***OKIES in the BYC III ***
- Thread starter Buckguy20
- Start date
@Kassaundra that naked neck chick is the cutest thing ever. I'm just smitten. And it's good to see Rudy again.
My favorite baby duck died last nightwe had 29, I fell in love with 1 and my 3 year old decided (without my knowledge) to take it for a swim in the cold/wind yesterday. I'm a little embarrassed by how much I cried. I don't get easily attached but when I do Im a mess.
My broody goose is going strong on some duck eggs. I need to lock her out and candle again when she steps off the nest. Im hoping she bonds with the babies because she's sort of a loner here and while I intend to move the big ducks in a month or so I will leave her babies and maybe keep a girl (or 2) that can always stay with her. Would that work or will the baby duck eventually leave her to be with the other ducks? I have 3 other geese but mama goose (Angel) is not interested in them. I just hate seeing her wandering the yard alone.
And just cause it's soooo cute:
Sorry to hear about your duckling. It's tough to lose a favorite! I need to build a pond. I want ducks again!
@Loriemarler, our dogs generally aren't too interested in our chickens. BUT like yours, when the opportunity arises, they jump on it. Hate that it happened to you.
I finished a coop today for El Jefe and his Isbar lady. They had been in one way too small for too long. They seem happy checking out their digs and have enough room I can add a girl if I like. The coop was a trade for chickens and wasn't quite what I wanted, so I had to put my own stamp on it. I hope it works now. No pics today. I'm too tired to go back down there.
I also trimmed Jubilees today. Fertility had dropped, so I checked...FLU-HU-UFFY BUMS.
And, finally...I have 3 Cuckoo Orp, 1 BBS, and 1 Faverolle egg due to hatch tomorrow!
Oh no, Lori! It really hurts when it is your own dog.
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Did anyone else feel the 4.2 earthquake in Guthrie this morning? We felt it at 8:26, and when I remembered to check just now, it hit in Guthrie at 8:21.
All the information I've had on guinea/chicken cross says they are infertile. Their appearance depends on what breed of chicken they are crossed with. Friends have had some really attractive "guins" (as they are called)--one that was not a lot larger than a pigeon and looked quite a bit like one. I think the guinea/peafowl cross was the ugliest pic I've seen of one. Tthey don't seem to be very long lived.
All the information I've had on guinea/chicken cross says they are infertile. Their appearance depends on what breed of chicken they are crossed with. Friends have had some really attractive "guins" (as they are called)--one that was not a lot larger than a pigeon and looked quite a bit like one. I think the guinea/peafowl cross was the ugliest pic I've seen of one. Tthey don't seem to be very long lived.
I have a couple of more questions, due to my inexperience.
1) Calcium deposits on eggs. Are they a sign of a problem, when they become regular, or are they something normal in some chickens?
2) "Oops Eggs". Got an oops egg from one hen, likely a new layer, two days in a row. Is this still not an issue? Or possibly indicative of an issue, or potential issue?
Update on the cabinet incubator. I ripped out the old wafer thermostat unit today, to make room for an STC 1000 thermostatic control unit, and began sanding. There is much to restore there, but, it will be beautiful, when it is done. I am thinking seriously of trying to restore it completely, except for the thermostatic control unit. I mean, taking it down to original wood, original hardware, and giving it an original stained redwood, gloss urethane finish. My wife likes the idea. I just need to find the correct hardware, and get some actual dimensions, on an original top. Someone made a new one, well made, but out of hardwood plywood, and some cheap 1"x2" pine furring strips. So, I need to get some adequate redwood boards, and fashion a new top. But, I have to get with the folks on the redwood cabinet incubator forum, and get the proper dimensions, for the window size, and position, as well as the trim.
About 1/3 of the way through sanding the first side, I had a small disaster, in that my standard old Skil random orbital sander, completely gave up on me. The bearings are just shot. I'd try to fix it, but a good replacement at a pawn or thrift store, will be nearly cheaper, than the parts to repair this one.
Anyway, tomorrow, I take a break, to celebrate Easter, then back at the restoration project, first thing Monday.
