Pennsylvania!! Unite!!

[LittleMissPurdy]

Our egg basket is becoming more colorful!...


...and so are our chick colors. Day olds.

Cuddlebugs



almost a week old

oh my gosh!! they are beautiful!! haha, and very sleepy little things..ahaha

It looks like Fria is healthy again and ready to go back out to the coop tomorrow. She's been inside for a though. Things have changed since she's been out. Her mama has only had 2 to look after and has moved then up to the roost at night. I'm nor sure if she'll welcome Fria back or not remember her. I'm also concerned about sending her back out into the cold. Any advice on this or am I overly concerned?

glad to hear she is better! ...*Fisher gave you some sound advice on the integrating & warm-up..just keep an eye on her, as I know you will. She should fall into her place in short time.

Getting worried....has anyone heard from CC, his profile says he has not been on here in 3 days...
Would it be rude to just pop in at his house.

umm..I would think he would welcome a concerned hand

...wasn't he saying something about crazy hours coming up?...with working..i thought he already worked crazy hours, but what do I know?!

...

Who is CC?
It is cool that some of you people actually have chicken friends on here that you know. All my friends and family suffer glazed eyes anytime I open my mouth on the subject.

it is so very cool!

..hahaha..this is why we should have a yearly "come if you can" picnics or restaurant get-togethers,(wouldn't THAT be fun!!)

....i know-i know...everyone is very busy....

 

[LittleMissPurdy]

well, I put Fria back out in the coop a while ago. I put her right with her mama, brother and sister. First thing Midnight did was pick up a piece of food and give it to her lol. Everyone just accepted her back like she was supposed to be there. The other adults didn't even glance twice at her

Fria is the one in the middle and Wynter is off to the right. You can still see the blue kote on his neck.

that is awesome!!, so glad things worked out!

Can I get some opinions on incubators?

For the past few years, we have used this big gigantic one from my husbands gun club (they stopped hatching pheasant) but we had a lot of problems last year. First batch of 40 eggs fried due to a temp spike. We set a second batch of chicken, slate blue turkey and Muscovy ducks and all was going well but then the motor started to freeze up and it wasn't turning the eggs. We had to watch it carefully for temp issues. I believe it may be taking a poo so we've decided to look for something else. We took it apart but something still is not right. (it wasn't taken care of very well before being given to us)

I want to buy eggs this year as well as set our own but I refuse to do it in a machine that's malfunctioning.

i really can't help much..the one i have was given to be by CC(chiqueschick)...and it one of those large-styrofoam jobs..it has worked great for me, but some people don't like them. I turn the eggs myself & keep a close eye on temps & humidity...(sponges/straws/water), some have the fancey-pants ones

, but if you have the time..the easy-peasy, do it yourself ones are good too.

All about what you don't have time for & what you 'd like to have..bells & whistles...have good and not good about all kinds of different ones...heck, some people are even makingthem out of COOLERS!! ..so, yeah..I didn't help much did I?...geesh..

 

[stake]

Can I get some opinions on incubators?

For the past few years, we have used this big gigantic one from my husbands gun club (they stopped hatching pheasant) but we had a lot of problems last year. First batch of 40 eggs fried due to a temp spike. We set a second batch of chicken, slate blue turkey and Muscovy ducks and all was going well but then the motor started to freeze up and it wasn't turning the eggs. We had to watch it carefully for temp issues. I believe it may be taking a poo so we've decided to look for something else. We took it apart but something still is not right. (it wasn't taken care of very well before being given to us)

I want to buy eggs this year as well as set our own but I refuse to do it in a machine that's malfunctioning.

H:

I made a cooler-bater for under $50.00....Sally Sunshine has instructions on her profile or, you can pm me and I can guide you through the process....its not that hard...my two cents....

 

[wingstone]

Such a special sound...

Do you smile with each ping like I do ?


Didn't do meat today, did a bunch mandarin oranges and some kiwi.

you canned the oranges and kiwi?...I am very curious now....

Kiwi gets a little mushy but still good for adding to things like yogurt. And you can can any kind of orange, just be sure to get as much of the white pithy stuff off as you can, it will get bitter if left on....
At this time of year, I can often find good deals on fruit if willing to take lots of it... got a banana box full of those little cuties last week at root's for $4 just needed to sort thru the mess.

 

[wingstone]

LMP
This is a good video on canning citrus fruits

 

[LittleMissPurdy]

Kiwi gets a little mushy but still good for adding to things like yogurt. And you can can any kind of orange, just be sure to get as much of the white pithy stuff off as you can, it will get bitter if left on....
At this time of year, I can often find good deals on fruit if willing to take lots of it... got a banana box full of those little cuties last week at root's for $4 just needed to sort thru the mess.

