Pipd's Peeps!

[Crazy Maizie]

Oh my, that's just loads of cuteness!

 

[2ndTink]

Thanks for the photo update

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

Last night, I went out to the outer coop to close up for the night, with the plan to peek under Morena and Inara while I was at it. Well, Morena was still on her nest, but Inara had moved over to the laying box on top of the eggs laid just that day, leaving her eggs cold in her box. Since the two of them have been trading boxes back and forth, that also happened to be the nest with that last suspected Judy booty egg in it

I candled, and of course all appeared to be clear--except the possible Judy egg had definite veining in it! I about died! I went ahead and moved it under Morena since she's been a bit more dedicated of a sitter anyway.

This morning, that egg still has good, strong veining in it, so hopefully it'll pull through despite being left out in the cold for some time yesterday. It does look like only two of the eggs out of the 6 I set are developing, though, which is kind of unfortunate. Thinking I may need to cut those flocks back down to 4-5 hens each max next year and see if fertility is kept up better.

Anyway, I double checked the dates and Delphine's babies aren't due until Friday, so I guess I was getting ahead of myself on them! I've been debating about possibly setting eggs in the incubator today for one last batch out of Gus's girls for the year... My plans to hatch from Gwenyth this year are kind of falling through anyway because I had hoped I'd have more roosters sold by now and thus more space to work with in order to do that. (Nobody tell Fluffy )

 

[2ndTink]

Last night, I went out to the outer coop to close up for the night, with the plan to peek under Morena and Inara while I was at it. Well, Morena was still on her nest, but Inara had moved over to the laying box on top of the eggs laid just that day, leaving her eggs cold in her box. Since the two of them have been trading boxes back and forth, that also happened to be the nest with that last suspected Judy booty egg in it

I candled, and of course all appeared to be clear--except the possible Judy egg had definite veining in it! I about died! I went ahead and moved it under Morena since she's been a bit more dedicated of a sitter anyway.

This morning, that egg still has good, strong veining in it, so hopefully it'll pull through despite being left out in the cold for some time yesterday. It does look like only two of the eggs out of the 6 I set are developing, though, which is kind of unfortunate. Thinking I may need to cut those flocks back down to 4-5 hens each max next year and see if fertility is kept up better.

Anyway, I double checked the dates and Delphine's babies aren't due until Friday, so I guess I was getting ahead of myself on them! I've been debating about possibly setting eggs in the incubator today for one last batch out of Gus's girls for the year... My plans to hatch from Gwenyth this year are kind of falling through anyway because I had hoped I'd have more roosters sold by now and thus more space to work with in order to do that. (Nobody tell Fluffy )

Goodness, I never knew when I first got chickens how much drama they'd be!

I'm glad the possible Judy Booty egg is still looking ok, I really hope it hatches a beautiful pullet for you

I've given up selling anymore cockerels or pullets. Everyone I have is staying and I am just planning on 100% of the extra boys will be processed I've been trying to get some pre-sales for the meat, not $ down, just people saying, hey I want X number of birds... nothing. No-one is saying they want meat, no one is buying eggs (I have 1 person buying an 18 pack per week is all). I'm really doubting myself thinking I could justify my hobby by selling eggs and meat. I think everything is just flooded this year, so maybe next year things will be cut back enough to be more normal.

ok, enough lamenting... yes! You should hatch more eggs! Hehe.

 

[Crazy Maizie]

Goodness, I never knew when I first got chickens how much drama they'd be!

I'm glad the possible Judy Booty egg is still looking ok, I really hope it hatches a beautiful pullet for you

I've given up selling anymore cockerels or pullets. Everyone I have is staying and I am just planning on 100% of the extra boys will be processed I've been trying to get some pre-sales for the meat, not $ down, just people saying, hey I want X number of birds... nothing. No-one is saying they want meat, no one is buying eggs (I have 1 person buying an 18 pack per week is all). I'm really doubting myself thinking I could justify my hobby by selling eggs and meat. I think everything is just flooded this year, so maybe next year things will be cut back enough to be more normal.

ok, enough lamenting... yes! You should hatch more eggs! Hehe.

How long have you had chickens?

 

[Crazy Maizie]

I did a thing.

So, while waiting for the oegb guy to get back to me from the Craigslist email, I found some silkie satin mix pullets. I reached out since it was local and the poster got back to me before the oegb guy did.

She had 2 posted a black one and a white one. Now, I have been interested in silkies, but not something I couldn't do without. I asked for pics and she clarified that she only had the white one left. Bummer because I really would like 2 for integration (I'm pretty sure this is chicken math). So, going back and forth, she sends me the Pic and I am like ooh yeah, I'd like to have her. I asked if she had any others and she said only fully feathered chicks, but it didn't sound like the pullet hung out with them. So, getting a chick and a pullet really wouldn't do me any good.

From the Pic I knew I wanted her, but in the mean time the guy with the oegbs gets back to me and we make arrangements. I got those girls as you all know. At this point, I could back out of the silkie mix, but I didn't.

Here she is.

She is 8-9 months. So, hopefully stays a she.

