen - about 10 feet in the air. I have not had any luck catching them off the top with a net - even when I have climbed a ladder at night to get closer.

Ksane - I like the idea of putting the cage of guineas inside a pen, then closing the door on the guineas that go in to investigate. This net is large enough to go over 3 guineas PLUS the cage of guineas, but I might have difficulty getting everything out of the net before the uncaged birds flew off again.

 

[mefordz]

I've made grown men cry w/ my needles on more then one occasion.

ya know, for some reason i have no doubt that you have done that!

 

[poultryand bees]

Quote:
Careful - if Monty or Jack finds out you want NNs again, you may find extra NN roosters running around in your backyard - tossed over the fence by your chicken loving neighbors.

 

[old*cowboy]

I think Guy has an Oaks 5 tier brooder, they are actually very nice built in larger than the brooders than I use we looked at one but it needed a lot of work and the guy that had thought it was gold plated or something.
The frame is all one piece and the brooders are built in the stack they are not un-stackable. the only thing you run into which can be good or bad, heat rises so you have to set temp on the bottom brooder then work your way up, once all are running reset the bottom to the lowest temp so a 5 week old you need temp at 75, second teir 80, third tier 85, fourth tier 90, then top at 95. You have to move the chicks each week to the right temp to keep wings from over growing.
they are nice units, large, good heating systems, feed and water on teh outside mae a world of sense on thise because clearance space is very limited to get wateres in and out.
The Oaks have two poop trays one front one rear same for wire bottoms. partially enclosed rear heated section with a canvas curtian and open front "run" area.

Thanks Carl, I was setting here trying to figure out how to explain it and you did. And a fine job also. The thing is on the heat rising I most of the time dont have more than 3 trays full at any given time cause thats alot. On smaller lots I have found it is easier to put in a 100 watt bulb and not turn on the heating element. Then go down in wattage as they get older.

 

[artsyrobin]

hi folks! Hey wayne, love those quilts... gonna have to do raffle tickets!

here is my lone silkie chick from the hatch last month, spent the evening holding her- mama is trying to wean her, and she was yelling her head off- anyone have a bantam close to her age that she can have for a buddy?

 

[old*cowboy]

On the Oaks brooders. Back when we lived in the panhandle and raised quail. I had 3 of these and had them all full for about 2 years straight. If you want to raise numbers, they are a good way to go. After 2 years of that many quail though. I dont think I ever want to work that hard again. Was like haveing two full time jobs only the quail required more time than the real full time one. And forget about someone to take care of them if you ever wanted to leave the house. Ah good times.

 

[nnbreeder]

I just keep a big rolling pin and a cast iron skillet within reach....

I used to service a truck for a lady up in Garden City Ks. and she told me the story of her mom and dad after they got married. Seems that dad was Irish and mom was full blood Cherokee. They got married on Sat afternoon and Sat. evening dad went out drinking with his friends and would come in early Sun morning lit up like a big city.

This went on for a few weeks till she got tired of it and she layed in wait for the time he got home and layed him out with a 9" cast iron skillet. Dad didn't wake up till around noon on Sunday but he never did go out drinking with the boys again!!

And that was just how it was told to me.

 

[nnbreeder]

I've made grown men cry w/ my needles on more then one occasion.

If I'm hurting bad enough I'd better get a needle, pills take way too long!

What is funny is that I don't mind getting stuck at all but I do not like to give shots to the critters.