***OKIES in the BYC III ***

[hotcurltr]

At I am worried about Goliath, but here are our new years baby's out of " Billy Jack' my Americana Roo Aand his lovely black hen. This is my first time out with the incubator so far 8 out of 13 hatched. Not bad I guess for my first try with an incubator.



Roy, my DH loves the babies.

Happy New Years to u all.

Beautiful babies. You're a happy chicken mama and daddy. Sorry I thought I had hit you on multi and once I hit quote, I don't know how to go back.

 

[BetsyOK]

Tara, I enjoyed getting to see you briefly at Shawnee! It's been a couple of years, I think.

 

[ashtree]

DH made me a new brooder yesterday! It still needs a lid but we ran out of time with all the other projects. Anyway it's perfect for our space. Right now it's housing 13 sizzles and 1 cream legbar pullet

And here are some pics of the super cute babies:

The legbar doesn't look miserable in real life, just in the pics :/ it hatched yesterday and the silkie/sizzles are a week old now.
This spring all chicks will be brooded in a barn; until then it's my living room.

 

[NanaKat]

DH made me a new brooder yesterday! It still needs a lid but we ran out of time with all the other projects. Anyway it's perfect for our space. Right now it's housing 13 sizzles and 1 cream legbar pullet

And here are some pics of the super cute babies:
The legbar doesn't look miserable in real life, just in the pics

it hatched yesterday and the silkie/sizzles are a week old now.
This spring all chicks will be brooded in a barn; until then it's my living room.

You will find with a wooden lid that the heat lamp can be changed out for a regular socket with a regular bulb. I have one similar that has a wire bottom and a pull out tray for cleaning. The inside is insulation board with a reflective surface...dimensions are 36 x 38 in. and tall enough for a one gallon water jug.


With a thermometer inside and the lid closed, temps were 115...too hot for babies. A 100 watt bulb for tiny babies then go to a 40 - 60 watt bulb. I place 1 inch chicken wire over the 1/2 lid opening for older chicks 4 - 6 weeks old if I have to keep them inside that long.
A wisk broom and a dustpan will make cleanup easier.

 

[ashtree]

You will find with a wooden lid that the heat lamp can be changed out for a regular socket with a regular bulb. I have one similar that has a wire bottom and a pull out tray for cleaning. The inside is insulation board with a reflective surface...dimensions are 36 x 38 in. and tall enough for a one gallon water jug. With a thermometer inside and the lid closed, temps were 115...too hot for babies. A 100 watt bulb for tiny babies then go to a 40 - 60 watt bulb. I place 1 inch chicken wire over the 1/2 lid opening for older chicks 4 - 6 weeks old if I have to keep them inside that long. A wisk broom and a dustpan will make cleanup easier.

That's great info! Thank you. I'm planning to do a completely hardware cloth lid-minus the wood framing of course. When I use it in a barn outside I'll make a better lid for it. I like yours a lot. Also around 3 weeks I usually wean the chicks from the heat lamp, might sound harsh but they're inside. Thermometer in incubator is reading 91 currently. I'll see how the lid affects things.

 

[SharkmanDan]

