***OKIES in the BYC III ***

[Ironsights]

Hi
Just introducing myself. I live south east of shawnee. I have a jersey giant roo with his four hens, and a couple RI hens that are past egg laying age. They earned their retirement. Also 2 red bourbon gobs with their 4 hens, and 3 other grey hens.
Two of the jersey giant hens are setting along with a really small mutt hen which is my favorite

.
She looks like a road runner.
I'm trying to incubate but having trouble keeping temp steady. I've had good success before so we'll see. Glad there is an OK thread.

 

[Kassaundra]

Hello Ironsights and

I just canned 7 quarts of pickled eggs, now waiting for the "popping" lids. I thought I was using the oldest eggs, but Gary came home and said "why didn't you use the oldest eggs" seems he switched how he was organizing them so I'll likely do another batch later this week.

 

[NanaKat]

I have 1 cochin that has been sitting on the nest for about a week. Now I have another cochin, who is higher in the pecking order, that is acting like she wants to go broody too. Which is fine because I plan on giving them chicks from the eggs I have due in a week. My problem is the higher ranking cochin wants the other hens eggs. I tried giving her a couple of her own and she showed interest in them then proceeded to go back to the other nest and kick the other hen off and nestle down. She does this every day but she never fully commits to staying there here in a little while the smaller cochin will be back on her eggs. Guess I just don't understand how ladies can be such bullies sometimes lol.

Cochin hens are notorious for going broody at the same time. The bully girl may need her own cage to keep her on the eggs you give her instead of trying to take the younger hens eggs.
The bigger the nest box, the more hens who want to brood together. I have two sitting together with chicks due in two days.
Then my Wyandotte are doing the same thing. In the Columbian pen, there are four hens setting with chicks already hatching in one of the small coops with a large un divided nest section. One hen had two chicks on her back, another had three chicks and the other two are still setting. Will give them the chicks that hatch in the next few days.

Hi
Just introducing myself. I live south east of shawnee. I have a jersey giant roo with his four hens, and a couple RI hens that are past egg laying age. They earned their retirement. Also 2 red bourbon gobs with their 4 hens, and 3 other grey hens.
Two of the jersey giant hens are setting along with a really small mutt hen which is my favorite

.
She looks like a road runner.
I'm trying to incubate but having trouble keeping temp steady. I've had good success before so we'll see. Glad there is an OK thread.

Welcome Ironsights. There are several members in the Shawnee area. Sounds like you have a nice flock.

I just canned 7 quarts of pickled eggs, now waiting for the "popping" lids.  I thought I was using the oldest eggs, but Gary came home and said "why didn't you use the oldest eggs"  seems he switched how he was organizing them so I'll likely do another batch later this week.

I thought you were tired of canning! It is hard to resist a nice pickled egg.
I have quail eggs to can tomorrow. How do you spice yours? We like garlic, hot peppers, black pepper corns, onion flakes and celery seed, canning salt and vinegar in ours.

Today I found a nest of 12 eggs in the manger in the pen we used for Little Joe before we moved him to pasture. It was obvious it was two different hens using the nest. These are from the layer hens that are running with three different roosters. Not sure how long they have been there. I candled them and there is no development. I will water test them to see how old they are and if ok will hard boil them for the flock.....sneaky girls!

 

[Kassaundra]

I put beet in for color, but spiced w/ garlic clove, 1/2 jalapeno pepper, some pickle spice (just b/c)


Yes I am tired of canning, but really needed to do something w/ the eggs.

 

[miohippus]

I put beet in for color, but spiced w/ garlic clove, 1/2 jalapeno pepper, some pickle spice (just b/c)


Yes I am tired of canning, but really needed to do something w/ the eggs.

You can put them in ice cube trays and freeze them

 

[artsyrobin]

we had little altercation last night,

in this corner, a determined snowflake, she goes broody every few weeks, i pull eggs an she quits - then goes broody a few weeks later - kind of a testy girl for a cochin, and refused to give up to colette



well, collette won, she vacated, and i found her looking a little rough- so she is back in her box tonite with chicken wire over it- felt sorry for her -

 

[SharkmanDan]

I did not expect hatching at all, based on my early high temperature spikes. But, I got one chick, that hatched, last night/this morning, around 2am. There are about another 150 eggs in there. What do I do? I hear this one cheeping. I don't know if I should take it out, or what. I need to build a smaller, warmer, brooder TODAY.
I can't say it was totally unexpected, but I really thought I'd blown the hatch, completely, with a couple spikes to 104 degrees. So, I really thought I was going to be tossing them all out. Now I have a baby, and maybe more, on the way. I don't know what to do.

 

[BetsyOK]

You can make a brooder quickly by using a cardboard box or a Sterelite storage box and an incandescent bulb. Put old bath towels or paper towels on the bottom and position the light however close or far away needed to get the temp where it is comfortable for the chick. I generally put a feather duster or very small soft toy in with a single chick. I use incandescent bulbs only in emergencies; I use the purple heat light bulbs for reptiles. They are more expensive but safer for the chicks, and they last a long time. Using materials on hand will give you time to build something better. I also keep hand or foot warmers ready in case of emergency need such as for unexpected chicks. I also take them with me to swaps--mostly because I've been to swaps where other people didn't provide adequate warmth for tiny chicks. They can save lives temporarily.

 

[lonnyandrinda]

Good advice from, Betsy. And her handwarmers saved a few of my chicks at the Pryor show. I'm going to get some onhand myself.

@mjgigax is this what I think it is ?!?!?! This is where I planted the black and blue salvia last year (you can see some of last year's dead stems on the left). I thought for sure I had killed it!

 

[miohippus]

This what I am using right now for a brooder

Can't wait to see what color these feather out