We met some people at the fair who say they have a hen who lays her eggs on bed or couch pillows. When I asked them more about it, they said all they'd say is that the the diapers work. I asked how she could lay an egg in a diaper, they repeated the pillow thing. Now ... I've seen the egg laying video where all the lube comes out of the vent first and I'm not inviting that into MY bed or even any of my couches, but if YOU do, please let me know how it works out for you.
jajajajajajajajaja epic funnyWe met some people at the fair who say they have a hen who lays her eggs on bed or couch pillows. When I asked them more about it, they said all they'd say is that the the diapers work. I asked how she could lay an egg in a diaper, they repeated the pillow thing. Now ... I've seen the egg laying video where all the lube comes out of the vent first and I'm not inviting that into MY bed or even any of my couches, but if YOU do, please let me know how it works out for you.
I let cats and dogs and husband onto the bed (or couch or pillows...), but chooks???We met some people at the fair who say they have a hen who lays her eggs on bed or couch pillows. When I asked them more about it, they said all they'd say is that the the diapers work. I asked how she could lay an egg in a diaper, they repeated the pillow thing. Now ... I've seen the egg laying video where all the lube comes out of the vent first and I'm not inviting that into MY bed or even any of my couches, but if YOU do, please let me know how it works out for you.
I guess I have found where I draw the line.
Turkeys! Love them! They don't make great housemates. Ask me how I know.
A really beautiful blonde young woman (I think called Courtney???) in the chick dept. Then a pretty blonde lady in the shoe dept (have forgotten her name- amazing eyelashes!), and a beautiful young blonde girl called Brittany, I think, at the checkout. Oh, and another really nice man at the warehouse for feed and brooder fluff- didn't see his name tag.
Yeah. I'll probably need to have a couple units of bark mulch or wood shavings brought in. We use both for our business, and can get it in bulk. I'll only use pine shavings inside the coop, and have found a discount source for those, too. That saves me a few $ per bag. Outside, I can just use the regular stuff. The mud is going to be worse than ever because the traffic & turkeys & ducks have eliminated all the weeds and our clay soil will be slick as a skating rink once it starts raining ... sigh.Well, the best thing I have found for dealing with the rain / mud is XL bark nuggets. You can buy them in bags at Wilco, and they work GREAT for keeping the birds up off of the dirt / mud. They do have to be replenished a bit each year, but totally worth it!
Soooo, yeahhh...Chicken Math...
To recap, I had 5 BA peeps under my broody this morning. It should be noted, I started the week with 10 chickens, total.
Wednesday, 5 peeps were hatched, bringing us to 15.
My girlfriend, and neighbor had 10 chickens and one peep as of yesterday.
This morning, we flew to Newberg in record time, and spent an hour (I jest, not) picking out chicks. I chose 3 more BAs and 2 California Whites, as I have always wanted to have a mixed basket of eggs. It should be also be noted that in her frenzy, she offered to buy me even more, but I declined...somehow...
My friend chose 17 chicks- 10 RIRs (which is what we went there to get), 6 CWs (because I was trying them, so she had to, too) and a random, last second Barred Rock (for reasons I know not, but she liked them, I guess).
Thus bringing my total to 20 chickens with chicks and hers to 28!!!
I always intended to slide mine under my hen. She is a good Mum and I figured she would take them pretty well, given the similarity in ages of the chicks.
My friend, once she went completely off the rails and got 17, decided she would brood hers in a container.
We got home and I placed the BAs under Tilda and she never even knew the difference. However, the CWs she stared at, and just couldn't figure out! I was a little concerned she may reject them, so I lurked nearby for a long time. But ultimately, she overcame her racist tendencies, and has accepted the little yellow friends along with the rest.
My girlfriend hadn't removed the eggs from the nest yet, so I said "hey, let's try to slip some chicks in there, to keep that one little lone BA company. I slipped an egg out, and a chick in. We started with 6 chicks, total, and she didn't bat an eye. So I kept going. By the time I was finished, I had placed all the chicks into the brooder area with her, and she never even batted an eye, at going from one to 18 in half an hour! She is one sweet Buff Orp Mamma.
We ultimately decided to place a brooder lamp on the opposite side of the enclosure they are all in, so when she can't cover all 18, the others can be warm. The whole lot of them is snug and happy.
Now I know none of those hatchery chooks have ever even seen a hen, but they have all taken to brooding under them like, well, ducks to water.
It has been such an amazing day, and I am just beside myself with having expanded the flock in this unprecedented manner. I am also delighted Tilda has accepted the new peeps as her own so I don't have to brood, then separate, then integrate...such a pain...
Thank you fellow Oregonians who have helped make this amazing day possible!!!
We were even blessed with gorgeous weather,, not too hot, and not too cold, for the drive to Newberg from the coast, and more miraculous, still, the traffic coming back to the coast didn't take 105 hours, despite it being Labor Day weekend!!!!
BLISS!!!!!
