Raising Baby Chick-Along

[Jessimom]

) btw, the Silverudd's Blue USA gave MJ a lot of very nice complements - the only thing yet,with her, is seeing if she will actually lay a large sized egg!

My Silverudd Blue are still laying Bantam sized eggs. We're also hoping they will start to get a bit bigger!!!!

 

[orrpeople]

Question time: Favorite thing about your chicks (or chicken ownership)?

I think my favorite thing is trying to guess how chicks are going to turn out when they fully feather. The diversity is pretty amazing! From my very first "farm store" chicks who were all yellow - and then became all sorts of combinations of red and white, to the fun 55 Flowery Hen pullets that all start out as chipmunks and end up with a unique broad color spectrum set of browns, grays, and white "flowers"- all different from one another! If Forrest Gump was a chicken farmer he'd say, "Life is like a brooder of chicks..."

 

[NorthTexasWink]

Eggs. And chicken and dumplings. And fried chicken. And meringue. And angel food cake. And chicken stock so deeply golden with rich flavor that it almost doesn't need anything added.

 

[orrpeople]

Eggs. And chicken and dumplings. And fried chicken. And meringue. And angel food cake. And chicken stock so deeply golden with rich flavor that it almost doesn't need anything added.

It's all about the food with you, isn't it? Haha, seriously though, I just did one of our own birds in my brand new instant pot pressure cooker, made yummy pulled-chicken enchiladas, and saved all the amazing, golden broth it created. Yep. Guess I'm a bit about the food too!!

 

[NorthTexasWink]

Love my electric pressure cookers! I wish I'd had one a couple or three decades ago when I had to cull and process 50 retired layers at a time. Tamales, enchiladas, stock, stewed hen by the bucketloads. I had every burner in the house going, plus big pots on the BBQ pit, plus a huge pair of cast iron cauldrons on open fires (for scalding). Now I barely heat up the kitchen when I'm canning. Granted, doing 50 hens with them wouldn't be sensible, or else I'd have to use more than just two. I'm only keeping a small flock, so no need for that anyway, thank goodness.

I'm a practical sort. I like cute little fluffies as much as the next person, but I like the goodies they eventually give me more.

 

[orrpeople]

Love my electric pressure cookers! I wish I'd had one a couple or three decades ago when I had to cull and process 50 retired layers at a time. Tamales, enchiladas, stock, stewed hen by the bucketloads. I had every burner in the house going, plus big pots on the BBQ pit, plus a huge pair of cast iron cauldrons on open fires (for scalding). Now I barely heat up the kitchen when I'm canning. Granted, doing 50 hens with them wouldn't be sensible, or else I'd have to use more than just two. I'm only keeping a small flock, so no need for that anyway, thank goodness.

I'm a practical sort. I like cute little fluffies as much as the next person, but I like the goodies they eventually give me more.

Love it!! I was "arm-wrestle pressured" into purchasing mine. Don't know why I put up so much of a fight - maybe using Dad's old canner was a badge of honor??
One nice thing about chickens is how quickly they mature into being useful, unlike other livestock. From tiny, egg shaped fluff butts to full grown egg layers in less than 6 months!! (Unless their name is Beatrix Potter and they are a light brahma, then, well, just take your own sweet time there sweety...)

 

[WVduckchick]

I'll remember NOT to name a chick Beatrix Potter!

 

[WVduckchick]

Newest addition. Late contribution to my broody-trio's hatch, this egg was left behind. Those chicks are a week or so old now, I'm hoping the momma's will still take this little one. I just couldn't toss the egg when I removed it from their nest.
(oh, her name is not going to be Beatrix Potter! LOL)

 

[rjohns39]

here's today's hatch....

36 went to the brooder, two to the hospital. One late comer back in the hatcher and I broke the cardinal rule and helped. We'll have to see what tomorrow brings.

 

[orrpeople]

Question of the day (okay okay, it's a little late, but I spent the day with 5 teenaged girls at our nearest 6 Flags a few hours away) Best brooder method you've tried? Box? Tub? Cage? Etc? And, favorite flooring? (What do you like best and how does is compare with other things you've tried? Why do you like it? What are the drawbacks?)
I know we have discussed this a little already, but I'm really curious because what I consider "best" and what I end up sometimes doing because it's easier are often two different things. Hah!