Pennsylvania!! Unite!!

[OneMountainAcres]

I took advantage of the warm weather today and dragged my butt out to the coops to scrape all the poop boards off since everything was thawed out. I'm a bit ashamed to admit that it was long overdue. I also put some netting up to block off the loft in the turkey coop since the girls seem to think that they should be laying eggs up there. I set up a new nest for them and threw a fake egg in there. Hopefully they catch on and start using that now. I'm glad I started everything when I did. I finished up just before the rain started. Now it's time to run to the store and grab some food so I can relax and feel satisfied with my day

 

[BullChick]

I kinda envy you. But, Duckling is more fun.
I took trash out, and burned most of it. Raised the tire swing, and pushed Duckling for a while. The storm was blowing in, and it made me feel creepy.
Once she was gone, I got another weather alert warning of the strong winds and lightning. I went out to see what I could do about the run. The boards are laying flat now, and I think it's fine for the rest of the winter. I'd be happier if I could move it away from the pop door, but I was soaked already, and didn't have much time to collect eggs and get into the house.
I might have a broody. she has been in there since yesterday, and didn't want me getting the eggs. Tough luck to her. I'm not hatching right now!

 

[OneMountainAcres]

We didn't get any storm or wind warnings here but that wind was really picking up there for a while. I understand the creepy feeling all too well.

Are you sure you don't want to hatch? I have turkey eggs and ameraucana eggs just sitting here...

 

[Lelanae]

I've found that true too. I have gathered sexlink eggs that looked white to me, they were so pale, until I put them into a carton next to really white eggs, they it was obvious they were blue. I think I'm developing a better eye for the egg color as i handle more eggs, but putting them all in a carton together can be enlightening,

Those black sexlinks are soo reliable as layers. I am getting a light blue egg every day ( I have two "Pennsylvania blacks") but only 1-3 brown eggs from the other 8 girls in my flock--I think my SLW hasn't started to lay yet and my welsummer hasn't had an egg in months and months...
I think I would like a really really BLUE egg in my basket though.

 

[BullChick]

We didn't get any storm or wind warnings here but that wind was really picking up there for a while. I understand the creepy feeling all too well.

Are you sure you don't want to hatch? I have turkey eggs and ameraucana eggs just sitting here...

Ha ha! No. No more babies. I still haven't found the time to deal with the last batch. I'm actually wondering how bad it would be to behead a chicken inside.
However...

 

[BullChick]

Those black sexlinks are soo reliable as layers. I am getting a light blue egg every day ( I have two "Pennsylvania blacks") but only 1-3 brown eggs from the other 8 girls in my flock--I think my SLW hasn't started to lay yet and my welsummer hasn't had an egg in months and months...
I think I would like a really really BLUE egg in my basket though.

 

[BullChick]

The first Bielefelder (a pullet) of the year hatched late. She is a bit weak compared to the others and holds her head funny. I hope she makes it.

 

[AnneInTheBurbs]

 
don't forget the three I took!!!...also talked to Blarney about LAV orps and she seemed to have some trepidation over the perceived ancillary recessive genetics collateral to the LAV color...I dunno....I'll be trying some out....

True, last week I hatched some Legbars and Black Ameraucanas.
The little lavender am chicks is still not doing well. Laying on it's back in the incubator. I hope it makes it, the lavender chicks are very nice and I have a lot of potential homes for that one.

Did this chick pull through? How about the Biel?

 
when I die I want to come back as a chicken under your care

One not selected for "freezer camp", I presume.

 
True, last week I hatched some Legbars and Black Ameraucanas.
The little lavender am chicks is still not doing well. Laying on it's back in the incubator. I hope it makes it, the lavender chicks are very nice and I have a lot of potential homes for that one.

 They are gorgeous birds! My house is sale pending now. Hopefully, we will be ready for our new flock this summer if my job stays stable . 

