Pennsylvania!! Unite!!

[AnneInTheBurbs]

Did it get the test postponed like they wanted? When I was in school, it was bomb threats called in to get out of a test, now it's guns, which is a bit more plausible than the bombs were.

Congrats on the ducklings! I hope they make it through the winter. I have 2 turkey hens sitting tight on 17 eggs. I never let a broody turkey try to hatch eggs before, not sure how this is going to turn out.

At least the incubator is close to getting turned off for the year. The last few eggs are due to hatch Saturday. Anyone local wanting chicks in 2015, this is your last chance !!
(Legbars and Welsummers, of course).

What's the "due date" for the turkeys? Please keep us updated!

 

[fisherlady]

I remember there were lots of bomb threats right after Sept. 11, 2001. It was a horrible time. That was my first month in the USA. It made me think this was not a safe country to live. 14 years later, I have to admit that I was wrong.   

How can the baby chicks survive the winter? Do you just keep them under heating lamp all winter long? I'm afraid of fire hazard. I have a heating lamp and a Thermo-Peep Heated Pad, but don't feel safe to put either of them in coop. In the spring, I may try only use the Heated Pad (it stays 104F indoor) for the chicks first. It looks at least safer than the heating lamp.

If the chicks are being raised by a broody you don't need supplemental heat, if no broody hens then you would have to raise in a standard brooder set up with a heat source.

 

[TillyPeeps]

If the chicks are being raised by a broody you don't need supplemental heat, if no broody hens then you would have to raise in a standard brooder set up with a heat source.

I just feel it would be difficult to transfer chicks from their brooder to a coop during the winter. But keeping them indoor for 3 months seems not possible for me. Anyway, our coop even doesn't have walls yet, I just need to be patient and wait till spring.

 

[dheltzel]

What's the "due date" for the turkeys? Please keep us updated!

Set on the 13th and I find 27 days pretty accurate, so Nov 9th, give or take a day.
I'm not certain they are even fertile, these are from inexperienced youngsters (toms too). I was surprised that the MW hens started laying at about 6 months, they are proving to be better layers than most of the chickens, at least for now.

 

[dheltzel]

How can the baby chicks survive the winter? Do you just keep them under heating lamp all winter long? I'm afraid of fire hazard. I have a heating lamp and a Thermo-Peep Heated Pad, but don't feel safe to put either of them in coop. In the spring, I may try only use the Heated Pad (it stays 104F indoor) for the chicks first. It looks at least safer than the heating lamp.

No heat lamp. I did that last fall with some very valuable chicks, but not again. I'm thinking it was bad for them to have a hot spot and the rest of their cage quite cold. I'm pretty sure that some of those pullets I treated that way never came into lay at all, like they are sterile or something, and they have looked unhappy and morose all year. IDK that it was the heat lamp to blame, but I am not doing it that way again.

Chicks feather out pretty fast, and they seem to feather even faster when it's cold. I am maybe pushing the limits a little with this last hatch from the incubator. Honestly, I've been selling most of them, even this late in the year. 18 chicks and guineas hatched 3 weeks ago sold out.
Some of this is an experiment to see how they do. It's possible I may lose some, but I rather think they will be ok, at least with the temps. I really am looking forward to free ranging more females and am betting that Legbars and Welsummers will do exceptionally well free ranging on the farm.

 

[Chaos18]

Set on the 13th and I find 27 days pretty accurate, so Nov 9th, give or take a day.
I'm not certain they are even fertile, these are from inexperienced youngsters (toms too). I was surprised that the MW hens started laying at about 6 months, they are proving to be better layers than most of the chickens, at least for now.

Do you currently have any poults available?

 

[dheltzel]

Do you currently have any poults available?

The youngest ones I have are nearly grown now. IDK if any will hatch from the broody hens. They could be mixed breeds, not pure midget whites, I have multiple toms in one pen. It is rather late in the year to hand raise poults, but a "house turkey" might be a lot of fun (smelly, but fun).

 

[OneMountainAcres]

I took my 3 chicks from the brooder today and moved them out to the main coop in a dog crate for about 6 hours. I'm trying to get them used to cooler temps. I couldn't bring myself to leave them out all night though tonight so I just gathered them up and brought them back in to the brooder. They weren't crying out there or anything but they were quick to run under the heat lamp once they were back in the brooder. I'm going to take them back out again tomorrow when it warms up a bit and possibly leave them out there tomorrow night. We'll see. Depends on how they look and act.

I turned on the coop light for the first time this evening. Mostly because the young ones were in there and I wanted to shut the big side door but I put the window back in and closed it too. It seemed like it was slightly warmer in there tonight when I went out to do a head count and bring the young ones back in. I don't like this winter prep. I'm going to have to plastic the run soon too :/

Anyone with poop boards, do any of your birds tend to get comfy on the poop board instead of the roosts? I have a few that insist on sleeping on the boards instead of the roost and it drives me nuts! There's plenty of space so it's not like there's not enough room.

 

[speney]

The youngest ones I have are nearly grown now. IDK if any will hatch from the broody hens. They could be mixed breeds, not pure midget whites, I have multiple toms in one pen. It is rather late in the year to hand raise poults, but a "house turkey" might be a lot of fun (smelly, but fun).

I actually had a house turkey lol he was awsome and also house trained I had a bell on me door he would ring to go out I never had a mess in the house he was better than the dog but I also think he was one in a million

 

[Chaos18]

The youngest ones I have are nearly grown now. IDK if any will hatch from the broody hens. They could be mixed breeds, not pure midget whites, I have multiple toms in one pen. It is rather late in the year to hand raise poults, but a "house turkey" might be a lot of fun (smelly, but fun).

A house turkey sounds like way to much fun for one person.

I actually had a house turkey lol he was awsome and also house trained I had a bell on me door he would ring to go out I never had a mess in the house he was better than the dog but I also think he was one in a million

I tried to teach my dog to ring the bell to go out but instead of me training her to my wishes I waz trained to her wishes.