LMP
This is a good video on canning citrus fruits

hey..thank you!...I haven't been lucky enough to come across grapes at even a reasonable price..I know it's not just "up-here"..but good grief! the prices of food anymore..it is getting concerning..really going to be looking for ANY food plant this year...just feel like we need more in the back yard and fast...
Besides apples, oh & the barberry jam..i haven't done any fruit..but then our plants are still young, have some years yet until they produce enough for that..unfortunately....
There really isn't a farmers market here either... we were spoiled in Lancaster CO. with all the produce at decent prices...those are the biggest things I miss...roots and green dragon..road side stands at the ends of farms drives...man, i can not wait till growing season..
I have to get the seeds out here this weekend at start getting them going in their trays...

...have been looking at craigs list for racks to hold the seedling trays & attach lights to...we are very limited up here as to what is available...lots of couches

..
DH will be in your neck of the woods very soon, he is helping family with renovations... he is a very good supervisor

...i am going to get

for that one! hahhaa...
I am hoping to be down there with him for our 25th anniversary on the 19th

, maybe we can actually get out & see a movie or window shop, we are limited up here for entertainment...
oh..i know-..maybe i can get "lost" finding your place...you did say you needed someone to "taste-test" those canned goods right?!

..wow..i got wayyy off track there huh?!..haha sorry...

 

[dheltzel]

Can I get some opinions on incubators?

For the past few years, we have used this big gigantic one from my husbands gun club (they stopped hatching pheasant) but we had a lot of problems last year. First batch of 40 eggs fried due to a temp spike. We set a second batch of chicken, slate blue turkey and Muscovy ducks and all was going well but then the motor started to freeze up and it wasn't turning the eggs. We had to watch it carefully for temp issues. I believe it may be taking a poo so we've decided to look for something else. We took it apart but something still is not right. (it wasn't taken care of very well before being given to us)

I want to buy eggs this year as well as set our own but I refuse to do it in a machine that's malfunctioning.

If money is no object, most people recommend Brinea or Rcom. I am more "frugal" and tend to go with the cheap styro ones, until I bought a used cabinet incubator to scale up. For most people I recommend looking closely at the Genesis Hovabator by GQF. It's about $125 from Cutler Supply and the auto turner is about $40. Those prices are form memory, you should go browse there, they have a lot of makes and models. I have several older styro incubators and am always fiddling with the temps, the Genesis just works. It's pre-set digital and shows the temp and humidity on the display. I believe the heater is more powerful that the cheaper styrobators, and that makes a huge difference when the location is not a consistent temp.

 

[dheltzel]

Fantastic time at the Farm Show today. Lots of nice poultry to look at. I noticed a difference in the way the rabbits and poultry were shown. The rabbit people seem to be all about presenting them as pets, they encourage people to pet some of the rabbits, and they have people staffing the "petting area" with information to give out or to talk about rabbits. Nothing like that is in place for the poultry. They have displays of baby chicks and duckings that show the cuteness factor, but could do a lot more to promote starting small flock of chickens at home. Perhaps some companies that sell supplies and the BYC website could join up to make education about chicken keeping a big part of future farm shows.

 

[LittleMissPurdy]

Fantastic time at the Farm Show today. Lots of nice poultry to look at. I noticed a difference in the way the rabbits and poultry were shown. The rabbit people seem to be all about presenting them as pets, they encourage people to pet some of the rabbits, and they have people staffing the "petting area" with information to give out or to talk about rabbits. Nothing like that is in place for the poultry. They have displays of baby chicks and duckings that show the cuteness factor, but could do a lot more to promote starting small flock of chickens at home. Perhaps some companies that sell supplies and the BYC website could join up to make education about chicken keeping a big part of future farm shows.

..with the popularity with backyard flocks, I am surprised they don't/didn't have someone or something there to promote this...i am sure there are tons of people interested & would have welcomed the information..would have been a great opportunity to help promote good animal husbandry and all that- that entails.
I am glad to hear you enjoyed your trip. I am very excited for the trip tomorrow with LadyBehir..will be a two for one day..meeting Maggie & going to the show

It was a very cold morning..wow, hurt my foot stomping out the water bowl..geesh that ice was thick!! Even the girls didn't want to come out..so i put the food bowl in with them..they aren't spoiled or anything

...no, i guess spoiling would be to bring them in the house with these temps...

 

[LadyBehir]

I am looking forward to tomorrow's trip. I am finally healthy enough. Stupid cough.