***OKIES in the BYC III ***

[NanaKat]

Went out to check the feed and water for the babies and to give the layers their treats.
Soth (Speaker of the House) didn't come in so I went around to the run to look for her...she died sometime today while lying near the water cooler. She looked like she died in her sleep...upright with her beak tucked under her wing. She was the oldest in the flock at 5 year old. Sweet Australorp hen.
She will be missed.

On a more pleasant note...Today we had the dedication for the bench honoring my mother who was a teacher in Shawnee when she died of cancer in 1991. My brother and sister donated the little bungalow home she had and the two lots that went with it to the school district to use for an educational purpose. The house is across the street from the elementary school where my family attended, where two of my great aunts were teachers and where my mother was teaching when she died and now where my aunt is now teaching. The school district decided a permanent memorial would be nice and we selected the bench. The district will set up a raised garden for the elementary school in the yard. My mom would have liked the idea.

 

[Kassaundra]

Nana sorry about your girl, at least it was peaceful.

Whoever asked about the planting, I am not an expert by any means, but I think you still have time to plant most things, probably not the cool crops until later in the summer for the fall.

 

[mjgigax]

3 of my Ameraucanas came from MJ's neighbor, Jack. They've always been big and healthy and have grown up with my Dark Brahmas since I got them right after they were hatched. I think this Blue one is a male, theyr'e about 7 wks now. There's only 1 row in his pea comb (3 rows means male, 1 row means female) but given the fact I can see any comb at all I'm wondering if it's indeed a male. I don't want to keep them any longer than possible and get attached so I'm looking for a home for him (or possibly her). So it won't have to go alone I'll place the solid Black female with this one. I've got enough chicks that I think it'll be just fine to let go of a couple. If you want a picture of the solid black female I can get one. If this ones a male the blue egg gene is dominant so at least you'd get blue egg layers from his daughters. Hey-it's something! He/she had a huge beard when they were babies, the beard will be nice and puffy when the head/face feathers finish growing in.

Ameraucana breeding is confusing. Jack has 5 Blue hens, 1 Splash hen and the most amazing Blue roo with the biggest beard and all the chicks have big, puffy cheeks. Every once in a while a chick with some brown will hatch. Does that make it an EE? Are the other Blue, Black and Splash chicks Ameraucanas? Does that mean Jack's flock is EEs?

I got to keep one chick from his hatch last week that is a light tan and sliver blue color. It is now getting wing feathers that look porcelain. I hope it is a pullet. Then I can keep it as a friend for my one EE hen, who is White with broken Black lacing. If it is a roo I will have a very pretty fellow to sell. Maybe I could keep it and breed some very interesting colors with the pair but that would be breaking the "Cochins Only" rule. (1 doesn't really count since she doesn't need her own pen - is in with the youngest pullets and 1 roo and I know which eggs not to set cause they are blue.) Chickens are so fun and beautiful.

 

[m.ruzycki]

thanx for all the condolences everyone. Its never easy losing birds and even harder finding the masacred bodies. I was able to replace some of the marans and blue ameracaunas today from mj's neighbor, jack. since there has been some garden talk I would like to mention that i have already started pickin squash, carrots, potatoes, radishes, asparagus, onions and have some tomatoes the size of baseballs. I have put in somewhere around 2000 tomatoes this year. I will be opening a store in the Choctaw plaza to sell my eggs and veggies and any other locally produced or handmade items.

 

[Elwood Lightfoot]

And Bill, I meant to post a picture of the 2 little Orps I got from you! These little chunkers are awesome ) They live with my 3 Silver Laced Cochins that hatched the same time and the 5 of them are a hoot. Thank you so much for them
.

You're quite welcome, I'm glad you like them and they are doing well let me know if you need some more to go with them

Quote: Didn't one of them have roast beef?.. LOL



And Yes, I do have pigs in a blanket! (can't remember who said that now LOL)
She let me go in and pick one up didn't offer to bite until I reached for her neck to get the tick by her ear and she warned me I was too close, Guess I'll try again the next time I feed, She was supposed to have come from a petting zoo somewhere but she sure don't like being touched the male on the other hand thinks he's in heaven if you scratch his side, he'll flop over like a fainting goat for a belly rub
ETA, But then again so will I

 

[artsyrobin]

Hey Nana, got the bush! Any tips on planting? sure appreciate sooner playing taxi!

lost my red star pippin day before yesterday- been battling something with her since last fall, and pen-g would work, pull her out of it, but this last time, she seemed to be losing coordination, found her in the run- she was one of my older hens...and a rescue from tsc

this broodyitis is really getting rediculous, have 4 nest boxes with broodies, so spread the eggs out and marked them so i can collect the non-brooded eggs..

