***OKIES in the BYC III ***

[Kassaundra]

@Ksane The twins look good, the one on the right looks the most like their dad.

 

[Kyzmette]

@miohippus that could definitely be a variant. It doesn't look exact, but hatchery chicks never quite look like the breed standard. The Blue OEGB is beautiful, so I definitely won't complain if that's what she is.

 

[RnRRidgerunner]

This is the front view of the brooder. The two pipes are for feed. Combined they hold almost two gallons of feed.

This is the inside view. In the corners are the waterers. I have plastic hardware cloth screwed into two side panels I cut out and into the top for ventilation.

The waterers are plastic mayonnaise jars with a water nipple mounted in the lid and wire wrapped around the middle made into a hook to hang in the brooder.

This is the inside front view of the feeders. The bases are plastic containers I get 3 for a $1 at dollar tree. I cut the PVC so the food will flow out and there are small holes so the chicks can get their heads in to get food but not get inside the feeders. works great. There is a third whole cut in the middle to add an additional feeder or waterer if needed.

Everything is plastic or metal so it is easy to sanitize. Adding the new waterers will hopefully keep the bedding cleaner longer because it will not be getting as wet. The main goal in building my brooders is to make them easy to keep clean, with feeding and waterering as easy as possible. Over the years my brooder design has evolved and I am always looking for ways to make them even more efficient. If anyone is interested in building one of these let me know and I will give you instructions. I also build these to sell.

Ahoy there! Well I went to Tractor Supply and picked up a four pack of poultry nipples and installed two of them on a lid for my large peanut butter jug. It was difficult as they fit in tight even after drilling to 22/64ths, but I finally got them. I also fashioned a wire holder to hang it all on the corner of the bin at chick standing height. It took them a few hours to get used to it and then the next day to figure out what to peck on. I am leaving the other waterer in there with them to get enough water. The nipple does not seem to readily drip water when lightly pecked. So you think there might be a vacuum lock going on? I may try putting a small 1/8th inch hole in the bottom of the jar (top of the waterer) to see if it drips better. They went nuts today pecking on it after they got over their initial fear from yesterday. They were pretty thirsty and all of them went to the old waterer when I put it back in there. I was joined by two brave chicks when I pecked it with one finger today. Just does not seem to dripping enough water.

 

[NanaKat]

Sure is windy outside still...checking on cows with several ready to pop. Had one new one early afternoon.
Allergies are really getting both of us...cedars are blooming.
How is everyone?

 

[Ksane]

Thank you, Kim! I just love how they look like dinosaurs

@Ksane that is a gorgeous cochin! wish i had room for him. He would have been a good match for my sweet Dora. Thought you'd enjoy this shot-


... look at these two...gizmo, the little gal i almost lost to egg binding, and cole... they act as if they've been together forever- came in and he had been up on the top of his cage by the window, gizmo had been asleep on my chair and they just kinda decided...

lol! A match made in Heaven! He was the one that was pretty rough on his hen. I bet with Gizmo being older this will work out real well.

I got one of the Gold Laced Cochin boys placed today-hooray! The one I'm keeping is good with other boys, not quite so scrappy.

 

[mjgigax]

I cleaned some pens today. I put my 2 little EE pullet, Chatty Cathy and Gidget, in a dog pen on the lawn while their pen dried. I went to town on an errand and while I was gone our neighbor's pup got out of his yard and opened the dog pen gate and killed them both!

Earlier in the morning my EE cockerel, Shadow, was in their with them. I took him out because the girls were picking on him even though he is bigger than them. I try to tell myself they weren't for breeding. I was just keeping them because they were so friendly and talkative plus for their eggs. Shadow is and the girls were so friendly even though their parents were standoffish.

I do have some eggs in the incubator from those parents. Maybe I will get some more like them that are friendly.

On a good note, I now have hatched 24 chicks from my Splash marans pullet and my Blue Copper Marans roo. That Splash is such a good layer. I also have 16 eggs of hers that I put in the incubator Sunday morning and She has layed 3 more since then! I bought a Blue Marans hen at Newcastle for the Marans roo.
-Never put all your eggs in one basket, count all your chicks before they hatch or trust all your breeding plans to one pair of chickens.

 

[Loriemarler]

I bought 9 chicks at the chickasha Atwoods. 6 have feathers feet. I'm so happy. Tommorrow I will try to get individual pictures

 

[Loriemarler]

Anyone want to guess this one. They said it had been there about 3 weeks and it does have feathered feet

 

[muesky]

Not a stupid question at all.

No crowing, no mating, no aggression. If you are wanting DP for meat you can grow them out longer / bigger and still have tender succulent meat.

Okay I was just wondering.. I guess that would not really work for me because all the birds I have are for my breeding programs or egg laying. I can't keep birds if they are earning their keep.. Maybe in the future.. So when you capon the roosters to you cauterize the wound?

Hey guys,

New to the Forum. Just wanted to chime in and say that I am in the Chandler Area and moving to the Guthrie area in the near future. Is raising chickens in Oklahoma more difficult than in other states due to the WIDE climate shifts or is it pretty easy to manage.

Okie addition!! I can't speak for everyone but if your birds are raised here, given shelter in the heat and cold, good food and plenty of clean water they adapt well. Some put heat on for their birds, this is not something I do. One thing I do for my birds is have a sprinkler hose set up on a timer for the animals. With Cochins the heat is the worst for them hence why I have the sprinkler hose. Other then that my birds are on their own..

