***OKIES in the BYC III ***

[jcatblum]

Our snow stopped around 1 today. The ground is still covered - any prints the animals had left were filled in with the fresh snow today. I normally would let my animals out even in the snow. But since I myself am not able to trudge in the snow the chickens stay up. The kids consolidated birds before the storm hit. If DD let them out I am certain they would try to return to their old pens & she would have to fight to get them back down to the barn. The chickens do have access to a large covered run, but the ducks are the only birds we have playing outside in this weather.
I think Sunday it should warm up enough to melt most of our snow, but I could be wrong.

 

[Carebearsmiles]

She looks like she might be a black austrolpe pullet.
 No snow here! Her being in Tennessee!lol Just rain,I would much rather have rain. All my family in the eastern part of the state(Okla.) are posting snow pics on facebook!

Facebook is the weather report now-a-days.
Thanks for your response. I'll look that up. She's so pretty with her green shiny feathers.

 

[Poco Pollo]

Nana - Prayers for your family. So sorry to hear the sad news.

We had snow for about two hours, then rain, and now the ground is soggy and cold. You can't tell that we ever had snow.

I'm headed out to milk the goats. I've got hand warmers in my pockets. I don't want to startle the does : )

Edited for spelling : 0

 

[mjgigax]

Oklahoma weather sure is changeable.

I sure do like snow though,
But my birds didn't want to go out in it today.
Some of my young pullets have the sniffles. Guess I better get out the Galimycin.

 

[NanaKat]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/656836/january-incubation-seminar-meetup-video

Found this link to a video on incubation. Great info.

 

[RonnieAtkeson]

Carebearsmiles I'm also from tahlequah. I live north of town in Gideon. I second the guess on black Australop. In my experience they're great layers. How many Pekins you have?

 

[poultryand bees]

Good morning! I am reminding myself that the cold weather this week won't last too long and we hopefully won't have frozen water bowls very long. Many of my pens are a distance from electricity so it isn't practical to run electricity to them. I use the black rubber bowls for water so pour several inches of water into them in the morning and then add to it through the day as the bottom of it freezes. When it is all frozen, I empty the bowl of the huge ice cube and start over. I am grateful that I am out of the rabbit business entirely so don't have as many bowls to fill and empty this winter.

I see that one of the topics on the forum is "why aren't my hens laying eggs?" I am asking the same question. The hens don't take me seriously when I talk to them about chicken and dumplings. Any suggestions for more productivity of eggs?

 

[Poco Pollo]

Late morning, Okies

I had a treat this morning. The juveniles in the NN pen learned how to dust bathe. Momma hen cleared an area, gave herself a thorough cleaning in the dirt, and then stood back and watched her babies. I wish I spoke Chicken. It sounded like she was saying, "Nathan! You've got to get dirt under both wings, not just one. And Lynda, Lynda, Lynda. . . what are you doing over there? This is bath time, not talk time. Get in there and scrub! Robert! No! Get back in there and finish properly. Fluff, wiggle, turn, fluff, fluff, fluff. This isn't rocket science, just follow instructions, please."

 

[Carebearsmiles]

Carebearsmiles I'm also from tahlequah. I live north of town in Gideon. I second the guess on black Australop. In my experience they're great layers. How many Pekins you have?

I just have one. I just started my yard bird hobby late summer. So I'm a newbie. I wanted to start small and make sure it was something I could commit to. I have fallen in love and can't see myself not having these birds now. : )
So I have one chicken and one duck and I hope to accumulate more. I believe my coop can probably house 4 more chickens. I might get one more duck. I absolutely love my Pekin. She is hilarious and full of personality.
It nice to see a Tahlequahian around here.
I was just talking to someone on the Tahlequah Online Garage sale about some little mixed breed chicks. They were so cute!



So of course I'm a worry wart, but my duck started this weird little cough. Just this morning, but she's done it several times today. It is kind of quiet and she's not acting ill. Totally crazy duck as always... Should I be worried or be giving her medicine? I'm about to google it, but google always panics me way more than needed when I look up medical things.

 

[jcatblum]

P&B - we don't supplement any light for our birds. We have the ability but I figure nature designs this as their rest period. We (actually DD & DH) treated for mites & egg production came up to about 12-18 eggs a day almost overnight. In spring we usually get around 3 dz a day so I think that is pretty good. Now the ducks I can't quiet figure out. Sometimes I seem to find lots of eggs, other times not so much. Maybe if someone could train them to use a nest box????