Should I buy eggs or wait it out?

[Scrambles55]

Here too we got snow in the morning and rain in the afternoon. All day long. Blah....

 

[BullChick]

I don't see a choice, but to figure out something tomorrow with the turkey pen. I am having a big issue with the fact that it will be rebuilt again in about three weeks. DH will be coming home, and we can get the rest of what I need for the permanent coop. I think it is just a few 2 X 4's that we may or may not have in the mess we call a garage. Anyway, I am hoping that we get nice weather back for me to work in, and the boys to survive in. This white stuff flying around just days after it being in the 80's ... It is enough to make a person crazy!!

Great coop, and I am happy for you, Mortie. May I borrow that set up in a few days, and again in a few weeks when the last 5 poults go outside?
I have a question. I think the Bourbon Reds will be able to go outside before the BBW are able to. There are five of them (more warmth) and it "should" be warmer in a few weeks. Do you agree?
The big issue is being sure they are big enough size ways. Heritage breeds are slow growing like a RIR compared to a Cornish Rock Cross. I have to be sure they won't get trampled by the BBW. I can only imagine how big they will be by then!

They are not as big as I expected them to be at this age. They are coming up as under 3# instead of the six they should be. They suddenly stopped growing.

LOL! Not taller though!!
Okay, I need to get movin' towards bed. Getting to sleep around one, and up at seven is getting old!

Kinda like me!

 

[cheeka]

mortie, yes, they will roost on their own, start off with a somewhat low roost and you may see them hop up now.

MC, I wish I knew anything about turkeys. alas, I don't. good luck! it's supposed to be nasty for another full week, temps below freezing for overnight and early morning. that makes it so hard to move anyone outside!

the feed store I use still had 17 chicks left yesterday, 8 BR's 9 NHR's. she was trying to get me to buy them for $2.85 each, as she had ducklings due to arrive in the afternoon and needs the space. I told her I would come back today, and offer $1 each, ask the owner of the shop if she'll accept that to make room. she said she would ask. I doubt I'll get them for that little $, but you never know.

 

[chickenlindz]

Mortie they'll roost soon enough... Maybe... Mine are sleeping in the nest boxes! ARRRGGHHHH. I tried putting some logs in there last night but they still managed to squeeze 2 in each box instead of the normal 4 that fit. So today I am going to actually screw some plywood over the boxes.

I would really like to move them into the big girl coop but I need to break them of sleeping in the boxes first. I have 3 big girls that are using the nests and the eggs are perfectly clean. I'd hate to ruin it with the littles sleeping in it if I were to move it.

But the integration is successful between the big girls and the littles. The all free range together. What's amusing is as soon as I open the little coop the little girls run out and into the big girls pen and then spend all day there.

Here's to hatchery birds.... I have 2 BCM big girls and 2 BCM little girls and they look NOTHING alike. Are there different strains of BCM????

MC - Hopefully Jchny will check in soon and be able to help ya out.

 

[gilcamp4]

my first peep this time, have four more with holes, I have 13 5 week olds and 12 8 week olds plus my 19 hens and 2 roos, had 28 hens but a fox got in and did a job on them, the fence is ok but they got under the gate we are going to close that up and fi yard for second coop, it will be a camper we are waiting to hear about. then we will have 2 yards and two coops plus we have the rabbit cage, which right now it has a hen that the fox had but hen put up a good fight she has no wings and you can see skin in spots.

 

[chickenlindz]

Congrats on the baby... can't wait to see more!

My day has been absolutely crazy. Is it a full moon?

But I made the picture of my nephew with Phyllis my desktop background and it makes me happy to look at it

 

[lindz8504]

Mortie they'll roost soon enough... Maybe... Mine are sleeping in the nest boxes! ARRRGGHHHH. I tried putting some logs in there last night but they still managed to squeeze 2 in each box instead of the normal 4 that fit. So today I am going to actually screw some plywood over the boxes.

I would really like to move them into the big girl coop but I need to break them of sleeping in the boxes first. I have 3 big girls that are using the nests and the eggs are perfectly clean. I'd hate to ruin it with the littles sleeping in it if I were to move it.

But the integration is successful between the big girls and the littles. The all free range together. What's amusing is as soon as I open the little coop the little girls run out and into the big girls pen and then spend all day there.

Here's to hatchery birds.... I have 2 BCM big girls and 2 BCM little girls and they look NOTHING alike. Are there different strains of BCM????

MC - Hopefully Jchny will check in soon and be able to help ya out.

My littles have started doing this too!!! UGH.... they were roosting great, so I'm not sure what happened. I tried putting stuff in the nests too, and going down at 6 to take it out so the boxes would be open for the big girls.... They managed to cram into them anyway... UGH!!!! I went down last night after dark to lock up, and moved them to a roost, and there wasn't any poop in the boxes this morning. I guess that's what I will keep doing, until they start roosting on their own. Miss Broody didn't get off the nest at all yesterday that I saw, so this morning I went down and made her get off, much to her disgust. She had pooped in the box

, so I guess I am going to have to make her get off every morning at least. I've been tracking my eggs, and they have been "Departing sorting facility" in Sandston, Va for over 15 hours!!!!!

I figured they would have arrived at the distribution center to be sent up to my local PO by now. They are scheduled to be delivered tomorrow!!!!! Cheeka, any idea on the standstill?

 

[chickenlindz]

Lindz- I had my chicks and the online tracking still had them at the sorting facility. Sometimes online is slow to update. You can call the PO and find out their real location.

 

[lindz8504]

Lindz- I had my chicks and the online tracking still had them at the sorting facility. Sometimes online is slow to update. You can call the PO and find out their real location.

I talked to Cheeka on FB.... she said that there was probably a missed scan somewhere....

AND.... I called the PO... they weren't overly helpful. I asked if they could tell me where it was and when I should get it.... she basically told me that they should have told me that when I ordered them.... So, I asked if I gave her the tracking order could she tell me where they were.... She said she'd track them, and told me that they should be here tomorrow.... And they would call me between 7:30 and 8:30 depending on when the truck got there....

 

[mortie]

My chicks can't sleep in the nest box because there isn't one thankfully. Poor chickies, it rained most of the day today and it's cold. I look out the window and they're all huddled up under the coop. They are feathered so I'm sure they're fine but boy is it chilly out.