Pipd's Peeps!

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

A couple tidbits of an update, here. I was just looking into when the Easter Hatch-a-long would be, and it looks like I'm going to have to start moving roosters around in about two weeks to make sure just the ones I want to father chicks are fathering them! Yikes, that seems like it came up fast! Anyone else participating? It will all depend for me on the hens who are laying at the time. Hopefully it goes better than last year, when most of the eggs I set didn't hatch because the hens I'd picked rejected the roosters I'd paired them with.

I unfortunately can see that happening yet again with my Dorkings, but I'm really hoping this is my year on them.




Anyway, the other update is that I've been planning on building an OEGB coop this year, and I think I've finally got the plan set for action! I'd been struggling with where to put another coop so that it's not too far from the current coops, how to set up multiple pens around it so that there's plenty of room for the birds without taking up too much of the space in the yard for people use, and stuff like that. Well, it occurred to me the other day that I'd lost most of my Guineas last year and I'm down to just the four of them... Do they really need their full 8x8-foot coop for four birds? I don't intend to replenish the Guinea flock, honestly, so that's a lot of building space that I can use for other things!

So the current plan is to build my OEGB coop into what is currently the Guinea coop. It will definitely be divided so the Guineas and OEGBs aren't in the same living space, and so that I have multiple coops for the OEGBs so that I can divide them for hatching. I have some ideas, but it's kind of hard to describe... Anyway, for sure there will be updates on this when we start on it and as it's built!

 

[ronott1]

A couple tidbits of an update, here. I was just looking into when the Easter Hatch-a-long would be, and it looks like I'm going to have to start moving roosters around in about two weeks to make sure just the ones I want to father chicks are fathering them! Yikes, that seems like it came up fast! Anyone else participating? It will all depend for me on the hens who are laying at the time. Hopefully it goes better than last year, when most of the eggs I set didn't hatch because the hens I'd picked rejected the roosters I'd paired them with. View attachment 2024587 I unfortunately can see that happening yet again with my Dorkings, but I'm really hoping this is my year on them.




Anyway, the other update is that I've been planning on building an OEGB coop this year, and I think I've finally got the plan set for action! I'd been struggling with where to put another coop so that it's not too far from the current coops, how to set up multiple pens around it so that there's plenty of room for the birds without taking up too much of the space in the yard for people use, and stuff like that. Well, it occurred to me the other day that I'd lost most of my Guineas last year and I'm down to just the four of them... Do they really need their full 8x8-foot coop for four birds? I don't intend to replenish the Guinea flock, honestly, so that's a lot of building space that I can use for other things!

So the current plan is to build my OEGB coop into what is currently the Guinea coop. It will definitely be divided so the Guineas and OEGBs aren't in the same living space, and so that I have multiple coops for the OEGBs so that I can divide them for hatching. I have some ideas, but it's kind of hard to describe... Anyway, for sure there will be updates on this when we start on it and as it's built!

Is there going to be an Easter Hatch a long?

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

Well, I have no official confirmation of whether it's happening or not, I just assumed it was. I hope so! Last year was my first time actually participating in it and I thought it was a lot of fun.

 

[ronott1]

Well, I have no official confirmation of whether it's happening or not, I just assumed it was. I hope so! Last year was my first time actually participating in it and I thought it was a lot of fun.

I have not heard from happy chooks about this years ehal. I suppose I should send a message

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

Let me know!

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

The girls are snowed in again this morning. Well, "snowed in". It's about 2 inches, maybe a hint more, but still coming down. They took one look at it and retreated from the door, didn't even set foot outside of the coop. My birds are wusses.

I didn't think to take any pictures while I was out with the birds earlier, but here's the view through the window of the woods covered in snow:

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

Since my last post, we had a bout of spring-like weather, in the 40's and 50's during the day and the 30's overnight, and the girls were having a blast free ranging again! Well, once again we're snowed in, but this time for real. We got a good 6 or 7 inches over the past 24 hours. The girls have NO interest in coming out now, not even the slightest!

Right before we got all this snow, I got a whopping 10-and-one-third eggs!! (The one-third egg was an OEGB egg. They're so small!) Anyway, back down to 6 yesterday, and I suspect it's because someone keeps eating the eggs being laid in one particular nest. Oddly enough, whoever is doing it isn't touching any of the eggs even in nearby boxes. I thought maybe Cazzie was laying brittle eggs back there, since it's been her egg being broken, but she switched boxes yesterday and laid a perfectly normal egg, while Fifi laid an egg in the other spot instead, which was broken and eaten. Super frustrating!! I'm thinking I'll staple some feed bag strips up there as a sort of curtain to see if that helps. Not sure what's gotten into them as I haven't had any egg eating issues in years now.




Any word on the EHAL, Ron?

 

[ronott1]

Since my last post, we had a bout of spring-like weather, in the 40's and 50's during the day and the 30's overnight, and the girls were having a blast free ranging again! Well, once again we're snowed in, but this time for real. We got a good 6 or 7 inches over the past 24 hours. The girls have NO interest in coming out now, not even the slightest!

Right before we got all this snow, I got a whopping 10-and-one-third eggs!! (The one-third egg was an OEGB egg. They're so small!) Anyway, back down to 6 yesterday, and I suspect it's because someone keeps eating the eggs being laid in one particular nest. Oddly enough, whoever is doing it isn't touching any of the eggs even in nearby boxes. I thought maybe Cazzie was laying brittle eggs back there, since it's been her egg being broken, but she switched boxes yesterday and laid a perfectly normal egg, while Fifi laid an egg in the other spot instead, which was broken and eaten. Super frustrating!! I'm thinking I'll staple some feed bag strips up there as a sort of curtain to see if that helps. Not sure what's gotten into them as I haven't had any egg eating issues in years now.




Any word on the EHAL, Ron?

I have not heard from Kelly about the EHAL. Nifty said that there was some discussion about it but I have not heard from then either.

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

Ah, oh, well. I suppose if there just isn't one this year, that doesn't preclude me setting eggs and hatching for Easter anyway. Or just whenever I get around to it, as the case may be. With the girls picking up as they are, looks like I'll have my choice for who I want to hatch from when I do!



I may also be buying some chicks fairly soon as well... Will keep the thread up to date on what happens with that.

 

[ronott1]

Ah, oh, well. I suppose if there just isn't one this year, that doesn't preclude me setting eggs and hatching for Easter anyway. Or just whenever I get around to it, as the case may be. With the girls picking up as they are, looks like I'll have my choice for who I want to hatch from when I do!



I may also be buying some chicks fairly soon as well... Will keep the thread up to date on what happens with that.

That is a good idea!