Pennsylvania!! Unite!!

[AnneInTheBurbs]

Ditto ladies! I th ought it was just me getting adjusted to country life. So glad we have a generator for backup, fireplace for heat, and also a propane heater! This cold blast has been a good reminder that I need to get my rear in gear to insulate my coop and finish the run. I ordered my hardware cloth from Walmart.com, thanks Dheltzel. Should be here Tuesday and I will be using it immediately. I ordered 100'!

I need to order another roll also. I am trying to exclude starlings and sparrows from the main coop and they pass through the 2x4 welded wire like it's not there. For next year, I will be covering all the 2x4 wire on the hoop houses with either HW cloth or hex poultry netting (higher up, where coons tearing it is not a concern). Building housing for a lot of chickens can get expensive.

Yes , it can be expensive! But as I keep telling my husband, the initial setup is where it's pricey. Once everything is established, it won't cost much to maintain. Especially with the setup I have going. Haha! My California grey laid her first egg today! I have to loo back to see when she hatched, for reference. She had started to squat for me, and this morning I saw her nosing around the coop. So I put some fake eggs on the is to direct her. She laid them in the box next to them.


:yiipchick.

I put wood chips on top of my sand once. It filtered out just fine.

X2 We have used both wood chips and hay over the sand, both were easy enough to filter off or clean out later with a sifter shovel.

I am still using just pine shavings. I may move into sand in the spring, just depending on funds. Does the sand stink less in the summer heat?

 

[dheltzel]

Yes , it can be expensive! But as I keep telling my husband, the initial setup is where it's pricey. Once everything is established, it won't cost much to maintain. Especially with the setup I have going. Haha! My California grey laid her first egg today! I have to loo back to see when she hatched, for reference. She had started to squat for me, and this morning I saw her nosing around the coop. So I put some fake eggs on the is to direct her. She laid them in the box next to them.

.

What a well behaved lady! It looks pretty good sized too.

 

[AnneInTheBurbs]

Yes , it can be expensive! But as I keep telling my husband, the initial setup is where it's pricey. Once everything is established, it won't cost much to maintain. Especially with the setup I have going. Haha! My California grey laid her first egg today! I have to loo back to see when she hatched, for reference. She had started to squat for me, and this morning I saw her nosing around the coop. So I put some fake eggs on the is to direct her. She laid them in the box next to them. :yiipchick .

What a well behaved lady! It looks pretty good sized too.

Because I have this kind of time.

 

[WVduckchick]

Because I have this kind of time.

Awesome!

I got the first egg out of my silver duckwing OEGB pen today since all of the older ones went broody over the summer. They just all stopped. I'm guessing it came from an April hatched girl, but don't know for sure. But it was nice to see an egg in that box again!

 

[dheltzel]

Awesome!

I got the first egg out of my silver duckwing OEGB pen today since all of the older ones went broody over the summer. They just all stopped. I'm guessing it came from an April hatched girl, but don't know for sure. But it was nice to see an egg in that box again!

Silver Duckwing OEGB's are such pretty little birds. I've never had that color, but my uncle had them years ago. I had white ones, but I hated dubbing them and so I sold them and specialized in silkies instead.

 

[Chicken Egg 17]

Anyone here know how to sex adult ducks he duck thread isn't letting me post pictures these ducks were my cousins they have gotten then a few years ago they slept outside in the yard they have gotten many different houses for them but they wouldn't use them but early this morning something killed this ones partner and if he is good and know what gender he is I want to find him a buddy and let them live out the rest of there lives. But they couldn't find its partner there was only blood spots and feathers they have neighbor dogs but they have an underground fence. And they only slept in a house in the winter but rain or shine they wouldn't sleep in a house they slept down by the road and I think they felt the cars scared things off away from them. But anyways can anyone identify gender or breed of this duck. So I geuss now I have ducks

 

[AnneInTheBurbs]

Wow! What a busy day! I spent all morning converting our carport into a turkey/chicken shelter. Temporary, of course... I zip-tied the hell outta that thing to make sure that it is as predator proof as I could make it. Tomorrow , I will work on improving it more.