Best of luck on the sale of your home! It's such a busy time. I'm so glad I'm settled in my new place. It went so fast for us. We decided to put the house up for sale in May, did some improvements and sold it in four days. We were in our new house in the end of August.

when I die I want to come back as a chicken under your care

LOL

One not selected for "freezer camp", I presume.

I have said many times....we try to give our birds a great chicken life right up until they have one very bad day....

The more I think about it, the better and kinder that sounds. They have a wonderful life, plentiful food and shelter, and a quick death; often before they are too old or sick. How many people in the world can say that?

So just a little fun...there is a debate going on at my house what color these eggs are. What's your opinion? My husband thinks they are blue and the other five of us in the house think they are a light green.

I say pale green as well.

How are your Ayam Cemani's doing? I didn't realize they are cold hearty chickens. My husband has been reading about them because he wants to add a roo and a hen to our flock. Where are you getting them? I swear he told me they were like $1500!!

Prices are whatever the market will bear. AC's have been in this country quite a while before Greenfire imported them and made a big deal about pricing them at $5000 per pair. As it turns out, the birds they imported were inferior in blackness (what all AC's are judged by) to some strains already here. GF did those breeders a solid by giving the breed so much notoriety. People wanted them just to have the world's most expensive chicken (why do people buy Ferraris?).

After getting them into the hands of good breeders, the prices for "ordinary" AC's like the Greenfire lines have dropped to well under $50 a chick, but the very blackest strains can still fetch $200 or more.

I don't have AC's, but a good friend has (what he claims are) the very best in the country. They have a waiting list for their $200 chicks. They also have a lesser grade (but still mostly black) pen that sells for less.

They have large single combs, like leghorns and legbars, making them more prone to frostbite than birds with pea or rose combs, like Ameraucanas and Wyandottes, but other than that, I don't see them as being less cold hardy.

I'd still like a couple of AC chicks if possible, I'll happily take any rejects. I won't be breeding them, I just think they would be lovely eye candy. If there is any way we could arrange to have some banty Cochins and or ACs when I pick up the Sandhill order from you, that would be very helpful. I'd rather raise them all up at once. . But I know it hard to coordinate these things too.

I took advantage of the warm weather today and dragged my butt out to the coops to scrape all the poop boards off since everything was thawed out. I'm a bit ashamed to admit that it was long overdue. I also put some netting up to block off the loft in the turkey coop since the girls seem to think that they should be laying eggs up there. I set up a new nest for them and threw a fake egg in there. Hopefully they catch on and start using that now. I'm glad I started everything when I did. I finished up just before the rain started. Now it's time to run to the store and grab some food so I can relax and feel satisfied with my day

.

Don't be ashamed, we do the best we can. I always think of how poorly some commercial layers are ttreated. We certainly do better than that by a landslide. Now put your feet up and have a glass of wine,

 

[AnneInTheBurbs]

So the other day, before our snow had melted, the girls found the one dry place they could take a dust bath. In the garden edge in front of the house. They can make a mess now, but come spring, that area will be off limits to fowl play! Today, when it was all wet and muddy everywhere, they found the only other dry place. That was in the basement window wells. Smart girls! Made some good progress on my run tomorrow, should have some pics tomorrow.

. So I'm making this run, but I think the only time they may be in there is when the weather is really poor. They are doing very well free ranging so far.

 

[dheltzel]

I hope she pulls through for you

She died while I was at work. I had to help her out of the shell (bad sign) and she hatched a day later than the others (another bad sign). I guess it was not meant to be. The lavender chick is struggling with splayed legs and will prob not make it either, but the rest are doing well.

Got the first eggs from my Lavender Am pullets this week. Several were frozen solid, but a few seem ok. I hope they start laying as well as the blacks, yesterday I got 6 eggs from 7 black pullets. I love those black ams. They are tame and pretty.

I also found 3 eggs in the duck pen (Welsh Harlequins). 2 are pretty dirty, I should prob just eat them. I'm not sure if hatching ducklings is such a good idea this early in the season.