Sdwd

[Cetawin]

Holy Cow my GFM is gone oops. Well I have to wait till next week to fix it...I promised DH I would not spend any more money this week

He turned 37 today so we had to celebrate with some goodies and gifts. We will forego such activities in August when I turn 48 but his we celebrate. LOL

 

[NellaBean]

Alright, prepare yourselves. The grand plan for tomorrow is to create a compost pen area out back with fencing or fence panels (gotta keep the dogs out more than anything), then clean out the coop completely, refresh with shavings (I have 5 bales at the ready!), hopefully finally fix the underside of the coop properly, hopefully fix the front panel of the coop finally......and then maybe even get some sort of covered area constructed for the bantam cochin coop. They've been locked in for at least 2 weeks!

Depending on how all of that goes, I'd like to work on fixing the hoop top of the 8x8 pen, and if I can manage that, maybe build a new 3x4 hutch type coop to go in there to replace that rabbit hutch.

That seems like more than a full day's work, particularly when it is going to be in the 20's or 30's.....so we'll see how it goes. It's listed in order of importance! LOL

 

[Serrin]

My poor boys! We had freezing rain this morning up until about 10:00 and then just plain old rain for the remainder of the day. Brutus, CB and Red were positively soaked to the bone by the time we got back from running errands around 4:00. I had to take them into the pump house just to warm them up and dry them off. Poor boys! They looked so miserable. But, they're all dry and snug in their little coop tonight, and not so much as a sneeze out of them. I sure hope I can keep the boys from getting whatever this crud is that the rest of the flock has. One coop of sneezing, wheezing birds is enough! TYVM!

After I tucked everyone in for the night in the big coop, I took my candling light out there and candled GeeGee's nest full of eggs. The ones I had marked earlier in the week seem to be showing slight signs of development. There were the three eggs I had marked initially, plus seven, yes SEVEN more that those naughty girls have been sneaking in on GeeGee when she leaves the nest to eat, drink and poop. I marked two more that seem to be developing and put them back under GeeGee. My hands are still hurting! Boy! Can she ever peck hard! She's gonna be an awesome and protective mama! I can just see it coming!

The other five eggs I removed as they were very obviously newly laid eggs.

I know I'm way early on candling these eggs, which is why I'll do it again along about Sunday or Monday night. She really threw me off on my counting the days because of her playing musical nest boxes!

The little pill! But, she has stayed put on the middle box for about 4 days now. I just have to keep on my toes and frequently check for, and remove, any eggs from the rest of the coop. Better to be safe than sorry, and have her loose all of the ground she has made thus far in bringing these eggs to hatching day. I'm gonna have to get a couple of pics to share with y'all tomorrow. She's just so sweet looking on her nest.

I wonder if Maggie gives her any pointers. I do see her spending a lot of time on the ledge just outside of GeeGee's box. I swear those two are comparing notes about their incubation experiences thus far!

Kathy? Can I call you and talk to you about your experiences with vaccinating for Marek's? I have a ton of questions and not enough time to put it all down in an email to you. I'd sure appreciate it, but only if it's convenient for you to do so!

OK my SDWD Family, I'm completely tuckered out. Heading for the barn early tonight I think. Or at least I'm gonna try!

Insomnia, thy foul bane! Be gone!!

 

[kathyinmo]

I will be doing the same thing, Nella .... I have to finish cleaning the other pens. Suppose to be 35* tomorrow here. I suppose I will keep warm by working.

Got a picture of a few of the F1s for Project D, pen 2 .....
I can see the barring coming in on little wings!

 

[kathyinmo]

Quote:
Of course you can call me.

It is very easy, and here are the instructions ....

http://www.shagbarkbantams.com/mdvac.htm

 

[PepsNick]

LH, I am loving your new avatar! So pretty!

Kathy, that's a great link, thanks. I have been wondering lots about it too. I might want to do it myself instead of paying the extra money at McMurray. And HOW do you take such great chick pictures?? Please, spill the beans!'

Amy, yuck! Hope you flop gets well and this is real short- you're a good mama to those lucky boys, ya know!

Has anyone seen Orphan? It's probably the CREEPIEST film I've watched in my life... 2009 thriller/horror. It was very well made but blah!! It's with an actress who j can't remember the name of right now.

Happy weekend and goodnight everyone- lots o love to you all!

 

[Cetawin]

Thank you Nick. I finally an able to remove Thor's picture....took awhile to let go.

Amy....what did I miss? Is it chief and his girls that are sick?

 

[joletabey]

Kathy, those are SUCH cute chicks- I can't wait to see how the barring comes in. Can you sex them? I think I missed part of this whole conversation, but are the spots on the head indicative with these crosses also?

Serrin, your girls are really sneaky, aren't they? Hope you don't have to keep removing eggs up until hatch day -

Nella, you are the "workinest" woman I have ever heard of - I honestly can't wait to tap your brains in May- I wish I had your energy - you are talking a WEEKS work for me with that list.

LH, gotta go get my laptop to see your new avatar- be back in a few!And you are right, Jo in the corner picture is a SMALL pout. I can't wait till you see her when she sheds out this spring. IF springs ever gets here.

Nick, you go for it the the vaccinations, the more you know, the better. I am going to sit back and learn from all of you!

 

[PepsNick]

Quote:
For me, Saturdays are "Chicken days" so I can handle shopping, loading, coop clean up an whatever else. My next door neighbor, who sells eggs with me, is my biggest help. She loves chickens (soon to have three of her own) and helps me 24/7. That's how I get everything done, but it's nothing near what Nella does!

I'm excited about vaccinating. I really want the experience- it should be interesting. My current flock isn't vaccinated for anything , but luckily they haven't got anything (knock on wood) except fowl pox on Pepper. Wait, oh yeah, Pepper got cocci over the summer. Survivor!

 

[NellaBean]

yes, my weekends are usually "chicken chores" days. I tend to spend the mornings fiddling around out there, doing this and that.

Went out this morning and carried some water down to all the pens and refilled the feeder for the younguns in the big coop, let the dogs have a good run.......showered and made a feed store run to get some fence panels and hay. They're out of panels,but I do have 2 nice fresh super green and pretty bales of hay for the bunnies (that I don't want, anyone want any bunnies at the swap?) and just finished up my McD breakfast. Getting ready to go out, going to hook up the trailer to the mower and getting those ridiculously heavy bags up to the trash area around front finally....where I can pick up all my bales of shavings and bring them back down the hill out back. Then Iwill set up a temporary compost area with step in posts and plastic fencing to hold me over until the fence panels come in. Then clean out the 8x8 coop, refill with shavings.....fix the open area under the coop.....and I guess then I'll go from there. that should get me to lunch time at least. I'd like to try to fix the hoop top on my 8x8 pen.....I doubt we'll get that kind of snow again, so this should get me until spring when I can just redo it completely.

I may wait until tomorrow to consider building another hutch/coop and a covered pen for the cochins. I can at least let them out while I'm outside. Considering just moving all the scarecrows into their pen and seeing it that helps!