Pennsylvania!! Unite!!

[hyzenthlay]

Butcher the boys and sell the girls...and usually keep hatches smaller now. Brownie having 9 is by far the biggest brood since last summer.
We try to set the hens in pairs, and with enough to split the hatch between hens if anything goes wrong. I have a friend who is always looking for laying hens too...

I might know someone (cough... me... cough...) who would buy a lav am hen or two off you, if you ever find yourself overrun...

(same goes to @Auroradream26 if she ever had ones old enough to be sexed). I somehow only just realized you're on this end of the state.

Your pictures are crazy adorable. I can't take it.

 

[hyzenthlay]

Hey guys just got home and Hedwig is acting kinda Funny. She was doing it last night too. I wasn't home all day so I'm not sure if it happened all day. Anyone mind watching and let me know what you think?

Could she be too warm? She's kind of got her wings spread away from her sides. She doesn't otherwise appear particularly distressed to me....

 

[yoopergirl1211]

Could she be too warm?  She's kind of got her wings spread away from her sides.  She doesn't otherwise appear particularly distressed to me....

Its 72 in house. I wasn't sure about the open mouth and neck bobbing being normal. I feel like I haven't seen my hens do it before but Ive never had one in house either lol. She seems happy enough. I have been reading up on common problems and cures for chickens lately so I'm ready if anything happens so Im probably jumping at shadows.

 

[hyzenthlay]

@yoopergirl1211 , that may feel a little warm if she is acclimated to being outside all winter, but I can't imagine it would do her any harm. She looks ok to me, but I'd defer to the pros around here if there are still any awake.

 

[yoopergirl1211]

@yoopergirl1211
 , that may feel a little warm if she is acclimated to being outside all winter, but I can't imagine it would do her any harm.  She looks ok to me, but I'd defer to the pros around here if there are still any awake.  

Thanks you made me feel better! I was up pretty late last night worrying about her. Ready about too many crop issues I think and I have a habit of over worrying. Normally my hubby would tell me to chill out but Im not telling him about her lol. Want to see how quickly he notices the 6 extra birds in coop. Two are pretty small so we'll see.

 

[hyzenthlay]

Thanks you made me feel better! I was up pretty late last night worrying about her. Ready about too many crop issues I think and I have a habit of over worrying. Normally my hubby would tell me to chill out but Im not telling him about her lol. Want to see how quickly he notices the 6 extra birds in coop. Two are pretty small so we'll see.

Haha, I never tried that, waiting to see how long it would take him to notice new chickens! It's a good point--it probably could take awhile. My husband doesn't mind new chickens as long as it doesn't require any new building projects, although I probably will be getting perilously close to that after the chicken train comes through here.

It should be fine once the leaves are on the trees and the girls can get out to free range in the yard more (assuming the hawks will thin out a bit then, too), but if they had to live cooped up all the time, then I would want them to have a bit more space....

I feel like I've seen my hens sit around looking like Hedwig does now from time to time, and I don't think anything bad ever came of it. I love her name by the way--very fitting. All my hens have plant names, but I think if I had a hen that looked like yours, I might feel forced to break the theme and call her Hedwig, too. I know my daughter would love it.

 

[OneMountainAcres]

You must come for a visit sometime. I think your DH might veto that because he would be afraid of what you would bring back with you. . . .
Though really, you have some of the nicest and rarest of my breeds, you might not find anything you want that you don't already have. 

Lol I'd love to stop by for a visit sometime. Maybe someday if we're ever out that way. You're probably right about Rob though!

Now that is cute. I am always amazed by Mindy. I wonder if these chicks, raised by a broody, will have a greater tendency to go broody? I've only ever had one Am go broody, and she was only into it for a week, then decided motherhood was not for her.

The other theory is that it is not nature or nurture, but something in the water at your place.

I was curious about that too. I guess we'll just have to wait and see what the future holds there. We all know that her lines are genetically prone to it. Ana proves that. Let's see if they can influence an outside line!

 

[Blarneyeggs]

Broody update, Brownie was the happy recipient of 9 beautiful Lavender Americauna chicks which we had picked up from @Auroradream26 yesterday. We gave them to her 2 at a time yesterday through the evening, ending with a group of 3. She transitioned to mama mode overnight and this morning we moved her from the box she had set in for the past 3 weeks to the broody hut in our people area of the hut. The chicks took to her right away and are already exploring a bit in their new area. Looks like it was meant to be.
Mindy knew there were chicks under there...she was determined to be the first to see them! LOL

how precious

I love all of your pictures, but the stink eye on the chick on the right here is cracking me up!

 

[Blarneyeggs]

Deal alert for @Blarneyeggs
 : https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...egg-auction-and-bin-thread/4850#post_18218358
(Call Duck eggs)

I know you have extra room in that incubator . . .

I sure do! I was using cardboard egg holders and had approximately 1 and 1/2 shelves being used. Once I moved the eggs to the plastic holders in your hatching tray, I fit all of the eggs on one shelf! I actually looked around for a bit thinking I must have set down a tray of eggs somewhere... the cardboard egg holders have 30 spots and take up half a tray, the plastic have 48 spots! and also take up half a tray.

 

[dheltzel]

I sure do! I was using cardboard egg holders and had approximately 1 and 1/2 shelves being used. Once I moved the eggs to the plastic holders in your hatching tray, I fit all of the eggs on one shelf! I actually looked around for a bit thinking I must have set down a tray of eggs somewhere... the cardboard egg holders have 30 spots and take up half a tray, the plastic have 48 spots! and also take up half a tray.

So now you understand first hand how a cabinet incubator can get out of control. The moment when it is completely filled (288 eggs) and you begin to contemplate a second one, that is the real danger point though. I think @Auroradream26 is at or near that point now.