Online Large Fowl Chat Thread

[shellyga]

Got my BO eggs today from Shellga!

wonderful.. I love my buffs.. for the longest time, they were the only chickens..

 

[Arielle]

SHelly, how long have you had BO? THey are one of my favorites. Not only a pretty gold but also sweet and gentle.

 

[CapricornFarm]

So I was part way through feeding the chickens and I had to stop for supper last night. I made tacos from ground turkey. We are sitting in the living room eating supper, and DH says, what was that noise? So I look out and there are 11 goats eating the feed off the Mule that is parked in the driveway! They managed to get the gate open near the garage. What an ordeal getting all of them back where they belonged. I was up through the night bottle feeding Slim, Ninas smallest baby. I managed to get his diarrhea under control and his appetite is good but he is still skinny. Right now he is wrapped up in a towel in bed with me. Shh, don't tell DH, he's asleep.
Can you even believe I don't have my glasses yet? I miss them so much. I was sawing plywood with the circular saw today and got sawdust in my eyes. That was never a problem when I had glasses. I made a big chicken feeder today out of plywood. It is modeled after the metal rabbit feeder. I can cut a hole in the coop and stick the bottom part in and then fill it from the outside . Now if I just get time to build 20 more, I will not need to feed every day.
As a consequence of eating too much chicken feed, Lena has diarrhea today. So now I took her off goat pellets, gave her Kaopectate , fed her drench, hay and fruits and veggies. I feel badly for her, she is heavily pregnant and now sick as well. I told DH if we don't get thes fences fixed I am going to go crazy . He did take the guts out of my used Bator today, now I just need to build a new cabinet.

 

[Arielle]

How cute to have Slim in the house with you , all cozy and warm. My sheep have been diving into the chicken feed , too, as they are moved to the day pens. Fortunately, it's not medicated feed. I usually have probiotics on hand and can get some into the trouble makers if they eat too much. Piggy girls.

Can't believe you are without your glasses still. THe upside of glasses is that they do protect our eyes. Great job on making the feeder. Hope you can get the other 20 made up to simplify the feeding. I made a cardboard box feeder for the chicks in the brooder and I was amazed that I only need to fill it once a day now. I'm sure you will keep working on the other feeders. Keep us posted. Pics?

 

[shellyga]

SHelly, how long have you had BO? THey are one of my favorites. Not only a pretty gold but also sweet and gentle.

They were "how" I got into chickens in the first place.. and the story goes.. one bright spring day in May (it was probably more like April) one of my teacher friends asked if I would take a rooster she was rehoming since I talked about wanted a few chickens.. she would throw in 2 hens.. after delay after delay (no coop) she says "I am bringing them to school tomorrow" She brought 1 rooster and SIX hens... we still had no coop.. so DH quickly went to Home Depot and picked up a dog kennel.. it was constructed, roofed and ready for chickens when I get home..

The short of it is.. I have had Buff chickens for 2 years.. (since the beginning) I love them!!

 

[Arielle]

ANother person gently pushed into chickens with a rooster and SIX hens !!!

I resisted chickens many times; balked because of allergies but when a EE hen, Arielle, needed rehoming because she was too timid to cope in her then current situation, well how could I say no. ANd we threw together a coop for one. I blame her for my love of chickens ! LOL And when I looked online at chicken breeds I kept coming back to the BO and GLW. But . . . I bought totally practical layer breeds and months later when I saw BO offered at the feed store. I signed up--told DH they needed at home!!

I've bought 2 roosters since. I really love this breed. As I said before, pretty gold, sweet and gentle.

 

[CapricornFarm]

How cute to have Slim in the house with you , all cozy and warm. My sheep have been diving into the chicken feed , too, as they are moved to the day pens. Fortunately, it's not medicated feed. I usually have probiotics on hand and can get some into the trouble makers if they eat too much. Piggy girls.

Can't believe you are without your glasses still. THe upside of glasses is that they do protect our eyes. Great job on making the feeder. Hope you can get the other 20 made up to simplify the feeding. I made a cardboard box feeder for the chicks in the brooder and I was amazed that I only need to fill it once a day now. I'm sure you will keep working on the other feeders. Keep us posted. Pics?

Here is a pic of the first feeder I made...
And I took other pictures today as well...the spare Silver Sussex roo with the laying flock....

 

[Arielle]

Super looking feeder. Looks like it will hold plenty of feed. Color-- how did you arrive at red for the paint job?? to attract the birds????


DH worked on new coop all day. I handled all the reg chores so he could focus and just ask me questions as needed. As usual the base setup took the longest to put in place. He was able to dig; the soil wasn't really frozen. Such a mild winter. Designed for 3 breeding pens, DH almost finished one. Enough to collect the marans girls and put them in their new home and get ready for breeding season. And honestly, I count everyday to be sure one has not been selected for dinner by the coyote as these girls totally disregard the fencing and tempt fate. Very stressful really, worrying I might lose one of my breeders.

My roosters are more active these days. Increasing harassment of the hens. ANd more fighting among themselves. Any one else have roosters on high test?

 

[CapricornFarm]

Yes, roosters that have been getting along since they were hatched are fighting suddenly. The daffodils are blooming, the bluebirds are checking out the bird houses. Everyone thinks spring is here.
My feeder is red because all the other feeders are red and I happened to buy some cheap red paint (mistint). I paint whatever colors I have on the coops, some are very bright but the chickens don't seem to care. I prefer light colors for the insides of the coops.
I am disgusted by the Stupor Bowl, poor sales on my Sunday night ending autions. I didn't think of that when I was posting listings. The quail I posted on Craigslist sold the same day, all to the same person. I have a few eggs left in the bator from the adults i sold, then I am done with them.
My buck, Jack, broke out of the pen I had him in! I am so mad at him! He just goes where ever he wants to. I decided he needs to go so I can keep my sanity. I fixed the fences in quite a few places, but he just smashes them down again in new places. All of the other goats stayed in the pasture I fed them in except him. I have Peppermint Patrick to take his place this summer.

 

[Arielle]

Buck is very frustrating. He represents my first real experience with goats, clever creature to get over fences. I decided, as cute as they are and as smart as they are , sheep were more my speed.

Gee, I don't think I would have thought of the super BOwl either. DH went shopping a little after dark and he reported that the grocery store was empty. I'm not driven by football mania and barely knew today was THE day other than my 8 yr old was intent on watching it. We said he could watch, concerned that the game would go late, but also realized boredom would set in fast. And it did. TUrned into game night very quickly.

Using extra paints must make for colorful accents around the farm. Very thrifty.

I'm up late having checked on a ewe. SHe was walking funny today. VEry odd. Like a load in her pants, if she had pants. LOL At 10:30 check I pulled her from the group just in case. WIll try to stay up a few more hours to monitor her.