Update, on the saga of my visiting chickens.
The neighbors all deny knowing anything about them. I even went to a couple of the neighbors whom I believed were the most likely owners/keepers, when I knew the birds were not at my place, to see if I saw them at one of the neighbors' houses.
So, I decided I would try to capture them, in a catching net that I have. Oh, no!!! Not these little speed demons. I took a good spill on icy ground, but, fortunately, was not hurt (other than pride, and a bit of stiffness).
I just have to get some help, and my best buddy, for the job, is working up in Nowata, and has to commute there, daily. From the south end of Lake Tenkiller, that's a heck of a commute.
In the mean time, I keep trying to trap them using their instincts, as my tool. At night, as I put my birds up, I have been moving them around a bit, and getting one coop, ready for the new birds. I have been slowly introducing my meat bird capons, into the coop with the laying flock. 5 more to go, then I'll clean out their current coop, and get it ready, for the new birds, that I hope to simply trap, in that coop. I know that they tend to come in, from the north, so, every night, I've been putting out treats, near to what will be their new coop. A little bit closer, every day. Once all of the capons are moved out, and the coop has been well cleaned, and given new litter, then I'll move the treats even closer to the coop. Eventually, putting the treats IN that coop. Then, when I see them in there, I have a rope system set up, that I can close that gate, from about 65 feet away. I hope that this will work, so that I don't have to ask my very busy friend, to help me capture them..
Since everyone denies ownership, I am pretty certain that what I have, in those three, is a dad, mom, and son. One of the roosters has spurs, and the yellowing is all but gone, from his legs. The hen is a Spanish Basque (likely mixed), very light beige in color. The second roo, looks nearly identical to the first, except that he has very yellow shanks, no spurs, and only two sickle feathers. They all act like they look out for each other. I would expect the two roosters to be fighting, or challenging each other, but, I see none of that. Only cooperation between them. Those two New Hampshire Red roos, are just too cooperative.
Anyway, I'll update y'all more, when I know more.

 

[bardies]

Did anyone here join the New Year hat-a-long?
Didn't sign up, but had two Serama hatch on the 31st and two more Rosecomb in Jan 2.

I did, didn't sign up though. Had two large fowl easter eggers hatch and two silkie chicks hatch on the 2nd. Not sure on the color of the silkies - looks like a blue and a splash. One has the greyish tinge of a blue, and the other is 'dark blue' with white points...much like I've seen barred colors come out looking like. They are by a blue Catdance rooster and out of either black or paint hens (from Betsyok's and other local stock).

If anyone is interested in the four, or just the silkies, or just the easter eggers, they are available. All four seem to be eating and drinking well.

 

[bardies]

Hello I just heard about this forum. I don't raise chickens but I have in the past. I raise peafowl, so I may not have a lot of chicken advice.

Welcome! In this forum, we consider peafowl and ducks honorary chickens. Also rabbits, goats, and the occasional cow!

 

[ashtree]

Update, on the saga of my visiting chickens.
The neighbors all deny knowing anything about them. I even went to a couple of the neighbors whom I believed were the most likely owners/keepers, when I knew the birds were not at my place, to see if I saw them at one of the neighbors' houses.
So, I decided I would try to capture them, in a catching net that I have. Oh, no!!! Not these little speed demons. I took a good spill on icy ground, but, fortunately, was not hurt (other than pride, and a bit of stiffness).
I just have to get some help, and my best buddy, for the job, is working up in Nowata, and has to commute there, daily. From the south end of Lake Tenkiller, that's a heck of a commute.
In the mean time, I keep trying to trap them using their instincts, as my tool. At night, as I put my birds up, I have been moving them around a bit, and getting one coop, ready for the new birds. I have been slowly introducing my meat bird capons, into the coop with the laying flock. 5 more to go, then I'll clean out their current coop, and get it ready, for the new birds, that I hope to simply trap, in that coop. I know that they tend to come in, from the north, so, every night, I've been putting out treats, near to what will be their new coop. A little bit closer, every day. Once all of the capons are moved out, and the coop has been well cleaned, and given new litter, then I'll move the treats even closer to the coop. Eventually, putting the treats IN that coop. Then, when I see them in there, I have a rope system set up, that I can close that gate, from about 65 feet away. I hope that this will work, so that I don't have to ask my very busy friend, to help me capture them..
Since everyone denies ownership, I am pretty certain that what I have, in those three, is a dad, mom, and son. One of the roosters has spurs, and the yellowing is all but gone, from his legs. The hen is a Spanish Basque (likely mixed), very light beige in color. The second roo, looks nearly identical to the first, except that he has very yellow shanks, no spurs, and only two sickle feathers. They all act like they look out for each other. I would expect the two roosters to be fighting, or challenging each other, but, I see none of that. Only cooperation between them. Those two New Hampshire Red roos, are just too cooperative.
Anyway, I'll update y'all more, when I know more.

I love following this story. Thanks for the update. I imagine this as a children's book. So interesting and full of little dilemmas and rich characters!

 

[Kassaundra]

A quilt block I just finished