Oregon

[Dukeofhawg]

I think it has to do more with demand being so high and not enough locals hatching chicks to keep up with demand.

 

[Barnmaradotte]

WHAT THE HECK!! Theres like 3 inches of snow outside! And more one the way? Seriously? It had to wait untill it was a good 24 hrs into spring for it to snow.

 

[Chicken Rustler]

Quote: Hatchery birds typically closely resemble the particular breed but are not always pure or show quality. For the most part if one wants PURE breeds and or SQ then you need to find a breeder of that breed. These will typically (but not always) be the small scale breeder not a large hatchery.

 

[aggiemae]

By April our solar panels are usually providing at least half of our electricity but after looking like spring was here for a week , it's rained for the past four days and has been snowing for 12 hours here. I have two half built stretches of fence, no chicken coop and the chicks arrive in 17 days...hopefully the weather will get normal by the time they are out of the brooder.

 

[CrittersNPets]

So, anyone besides me praying we don't lose power? I'll be at work all day tomorrow and won't know if power goes out so hoping

snow settles down and power lines do well or I'm going to be a sad brooder and incubator caretaker. How many of you have incubators/brooders going in this Spring? (Winter?) weather, lol?

 

[Barnmaradotte]

No power trouble for me. A coworker did though. He had to go home 2 times today to build a fire and bring the meat birds in the house. Imagine the smell. Honey, I'm home!
I did learn today that if a broody is in the nest of the day, fights will break out and another egg will get broke. Down to 5 eggs under her. Made some quick modifications to the nesting arrangements. Hope it works.
Was 5 inches of snow enough? we will see in the morning.

 

[Zanna]

So, anyone besides me praying we don't lose power? I'll be at work all day tomorrow and won't know if power goes out so hoping

snow settles down and power lines do well or I'm going to be a sad brooder and incubator caretaker. How many of you have incubators/brooders going in this Spring? (Winter?) weather, lol?

Yes, praying hard.......... Have two incubators going. First eggs due for lockdown Sat. PM, a dozen Wellies, 5 Delawares and 5 of my first BCM breeding pairs eggs. Lockdown 9 days later, more Wellies, BCM, Olive Eggers, Delawares. Lockdown 5 days after that, 15 New Hampshires, more Wellies, BCM and Dels.

 

[aggiemae]

We moved last spring but at our old house, which was close to busy streets and down town. we lost power a couple for tome a year (usually) due a vehicle hitting a power poles. Those gel things that you heat up (usually in the microwave) are great for emergencies they can be heated on the stove in water. We use them for newborn kittens. I hat them to 120 degrees then wrap them in two or three towels. In a contained space they hold the heat for a couple of hours.

 

[countrybuffs]

We had about 12", lost power for 3 hours and then again for about 1/2 hour. (Lucky I don't have an incubator!)

 

[countrybuffs]

Well, here is new mystery. A few days ago, while I had the flu, one of my chicks disappeared during the daytime. I had a door open but about the only thing that could get in there would have been a Jay. It was one of the new Bantam chicks and it was a little nuts and wouldn't stay with the hen, so I figured O well. I don't mind blue-jays but I think they will take very small chicks.
Now last night, another chick disappeared!!! It was one of my Australorp babies, about a week old. All doors were closed up tight and there were no signs of anything! No tracks, no feathers, nothing, I first thought the chick had just vanished in the night! I went out and checked in the house again and I found the body. No marks on it or anything, but it seemed like it's little crop was empty. Like I said, I had been sick and I wasn't checking in on them as much as usual so maybe it just wasn't eating for some reason? I don't think the two deaths are really related, none of the chickens seem sick at all. Just thought I would share.