***OKIES in the BYC III ***

[Kyzmette]

@Nanakat you have irises! I would love to find somebody who would be willing to share some of their irises with me. I remember when I was a kid, my grandmother had the most gorgeous irises, and I would love to have them all over my property so that every time I go outside, no matter where I look, I'm reminded of her. I planted a couple of bulbs last year, and I was so thrilled to check them and find green shoots already coming up. One of them is a really pretty blue, so I hope they take off and spread.

Does anybody do anykind of bulb sharing? When mine get to the point where I can split them off, I'd be happy to share them.

 

[i-love-my-honey]

I have four 5 week old chicks - supposedly all female. Three have all the same tail length and comb size - no wattles forming (Brahma, Americauna, and Austrolourpe). My fourth is an RIR. It is the same size but it is just now getting tail feathers, the comb is 3x the size of the others, and wattles are forming. It has been handled from day one, like the rest, but still runs and makes a loud racket when I try to pick it up. I had another RIR that was obviously a cockerel and gave it away. Is it too early to tell if it is a pullet or cockerel? Here are pics...

 

[Sagetown]

My Buff Orpington Bantams are 26 weeks old. Not an egg in sight, and their 'Combs are still Pink'. I caught one going into the Coop, so maybe she's giving it some thought. Waiting ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

[SimplyMe_AngieD]

I have four 5 week old chicks - supposedly all female. Three have all the same tail length and comb size - no wattles forming (Brahma, Americauna, and Austrolourpe). My fourth is an RIR. It is the same size but it is just now getting tail feathers, the comb is 3x the size of the others, and wattles are forming. It has been handled from day one, like the rest, but still runs and makes a loud racket when I try to pick it up. I had another RIR that was obviously a cockerel and gave it away. Is it too early to tell if it is a pullet or cockerel? Here are pics...

My unexperienced eye thinks that is a little cockeral. but I am still learning. I do think it is a cockeral.

My Buff Orpington Bantams are 26 weeks old. Not an egg in sight, and their 'Combs are still Pink'. I caught one going into the Coop, so maybe she's giving it some thought. Waiting ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

My Buff Orp I had last year was the last one to lay. I think she took 30 weeks. But by the time she started laying, her eggs were bigger newbie eggs than my other layers were. And her eggs were huge! We often had complete eggs inside of other large huge eggs from her. I felt so sorry for her each time we got one of those.

 

[i-love-my-honey]

My unexperienced eye thinks that is a little cockeral. but I am still learning. I do think it is a cockeral.

Well, you know more than I! :0) I just keep searching the web and trying to see. The LAST thing I can do is put a little roo out in my "stealth" chicken coop and have him start yodeling. That would blow my plan...

 

[SimplyMe_AngieD]

Have not been on few a few weeks, and I am ignoring laundry to sip coffee and catch up here.

Good morning everyone! I hope you are enjoying the warmer weather. My garden is calling to me. But sadly I have been working alot andnow I have two icky feeling chickletts, the 2 legged non feathered kind. So I have not made it out to the garden except to do a little cleaning up and taking compost to the bin.

I hope to at least plant some peas and Beets today.

We are really enjoying the trio we got from @BetsyOK Last month.

We have been keeing them inside because of the temps. We have moved them all outside now during the day. And I think the roosters will be staying outside at night now. The hen and rooster are non-separable.

I am a little worried about the hen though. She is still really thin. She was really broody when we got her, then she went into a molt. She is over her molt I think, but still not gaining weight. She is not lethargic. Eats and drinks fine. She moves around, scratches, and pecks. I feed them crumbled, plus eggs/canned salmon/kichen scraps/ leftover meat. We have started treating her for worms. And I plan to bring her inside at night because she is so thin. She has not started laying yet. She also has a discharge from her vent. It is clear, and it does not smell (I don't think). But it is more like water??? Any ideas? I am still newer to chickens so I'm not sure what to do.

The silkie rooster was really quiet for the longest time. But Monday I guess he remembered he could crow. Now he crows all day and even at 2 am. So he has been banned outside by my husband. I may have to find a new home for him if my neighbors hear him. But he is really sweet to his hen, and I have never seen him be rough with her at all. They sleep side by side... it is so hard to consider getting rid of him. Sigh... city life. Anyone interested in a Self Blue Silkie Rooster? I'm in Tulsa.

The OEG rooster is a doll and follows my daughter everywhere when he is out. He crows, but it is a small quiet crow. I'm pretty sure he will be kept as an odd rooster. We are still treating his comb for frostbite and putting salve/ointment on it. I have read that I should dubb the comb and wattles, but I just can not bring myself to do that. He is really pretty though. My daughter is going to use him for showmanship if we can still use him with the frostbite damage.

I see a few are planning on going to Coweta? I work on Friday, I wish I could be there. I hope you all have fun!

Have a blessed day.

