Should I buy eggs or wait it out?

[Sallysec]

Picture Heavy..

Another cold rainy day in NY. I actually covered up some of my plants this week because its just too cold for them I fear. Its a new thing now, when its cold like this and you climb out of bed and the first thing I get is a wet dog nose on my knee . Today is my daughters one year old birthday and I can't believe how time has flown by. I gave her an egg for breakfast and I was amazed just watching her. She had her bath and is laying down for a nap. I have five days alone (still have kids but my sister and her fiance are out of the house) and I plan to do a ton of house cleaning. Lily (my daughter) got to pet her first chicken this week. She giggled when she touched Jessica my RIR Jessica isn't even remotely afraid of the children and was happy to oblige Lily.


Jessica with her head stuck in a baby snack container I use for holding scratch



Emma up front, Maggie sniffing next to her and the visiting Pug.


Chicken Butts!!


Ms.Lillian


Can't resist sharing these.


Ruthie a New Girl So soft


Gallina (also a new girl)


Jessica wondering why she can't go see the new girls in the garden

 

[BullChick]

Quote: Is it sadder that I was going to bring the chicks, or that I was going to bring Midnight?
Midnight was drinking her bath water. I was also able to walk away to get her a towel, and she stayed in the sink. I think the hot tub would have made her pass an egg.
On another thread it was suggested that a complete lack of blood may indicate egg bound. I can buy that. I can also buy that she hurt her leg, and green poo is from an empty crop. IDK if any empty crop causes that symptom though.
LOL......I knew you could find the humor. Your well on your way to becoming another "Crazy Chicken Lady". Hope Midnight is doing better.
I have 37, 26 in the incubator, and BO coming soon. 7 coops. That is probably going to go up too. Yup, I am pretty well on my way.
A couple sells BO and Ameraucanas. The eggs and chicks are both $3/ to pick up. Call me crazy, but if I am going to pick up eggs for the same price as chicks, why not get the chicks, and skip the questionable hatch rate? $3/ egg is high IMO for BO. A shipped dozen w/ extras is $50 That isn't bad. I will pick them up, though, They are 2 hours away.

Picture Heavy..

Another cold rainy day in NY. I actually covered up some of my plants this week because its just too cold for them I fear. Its a new thing now, when its cold like this and you climb out of bed and the first thing I get is a wet dog nose on my knee . Today is my daughters one year old birthday and I can't believe how time has flown by. I gave her an egg for breakfast and I was amazed just watching her. She had her bath and is laying down for a nap. I have five days alone (still have kids but my sister and her fiance are out of the house) and I plan to do a ton of house cleaning. Lily (my daughter) got to pet her first chicken this week. She giggled when she touched Jessica my RIR Jessica isn't even remotely afraid of the children and was happy to oblige Lily.


Jessica with her head stuck in a baby snack container I use for holding scratch



Emma up front, Maggie sniffing next to her and the visiting Pug.


Chicken Butts!!


Ms.Lillian


Can't resist sharing these.


Ruthie a New Girl So soft


Gallina (also a new girl)


Jessica wondering why she can't go see the new girls in the garden

Adorable pics!

My last few days. Midnight came to the coop door walking funny. She only gets upset if I make her legs move. She seems to love the bath, drinks the water. I gave her cat food and water. I have not seen her eat or drink in her kitchen box. (Hey, it was cold outside, and she was wet!) She ate some pasta with hamburger drippings right out of my hand. She was like, "Give me that! I'm starving!" she then ate lettuce and cucumber diced up. I need to give her some grit, and be sure she drinks. She scoots around, but will not stand at all. When I make her stand in the bath, she protests and gets frantic until I support her weight. So! I think egg bound would have killed her by now. New diagnosis is an injured leg. I don't want her upset, so she gets to lay there, and I will keep her as comfortable as I can. I won't torture her by checking her legs.
My EE in the big coop is laying! I was going to have cadbury the cross beak taken care of. Mean as it is, I didn't see her ever laying (she is over a year) and keeping up with her beak is getting old. The first egg I thought was Midnight's, and that it had been hidden in the bedding. When I came back from the hotel, there were 2 more in a nestbox!! I checked, checked again, and yet again. No other pea combs in the coop. Midnight is in fact in my kitchen,,,

Total shock.
Fuse died, and the whole thing had to be replaced. That means the newborns came in the house (it affected both brooders) and the 5-week-olds were told to tough it out. It was in the forties last night, and they are still in the cellar way (with a window open high up). It is a bit warmer than a coop. They will stay there for another few weeks. I guess I have 3 weeks to clean the coops all out, move chicks and chickens around, and get the tote brooder ready for whatever hatches. Anyway, they retaliated by breaking the brooder light bulb.
I just realized it is time to put the new eggs (with detached air cells) into the egg turner. Wish me luck with this hatch!

Hope everyone is hanging in there!!

 

[cheeka]

Sally ~ love the pictures! Lily is a beautiful birthday girl!