I drove down to pick up turkeys and chicks from [@=/u/249441/dheltzel]@dheltzel[/@]. I hope I can give all of them the treatment and protection they deserve. I was expecting smaller chicks, which was silly of me, given the time of year. So it looks like I will have to get my coop together much more quickly than I thought. Mind you, there's still a bathroom I haven't cleaned yet in the new house, but my chickens and turkeys have come home to roost! . Most of our clothes and personal items are still in the garage in boxes, including utensils, plates etc. Priorities, people!


I think my hubby was surprised when he saw the "clown car effect" when I was unloading the chicks. I think only expected me to bring home 10 chicks. And baby turkeys. Well if you don't ask, you don't know! . I don't even remember how many I picked up...

[@=/u/185510/stake]@stake[/@]. Thanks again for the little ones. Hope we didn't cause an upset for your other CCLs by taking their brood mates away. I made it home in time to have the last 20 minutes of light for the day. I rushed around so much to get everyone into bed and tucked in safe and sound. The turkeys and the pullets are in the carport (it measures 12 X 20, so it should be enough room) and the chicks are in a large critter cage in the garage, definitely safe from any predators. Time for bed!

:yiipchick

The quad of Midget White turkeys are essentially full grown. I believe at least one hen is laying, so you should get small turkey eggs right away. The others:
3 blue egg black sexlinks - hatched 6/3
2 California Greys - hatched 5/27
1 Welbar - hatched 5/20
5 Legbars - hatched 7/22
3 Welbars - hatched 7/22
1 Bielefelder - hatched 7/22
1 Bielefelder - hatched 7/29

The Cali Greys and Sexlinks might very well start laying at 5 months, or sooner, so you should put nestboxes out for them in October. They might not lay as soon since the days are getting shorter, but hopefully they will. Both of those breeds amaze me with their laying ability. The Legbars aren't far behind, but not as consistently day by day.

Ha! I found this post where you told me how old my girls are and I am now saving it for later. Looks like it took about 25 weeks for the Cali grey to lay, which is pretty good considering how like you said, the days are getting much shorter. Hopefully her sister won't be too far behind.

 

[hippiechickX4]

I am still using just pine shavings. I may move into sand in the spring, just depending on funds. Does the sand stink less in the summer heat?

My sand doesn't stink any more than the stink a chicken would give off if that makes sense. It smells worse in the run with the muddy mess we have than it does in the cooo with the sand.

 

[WVduckchick]

Silver Duckwing OEGB's are such pretty little birds. I've never had that color, but my uncle had them years ago. I had white ones, but I hated dubbing them and so I sold them and specialized in silkies instead.

SDWs are my favorite, which is one reason I want to get CLs from you next spring. Similar look. But I don't show, so I don't dub. I love their big combs.

Anyone here know how to sex adult ducks he duck thread isn't letting me post pictures these ducks were my cousins they have gotten then a few years ago they slept outside in the yard they have gotten many different houses for them but they wouldn't use them but early this morning something killed this ones partner and if he is good and know what gender he is I want to find him a buddy and let them live out the rest of there lives. But they couldn't find its partner there was only blood spots and feathers they have neighbor dogs but they have an underground fence. And they only slept in a house in the winter but rain or shine they wouldn't sleep in a house they slept down by the road and I think they felt the cars scared things off away from them. But anyways can anyone identify gender or breed of this duck. So I geuss now I have ducks

Looks female but I can't see the tail really well. A curl on the tail is a drake feather, meaning male. Another way to tell is listen to their quack. A loud quack is female, a raspy peep peep is male.

My sand doesn't stink any more than the stink a chicken would give off if that makes sense. It smells worse in the run with the muddy mess we have than it does in the cooo with the sand.

I don't know if it really makes a difference, but I use sweet PDZ, and never have any *extra* stink.

 

[Chicken Egg 17]

SDWs are my favorite, which is one reason I want to get CLs from you next spring. Similar look. But I don't show, so I don't dub. I love their big combs.

Looks female but I can't see the tail really well. A curl on the tail is a drake feather, meaning male. Another way to tell is listen to their quack. A loud quack is female, a raspy peep peep is male.
I don't know if it really makes a difference, but I use sweet PDZ, and never have any *extra* stink.

its tail feathers don't curl there pointing straight up. and it don't seem to have aloud quack either I will see tomorrow if it will quack different