setting eggs tonight!! anyone else?

[CALI CHICK]

Omg! It's Cali!

Hi Layna Yep, I'm still alive in chicken world. And, I'm still subscribed to your thread, but do most of my posting in the Silkie Thread or California Northern.

I haven't done any hatching since the Easter hatch.

My babies are over 3 months old....I'm dying to incubate again if only my DH would give me the OK and if I could build another coop and pen (which is totally going through the planning stages in my brain lately).

Here's my chicken stats:
3 egg layers...RIR, PBR, BO
3 pullets (future egg layers)...2 EE (15 wks old, so hoping for some blue eggs soon), 1 Welsummer (10 wks)
8 silkies (no eggs or crows yet, even though they are 5 months and 3 months old)

Here is a peek into the silkie pen. Notice my 2 Easter Eggers sneaking in for an easy snack. The silkies only peck the EE's feet-It's so funny! Hope you are doing well on your farm.

 

[LaynaDon95]

Nice! Hopefully you'll have some more layers soon! I have one pullet/hen (not sure which...) that the rooster has finally accepted. He didn't accept the others until they started laying, and her vent looks like the other layer's vents now. If she is laying like I think she is, I have yet to find her eggs.
Your silkies are so cute! Mine are about halfway to laying age. They are so puffy! I love them. They are my favorites, along with the cochins.

I don't even know how many chickens I have... Something like:
10 ducks of various ages
12 chicks
4-5 laying hens
1 bajillion pullets
2 bajillion unnecessary roosters (headed for the stock pot)
(almost all listed above have chicken pox)

And then we come to the ones I got yesterday... I picked up 9 free chickens yesterday. The woman we got them from was told they were molting when she got them. Actually they have a horrible case of depluming mites. We showed up and a bunch of half naked birds were running around their pen, the hens have massive sores on their backs from being mated without feathers. They STINK! We think they have an internal parasite as well. These are this poor woman's first (and probably last) flock. She's been fed corn muffin mix about what was actually wrong with them, whether on purpose or otherwise we don't know for sure, but I find it hard to believe they actually thought they were molting when they gave them to her. We think they came from some form of industrial chicken house. They have wing tags, are in "chicken house condition", (which is sad, but we all know chicken houses let their chickens live that way) and they are meat birds. Some of them are deformed. One has an odd wing growth, that bleeds every so often. I've bandaged her up. They have weird, lumpy feet and overall look poorly. They will definitely be going to the stock pot when they are well. I'm up for the challenge, though. I gave them baths this morning. (It only took 2 hours...) We have had mites before, so we have the stuff we need. We have them totally separate from the rest of the flock and they will be for a long time, I imagine.

 

[CALI CHICK]

Wow-that is a serious undertaking of those meat birds. I'm glad you and your family are willing to care for them properly and give them a happy, healthy life.

 

[LaynaDon95]

So, my flock was demolished this morning. A pack of neighbor dogs came and tore up almost every chicken I had. We've spent all day cleaning it up, doctoring injured chickens, killing chickens who were too injured to repair. So many of my lovely friends, though, have offered fertile eggs, incubators, chicks, hens, etc. Hopefully we'll be able to regroup and move on quickly. My ducks and ducklings are all fine. I've just built a big new brooder out of an old baby play pen, so I have places for chicks. Thank God I do still have at least some laying hens left, and thank God for good friends!

How is it going at your houses? Hopefully a million times better than here.

 

[phoenix912]

Sorry to hear about you're flock. I have some hatching eggs you can have. I'm not sure who all is laying. I know my silkies are laying. The only thing is with my eggs there's a good chance chicks will be mixed not pure breed.

 

[LaynaDon95]

I appreciate it. I have lots of friends offering my eggs as well, so I think I have all I need. Thanks though.

 

[phoenix912]

You're welcome. I would have been more then happy to ship you some. I know how much my flock means to me. People should have better control of their dogs. Again so sorry that happened.

 

[LaynaDon95]

Thank you very much.
I totally agree about people having control of their dogs. I understand the occasional mishap. I've had those with my own dog. Recently even. About a week ago Maggie kept getting out of the fence. We kept trying to fix it, and kept trying to fix it, and kept trying to fix it. Each time she got out I would follow her and do what it took to catch her. She ultimately ran into the highway one day, almost getting hit by 2 cars. I was freaking out, but I was following her, barefoot, and got her home. We got the gate fixed so that she couldn't push out anymore. So yeah, I understand dogs escaping. But I did what I had to do to make sure she didn't hurt anyone (she's a scaredy cat, so I wasn't really worried about that.) anyone's property or possessions, or get hurt herself. These people aren't (or haven't done) that. Most of them simply don't care what their dogs do. It makes me so angry.

 

[phoenix912]

We have 3 dogs. One likes to run. She wont hurt any one eaither. I did the same thing you did followed behind with the leash till I caught her. We ended up having to put an electric wire around our fence. Its only a 2 amp box rated for small animals. She weighs around 50 pounds. Its enough for her to know its there but not enough to shock the pee out of her. She stays in the yard now. And before any one tells me I'm a bad person. Our street is between 2 highways. I would rather her get a little shock that scares her more then hurts her then getting ran over by a semi truck. I'm glad everyone is helping you replenish your flock. I'm sending you good hatching vibes.

 

[cowchick11]

LaynaDon- so sorry to hear about your flock! Glad you have people that are willing to reboost your flock living close!
I'm glad our dog is very protective of our farm and runs off most of the roaming dogs in our neighborhood. I have been working like a fiend and showing cows and chickens all over and have more shows coming up. I'm just paranoid that my new grow out pen is going to be invaded by raccoons or something before I get my smaller wire up inside the pen. I have a little down time finally this weekend though and a paycheck that should have a little extra in it to pay for the supplies. That is my quick update, I have to go look at the garden and pick peas as well as do some weeding before leaving for work again. This might be the longest time (about 18 hours and slept in my own bed!) I've been home in 5-6 weeks!