Online Large Fowl Chat Thread

[CapricornFarm]

Today I packed eggs all morning. Plus I washed six dozen eating eggs, three dozen already spoken for. Went to town, shipped eggs, did a bit of shopping . Bought three pieces of plywood 2'x4' that will be perfect for a skirt for the sides of the quail duplex. It will help keep it warmer for them and discourage varmints from getting underneath.
I am dehydrated again so I am trying to force myself to drink more water. I never drink 8 glasses any more like I used to in the summer.
Bought more feed again, so I get to unload that in the morning. Need to ship eggs again and shop some more tomorrow . We are supposed to get more rain late tomorrow . I bought two more tarps to put on some of the runs, so hopefully I can get that done. The Dark Brahmas roost outside no matter what the weather is like. Plus I need a tarp over the new Polish runs.
Christmas is creeping up, need to decorate the tree.

 

[mrheinz77]

I got my first Ameraucana egg today. Its time to move them to their new pen. I was going to move them and the Wellies but didn't get out of school until after 6. A student is having issues and needed to talk. This is after he finished his Physics test at about 5. I guess I made it a little too hard. Less than half the class finished in our 90 minute class. The others will finish tomorrow. Those that are done will start building self propelled catapults tomorrow. The rest of the semester is projects; the catapult, a tooth pick bridge, and a egg drop contraption. Time for bed.

 

[CapricornFarm]

I am getting eggs now from my whites, the most beautiful shade of blue. And the first of three Faverolles is laying too. My two young black australorps are laying even without a light in the tractor!
I have some mystery chickens, look like butterscotch splash. No idea what those are:-D
The coyotes are yipping up a storm out there, must be quite a pack. The neighbor shoots them when he can except during deer season he doesn't want to scare off the deer. I rarely see any but I hear them almost every night.

 

[shellyga]

first official day of Christmas vacation here...
Spent the morning chasing my grandson around and then the trip to take him back to his Mama.. she has him for Christmas this year.. he comes back on the 28th so we are prolonging Christmas

I set at least 100 quail eggs today.. some I got from my own girls.. some from the local auction and some from swap/chains.. in 18 days I hope to have a bunch of little flashes of fluff. Now the countdown begins for the Christmas/New Years eve hatch..as well as one due before Christmas--lost track of the day so they were candled and locked down today..

Finally caught the last three of the elusive chickens to move into "Orpington Manor".. the last two Black and the last Splash that have been hiding behind roosters it seems.. DH and I caught them tonight. Now the breeding flock is all together and I am gearing up for even more eggs... I am still just getting one from my 4 Easter Egger gals.. I so love that pretty egg..she is a trooper and I have gotten 4 or 5 a week for the past 4 weeks.. all of my egg customers want one with their order..lol.. but I have set most of them..my next three hatches will include at least one from her and candling shows them growing well.

Wow.. I really need to go to bed.. I am normally a pumpkin at this time of the night..er..I guess technically it is morning

Shelly

 

[CapricornFarm]

Good evening poultry lovers! What is happening in your neck of the woods? We had rain and clouds most of the day, but a mild 60 degrees. I had to make another run to town for more christmas stuff and to ship a bunch more eggs. The goats spent most of the day in the back garage stalls since they hate being wet. Nina is getting close to kidding, last time she had triplets! I am wondering if she will hold off for christmas babies. Either way, I need to get a stall with a heat lamp ready for them. DH is complaining about the electric bills with all these heat lamps.

I guess we should have stayed in Florida.
I put candy canes on the Christmas tree today, and tomorrow I will add the ornaments. Bought some new ones for half price today, some of the stores have sales on already. My parents called tonight, hadn't heard from them in ages. I still didn't talk to them because I had fallen to sleep at 7 pm! I was just so tired, flaked out on my bed.
Just came back from the barn, the chicks were glad to see me. They are growing like weeds. Need to get some tractors ready for them, they need to get out of the brooders.

 

[Chicken Coach]

Hi ,every body. Well i sold all of my standard brown leghorns last week but keep the batons leghorns. I had to get the big ones off the feed bill. It was a small sale and only half of the people was their but their was 2 people their that wanted them and that's all it takes. They did real good! and of course i came home with a trio of frizzle baton cochins,well they eat much. If i can pass my dot physical tomorrow i'm going back to work with the trucking company that i used to work for before my heart attack a year and a half ago. I should be glad to have any job but i'm not to thrilled about driving again even part time.Christmas is soon and my antique sale is coming on the 31's so busy busy busy.

