***OKIES in the BYC III ***

[cscigu]

My
My 10 babies (4 SLW, 6 BO) came from Cackle Hatchery. They are hardy and seem perfectly healthy so far. They're supposed to be all pullets, but I think we may have gotten a couple of roos. Still a little early to tell for sure, though. They're 5 weeks old now. I'd love to visit the CH storefront at some point, but I'm not allowed any more chickens yet, and I know I'd want to bring home more babies. I'd love to add a couple of Marans to my flock. I could swear brown eggs taste better, so the browner the better, right? Lol!

I have found the Marans very addictive. Not all the eggs turn out to be the chocolate brown color you see in pictures so often, but all are a very deep brown. Just something neat about them. Also good, big eggs. What's more, I really like the chickens themselves. Calm, but alert, not fighters as far as I can tell, and generally not too noisy. The roosters are absolutely beautiful, and though I've given all mine away now, none were aggressive toward me.

I've got some chicks out now, and a few eggs in the incubator. Going to buy more from a seller here on BYC.

 

[Sooner Magnolia]

@ashtreethe second broody is the splash olive egger I got from you (originally from @HeyBigRhondaq I think). She is my daughter's favorite and she is SO excited about Marshmallow raising babies.

@cscigu, that broody I just referenced has some maran in her (right Ashtree?), and I can definitely see the personality traits you mentioned.

 

[NanaKat]

Quote: should do nicely.

for a great hatch

 

[NanaKat]

A couple of pictures of great mothers...
two hens with their chicks attacking the turnip plants pulled from the garden today. some babies are three days old, the older ones are three weeks old. The barred hen and the Blue Columbian are both Wyandottes. The other hens and roosters are from the free ranging layer flock.

This is the Barred Wyandotte hen with the 3 day old chicks. She is a first time mother and is very attentive to her babies..


Pansy and Ansel with their chicks. looking for bugs along the barn wall. She is a d'Anver hen and he is a Sebrite. Their chicks are 6 weeks old.


A white Wyandotte with her day old chicks in the cage still. Will move them to the floor in a few days.


A..ummmm...there are 4 Serama hens sitting on 12 eggs in this nest box...first time mothers.


And this Cochin hen has decided that her 3 day old chicks needed some more siblings.....she has taken up residence in the brooder room and calls all 50 chicks to food and water...that is a determined experienced mother. her babies all snuggle under her at night, but have big siblings to snuggle with during the day. I had to set up extra feeders and water containers in this area because she keeps them close to her and keeps all the other adults away from them. I'm going to move them all out this week to a separate coop where they can learn to hunt bugs and goodies in the grass. I took her some turnip greens today and she had them all in the middle of the floor teaching them to nibble the leaves and seeds...wish I had taken a video.

 

[NanaKat]

Now a few garden photos.....
Looking south down the first aisle...the left side is the diagonal line...the second picture is the same side of the garden showing the 3rd thru 6th beds and the arbor....the diagonal line is on the left so the first bed is 8 feet and the 6th bed is 23 feet long.



the same aisle showing the right side beds....there are eight 16 x 4 foot beds with. The first pciture is looking south with the portable tractor cage at the end. the next pictures is the center aisle looking north. this aisle is 7 feet wide to allow for the tractor. the beds are spaced 5 feet apart so I can easily mow and move a wheel barrow around.


Love flowers in the garden to draw in those pollinators, 16 foot cattle panels are great running down the center of the beds for tying up those peppers and tomatoes or for climbing plants.


looking north east across the garden. Some of the breeder pens are on the other side of the chain link fence...easy to give them weeds etc from the garden.




This is the 16 x 20 foot bed. It has left to right, carrots planted last fall, three rows of okra planted today, two rows of squashes planted in hills, and on the cattle panel are the elderberries...tied for support so I can mow. And you can see my compost pile that Roger moved from the barn lot to the garden....you just can't have enough compost. The chain link fence is 4 foot high. Fruit trees are planted along the chain link sides of the garden...with enough room from the fence for mowing. The pond in the background was put in about 9 years ago...

 

[Kassaundra]

I want to be NanaK when I grow up!

 

[Poco Pollo]

I want to be NanaK when I grow up!

We all do.

 

[Sooner Magnolia]

I want to be NanaK when I grow up!

Ditto!

So, When I got to school this morning, two had already hatched (3 days early?). Now we are up to 6 with more that have pipped. Everyone seems good so far. Glad I came up and removed the turner yesterday. I can see the one that pipped on the wrong side moving around and it has removed a bit more shell. It is a little hard for my students to concentrate on starfish with all the excitement! I'll add some pictures when I get a chance.

 

[limited25]

I want to be NanaK when I grow up!

Ditto!

Straw is growing like crazy in all my raised bed gardens.

 

[Okla-doodle-doo]

I want to be NanaK when I grow up!

I want to be adopted by her!