Pennsylvania!! Unite!!

[dheltzel]

Does anyone have 3-4 black copper marans eggs they wouldn't mind sharing? I'd use my own but my BCM pullet just stated laying the other day so I don't think her eggs are ready to be hatched.

Crack one open and see if it is fertile. If it is, start saving them and when you get enough to set, give them to her. If she is a determined broody, setting an extra 2 weeks or so will not be a problem.

If you are concerned about smaller pullet eggs not being good to set, you can forget that, if fertile they will hatch fine. Smaller eggs make for smaller chicks, so when buying you should expect at least normal sized eggs. OEGB's are small anyway, and she will have no trouble raising small chicks.

 

[AnneInTheBurbs]

Yes, I've used a midwife (rather than an OB) for all of my kid's births, but this was my first home birth and it was just wonderful. Having two kids already, all of my family 6 hours away in eastern PA, being an hour + away from the nearest birth center, and pretty much as low risk as one can be, a home birth just made sense. The hubs made baked ziti, the girls played outside, and I labored peacefully and comfortably in my own home. It was perfect!

Chicken duty switched over to the hubs for the next week which had me a bit worried since he wasn't very fond of them anymore (think it was resentment from all the time I spent building the coop in the few weeks prior). Thankfully they started associating him with food and running to him all excited whenever he'd come out... it really turned his opinion around and now he likes them again. It's hard to hate something that's gets so excited to see you 

You go girl! Congratulations on the new kidlet!

seems we have a big owl, lost two young chickens i hatched out this may to one, husband saw it, but i got my one young cockerel and my old sfh that usually free range in the yard before the owl could , so now everyone is locked up til the owl goes away

So sorry for your loss!

Good afternoon all:

Had a hawk fly in today....broke off the attack near my fence line and  perched on a branch about 10yds behind the fence and 25' up....appeared light brown with no distinctive pattern on the underside...(both me and the pooch were in the backyard)....about 10 mins later was back circling above the treeline behind my property then did about five passes over my property at treeline level.....then left....was kind of disappointed in the chicken's responses....1/2 listened to the roo's alerts and ran for cover....1/2 didn't respond enough.....Darwin has a way of fixing that problem....

Those **** hawks are everywhere. My girls have wised up at least, hopefully!

So sad about the green dragon. You guys are always taking about that place and how great it is

we officially have a Broody! Our first one, of course she's OEGB and is only 6 months old lol. I kicked her off the nest once since we were gone all day and I didn't know how long she'd been there. She was sitting on her own egg that she laid today. I took her egg and kicked her off. She hopped back in a bit later and made herself comfy for the night with a plastic easter egg under her. Does anyone have 3-4 black copper marans eggs they wouldn't mind sharing? I'd use my own but my BCM pullet just stated laying the other day so I don't think her eggs are ready to be hatched.

I've never been to the Green Dragone either, I'm sad I missed it now. Hope they will rebuild!

 

[OneMountainAcres]

Crack one open and see if it is fertile. If it is, start saving them and when you get enough to set, give them to her. If she is a determined broody, setting an extra 2 weeks or so will not be a problem.

If you are concerned about smaller pullet eggs not being good to set, you can forget that, if fertile they will hatch fine. Smaller eggs make for smaller chicks, so when buying you should expect at least normal sized eggs. OEGB's are small anyway, and she will have no trouble raising small chicks.

I know they're fertile. I haven't had an infertile egg since my very first one lol. I was just concerned about them being little pullet eggs. Will they still grow up to be normal sized marans? I'm thinking I'm going to give her 2 of my BCM pullet's eggs and two from my brahma/marans cross (babies would be 3/4 marans, 1/4 brahma)

 

[sharron]

Sorry you lost the two youngsters...hope the owl 'goes away' soon!

thank you, i think it will, you know, i love the wild critters just not when they want to have chicken every night and owls are so beautiful. friend says its a great horned, so won't know til i see it , husband saw it flying away, said it was huge but it will go away

 

[dheltzel]

I know they're fertile. I haven't had an infertile egg since my very first one lol. I was just concerned about them being little pullet eggs. Will they still grow up to be normal sized marans? I'm thinking I'm going to give her 2 of my BCM pullet's eggs and two from my brahma/marans cross (babies would be 3/4 marans, 1/4 brahma)

Don't be concerned about them not growing to full size. The genetic potential is exactly the same as will large eggs (though it would be cool to get bantams by always breeding from the smallest eggs).
Anyway, the reason they advise against setting eggs that are smaller or larger than the norm is that the chicks hatch at different sizes and the small ones can't compete as well with the large ones. Most people would advise against brooding bantams and large fowl together for the same reason. Chicks from small eggs will still hatch and will be bigger than most bantams, so no more trouble to raise than bantams, and even less with a broody hen to watch over them.

 

[OneMountainAcres]

Don't be concerned about them not growing to full size. The genetic potential is exactly the same as will large eggs (though it would be cool to get bantams by always breeding from the smallest eggs).
Anyway, the reason they advise against setting eggs that are smaller or larger than the norm is that the chicks hatch at different sizes and the small ones can't compete as well with the large ones. Most people would advise against brooding bantams and large fowl together for the same reason. Chicks from small eggs will still hatch and will be bigger than most bantams, so no more trouble to raise than bantams, and even less with a broody hen to watch over them.

ok if all goes well and Princess and Midnight both lay today, then little Cookie could have her eggs by this evening lol. I already have 2 from yesterday sitting and waiting for her. I got in the habit of not putting eggs in the fridge until the end of the day over the past couple weeks so I have some already ready

 

[stake]

GM all:

I think I have an egg eater...her name is shorty...had a broken egg in one coop yesterday and one this morning in the other coop with the girl having breakfast....any ideas on how to stop this?...this morning's egg was pretty thin shelled....is it normal for any chook to break open a thin shelled egg?

Also, regarding setting eggs this late in the season...my understanding is that a chick can tolerate temps based on this...start at 90 for a day old and reduce 5 degrees a week for the minimum temps a chick can tolerate...(assumes no mama to keep her warm)....is this a 'good' understanding?

 

[dheltzel]

GM all:

I think I have an egg eater...her name is shorty...had a broken egg in one coop yesterday and one this morning in the other coop with the girl having breakfast....any ideas on how to stop this?...this morning's egg was pretty thin shelled....is it normal for any chook to break open a thin shelled egg?

I've heard of people using ceramic eggs to break egg eating. I suppose they peck at the fake eggs and give up and assume all the eggs from now on are impenetrable. I have never tried this, but seems worth trying.

 

[BullChick]

 
GM all:

I think I have an egg eater...her name is shorty...had a broken egg in one coop yesterday and one this morning in the other coop with the girl having breakfast....any ideas on how to stop this?...this morning's egg was pretty thin shelled....is it normal for any chook to break open a thin shelled egg?

I've heard of people using ceramic eggs to break egg eating. I suppose they peck at the fake eggs and give up and assume all the eggs from now on are impenetrable. I have never tried this, but seems worth trying.

Another suggestion is blowing an egg, and putting mustard inside. They don't like mustard.

 

[Zgm12]

Would anyone be interested in a blue silkie rooster? He is a blue bearded silkie and his name is Mystery. He is super sweet and loves people. I want him to go to a good home. For more information look in BYC's For Sale-8 weeks or older- sweet silkie cockerel.