Online Large Fowl Chat Thread

[CapricornFarm]

Well I ended up wrapping Christmas presents, and buying more presents, and buying more chickens! I am DONE christmas shopping! Got a pair of buff "Ameraucanas", they are young so I don't know yet. And i got a pair of splash LF Cochin pullets. My hens in the hens only coop are starting to lay. I had been getting an egg a day from the sex link, and today there were three eggs. Don't know if it was buckeye pullets, cochin pullets or my mixed up girl that looks part delaware and maybe rir. I will have to have a good look at combs and see if I can figure it out.
I did do some cleaning in the back garage area where the goat pens are. Cleaned out half of two stalls, rather than one whole stall because one goat is likely to hog the clean stall and you never know who might kid. In fact, I should go look before I go to bed in case i need to set up a heat lamp. Usually they kid around feeding time, but you never know. Nina has a full udder, but it is not strutted so i am not panicked yet. I need to get more shavings but my back hurts and shovelling does not help matters. That bad disc is a curse.
So last time i looked, i had 6 chicks hatched from my Christmas setting. Early birds looking for a worm I guess. DH has a lot of time off work coming up, wanted to know what projects I had for him to work on.

Honey, there is a list as long as your arm. I need more materials, rats! Never enough.

My Dark Brahma Rooster, on guard.

 

[shellyga]

Wow Deb..great going

I finally got my tree decorated and a few presents wrapped.. heading out this morning for the last raid on the stores... I still have house cleaning to do.. but that is a never ending job around here. One of my Rotties woke me up to go outside (learned LONG ago not to ignore that natures call!) and have two little chicks.. one more egg is showing that faint crack.so not sure if it will be a Christmas Eve or Christmas Day chick.

Tell your hubby he has company.. my DH asked the same thing.. he is off until Jan. 2

Shelly

 

[CapricornFarm]

Merry Christmas, chicken lovers! So far i think I have 16 chicks hatched on my Christmas day hatch! I put up more decorations today, DH says he likes the reindeer in the window boxes! Not much accomplished today, still feeling not so hot. I did paint two panels for the skirt on the quail duplex.I caulked the roof on the latest coop, so hopefully the rain will not pour in the end any more. Also put fresh hay in nest boxes. Now they are predicting rain tomorrow. I hope they are wrong. I need to move another brooder into the barn. Went over to my neighbors place and found the hole where the raccoon got in and killed her RIR hen. They looked high and low but missed it, so hopefully the rest of her flock will be safe.
My poor cat has enlarged nipple, and it is bleeding so she needs a trip to the vet next week. It is going to cost more to get that fixed than when I had her spayed But she is a special kitty, and needs it done. How many of you have cats that retrieve? She went into the garbage can for her toy once when it got tossed in there by accident!She is twelve years old now, but you would never know it. She is very playful and attacks my husband on a regular basis. Never draws blood, but makes us both laugh!

She is a Chocolate Siamese. Her mother was a show cat imported from England, and i paid a lot for her, but never regretted it. Jazzy is my special girl!

 

[shellyga]

Love your Cat Deb... sadly, no cats can live here as my dogs don't like furry things... cats, rabbits.. stuffed animals that look like cats and rabbits..

When God's kennel keeper calls them home.. we are getting kittens with the new puppies.. hoping that by raising them together.. they will do fine.

Merry Christmas to my BYC friends.. you all have been wonderful to me. Don't be surprised to see me drive up this summer.. planning several road trips.. may or may not warn you..

Shelly

 

[Chicken Coach]

Well Christmas is almost over here so Merry Christmas if i forgot .I hope everyone had a good time.I sure did.

 

[CapricornFarm]

It was a great Christmas for us! Would have only been better if we were in NS or Florida with family. Sweet husband got me lots of nice gifts, even chicken ornaments for the tree and a chicken calendar . I think I surprised him as well this year.He got a toy helicopter that flies, among other things.
He cut down several trees today and split wood. I cut 2x4s for the next project, a grow out pen in the barn. Painted them, and started cleaning the old goat pen made of pallets that I plan to convert. Took two loads of stuff down to the gulch, it is getting quite green down there from all the fertilizer . The chicks in the warm room are getting too big for those brooders, but not big enough to go outside. Spring can't get here soon enough for me. I am driving to Covington tomorrow to buy a flock of SLW hens. I have room in that coop, and it will keep my rooster busy
I am going to need to pack a lot of eggs tomorrow too, lots of auctions ending.
Merry Christmas and happy new year. Deb