I know that I am taking a big risk with having birds from 2 different farms. I have them separated and I am cleaning my hands between the two areas, but they are all being quarantined in my shed. So, it will be a big bummer if something happens.

 

[2ndTink]

How long have you had chickens?

I had some when I was a kid for a few years before we moved, then in my early 20s someone dropped a bunch off on my property, but I found a home for then after a few weeks, now I've had them since 2020.

 

[Crazy Maizie]

I had some when I was a kid for a few years before we moved, then in my early 20s someone dropped a bunch off on my property, but I found a home for then after a few weeks, now I've had them since 2020.

Maybe it just takes awhile to establish yourself as an egg and meat source? A lady nearby has a fb page for eggs, produce, chickens etc. She's got it set up for roadside service for eggs and produce on the honor system. Then, during the fall she will offer produce boxes and meat boxes either pick up or delivery. Her prices are high, but I figure it's quality food so justified.

I don't do anything with my chickens - just get eggs for myself so I don't have any real advice to offer. But, even just having pet chickens it's definitely drama filled.

 

[2ndTink]

Maybe it just takes awhile to establish yourself as an egg and meat source? A lady nearby has a fb page for eggs, produce, chickens etc. She's got it set up for roadside service for eggs and produce on the honor system. Then, during the fall she will offer produce boxes and meat boxes either pick up or delivery. Her prices are high, but I figure it's quality food so justified.

I don't do anything with my chickens - just get eggs for myself so I don't have any real advice to offer. But, even just having pet chickens it's definitely drama filled.

Yeah, I still have a lot of networking to do before I am in any way "established". The hens have their own drama, but these little cockerels

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

Goodness, I never knew when I first got chickens how much drama they'd be!

No joke!!

I'm glad the possible Judy Booty egg is still looking ok, I really hope it hatches a beautiful pullet for you

It looked good still this morning. I'll peek in a bit when I go out to close coops. I do at least have the one pullet for sure out of her, but it would be so nice to have another!

I've given up selling anymore cockerels or pullets. Everyone I have is staying and I am just planning on 100% of the extra boys will be processed I've been trying to get some pre-sales for the meat, not $ down, just people saying, hey I want X number of birds... nothing. No-one is saying they want meat, no one is buying eggs (I have 1 person buying an 18 pack per week is all). I'm really doubting myself thinking I could justify my hobby by selling eggs and meat. I think everything is just flooded this year, so maybe next year things will be cut back enough to be more normal.

It's getting to that point for me as well. The processor I take my birds from does not label them for resale, so I'm not sure how that would work from the perspective of selling the meat, but they do make decent soup at least, so if nothing else I'll be well stocked for soup season. It just makes me so sad putting some of these boys in the freezer. But at a certain point, I just can't keep them any longer. I suppose I should schedule my extras and just get it over with already.

I hope you're right about the market. Last year was when everyone was buying out all the chicks at the feed stores around here like crazy if I remember right, so there's probably just too many people trying to unload extra roosters from that or hatching out of those birds and ending up with all those extra cockerels to sell. Here's hoping, anyway!

ok, enough lamenting... yes! You should hatch more eggs! Hehe.

I... actually think I've cooled my jets on that at this point. I still have the extra roosters from last year, plus I have the Easter hatch taking up their space and two full brooders inside without any space really to put them outside, so I'm just completely tapped out of places to house birds at this point. And after cleaning the bottoms of those three weird chicks from my last batch for about the millionth time, I feel like maybe I shouldn't hatch from the corner coop anymore this year anyway. I don't know what to do with them. I'd really like to get more chicks out of that coop, but I don't know if I can handle more chicks with ongoing issues, nor whether I could stand to put them down if they're otherwise active and behaving normally as these are... I at least have a few healthy chicks out of that pen, so hopefully someone among them is half-ways decent to hold back.

I did a thing.

So, while waiting for the oegb guy to get back to me from the Craigslist email, I found some silkie satin mix pullets. I reached out since it was local and the poster got back to me before the oegb guy did.

She had 2 posted a black one and a white one. Now, I have been interested in silkies, but not something I couldn't do without. I asked for pics and she clarified that she only had the white one left. Bummer because I really would like 2 for integration (I'm pretty sure this is chicken math). So, going back and forth, she sends me the Pic and I am like ooh yeah, I'd like to have her. I asked if she had any others and she said only fully feathered chicks, but it didn't sound like the pullet hung out with them. So, getting a chick and a pullet really wouldn't do me any good.

From the Pic I knew I wanted her, but in the mean time the guy with the oegbs gets back to me and we make arrangements. I got those girls as you all know. At this point, I could back out of the silkie mix, but I didn't.

Here she is.
View attachment 3851310

She is 8-9 months. So, hopefully stays a she.

I know that I am taking a big risk with having birds from 2 different farms. I have them separated and I am cleaning my hands between the two areas, but they are all being quarantined in my shed. So, it will be a big bummer if something happens.

Oh, she's cute! She's got that same wicked look that my smooth-feathered Silkie mix, Ganymede, has At 8-9 months, that sure looks like a lady to me! Fingers crossed for good health through their quarantine period