Should I buy eggs or wait it out?

[Reina Rana]

Cheeka, did you ever get any sleep last night or did you stay up doing chicken calculus?

We definitely plan on letting the girls brood, at this point I don't really have the time or space for incubating...even though my "little" scientist/chicken whisperer would love it. I was informed by DH last night that we are not allowed to eat the first bunch of duck eggs b/c he wants babies...I thought it would be easy to identify and leave be...but then I remembered the 10 pullets that he got from TSC are white egg layers...well, SUPPOSED to be. To top it off, the ducks like the community nest boxes...
I figure we will just let Fran and Half-Pint have their fun for now and hope we get a decent roo or two once these chicks get the eggs rolling.

 

[okallthis4eggs]

Friends please have your BR's spayed or neutered so nobody else will have to endure this nightmare

 

[HomesteadDebi]

"Mom, can we go visit Roger?"
I don't know, why do you want to do that?
"Cause Roger said she knows special things we can do that will change your life. We think it's good things."
Hmm, I'll think about it.

 

[BullChick]

Does anyone else get disappointed when reality sets in, and you realize that Roger is "just" a chicken? I mean I really do see her doing all these things!! I am just hoping I am not the only one.

And reality has only set in for me maybe twice in the past year.

 

[Reina Rana]

<3 Roger....she is not a real chicken....more like Chicken Boo from Animaniacs....lol

 

[Wishing4Wings]

I think my new rooster is defective. He barely crows. Clucks like the girls. And when I went out to give them their p-i-e, watermelon and oatmeal, he stood on a piece and didn't share.

I dunno sbmom, if you could clone a rooster that barely crows you could make a fortune. As for teaching him to share, just get him a couple of leghorns. They'll rip the food from right out under him. They're like Piranha-chickens or something!

Edit:
I found an excellent picture of a pirana-chicken, but I don't know how to get it to post.

It will probably appear if you hit the quote button, or you can look at http://www.rspb.org.uk/community/ou...-blog/archive/2013/06/03/chicken-or-fish.aspx That's what I get for trying to be clever!

AC for chickens?!

I need one of those for me!

"Mom, can we go visit Roger?"
I don't know, why do you want to do that?
"Cause Roger said she knows special things we can do that will change your life. We think it's good things."
Hmm, I'll think about it.

Thank goodness mother knows best!

Does anyone else get disappointed when reality sets in, and you realize that Roger is "just" a chicken? I mean I really do see her doing all these things!! I am just hoping I am not the only one.

And reality has only set in for me maybe twice in the past year.

I'm with you MC. Reality is useful, but you don't have to live there all the time. Besides, if there's one thing I've learned from the internet, it is this: If you read it, it must be true!

One day I think Roger will be joining the immortal ranks of Superman (iconic), the Easter Bunny (drops the occasional egg), Archie Bunker (bossy and grumpy), Santa Claus (full of surprises), and Cleopatra (narcissistic scheming demanding attention-grabber, but pretty!). In my book, immortality trumps reality every time.

 

[showbarnmom]

Reality is vastly over rated.

 

[Wishing4Wings]

Okay so here is the heat update....I am feeding frozen blueberries and grapes to the girls throughout the day. I have been checking the waterers and adding ice to them. Everyone is doing fine, no panting (well I might pant a little but I will be fine

) I don't even want to stand out there for more than five minutes. Luckily the girls in the big coop are under a tree and have pretty much entire shade. I also have to say that the silkie puff died. Vet says natural causes....just got tired of being alone? I don't understand how a chicken that young can die of natural causes. I had thought maybe she died trying to lay an egg but nope...anyways it was sad for everyone in the house because she had been living inside with us. I don't think I will be getting another silkie though because I was constantly worried about her...I don't know if it was her size or fluff ball appearance...silly right?

Eggs in the incubator look dark inside? LOL I know this sounds so dumb but yep thats about all I see...darkness on 2/3rds or so of the egg. Its pretty dark in there. I can't see much else. They have 4 days to go. It can't be soon enough because that broody in the townhouse won't quit. Everyday someone has to chase her off her nest. My husband can't even get her to leave half the time. When building the townhouse we made the mistake of putting the nest box so low that I can't reach all the way into it from the outside without basically bending myself in half and almost flipping into the coop myself. Its funny (or so my husband thinks) but most of the time he has to go in and move broody so that we can take her eggs away. I debated taking some of the eggs from the incubator out and giving them to her but I was worried....I only have seven eggs...five of them look more dark and full...one looks kind of like it never changed (it doesn't smell so I left it in there) and another just has a funny shape in it.

It is too hot to do any work in the chicken yard.....or anything outside. I really want to get a good weekend in of wood chipping the one area soon. We want to clear a bunch of old brush and some live trees so that we can make a flat raised area from the water....big project but we have time right now.

RR sorry about the Loss...but W4W does have a point...not that another rooster can replace the emotional attachment it sounds like you and your family had with your guy.

w4w I LOVE the pictures...I wanted one so badly when I went to the show but I had some self control and decided on the silkie. Maybe one day. I hope your feeling better, how is the back?

Cheeka I have guys coming in the past two weeks doing estimates to kick the house out another 10-15 feet....It is crazy. We need new siding, roof, windows, an addition, a new front door, and a new fence. The list just keeps getting longer....let alone 'inside' work like paint. I give you credit for all the hard work your doing and that your doing it yourself!

Ok...can we see pictures? I was trying to convince my husband of making a broody pen...something small that I could just move her to with shutterdoors so I could get in and a back access door so that I could sneak in any possible chicks that might hatch.

SnowbarnMom, I have never heard the 'song' either...mine basically freak out the minute the back door opens and they all clamor to the door to make all kinds of racket...I don't know if I just never have been close enough to hear the song...or if I have those secret layers that W4W was talking about....they just make noise for scratch and attention. Oh but the broody sounds like the cadbury bunny ...pluck pluck pluck....the entire time your messing with her food or water or just looking at her.

MC....I just cleaned out my pantry today and I swear I don't know how I got 6 containers of Mayo....I don't even eat Mayo....I only use it for salads once in awhile but I myself will not eat it...so how the heck did It end up in there? Amazingly there are three in my fridge too!

I made a dozen jars of pickles this week...they are yummy but I am really supposed to let them sit for two more days. I also made mint jelly and this weekend I was supposed to do more strawberry jam but never got a chance to run to the market for strawberries. They are $7 for a flat...at that price I can't say no when people ask for it.

I might head to south west Virginia next month, right near the NC border...any suggestions on things to do? I believe the town is woodlawn VA...My husband is iffy about the trip because he thinks the kids will be bored.

Stay cool everyone

We love the Seramas. The cockerel is such a good boy to his pullet and so far he's not at all mean toward people. He has pecked a couple of times, but it was out of fear and I just scooped him up (one-handed) and carried him around for a while and no more trouble. I think they'd be great for little kids, the drawback being they need their own coop. My back is better, but the pinched nerve and arm pain is still causing trouble. Improving slowly and managing on half of the ibuprofen dose I was taking before. Life is great overall, and I don't like to complain, but sometimes it really sucks getting old.

 

[showbarnmom]

I pretty sure my last pullet finally laid! The egg is very white compared to my light SS egg. She's a game mix mutt.

 

[okallthis4eggs]

"Mom, can we go visit Roger?"
I don't know, why do you want to do that?
"Cause Roger said she knows special things we can do that will change your life. We think it's good things."
Hmm, I'll think about it.

You might let them go but you won't let them come back.

Welcome HomesteadDebi. Better yet I can send Roger to you for a few days.....weeks.......years