Congrats on the babies and the new incubator. Next thing you'll want to get is a second incubator to use as a hatcher, since you'll probably set a lot of staggered hatches, just like the rest of us

And this is me

laughing at me because I am in exactly the same place.

Then you are going to decide you need a bigger incubator and hatcher because there are more chickens you want and then of course this means you need to build a larger coop and more breeder pens ...... Well I think you get the gist of it.. hehehe!

I'm needing some more blue maran hens and maybe a roo price isn't a big deal pm me with offers or references big thanks to my fellow addicts

They had some nice blue maran hens at Newcastle. MaryJo and I both got one. The prices were a bit high for a bird I just wanted for my layer flock but they were really nice.

Ahoy there! Well I went to Tractor Supply and picked up a four pack of poultry nipples and installed two of them on a lid for my large peanut butter jug. It was difficult as they fit in tight even after drilling to 22/64ths, but I finally got them. I also fashioned a wire holder to hang it all on the corner of the bin at chick standing height. It took them a few hours to get used to it and then the next day to figure out what to peck on. I am leaving the other waterer in there with them to get enough water. The nipple does not seem to readily drip water when lightly pecked. So you think there might be a vacuum lock going on? I may try putting a small 1/8th inch hole in the bottom of the jar (top of the waterer) to see if it drips better. They went nuts today pecking on it after they got over their initial fear from yesterday. They were pretty thirsty and all of them went to the old waterer when I put it back in there. I was joined by two brave chicks when I pecked it with one finger today. Just does not seem to dripping enough water.

I better check those and see if I have the same issue. Of course with a hole in them it will play havoc with filling them up. Hummm!!! I need to work this out and get back to you on that.. Also a better and cheaper place to get the nipples are on Ebay. I got 50 for $14 w/ free shipping. Does take a few weeks to get them though. But the price makes it totally worth it..

Sure is windy outside still...checking on cows with several ready to pop. Had one new one early afternoon.
Allergies are really getting both of us...cedars are blooming.
How is everyone?

Sinuses are killing me.. Did not have allergies until I turned 40.. Yeah happy birthday to me....

I cleaned some pens today. I put my 2 little EE pullet, Chatty Cathy and Gidget, in a dog pen on the lawn while their pen dried. I went to town on an errand and while I was gone our neighbor's pup got out of his yard and opened the dog pen gate and killed them both!

Earlier in the morning my EE cockerel, Shadow, was in their with them. I took him out because the girls were picking on him even though he is bigger than them. I try to tell myself they weren't for breeding. I was just keeping them because they were so friendly and talkative plus for their eggs. Shadow is and the girls were so friendly even though their parents were standoffish.

I do have some eggs in the incubator from those parents. Maybe I will get some more like them that are friendly.

On a good note, I now have hatched 24 chicks from my Splash marans pullet and my Blue Copper Marans roo. That Splash is such a good layer. I also have 16 eggs of hers that I put in the incubator Sunday morning and She has layed 3 more since then! I bought a Blue Marans hen at Newcastle for the Marans roo.
-Never put all your eggs in one basket, count all your chicks before they hatch or trust all your breeding plans to one pair of chickens.

Sorry about your babies.. I know that sucks! I hope you are able to get some chicks from the parents that are friendly like the ones you lost. Guess it was good that Shadow was not in there as well..

I bought 9 chicks at the chickasha Atwoods. 6 have feathers feet. I'm so happy. Tommorrow I will try to get individual pictures

I am telling you Atwoods should be considered a gateway drug... Just saying!!!

Anyone want to guess this one. They said it had been there about 3 weeks and it does have feathered feet

Dark Brahma

 

[redriverboy]

Okay I was just wondering.. I guess that would not really work for me because all the birds I have are for my breeding programs or egg laying. I can't keep birds if they are earning their keep.. Maybe in the future.. So when you capon the roosters to you cauterize the wound?

Okie addition!! I can't speak for everyone but if your birds are raised here, given shelter in the heat and cold, good food and plenty of clean water they adapt well. Some put heat on for their birds, this is not something I do. One thing I do for my birds is have a sprinkler hose set up on a timer for the animals. With Cochins the heat is the worst for them hence why I have the sprinkler hose. Other then that my birds are on their own..

Then you are going to decide you need a bigger incubator and hatcher because there are more chickens you want and then of course this means you need to build a larger coop and more breeder pens ...... Well I think you get the gist of it.. hehehe!

They had some nice blue maran hens at Newcastle. MaryJo and I both got one. The prices were a bit high for a bird I just wanted for my layer flock but they were really nice.

I better check those and see if I have the same issue. Of course with a hole in them it will play havoc with filling them up. Hummm!!! I need to work this out and get back to you on that.. Also a better and cheaper place to get the nipples are on Ebay. I got 50 for $14 w/ free shipping. Does take a few weeks to get them though. But the price makes it totally worth it..

Sinuses are killing me.. Did not have allergies until I turned 40.. Yeah happy birthday to me....
Sorry about your babies.. I know that sucks! I hope you are able to get some chicks from the parents that are friendly like the ones you lost. Guess it was good that Shadow was not in there as well..


I am telling you Atwoods should be considered a gateway drug... Just saying!!!

Dark Brahma

I knew I should've went to the Newcastle auction instead of blanchards lol just curious how do those 2 auctions compare which is better

Ps still lookin for those blue maran hens lol