Online Large Fowl Chat Thread

[Chicken Coach]

Great news about the ebay eggs.This weekend we posted our first ever ebay add.I put up some of my black javas and have some bids.We took our billy back to the lady we got him from.We are going to trade him for a female.and next fall either use a buck from her or buy one .It's cheaper than feeding one all year and he was hard to keep him in a pen by himself.My other bunch of dom eggs came today in good shape and he sent 21 . I paid for 15+ it was nice to get that much extra,but i did buy 2 sales back to back.

 

[CapricornFarm]

so after getting the starter on my truck replaced, you would think when I get in and turn the key it would start. NO! Now the flipping battery went bad and I had to get a new one I did get a big pile of scrap wood at the lumber yard today. And I bought more chicken wire and hinges. But with my back so bad, I don't seem to get much done besides feeding the critters. I did mail three boxes of eggs today, should have two more batches going out tomorrow . Jack the goat buck is mad that he can't get out of the pen he is in, so he destroyed the water bucket in there today. I am less than happy with him. He may need to go to a new home. It was another beautiful day today, the buds on the plum tree are plumping up. Probably just in time to freeze off during the next snow.
Chicks hatching again, so darned cute!

 

[Arielle]

Sorry to hear about the truck battery. Sometimes they just don't keep a charge any more-- hope that's not the case this time though. My truck sits and has been sitting for over a year. It needed some repairs and the mechanic didn't want to do the work. I replaced it with a Scion xB. I can fit 8 bales or a fair number of pallets.

THe ewes are still making me wait. I set up 2 lambing jugs yesterday and the heat lamps today with my son's help. HE has a good throwing arm and was able to launch a 12 inch scrap of wood with the end of the extension cord wrapped around it, up and over the barn's side wall, and voila, power and lights in the barn. Inside the barn, I hoisted him up on my shoulders so he could tie off the cord. He's grown so much this last year, he's a big help around the place doing chores.

DH just finished night chores; he says there is another ewe bagging up . THat's 3 more to move up to the lambing barn. Looking at the ewes today only a couple look like they are carrying twins. That forecasts big singles. THat means lambing problems. UGH!

Today was a gorgeous 50 plus degrees. Smelled like spring. That funky, hopeful, mud smell that heralds spring. BUt it's Feb 1st. What will the ground hog have to say about it tomorrow?

 

[shellyga]

Wednesday was busy.. but aren't they all.. I was able to get home a little earlier since I didn't have to work the after school program.. that gets old sometimes..but the money is great so I muddle through. I'll have a late night tonight too.
Left yesterday morning with 2 chicks I had to help out of eggs in the big LG incubator.. came home to ten chicks hatched..I had lost track of which eggs should be hatching when..they have to hatch with the turner on.. not the best conditions, but I have such a mixed batch in there so little choice. I was excited to come home to so many-- these were some BCM - mine and auction eggs.. there were some silkies in there too.. I didn't get a good chance to look at all the egg shell markings.. but since I removed dark egg shells.. I know the BCM's did well.
The little 7 egg incubator that I want to use at school should arrive today.. This year I want to keep the chicks in the classroom a little longer than I did last year.. that way the kids can get a better idea of what is necessary to care for an animal.. plus I get to use county electricity for the brooder light..

Like everyone..it seems like temperatures are unseasonably warm.. I am just waiting for that ice storm I know is brewing.. probably in APRIL!!
My son is taking three boxes of eggs to the post office for me.. I still have eggs coming out of my ears....on a great note though--got TWO Coronation eggs today.. super excited. Candling the first group on Sunday--praying for good fertility.

Well off to the shower for me.. y'all have a good day..

Shelly

 

[Arielle]

SHelly,

Hurray on the eggs!! Hatching and arriving for setting.

Love that you want to help the children learn about animals. My boys have really taken to he chickens whereas horses and sheep hold little interest. Maybe it's a size thing. My boys make up games using the chickens, and usually tote 1 into the house for a visit. Very cute.

I have school council tonight and I am dreading it. THe written school plan lists school as responsible but does not have parents as a responsible party too. I did bring up in the last meeting the role IMO that parents play to help kids succeed in school and that met with strong affirmation. WIll contact the other parent I know on the committee and come up with a game plan to get parents in the loop. I feel so excluded from my children's education. OK off my soap box.

No lambs this morning. My girls are very comfortable lambing in the late morning, too, so I stay close to move the ewe to a private corner. Would like to set up samera that I use for foaling; will do if time allows. Need to make more coops , too. DH finally told me last night where he stashed the saw.

I'm very tired today. Late nights play havoc with my brain. I'm writing crazy things that need way too much editing.

 

[CapricornFarm]

My goat Domino had twins today, and both look like their dad.Too bad, because their mom is black with white spots.....this is running very slow tonight..... I did get the rest of the wire on the new coop. And the nest box is finished and attached, perches are installed. (Ok, I turned off the computer maybe it will work better now. It is probably getting tired. ) So Slim is still skinny, today i made him take a bottle and he is warming up to the idea. I think he nibbles too much when he drinks and Nina just makes him stop eating. Plus his brother and sister are bigger and probably push him aside , so I guess I have a bottle kid.
I took a picture of Nivea sun bathing today, I thought she was dead at first glance.... I will try to post the pic.
oops, that's Bunny, whose parents were not spotted but clearly she is..
OK, so how can you not do a double take when you see this in the barnyard?

 

[Chicken Coach]

Great pics.My goats lay out like that and i always think, omg their dead and i have had them so asleep that even when i walk right up to them they finally set up and look at me like WHAT? Tomorrow night i'm going to a once a month chicken sale in ok. with a friend. And yes i'm taking empty pens.Next week the state guy is coming to test the birds for npip. I will get a number and everything.

 

[Arielle]

My sheep don't lay our flat like that but my horses do. My heart jumps and I get that sick feeling overwelms me. Still waiting for lambs. One ewe looks close = she'e turned bright pink.

Have you tried a different nipple on Slim? I keep both calf nipples and pritchard teats on hand. THough once I had great success with pritchard teats I've never had to use the calf nipples again. The replacement formulas have different flavors, too. Sometimes if I switch formulas for a few minutes than go back to the familar one they will drink more. I couple years ago I bout a HUGE bag of replacer from a new and closer feedsn needs; well it turned out to be calf replacer and the lambs were not thriving on it. THe hard part is that I bought so much of it that I have gallons of dried replacer in the chest freezer! Did find a lamb replacer formula on line though.

Coach--go for it ! the more NPIP the better! That is some thing I need to do too. Just a little difficult with so many that free range. Do let us know how it goes.

Temps have dropped again. 23 degrees this morning. Back to ice on all the water buckets. Kids woke up early to play computer games. It also meant they had time to get more chores done like letting out the birds and feeding the chick in the brooders and fill the dishwasher. Who would of thought computer games had an upside. Leaverage! LOL

 

[farmerChef]

Got my BO eggs today from Shellga!

 

[Arielle]

Hi Farmer, Congrats on the BO! BO are eye candy. I just had to have some too. One of my few breeding pens that I'm setting up soon. Good luck on the hatch!!


Finally a midnight check met success. Twins, just born. Ewe was kind enough to pick the lambing jug set up for her. Smart girl.

Today I'm hoping DH will work on the breeding pens. He woke up twice last night to feed the newborns. He is better at it than I am!! But I also had an email from someone wanting hatching eggs. SO much to do today.