BTW-I just saw for like the 50th time, my recent favorite TV commercial. I LOVE the new one for Geico, with the Free Range Chicken texting photos back home. Too cute!
Oh, and there is here, a photo, of the prototype turkey breeding saddle, that my sister made for one of my Narragansett hens yesterday. We have ideas for possible functional improvements, then we will work on aesthetic improvements. I saw one, the other day, with a Texas Lone Star flag on it. I was thinking of an Okie Star, since the "End of the Trail" and "Warrior" Native Americans, might be a bit difficult to stitch in, unless one could embroider it. Any ideas you want to throw at me, would be appreciated.
Here is wishing you all a very happy and celebratory Easter.
1) Calcium deposits on eggs. Are they a sign of a problem, when they become regular, or are they something normal in some chickens?
2) "Oops Eggs". Got an oops egg from one hen, likely a new layer, two days in a row. Is this still not an issue? Or possibly indicative of an issue, or potential issue?
Update on the cabinet incubator. I ripped out the old wafer thermostat unit today, to make room for an STC 1000 thermostatic control unit, and began sanding. There is much to restore there, but, it will be beautiful, when it is done. I am thinking seriously of trying to restore it completely, except for the thermostatic control unit. I mean, taking it down to original wood, original hardware, and giving it an original stained redwood, gloss urethane finish. My wife likes the idea. I just need to find the correct hardware, and get some actual dimensions, on an original top. Someone made a new one, well made, but out of hardwood plywood, and some cheap 1"x2" pine furring strips. So, I need to get some adequate redwood boards, and fashion a new top. But, I have to get with the folks on the redwood cabinet incubator forum, and get the proper dimensions, for the window size, and position, as well as the trim.
About 1/3 of the way through sanding the first side, I had a small disaster, in that my standard old Skil random orbital sander, completely gave up on me. The bearings are just shot. I'd try to fix it, but a good replacement at a pawn or thrift store, will be nearly cheaper, than the parts to repair this one.
Anyway, tomorrow, I take a break, to celebrate Easter, then back at the restoration project, first thing Monday.
BTW-I just saw for like the 50th time, my recent favorite TV commercial. I LOVE the new one for Geico, with the Free Range Chicken texting photos back home. Too cute!
Oh, and there is here, a photo, of the prototype turkey breeding saddle, that my sister made for one of my Narragansett hens yesterday. We have ideas for possible functional improvements, then we will work on aesthetic improvements. I saw one, the other day, with a Texas Lone Star flag on it. I was thinking of an Okie Star, since the "End of the Trail" and "Warrior" Native Americans, might be a bit difficult to stitch in, unless one could embroider it. Any ideas you want to throw at me, would be appreciated.
Here is wishing you all a very happy and celebratory Easter.
Thanks. The sad part is, that we lost a guinea, last night, to a predator. I'm guessing raccoon. I was letting the chickens loose, and there were guinea feathers in clumps, all over the yard. No carcass, no entrails, but one missing male guinea. He was the youngest of the bunch. We are now down to 3.
If I could just afford that night vision scope for my varmint rifle, those coons would run off, in terror!
We have been using a live trap baited with a spoonful of canned cat food. So far we have trapped and disposed of 6 huge coons and two possums that have been raiding the creep feeder in the south pasture. They have raked out several hundred pounds of feed onto the ground where it gets damp and ruins. And they have been able to burrow up thru the creep feed into the bin and soiled the feed too. It has been a mess. I know some people try to re-home critters, but we find it better to use a 22 to eliminate it from the food chain.
Anyone familiar with showing chickens? I grew up in the north ( I got out as fast as I could! lol) and we didn't have Ag programs but I wish we did. I spent all my time in horse barns, and never knew about 4H until I was an adult. I am woefully lacking in knowledge of how to get involved. My daughter is wanting to take our chickens to shows. I have looked on the APA website and didn't find much info. Any suggestions on where to start?
I figure we would start with a small animal. Then move up to the goats, pigs, sheep and calves she also wants to show...lol.