 

[shellyga]

Christmas was a peaceful day for me. For those that have known me on BYC for awhile.. you will remember that I lost my Mom in January of this year. A traumatic thing for me as we were super close and there was no warning. The no warning probably was a blessing since she would not have wanted any long illness... it was one of her fears. This year has been filled with emotional ups and downs.. especially here at the holidays. She and I had certain Thanksgiving and Christmas traditions..so it has been very hard to put one foot in front of the other some days. Yesterday brought a sense of peace that I can't describe. I felt her presence and was comforted.

My husband and youngest son were the only ones for dinner and then we went down to some dear friends to eat again.. I wouldn't have cooked at all except that I love to cook (evident by my NOT size 6 body) and both DH and DS wanted to have leftovers..lol. We started a new tradition yesterday - the turkey/dressing and ham will always be served..but each person in attendance gets to choose a side dish for dinner - my choice was Green Bean Casserole (can you believe this is the first time I have cooked it?), son chose Spaghetti and cheese (a family favorite) and hubby chose deviled eggs.. as the grandchildren grow and other family members are able to join us.. I think it will prove to be a fun tradition..

I took part in the Christmas Day hatch and ended up with 11 cute little fuzzies!! Most are from my mixed flock so no clear breed.. but cute none the less. My FIRST Easter Egger egg hatched.. this hen I raised up from some swap eggs so I was thrilled when I noticed that pip! His/Her name is Grinch.. I have one incubator to clean out today to get ready to reset with some eggs.. I will probably fill it with my own since I have an abundance of eating eggs already..lol

We have had rain off and on for this entire week. The coop area can only be described as NASTY. I have to go put some clean hay in the nest boxes and do some cleanup work out there today..should be fun (NOT). I have one package of eggs to get sent for a swap..

Let me go get another cup of coffee.. I am going to need it..lol

Shelly

 

[CapricornFarm]

Glad you had a good one, Shelly! Today I went off and bought a new flock of SLW! So I had some driving to do. Gas went up 17 cents a gallon where I usually buy it from this morning to this afternoon. Wish I had filled up in the morning! Tonight I spent all evening packing eggs! Next week I will be sending a batch to Shelly Now I need to go check the chickens in the barn and see if my goat is still hanging on. She is getting quite huge. Triplets last time... Must go check her.

 

[shellyga]

Triplets.. wow.. I know they will be cute as can be once they are born.. with that many babies.. do you have to bottle feed some?

I am envious of your SLW flock.. I have a total of TWO.. one rooster and one hen. Would love to get 8-10 more so I could have a nice breeding group.. I bought two more coronation sussex the week before Christmas so will hopefully have alot of eggs from them when they decide to lay. I cant wait to get my eggs from you.. Love them!!!

More rain through the night.. our pond needs it desperately but darn if it doesn't make a huge mess around the coop area. We haven't really had any cold weather yet.. but I feel like January and February will bring some. Not looking forward to trudging through the ice to different coops.. DH mentioned the fact that we enlarged ALOT this year.. so instead of one coop.. we have four..

My chicks from the Christmas hatch are doing great.. I am looking forward to New Years Day hatch as well as some quail that should be popping early that next week. I just have to face reality - I am a hatchaholic and love.. LOVE those little fuzzy butts!

Gotta go find a cup of coffee and wait for the sun to rise.. don't want to go out shoshing in the mud to left the free rangers out in the dark.. if I fall, it might be hours before my men find me.. they love sleeping in!

Shelly

 

[CapricornFarm]

I have about 20 coops, plus 4 tractors, and the chicken barn with 6 stalls, one room and a grow out pen under construction, plus the insulated room. I don't feel good and really dreaded going out to feed tonight. I bought a ton of feed today, that should last about a month:-D Saves about $40 buying in bulk so I decided to go for it. Pitched out another load of hay/ manure from that place in the barn where i am building the grow out pen, dumped it in the gulch. I think I have killed most of the goldenrods down there, or else the goats have trimmed them so they don't bloom. Either way is good for the allergies. The frame is up for the pen except the roof 2x4s, which i painted today. Hopefully tomorrow i can get the wire up. I need to move chicks, big time.
Almost lock down for NYD eggs! Oh gosh, more chicks! :-D