***OKIES in the BYC III ***

[greenbeetle]

Fox 23 just said windchill tonight is going to be -6 to -10 tonight. It is 0 here in Broken Arrow right now......brrrr. Hope everyone stays warm and your chickens stay as warm as possible.

 

[mjgigax]

Hey everybody! Been thinking of all you often, just can't find the time to make it to an auction or get on BYC. I am sure there are many new folks I have yet to meet.
Life here is starting to settle down. Josh is off to school & so house projects have slowed. Now we can craft & enjoy our hobbies once again. The girls have both been enjoying horses for the moment. Not sure what Taron is going to do in the spring. We lost almost our entire guinea flock in the cold. 10 died just last night. We have 4 remaining birds. As of now she says she is going to start again, but I who knows. I think with Josh away we can take a season off.
I was wondering if anyone else has lost guineas in with all this cold weather. If you haven't don't tell Taron, she is way upset. The guineas have spent 2 winters in the exact same set up with no issues. This winter is just not like the others.

Any talk of Poops yet???
Promise I will do my best to check in often, house projects have had priority over everything else.

So good to hear from you and so sorry about Taron's guineas

 

[Poco Pollo]

I added more straw to the pens. Some of the hens decided it would be warmer in a straw igloo, so they burrowed into a fluffy pile. Curious to know what was so special in that spot, a nosey cockerel dug them up. He was scolded by the hens but didn't seem to understand why.

I lost one bird to the cold: Wickett, my silkie rooster. Wickett usually roosts in the barn with a group of capons. He changed his sleeping quarters last week, choosing to roost with some young pullets in a coop that's outside the barn. He did fine for two nights, but the third night must have been too cold for him. When I let the pullets out, they flew from the coop to the wheelbarrow in front of the barn, and from there they hopped down and walked into the barn to visit and have breakfast. Wickett stayed on the roost. I called to him, but he didn't come out. He had passed away on the roost, head under one wing. If I hadn't taken him down of the roost, I wouldn't have known that I'd lost him. He was a good roo, and I'm going to miss that cantankerous little guy.

 

[hotcurltr]

I added more straw to the pens. Some of the hens decided it would be warmer in a straw igloo, so they burrowed into a fluffy pile. Curious to know what was so special in that spot, a nosey cockerel dug them up. He was scolded by the hens but didn't seem to understand why.

I lost one bird to the cold: Wickett, my silkie rooster. Wickett usually roosts in the barn with a group of capons. He changed his sleeping quarters last week, choosing to roost with some young pullets in a coop that's outside the barn. He did fine for two nights, but the third night must have been too cold for him. When I let the pullets out, they flew from the coop to the wheelbarrow in front of the barn, and from there they hopped down and walked into the barn to visit and have breakfast. Wickett stayed on the roost. I called to him, but he didn't come out. He had passed away on the roost, head under one wing. If I hadn't taken him down of the roost, I wouldn't have known that I'd lost him. He was a good roo, and I'm going to miss that cantankerous little guy.

sorry for your loss.

maybe I should go out and add more hay. Is this colder than it was last time?

 

[katie1500]

Question....
Have any of y'all stopped turning eggs 4 days before hatch if they are shipped eggs? Some of mine have poor air cells but most have pretty normal signs... So at least that's good. Have any of y'all tried that? Does it make a difference? And what about leaving the bad air cell eggs bottom end up for hatching as well (I have heard and seen some do this).

 

[katie1500]

I added more straw to the pens.  Some of the hens decided it would be warmer in a straw igloo, so they burrowed into a fluffy pile.  Curious to know what was so special in that spot, a nosey cockerel dug them up. He was scolded by the hens but didn't seem to understand why.

I lost one bird to the cold: Wickett, my silkie rooster.  Wickett usually roosts in the barn with a group of capons.  He changed his sleeping quarters last week, choosing to roost with some young pullets in a coop that's outside the barn.  He did fine for two nights, but the third night must have been too cold for him.  When I let the pullets out, they flew from the coop to the wheelbarrow in front of the barn, and from there they hopped down and walked into the barn to visit and have breakfast.  Wickett stayed on the roost.   I called to him, but he didn't come out.  He had passed away on the roost, head under one wing.  If I hadn't taken him down of the roost, I wouldn't have known that I'd lost him.  He was a good roo, and I'm going to miss that cantankerous little guy.

I'm sorry
It's sad when the temps and wind chill get this low I feel like everyone, myself included, get really nervous about losing birds. I have a long of pretty young pullets and cockerels in their own coop but today the Japanese were bundled together and my silkies were embracing the cold. Dorks. Sorry about Wickett!

 

[NanaKat]

Christina, I was wondering just the other day how you were doing...I ran across some soap information. So sorry to hear about Taron's guineas

Cora, l so sorry to hear about Wickett.

It is so cold outside...Gracie had to take one more run outside and could not decide where she wanted to mark territory....BRRR.

 

[NanaKat]

Question....
Have any of y'all stopped turning eggs 4 days before hatch if they are shipped eggs? Some of mine have poor air cells but most have pretty normal signs... So at least that's good. Have any of y'all tried that? Does it make a difference? And what about leaving the bad air cell eggs bottom end up for hatching as well (I have heard and seen some do this).

I stop turning eggs on day 18 so the chick gets oriented in the shell. I set all mine in egg cartons so they are bottom end up Cut hole in the bottom of each cup to allow air circulation.

 

[dgibson]

I have bought birds and eggs from David Fitchgerald he had some really nice Marans and dark eggs

 

[bardies]

I think arm bands would be cool

We'd be the latest in chicken gangs.... you know, going around, influencing and enabling....