online Crazy Egg Chain Chat thread

[shelleyd2008]

Quote:
What are those little green bugs?? Those little suckers can get through the screen on the windows and they just LOVE the lights! Those little suckers bite too! But I know what you mean, we have a security light right in front of our house (stupidest place for one if you ask me). There are usually a lot of bugs around it but this year is ridiculous! I think we need a bat house or something, the few that do come around just can't keep up with them all.

Have you tried the purple marten houses? Those birds are supposed to be good bug eaters. I think I might try some of those too, cause this is just ridiculous.

 

[CapricornFarm]

Not yet on the purple Martin house, though the guy down the road from us literally wrote the book on purple martins and has a ton of those gourds and houses as well. Same with another person going the other way down the road
Maybe they know something I don't . I have been so busy building chicken coops I don't get much else done Check out my chicken tractor, I think I got it as my avatar right now.

 

[shellyga]

Quote:
What are those little green bugs?? Those little suckers can get through the screen on the windows and they just LOVE the lights! Those little suckers bite too! But I know what you mean, we have a security light right in front of our house (stupidest place for one if you ask me). There are usually a lot of bugs around it but this year is ridiculous! I think we need a bat house or something, the few that do come around just can't keep up with them all.

Have you tried the purple marten houses? Those birds are supposed to be good bug eaters. I think I might try some of those too, cause this is just ridiculous.

I use Skin So Soft from Avon before I go out..it helps.. a warning though.. the bugs will find ANY spot not reached!!!

Shelly

 

[CapricornFarm]

Hey Shelly, Did you get that new flock? I went to town today and it was 98 degrees again! Bought another hose and two sprinklers. Some bird was singing at my window at 5 am, and I couldn't go back to sleep. It was bearable at that hour and I did get some work done before people started showing up to buy chickens and eggs. OMG, I forgot to tell you the first chick that hatched from my new incubator was a lavendar orpington? My first chick from them. Now if I can just keep it straight which one it is!

Well I wanted to put the pic of my chicken tractor for my avatar, but it refused to go. So I decided to put up a pic of my leghorn pullet. I know you all are holding your breath, waiting for me to offer some of her eggs. So send me a pm and I'll put you on the list

 

[La Mike]

Me next please

I need a good layer lol

 

[shelleyd2008]

I'm thinking about getting some blue Orps or Wyandottes but I just can't get over the fact that both are LF

Do they eat a ton like other LF? I'm thinking yeah since most I've seen are pretty big....

 

[CapricornFarm]

Well, I do feed mine with a shovel...

But if you free range them, they eat less. It depends on how many predators you have. I also buy barrels of bread and chop it for them. Plus I hope to give them a lot of veggies if this garden doesn't fry. I almost never throw out left overs, the chickens, goats, dogs and cats clean up everything. We have an Apple orchard, so the critters eat a lot of that in the fall. Plus I get surplus pumpkins , the animals eat all of it except the stem. :-D

 

[shelleyd2008]

Well, free-ranging is a no-no...it seems all the ones I want to keep go into the woods to feed the foxes and bobcats

I started with 10 BCM and have 5...they haven't free ranged in almost a year. Some of the birds can--games, bantams, etc--but the 'big' ones must be too slow.

I feed my marans with a 3# coffee can. 7 birds eat a can full in 2 days. Mostly I try to stick with bantams

But all my pens are tractors so at least they get fresh grass. And I keep the smaller eggs to feed to the chickens too. We don't have much in the way of leftovers...dad usually cleans those up pretty well...but I try to give them what I can besides their feed. They are also water hogs...I think they are part duck. They empty their 1-gal. waterer daily...it is bone-dry when I go to feed them in the mornings.

Which would you rather have if you had the choice? Wyandottes or Orpingtons? And why would you prefer that over the other? (this is an in-general question directed at everyone

)

 

[CapricornFarm]

I have both. I love my buffs, and I am crazy about these lavenders. I just never get sick of looking at them. Then I have silver lace Wyandottes, but they are young right now. I had some before and they got killed by dogs. I had a pair of blue Wyandottes and the hen got egg bound and died. But I had put every egg she laid in the Bator, and I think I have a bunch of her chicks out there. Plus I think there are a few blrw out there from egg chain. The Wyandottes my friend had were very steady layers and cold tolerant. Of course, there are always the lovely Sussex as well.
And don't you just love the look of brahmas and cochins? I don't think I am helping
Come on over for a visit:-D

 

[shelleyd2008]

Quote:
Honestly I don't like the looks of LF cochins or brahmas...I've seen the ones in the shows and if that's what they are supposed to look like then

Dad had a few SLW hens and 1 brahma hen when I first moved here. The SLW seemed to lay pretty well but not every day. But they were the first to stop laying when the weather got too hot/cold. The brahma he had laid huge eggs but only 4-5 a week at the most. I'd say it was probably more like 3-4 eggs a week. I think all were double yolkers, but I can't eat eggs so that would do me no good.

I've heard/read that the lavender Orps are still a project because they were out-crossed with another breed to 'pick-up' the lavender, so I'd rather stay away from those. Plus I tend to have a 'thing' for blue birds

Come to think of it...the show Orpingtons are kind of gross-looking too, but the wyandottes look 'normal'. But I really don't like pea/rose-combed/whatever they are breeds

Takes too long to tell what they are.