MC, glad to hear, that while hectic... things are hanging in there! especially Midnight... a leg problem can be debilitating, but it's so much less lethal than other things you were concerned with.

finished working after 10 hours. 142 miles of route driving 70 miles of round trip commute. and some 650 stops along the way to seat my new brakes

stopped to see Bird and wait for his Mama to come home. She finally did make it and we entertained her with his new dance moves that I taught him this week. got home at 7 ish... so now I'm done with chores and dinner... and it's 9. I have to go to bed. I have to do this over (and over) through Saturday, but at least I don't have to leave extra early to see Bird, and stay extra late for Bird... next time she wants to travel, I will bring Bird home with me. I never expected her to stay away so long... she was supposed to be home Sunday night, Monday at the latest... it's cool, she had a great time.

 

[BullChick]

Cheeka, glad your guest has his mom back home.
I forgot to say earlier that after shoving her back into her nest this morning (with the egg under her), I have not seen evidence of Baby getting off her nest. I scribbled on the five eggs I found under her. If I think someone has been in her nest, I will make her move again for an egg check. Otherwise, I will play it by ear, and have a secluded area ready if needed.
eleven eggs today.

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

MC sounds like you are really getting set up, its kind of exciting when its starting to work out how you planned. Glad to hear its a leg injury, thats a little easier to manage.
Sally I am afraid Miss Lillian gets my

but the girls are really pretty too!
Cheeka, maybe the rest of the week will wind down quietly.

Just crazy busy here, building fences, hatching birds.. hoping for cows very soon. My australorps are giving me one or 2 pullet eggs a day now, expecting that to pick up pretty fast!!
We laid 4 duck 3 geese 8 chicken eggs today! 15 eggs, new record!!!

 

[showbarnmom]

I swear, I think my RIR is a dud. She was hatched end of Nov, or so, has a gorgeous nice red comb, bocks like a big girl, has been getting pie like its going out of style, and still......no eggs!!!!! Arghhhhh!!!!!

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

I swear, I think my RIR is a dud. She was hatched end of Nov, or so, has a gorgeous nice red comb, bocks like a big girl, has been getting pie like its going out of style, and still......no eggs!!!!! Arghhhhh!!!!!

has she squatted yet? that was the trigger on my wyandottes. the next week they finally started to lay, i want to say 25 weeks? i have to look. Its what brought me on this thread

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

another busy day but dry and warm. I got my camera to somewhat work, got some pics of my babies today:
www.backyardchickens.com/t/730582/indiana-bycers-here/6752#post_11205781
i didnt want to repost that many pics I'd be up all night lol!

 

[okallthis4eggs]

Alright you all are so much help I have another question. I let the two Rogers out last night. Big Roger did OK for about a hour then started chasing the other chicks. Back to jail for the two Rogers. Little Roger would do fine with the other chicks. I even believe big broody would adopt her as her own. I thought about giving Little Roger to big broody and putting Roger back in general population with the other hens. Otherwise both of the Rogers will be spending a lot of time in jail. The other option is to put both of the Rogers in general population and let big Roger protect the little one. Big broody would have the coop to herself to raise her three chicks with the general population coming in at night to roost. Thats the arrangement now with the execption of Rogers being fenced inside a area inside the coop (jail). Your thoughts please and thanks as always

 

[Sallysec]

I

Alright you all are so much help I have another question. I let the two [COLOR=FF0000]Rogers[/COLOR] out last night. Big [COLOR=FF0000]Roger[/COLOR] did OK for about a hour then started chasing the other chicks. Back to jail for the two [COLOR=FF0000]Rogers. Little Roger[/COLOR] would do fine with the other chicks. I even believe big broody would adopt her as her own. I thought about giving [COLOR=FF0000]Little Roger[/COLOR] to big broody and putting [COLOR=FF0000]Roger[/COLOR] back in general population with the other hens. Otherwise both of the [COLOR=FF0000]Rogers[/COLOR] will be spending a lot of time in jail. The other option is to put both of the [COLOR=FF0000]Rogers[/COLOR] in general population and let big [COLOR=FF0000]Roger[/COLOR] protect the little one. Big broody would have the coop to herself to raise her three chicks with the general population coming in at night to roost. Thats the arrangement now with the execption of [COLOR=FF0000]Rogers[/COLOR] being fenced inside a area inside the coop (jail). Your thoughts please and thanks as always

I was just reading about when to combine and like everything there are different opinions. I think I would supervise the general population introduction a few days before letting Rogers go there. I personally would rather put little roger with the BO and send big Roger out to the rest of the flock, if she is willing. Does Roger show signs of wanting to leave the baby roger?

Thanks so much for the sweet comments on Lily, a year just flew by and she has gotten so big. Today is a doctors visit. I have a "problem" kind of...it's not really a problem but it could be. One of my adoptees isn't laying. She's only like two or three years old. Sweet as can be...no health issues. She stopped laying a few weeks before I adopted her. Nothing for over a month ...she is eating walking jumping flying and generally acts like all the other girls. Should I be concerned? The woman I adopted her from was afraid she had quit laying. I read about increasing her protein etc or changing her diet. I just figured I'd ask what y'all thought. If she doesn't lay another egg...I am okay with that, that's why I don't see it as a problem. I am only concerned if maybe something could be causing it. She doesn't have any fleas or mites ...I do notice more white feathers loose around the coop though.