***OKIES in the BYC III ***

[Oceanseve]

As long as the pots can drain so that the roots don't stay wet, they should be okay. Keep the soil moist like a wrung out sponge until you plant.
When you do plant them, you need to wait until the ground is workable, not soggy. Dig a $40 hole for a $10 dollar tree....at least four times the diameter of the size of the pot. Should be the same depth as the evel of the trunk at dirt level. You can loosen the soil under the root ball but make sure it is at ground level or just slightly above when you set the ball in the hole. Lossen the root ball and attempt to gently spread out some of the roots. You don't need to amend the soil, contrary to popular belief. If you have clay soil, amending the soil creates a soft spot that holds water and the roots either rot or can't break out of the soft soil into the clay.

Thanks for the help! I'm getting very worried about getting them in the ground. I would have done it this weekend, but DH can't make up his mind about getting a chainsaw new or used

Not sure if I said this before or not, we've got to take down some trees in the area I want to plant them, I may just change my plans. Okay, what do you mean by amending the soil?

Our power has flickered a few times. Think the rain is suppose to last most of the day, so the birds & goats will be staying penned up. I keep thinking I should find something productive to do, but for now I am listening to the thunder.
Kids have school today & tomorrow, then we will be busy busy busy! They get every Friday off for the rest of the yr! It will be a nice change of pace. Weekends always seem to go by too fast here with all the projects we have going on! I am thankful for the rainy days! We have already mowed our grass more this yr than all of last yr! Huge improvement!

lights have been toying with me here to. I'm already worried enough about my incubator, I don't need anything to add stress to that. Only a 4 day school week? That's cool, why are they doing that? Budget?

That's what I love love love about baby chicks! I've raised animals my whole life but didn't have baby chicks til last year. I've never seen such comedy

I'm sure lone chicks do get lonely since chickens are social animals. Your best bet would be to put one of the others in with the lone chick for a week or so before you transfer it. Chicks are cute but they're not very smart and that way those 2 will think they grew up together and will at least have each other when you go to integrate them. A lone bird put into a flock has a sign on its back that says "Torment Me".
I've only used my Little Giant incubator twice. I got a 50% hatch with shipped LF Cochin eggs last summer with it using dry incubation. This last time I tried with just 4 eggs but did NOT use dry incubation. I wish I had. 1 mixed breed chick hatched, and I peeled the shell off another chick or it would've died like the other 2. I guess technically that's a 50% hatch rate. If I try again it's going to be dry incubation with my own eggs. I'm still undecided on buying a Brinsea. I hate to spend $130 and not get any better than a 50% hatch rate anyway.

You could always sell your LG to me, that would get you a little bit closer to the Brinsea

 

[Ksane]

Ksane I have the Brinsea Eco with the auto turner. The auto turner isn't needed, since the incubator is designed that you can turn the whole incubator when you walk by. The auto turned does a complete turn every hour, not sure if that improves the hatch rate. We have had several 100% hatches in the brinsea. If the eggs are all fertile I don't think we had ever had less than a 90% hatch. With my sportsman I am sure there are times we are pushing 85-90% hatch. I much prefer the Brinsea -- it just doesn't hold as many eggs so that is why we use our sportsman the most. We tried a foam incubator & failed miserably!
I do want a brinsea cabinet incubator, but when I see the price tag I quickly remind myself we already have a cabinet incubator.

That good of a hatch rate? Wow. I do want one so bad. I can't even remember the one I was looking at but it was $120.

You could always sell your LG to me, that would get you a little bit closer to the Brinsea

PMing you!

 

[Poco Pollo]

It's miserable out there. I'm glad I got out early enough to beat the rain. The wind is throwing branches around. I hope we don't have too many come down. I want to mow in a few days and I hate to spend the first hour picking up fallen tree limbs.

I lost a big RIR hen today. She was egg bound on Saturday, passed the egg late Sunday, and this morning I found her in the corner of the coop under the roost. She didn't look like she'd fallen, just sitting in the corner alone. Her eggs have been getting larger and larger; and many have been double yolkers. She was 3 1/2 years old and seemed in perfect health otherwise. I don't understand enough about the mechanics of egg laying to know if the increase in egg size over the last year is symptomatic of a problem. Does anyone know?

 

[Oceanseve]

I don't know either, but wanted to say sorry

It's miserable out there. I'm glad I got out early enough to beat the rain. The wind is throwing branches around. I hope we don't have too many come down. I want to mow in a few days and I hate to spend the first hour picking up fallen tree limbs.

I lost a big RIR hen today. She was egg bound on Saturday, passed the egg late Sunday, and this morning I found her in the corner of the coop under the roost. She didn't look like she'd fallen, just sitting in the corner alone. Her eggs have been getting larger and larger; and many have been double yolkers. She was 3 1/2 years old and seemed in perfect health otherwise. I don't understand enough about the mechanics of egg laying to know if the increase in egg size over the last year is symptomatic of a problem. Does anyone know?

 

[Nektosha]

Problem is that the 10 girls are all 6+ weeks old now and really big. The little one is only 3 weeks old. It was a freebie when I picked up the girls. What to do?

 

[jcatblum]

Sorry you lost the hen Coral. I had one that for 2 wks has been laying large round eggs. Can't figure out who it is though!

The school here always does 4 day wks in the spring, think because it is farm country & there is more work to be done in the spring. I know in indiahoma they have 4 day school weeks too.

The brinesea Eco is advertised to hold 24 eggs, I can get several extra eggs in it if I don't use the rails. Think I pd around $200 for it, there was a coupon code floating around BYC when I bought it. Without the turner it is $100 (I think).

 

[Sooner]

City good to have you back!!! Hope you mom heals quickly!

Monty need to talk to you on the T-shirts.

POCO sorry you lost your hen. I think we are really in for it with the rain.


My chickens never stay out of the weather, they are always out walking around the yard, they might hang out under the tree's but never stay in the hen house.

 

[Ksane]

The brinesea Eco is advertised to hold 24 eggs, I can get several extra eggs in it if I don't use the rails. Think I pd around $200 for it, there was a coupon code floating around BYC when I bought it. Without the turner it is $100 (I think).

This is the one I wanted-is this the same as what you've got? I don't even neccessarily want or need the turner. Firefly said also that it was really easy to turn the whole thing when you walk by it. This one is $120.
http://www.brinsea.com/prod-Octagon_20_ECO_egg_incubator-224.aspx

Nektosha, sounds like YOU need another baby chick to keep him company :-D

 

[Oceanseve]

Problem is that the 10 girls are all 6+ weeks old now and really big. The little one is only 3 weeks old. It was a freebie when I picked up the girls. What to do?

Buy more chicks!!! Problem solved!

 

[Buster52]

LOVING

THIS

RAIN!!!!!

Might actually put a dent in filling our pond.