***OKIES in the BYC III ***

[erinszoo]

Beautiful beautiful day here in tahlequah.
Hung our gate on the privacy fence and did some seed starting.
The privacy fence is sooo close to being done.

It was pretty here too. We got some siding hung (finished up the back side of the house so we can paint) and ended up building a whole new raised bed. Also got the rabbits bred ... hopefully this time they will be pregnant. The saying that something "breeds like rabbits" doesn't hold so true we have found. Fingers crossed. Got up to 93 in the greenhouse today which was beautiful. Our potatoes are up.

Not sure when we'll be harvesting now. The only problem with changing growing routine is that it changes harvest time too. Sigh.

Girls are growing pretty good. Hoping our four new girls will finally start laying. Someone laid a tiny little white egg that looked like an overgrown bullet today. It was odd but we aren't sure who laid it.

 

[okracefan]

Man the Newcastle auction was packed and some birds were going high. Americaunas hens were going $20 - $28. BCM's were also up some. Looks like a lot more peeps are getting into chickens this year.

I came away empty handed because I was out bid every time. Well I actually never got a chance ti jump in.

 

[Okla-doodle-doo]

Wow those are awesome prices for the Americanuas! They are the top sellers around here at auctions to but they haven't reached that price yet! I think every year I am going to order some chicks of that breed and raise them,maybe this year I will be able to. Of course at those prices so will everyone else!lol.
To the new person with the question on bamtam and standard buff orpingtons. I wouldn't try mixing them. The roos will for sure fight. And if they cross you will get odd medium size birds. Defeats the purpose of haveing either small bantams or large fowl!So if you apply chicken math you need to keep both! Of course bantams don't count always in chicken math so its like haveing free birds! Welcome to the group,the math will catch on to you as hang around us more!lol
Yeah an early spring,I am going to go by the national ground hog because the sun was shinning at out house this morning. It was to cold for any self respecting hog to be up and out anyway. We did have from 1/2 to two inches of snow in the area later today.

 

[NanaKat]

Got some questions. We are getting ready to get a chick or a few; what size brooder box should we're get, what type of bulb, what temp should it be and how do we regulate it and what type of feed? Basically I need a shopping list. Can someone help please. Also when do we switch to different type of feeds?

And n8dawgbu

To brood day old chicks you need a cage or pen that can hold a minimum of 3 chicks and however many you purchase. 3 to 5 chicks can live in a large. plastic storage tub with a screen cover for a few weeks. A flex neck light and a 60 to 100 watt bulb will give sufficient heat if the tub is kept in the house for a couple of weeks. You can place a thermometer in the floor of the tub and move the light up or down to hold the temperature between 95 and 100 degrees the first week. reduce that temperature by 5 degrees every week as the chicks grow. If you go outside in a garage, then a red heat lamp that hangs above the pen about 14 inches would work. The pen needs to be big enough that the chicks can move up to the light if they get cold but can move away from the heat source if they get too hot.

Food and water needs to be available all the time so use containers that can be in the tub or pen with your chicks. You can purchase feeders or use thing you find around the kitchen.

Chick feed should be in crumble form and can be medicated or not. How long you feed crumbles to your growing chicks is up to you. I feed crumbles until the point pullets lay their first eggs.

 

[Carebearsmiles]

It was pretty here too. We got some siding hung (finished up the back side of the house so we can paint) and ended up building a whole new raised bed. Also got the rabbits bred ... hopefully this time they will be pregnant. The saying that something "breeds like rabbits" doesn't hold so true we have found. Fingers crossed. Got up to 93 in the greenhouse today which was beautiful. Our potatoes are up. Not sure when we'll be harvesting now. The only problem with changing growing routine is that it changes harvest time too. Sigh.

Girls are growing pretty good. Hoping our four new girls will finally start laying. Someone laid a tiny little white egg that looked like an overgrown bullet today. It was odd but we aren't sure who laid it.

My next big for-me-project will be a green house. It will be a while, but I would never be found in the house again.

 

[Kassaundra]

My next big for-me-project will be a green house. It will be a while, but I would never be found in the house again.

I would like to build a green house too. I have saved lots of old windows towards it, just have to get the design out and the other supplies, and the time, money and energy to do it.

 

[audiomilk]

When is the next P.O.O.P.? And what all goes on there.

 

[Cjarvis]

In the event anyone is interested or has a need I have a few extra Blue Rosecomb Cockrells, they are nice birds and will fit a breeder pen quite well as well as show this coming fall season.
I may call Michael if there are no takers by the end of the week.
Have a busy day around here moving the pens again to fresh ground, inspecting all the birds closely, giving shots of noromectin for parasites weather they need it or not, Need to dub some OE cockrells and get a few more set out for the upcoming shows last two of the season for us in the next few weeks then to get real busy with the hatching. Most of my Male matings will be wrapped up by end of the month, then to start for the females.
I'm off and running but will be around teh house if anyone is interested.

 

[Cjarvis]

When is the next P.O.O.P.? And what all goes on there.

We have been holding this around around april of each year, sometimes may. It is just a nice gathering with educational opportunities for breeding, showing, processing, as well as general care and health of the birds. Swapping and sales are very common place as several birds will be available when so many get together.
We often have a pot luck lunch, as well as grilled items. Its just a nice family experience with birds involved at the core of the meeting.

 

[BetsyOK]

Erinszoo, I've had some hosta seeds sprout like that. They'll get the first true set of leaves and maybe a few more, but they don't produce enough chlorophyll for the plants to survive, so all have died. However, there are variegated forms of many plants, some with a lot of white, so it should be interesting to see what develops--or not.