 

[Ksane]

Nana, I'm sorry about your hen. What a nice memorial for your mom though

Ameraucana breeding is confusing. Jack has 5 Blue hens, 1 Splash hen and the most amazing Blue roo with the biggest beard and all the chicks have big, puffy cheeks. Every once in a while a chick with some brown will hatch. Does that make it an EE? Are the other Blue, Black and Splash chicks Ameraucanas? Does that mean Jack's flock is EEs?

I got to keep one chick from his hatch last week that is a light tan and sliver blue color. It is now getting wing feathers that look porcelain. I hope it is a pullet. Then I can keep it as a friend for my one EE hen, who is White with broken Black lacing. If it is a roo I will have a very pretty fellow to sell. Maybe I could keep it and breed some very interesting colors with the pair but that would be breaking the "Cochins Only" rule. (1 doesn't really count since she doesn't need her own pen - is in with the youngest pullets and 1 roo and I know which eggs not to set cause they are blue.) Chickens are so fun and beautiful.

It *is confusing! And some of those Ameraucana people have their nose up in the air a bit too high lol What's silly (I've said this before) is you can take 2 purebred, even show quality, Ameraucanas of differing colors and breed them together and if the chicks come out a non-standard color they're considered EE's. Even though they're still purebred. It's ridiculous. Who knows why they throw off colors every once in awhile? Maybe somewhere in one of Jack's birds there was an EE way back or something. And every so often the strange color shows up. Here's the one I got from Jack that I'd never part with-she's beautiful. But she's not an accepted Ameraucana color so she'd be considered an EE. But I couldn't care less-she's the coolest color! And Jack's birds are super healthy and big. The overpriced Lavender Ameraucanas I got are smaller and feathering out real slow.

 

[Ksane]

OMG they're adorable!! Baby pigs are SO CUTE!! But just like baby geese I know what they grow up into lol
I wish I'd have taken all 6 Orps, I'm kicking myself now. I didn't know at the time you'd take back the males or I would've. I was way too scared of getting boys and that's the only reason I didn't take all of them that day. They act exactly like my Cochins. All puffy and laid back.
I'm about hatched out here and I've got the Blue Wheaten/Wheaten Ameraucanas coming tomorrow (supposed to be today and they didn't show up). I'm debating whether I'm even going to hatch them and the Plymouth Rocks. Maybe I'm just worn out after being in the sun too long :-D

 

[mjgigax]

It *is confusing! And some of those Ameraucana people have their nose up in the air a bit too high lol What's silly (I've said this before) is you can take 2 purebred, even show quality, Ameraucanas of differing colors and breed them together and if the chicks come out a non-standard color they're considered EE's. Even though they're still purebred. It's ridiculous. Who knows why they throw off colors every once in awhile? Maybe somewhere in one of Jack's birds there was an EE way back or something. And every so often the strange color shows up. Here's the one I got from Jack that I'd never part with-she's beautiful. But she's not an accepted Ameraucana color so she'd be considered an EE. But I couldn't care less-she's the coolest color! And Jack's birds are super healthy and big. The overpriced Lavender Ameraucanas I got are smaller and feathering out real slow.

Very unique - Ameraucana breeding. It has been 3 years but looks like I am getting into another breed. Hope my Cochins aren't jealous.

 

[Elwood Lightfoot]

OMG they're adorable!! Baby pigs are SO CUTE!! But just like baby geese I know what they grow up into lol
I wish I'd have taken all 6 Orps, I'm kicking myself now. I didn't know at the time you'd take back the males or I would've. I was way too scared of getting boys and that's the only reason I didn't take all of them that day. They act exactly like my Cochins. All puffy and laid back.
I'm about hatched out here and I've got the Blue Wheaten/Wheaten Ameraucanas coming tomorrow (supposed to be today and they didn't show up). I'm debating whether I'm even going to hatch them and the Plymouth Rocks. Maybe I'm just worn out after being in the sun too long :-D
DId you notice the tiny one? You know you want to adopt it LOL I'm thinking someone needs too so it will have a better chance to make it, Right?