 

[CapricornFarm]

Hey Coach! No, those bantams don't eat much, so you can have more of them. I have bantam cochins and a pair of buff sebrights. We had a downpour of rain today, hopefully it dries up tomorrow . Good luck on the job. I am happy to be selling eggs, better than getting up by the alarm clock every day. But no days off for me.

 

[shellyga]

I spent Tuesday doing very little...lol.

I made a trip to the post office and have to go again today to mail out two Christmas packages.. doubt they will make it before Christmas but time just slipped away. I still have wrapping to do and the tree to finish decorating. I also have to get my coupons in order for my shopping trip.. yup..I am one of those crazy coupon people.. well not EXTREME couponing..but I don't buy alot that I don't have a coupon or isn't on sale. I started with coupons again in August and have already saved over $500..probably over $600 if I add it all up. But if I don't go to the store soon..we won't have a Christmas turkey..

I am looking for some more Black Copper Marans - preferably pullets - that will replace some of my older hens in the spring. I don't like buying grown hens unless I know the person - the ages can be questionable and as much as I like my chickens.. I have enough freeloaders as it is..lol Responded to a person on my swap page on Facebook that said he had Marans and Ameracaunas (both of which I want more of) that lives relatively close.. so on my way to the PO yesterday I went to his house.. he had ONE..and said ONE.. BCM chick.. looks like a hen but will wait to see.. and his Ameracauna were actually Easter Eggers. He was selling them cheap so I came home with some anyway (everyone wants a green egg with their eating egg orders these days..lol)- two laying hens, one older pullet and three cute little ones....I admit I bought them based solely on their coloring.. unusual and I like unusual. Ohh and I talked him out of a cute little splash Maran..lol He also had Langshuns (doubt that is how you spell is) that were HUGE black birds with feathered feet. He said that from his research, they were one of the birds used in the creation of Marans. He was wanting to sell some of those but I need another breed like I need another bill in the mailbox..lol. I have plans for a few more breeding flocks but they will come from my main flock (just finally separated)
Spring should bring an expansion to my little chicken business as I will be able to offer more breeds of pure eggs and chicks.. My main mixed flock will still provide plenty of eggs to support the family and my eating egg customers. I hope to have Silkies, Columbian Wyndotte, Silver Laced Wyndotte and Light Brahma to join the pure flocks in their separate pens by February. Don't tell poor DH.. he doesn't know yet..lol I have all of these birds in the main mixed flock that I have hatched out and have been growing up for a few months.. they will be laying or close to laying by February..for sure when the weather warms up.

Do chicken people EVER not have plans for expansion????

Another rainy day here. I need to go put a light bulb in ORPINGTON MANNOR so I can give them some extra light on these shorter days. I need to candle the eggs for lock-down tomorrow.. Christmas chicks..hoping for a BUNCH..lol. Other than that.. I will be working inside on this messy house. I have people coming to get some Freecycle stuff - items of no use to me but can be used by others so they are given away free.

I have laundry started.. you know it is rough when you have no clean socks..lol. My trip out will be this afternoon once hubby goes to bed for the day.

Shelly

 

[CapricornFarm]

Hey Shelly, I think you and I are in the same place. I have lots of clothes, but i need to wash them. I hate housework. Went outside today, it was a glorious day! I was in jeans and a tshirt! Got out the Mule and dragged an empty chicken tractor up the hill. Since it poured rain last night, this was no easy task since it was muddy and the wheels on the tractor are small. I got out gravel for traction, loaded up the back of the mule with weight and finally got it done with a lot of pushing and shoving. I was going to put teenagers in it, but ended up putting my white Ameraucanas in there because the roo was beating up my Faverolle rooster in the grow out pen.

Also worked on winterizing some coops, putting tarps over runs, watering and feeding as usual. All too soon it was getting dark. We are supposed to get rain because it is garbage day and it always has to rain for that. Put more eggs in the bator last night, need to add more tonight.
I did add a few ornaments to the tree, but I really need to get busy with that. And wrapping.

 

[CapricornFarm]

Since it rained most of the day, I wrapped presents all morning. Not done yet, and I need to get batteries. I must say I am impressed with the post office this holiday season, most of the parcels I have shipped made it to their destinations in a timely manner. The Christmas package I sent to Florida got there today after being shipped Monday!
Thanks to all this rain, the runs are a mess, despite tarps. I am looking into getting a truckload of sand delivered. For now I am raking up leaves and throwing barrels of them into the runs, which the chickens like to scratch through. Bonus, the leaves get raked up off the grass so the grass will be happier too. Hopefully we won't have any more rain for a while. If it is fair tomorrow , I would like to clean nest boxes and put fresh shavings in the coops. Need to get Ninas pen ready before she kids.