She said/He said Who's right? Who's wrong? No one!

[WVduckchick]

Not yet... still a ways to go...

 

[Sally Sunshine]

Thanks. Today was the first day of school so back up at 545am. We have a very mixed flock of 8 hens, 3 duck hens & 4 duck drakes. I went to check for eggs and only found 1 Peking egg & 1 very small Rouen egg in their temporary coop. Our Isa Brown escape artist got out but she laid in the spot she dubbed hers in the garage. While in the run to check food & change water they were SO MAD I didnt let them in the yard to forage. But I want the rent!
I have only heard of 1 "case/outbreak" of AI here in MI and that was about 250 miles southeast of where I live. And that was 3-4 months ago.

LOL well I will pray you stay safe for sure!

Ok, quick update... (having a busy day at work already!) Half way through day 21:

12 in the brooder - 5 BTBJ, 4 GS, 1 SS, 2 OEGB. All fine and dandy!

Still in the bator - 2 GS assists that are now out of the woods and doing fine. One had zipped the wrong end and got stuck, one had zipped about a third of the way around and stuck a leg out, so I took his cap off and he pushed out fine. One more GS was almost done zipping when I had to leave for work. 2 OEGBs and 2 GS working good pips. 5 with no action at all yet, but its still just day 21.

Please don't say NPR...

I started off with a 90 at the bottom of the down chute and an 18" L at the bottom with holes cored, but the feed didn't want to turn the 90. I just searched "PVC feeders" in images, and about 90% of them were the Y design. I built one, and it was the ticket, so I wound up with 12 total. I got most of the feeding stations built. I still need to build a few more. It may be overkill, but with that much food in the tube, I'm doing all I can to keep it dry.

So sorry about Solo, I think we all felt attached to that one.
I have at least one feeder for every 6 chickens, except in the silkie pen. I still need to add a few more in there.
I'm really happy with how the Ams are growing out. The hens are beautiful, too, but they are more camera shy than the boys

Very pretty Easter Eggers

Absolutely love those dogs. I want one so bad, but I'm not home enough to give one the excercise it deserves. Those are beautiful

I didn't think the blacks would be my favorite, but they are gorgeous. I have 9 roos from a straight run batch, so at least I have a good crop to pick from. The blue in the pic is one keeper, but that black is still showing a little purple sheen. I have another that has the most beautiful green sheen, and he is going to be my man in the Am pen. The blue will be getting a harem of BCM

I did the same at first, didnt think I liked black but then as they grow you see that "titanium" coloring look! its amazing isnt it! Our White Faced Black Spanish were lovely!

 

[RubyNala97]

Everyone posted great pics! I loved them all but couldn't make this multi-quote any bigger!

Hatch update:  

3 eggs in the Polyhatch look like they didn't make it through the power outage when I was out of town last week.  I'll leave them in another day or two but there are no signs of life.  These were my project babies and I was really looking forward to a hatch.

In the Eco 20, one external pip, one that didn't make it through the power outage, and one that I can't be sure but it's farther along than the ones that died a week ago.

Fertility on my eggs was much lower in July and August, even for table eggs.  Seems the roos and toms just aren't as into the dating scene when it's warm.  

Once this hatch is done, I'll sanitize everything and put it away until spring.

I'm sorry. I know how disappointing it is. I dealt with a power outage with the shipped eggs last batch. I think it just put to much strain on already weak embryos. The fact that one hatched for you is a little blessing!

#7 just hatched.

Awesome!!!

Found her body today.    Thanks for asking though.

noooo!! I'm so sorry!!

Boadicea is betrothed. Met a lovely lady today @CaseyV who gave me this cute little fellow.

That's great news!!

Here are my babies coming up on 3 weeks old.

I have a feeling they both might be cockerels. They like to fight each other esp the Hmong. But the Ogye gives up pretty quickly so maybe that's a pullet!!!! :fingerscrossed

I had two that did that like crazy. And neither backed down. They would go head to head all the time. Turned out to be a male and female!

I woke to one wet poult in the Eco 20, nothing yet so far on the other.  I so wish I could hatch year round!

I thinking I may just do that!!

 

[WVduckchick]

Hubby is working from home today, so I had him check the bator and 5 are out (the 2 assists, the other GS that was almost finished zipping, and 2 OEGB's) so we're up to 17 hatched!!

 

[FridayYet]

I started off with a 90 at the bottom of the down chute and an 18" L at the bottom with holes cored, but the feed didn't want to turn the 90. I just searched "PVC feeders" in images, and about 90% of them were the Y design. I built one, and it was the ticket, so I wound up with 12 total. I got most of the feeding stations built. I still need to build a few more. It may be overkill, but with that much food in the tube, I'm doing all I can to keep it dry.

So sorry about Solo, I think we all felt attached to that one.

I didn't think the blacks would be my favorite, but they are gorgeous. I have 9 roos from a straight run batch, so at least I have a good crop to pick from. The blue in the pic is one keeper, but that black is still showing a little purple sheen. I have another that has the most beautiful green sheen, and he is going to be my man in the Am pen. The blue will be getting a harem of BCM

My galvanized feeders are OK, but they really waste a lot of food. I don't want to be feeding all the field mice in Sandoval & Bernalillo counties! Looking into designs that don't allow as much spillage. I pick up the feeders for a day every so often so they have to eat off the ground, but there's still too much that gets wasted, especially when we are out of town. Are they pulling much out of the Y?

Solo was blue Ameraucana X BCM. Was looking like a black Am with feathered legs. Took that bird all the way to Denver and back on my lap because I didn't have anyone to leave her with, so it was hard to lose her.