 

[Kyzmette]

@NotSuperWoman better check the Farmers Almanac! I trust it when it comes to the weather, and I was telling everybody to mulch, mulch, mulch for this winter, because it said winter was going to be brutal! Per the almanac, last frost this year will be March 27th, so plan your crops accordingly. I'll be putting my brussels sprouts out before then, because they like a little nip in the air, but most of my seedlings will stay inside.

I keep remembering I promised this chicken to you, but I wanted to let you know that I'm going to have to keep her. I got her free when I bought the two other Langshans, because she was smaller than the other two, and now I see that she's just not going to grow any more. I don't know if she'll ever lay. Poor little girl doesn't look like a Langshans at all, and I trust the breeder, so Little Girl (what I call her) has to just have some throwback genetics that may leave her unfit for rehoming to another flock.

But I do happen to have a number of unsexed chicks that are a mix of red sexlink hen and gorgeous EE roo. They may throw colored eggs, or they may throw enormous terra cotta colored eggs. Bumpers the hen lays a ginormous egg every single day (she thinks she's an ostrich). If you're still needing some chickies, I'd be happy to give you a couple of these.

Oh, and Robin... we're going to the Coweta auction this Friday... want us to keep an eye out for any teeny tiny roosters?

 

[lonnyandrinda]

@Nanakat you have irises! I would love to find somebody who would be willing to share some of their irises with me. I remember when I was a kid, my grandmother had the most gorgeous irises, and I would love to have them all over my property so that every time I go outside, no matter where I look, I'm reminded of her. I planted a couple of bulbs last year, and I was so thrilled to check them and find green shoots already coming up. One of them is a really pretty blue, so I hope they take off and spread.

Does anybody do anykind of bulb sharing? When mine get to the point where I can split them off, I'd be happy to share them.

I hope to transplant some of my wonderful plants from the old house before it sells. I LOVE to plant share but I don't have ANYTHING here at the new house but weeds. I will be bringing Irises, Live Forever, Wisteria, Creeping Phlox, boysenberries, figs, Naked Ladies, narcissus, daffodils and whatever else I can identify and brings home as clippings or bulbs. Won't have much for trade this year but next year hopefully.

I have four 5 week old chicks - supposedly all female. Three have all the same tail length and comb size - no wattles forming (Brahma, Americauna, and Austrolourpe). My fourth is an RIR. It is the same size but it is just now getting tail feathers, the comb is 3x the size of the others, and wattles are forming. It has been handled from day one, like the rest, but still runs and makes a loud racket when I try to pick it up. I had another RIR that was obviously a cockerel and gave it away. Is it too early to tell if it is a pullet or cockerel? Here are pics...

100% boy. Even the hatcheries sometimes get it wrong when they sell sexed chicks.

 

[SimplyMe_AngieD]

@NotSuperWoman better check the Farmers Almanac! I trust it when it comes to the weather, and I was telling everybody to mulch, mulch, mulch for this winter, because it said winter was going to be brutal! Per the almanac, last frost this year will be March 27th, so plan your crops accordingly. I'll be putting my brussels sprouts out before then, because they like a little nip in the air, but most of my seedlings will stay inside.

I keep remembering I promised this chicken to you, but I wanted to let you know that I'm going to have to keep her. I got her free when I bought the two other Langshans, because she was smaller than the other two, and now I see that she's just not going to grow any more. I don't know if she'll ever lay. Poor little girl doesn't look like a Langshans at all, and I trust the breeder, so Little Girl (what I call her) has to just have some throwback genetics that may leave her unfit for rehoming to another flock.

But I do happen to have a number of unsexed chicks that are a mix of red sexlink hen and gorgeous EE roo. They may throw colored eggs, or they may throw enormous terra cotta colored eggs. Bumpers the hen lays a ginormous egg every single day (she thinks she's an ostrich). If you're still needing some chickies, I'd be happy to give you a couple of these.

Oh, and Robin... we're going to the Coweta auction this Friday... want us to keep an eye out for any teeny tiny roosters?

Oh yes. I do read the Almanac and trust it too. The back yard garden was heavily mulched in the fall (most of the beds) and I am leaving it alone except to clean up what I didn't in the fall. But I have a little bed in the front that is on the south side and shelterd a bit. So I am going to plant some early peas and beets and chard there. I have 6 trays of seedlings going right now. They are outside to harden off, but will be bringing them back in if it gets really cold again. I have other garden "friends" on FB who are chomping at the bit to plant, but I am holding off doing my major planting till at least after Easter. I have not even started my tomato seedlings yet.

Don't worry about the chickens. I have speckled sussex chicks coming in March. I plan on keeping 2 pullets, and will have a few SS cockerals and hopefully one or 2 pullets to sell or trade for other breeds. I would love to take you up on 2 chicks.

@artsyrobin are you looking for a rooster? Interested in my Silkie? I got him from BetsyOK. I really wanted one of her hens, and she would only sell me a pair. So we took the rooster as trial. I'm asking $20 for him. But willing to negotiate and barter if I know he goes to a good home.

 

[i-love-my-honey]

100% boy. Even the hatcheries sometimes get it wrong when they sell sexed chicks.

That is what I thought. Going to a good home today... :0)