I figure we would start with a small animal. Then move up to the goats, pigs, sheep and calves she also wants to show...lol.
We have been finding more morel mushrooms this year than in years past. Hope it is a good sign of the drought breaking....
The wild geese have not selected a nesting spot yet. Lucy is certainly carrying a bun in the oven. Goosey has been defending their feed tire against the chickens and any wild birds. They waddle off to the ponds and pasture. They visit the tire in the late afternoon..sometimes flying over in a circle announcing their arrival. They snack and lounge around until evening.
We had a mild frost this morning. Worked in the garden today...clearing beds and planted two trays of tomatoes so far.
Broke down and gave another hen eggs to hatch...eight hens now either have eggs or want them. Three hens have babies.
My Easter hatch is pipping tonight.
The wild geese have not selected a nesting spot yet. Lucy is certainly carrying a bun in the oven. Goosey has been defending their feed tire against the chickens and any wild birds. They waddle off to the ponds and pasture. They visit the tire in the late afternoon..sometimes flying over in a circle announcing their arrival. They snack and lounge around until evening.
We had a mild frost this morning. Worked in the garden today...clearing beds and planted two trays of tomatoes so far.
Broke down and gave another hen eggs to hatch...eight hens now either have eggs or want them. Three hens have babies.
My Easter hatch is pipping tonight.
Lorie-
I just read your post, about your tragedy. I can relate so much to that. Last May, my Catahoula killed 26 pullets 11 poults and 9 keets, in about a 2 hour span, after having earned my trust, for weeks, completely ignoring the birds. I had him on the ground, with the gun on his forehead, and couldn't pull the trigger. We rescued him as baby, lost, starving and dehydrated. I just couldn't do it. He now is a house dog by day, outside guard dog, at night. Though I think we've still lost a few more guineas to him. But, I couldn't prove it, so I can't punish him.
My Boxer, was always disinterested, which surprised me, because she is so playful. I expected her to want to play with the birds, but she almost seemed timid, and scared of them. I guessed that after getting punished for digging up a guinea that had died, she wanted nothing to do with the birds. Instead, she seemed quite content, killing skunks, possums, armadillos, and the like. Then, in November, my wife put her out to "potty" while I was in Tahlequah, and she decided that playing with my white midget turkey, was going to be fun, until the turkey stopped moving. Then, she, the poodle and the schnauzer, decided, hey, let's have a meal.
The only one of my dogs, that has never been aggressive towards the birds in any way, is my old beagle. He just lays around and looks at them.
I am so sorry for your loss. I hope that you can have a nice Easter, today. I'm pretty certain your boxer wasn't trying to harm, but trying to play. They play rough.
I just read your post, about your tragedy. I can relate so much to that. Last May, my Catahoula killed 26 pullets 11 poults and 9 keets, in about a 2 hour span, after having earned my trust, for weeks, completely ignoring the birds. I had him on the ground, with the gun on his forehead, and couldn't pull the trigger. We rescued him as baby, lost, starving and dehydrated. I just couldn't do it. He now is a house dog by day, outside guard dog, at night. Though I think we've still lost a few more guineas to him. But, I couldn't prove it, so I can't punish him.
My Boxer, was always disinterested, which surprised me, because she is so playful. I expected her to want to play with the birds, but she almost seemed timid, and scared of them. I guessed that after getting punished for digging up a guinea that had died, she wanted nothing to do with the birds. Instead, she seemed quite content, killing skunks, possums, armadillos, and the like. Then, in November, my wife put her out to "potty" while I was in Tahlequah, and she decided that playing with my white midget turkey, was going to be fun, until the turkey stopped moving. Then, she, the poodle and the schnauzer, decided, hey, let's have a meal.
The only one of my dogs, that has never been aggressive towards the birds in any way, is my old beagle. He just lays around and looks at them.
I am so sorry for your loss. I hope that you can have a nice Easter, today. I'm pretty certain your boxer wasn't trying to harm, but trying to play. They play rough.
Happy Easter to each of you ... as you spend time with family and friends may you find love, joy and peace.
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