Ditto, condolences about Solo. Any idea what happened???

Most likely scenario - she got out of the chick pen, got out of the run, then was pounced on by my dog. I think if it was a wild creature there would have been more damage to the carcass or they would have carried her off. Although Bo is great with the older chickens, he believes anything that moves fast in our yard must be chased and pounced on, including young chickens.

I'm not hatching or getting any more youngsters until I get my secure breeding pen/grow/out area built and the rest of the run lined with 3' of chicken wire around the bottom.

 

[FridayYet]

Hubby is working from home today, so I had him check the bator and 5 are out (the 2 assists, the other GS that was almost finished zipping, and 2 OEGB's) so we're up to 17 hatched!!

Fabulous!!!

 

[lazy gardener]

I know what you mean about the risk to youngsters. Mine squirt through the electronet, and are fearless. They've therefore been confined to a 3 x 6 tractor with Mama most of the time. She went to roost last night, and left them on the floor. They weren't at all happy about that. But, she's back with them, and they're all out free ranging this morning. I'm back and forth, in and out. It's miserably hot, so I can't be out for long, but I have a pistol in my pocket, and a shot gun handy as well. DON'T NOBODY MESS WITH MY BABIES!!

 

[WVduckchick]

My galvanized feeders are OK, but they really waste a lot of food. I don't want to be feeding all the field mice in Sandoval & Bernalillo counties! Looking into designs that don't allow as much spillage. I pick up the feeders for a day every so often so they have to eat off the ground, but there's still too much that gets wasted, especially when we are out of town. Are they pulling much out of the Y?

Solo was blue Ameraucana X BCM. Was looking like a black Am with feathered legs. Took that bird all the way to Denver and back on my lap because I didn't have anyone to leave her with, so it was hard to lose her.

Most likely scenario - she got out of the chick pen, got out of the run, then was pounced on by my dog. I think if it was a wild creature there would have been more damage to the carcass or they would have carried her off. Although Bo is great with the older chickens, he believes anything that moves fast in our yard must be chased and pounced on, including young chickens.

I'm not hatching or getting any more youngsters until I get my secure breeding pen/grow/out area built and the rest of the run lined with 3' of chicken wire around the bottom.

My favorite feeder for no waste is plastic, and has a lip on the bottom that bends back in toward the center about 1/2", plus its hanging, so they can't stand on it and kick it out with their feet, and they can't shove it out with their beaks either. Very little waste. Do need to work on PVC for the camp feeders though.

I know what you mean about the dogs chasing the small/fast ones.... mine were the same way! Flit... flit... oooh... ooooh... something to chase! I think that might hurt worse than a predator getting it, because the dogs sometimes just can't help themselves, and we love them too.

 

[WVduckchick]

I know what you mean about the risk to youngsters. Mine squirt through the electronet, and are fearless. They've therefore been confined to a 3 x 6 tractor with Mama most of the time. She went to roost last night, and left them on the floor. They weren't at all happy about that. But, she's back with them, and they're all out free ranging this morning. I'm back and forth, in and out. It's miserably hot, so I can't be out for long, but I have a pistol in my pocket, and a shot gun handy as well. DON'T NOBODY MESS WITH MY BABIES!!

So did you go out and put them in last night?

 

[scflock]

Hubby is working from home today, so I had him check the bator and 5 are out (the 2 assists, the other GS that was almost finished zipping, and 2 OEGB's) so we're up to 17 hatched!!

4 more

, maybe less depending on how many sebrights you set

My galvanized feeders are OK, but they really waste a lot of food. I don't want to be feeding all the field mice in Sandoval & Bernalillo counties! Looking into designs that don't allow as much spillage. I pick up the feeders for a day every so often so they have to eat off the ground, but there's still too much that gets wasted, especially when we are out of town. Are they pulling much out of the Y?

Solo was blue Ameraucana X BCM. Was looking like a black Am with feathered legs. Took that bird all the way to Denver and back on my lap because I didn't have anyone to leave her with, so it was hard to lose her.

Most likely scenario - she got out of the chick pen, got out of the run, then was pounced on by my dog. I think if it was a wild creature there would have been more damage to the carcass or they would have carried her off. Although Bo is great with the older chickens, he believes anything that moves fast in our yard must be chased and pounced on, including young chickens.

I'm not hatching or getting any more youngsters until I get my secure breeding pen/grow/out area built and the rest of the run lined with 3' of chicken wire around the bottom.

So sorry about Solo. It's so tough to lose the ones you get attached to. Those little buggers are escape artists. If there is a hole they can fit through, they will find it

After one day with the Y feeders I am totally sold. That's the only way to go. I will take some more pictures so you can see the full setup, but I have a 3.5ft 3 inch pipe coming out of the top of the Y, with a sewer cleanout with a screw on cap on top. The pipe will hold over twice as much as a ten pound feeder, and should be water tight. I put two side by side in the cuckoo marans, Ams, BCM, and hybrid pens, and there was never any bickering over position. They just ate when they wanted to, and it semed like someone was always at the feeder. They liked it even more once I built the enclosures around them, I guess they felt protected. The only chickens that were wasting any were the BCM. I had one hen that took it upon herself to see how much she could scoop out, so I will be putting the extensions on those that the other poster talked about.
They are extremely easy to put together, about 10 minutes for each one. I did all 12 yesterday, and built 5 enclosures. I am very happy with them, and the chickens started eating from them as soon as I moved out of the way. It's going to be so much easier to feed in the dark this winter, since I can just walk around the pens with a bucket of food and a scoop. Two pipes per pen hold enough food for 5 or 6 days, so with my 5 gallon waterers, it will be easier to take a long weekend camping trip