Show off your Delawares! *PIC HEAVY*

[Cetawin]

I know it hurts the heart to lose one. I am a big ole softee, I cried when I lost my little Salmon Faverolle, Miracle, at 4 days old. so, until the enamel paint wears off or the cross falls apart...his name is there with My Miracle, Lilly, Faith, Farrah, Lucy and Ginny.

 

[Laney]

Beth,

I am so sorry. We all know what it's like to lose a favorite. I just wanted to send you

Keeping up the bator watch, but I'm not candling for a few more days. Just watching for stink etc.

I am going to need more Dellie eggs soon. I do have a source for my Mottled Java's and I'm going to be picking up a Dozen chicks at the end of the month.

BTW, Biden has worked his way up to head rooster. My Cochin's are starting to show some injuries from being shown their place. I'm pretty sure they already knew their place was at the bottom, but with a new head rooster coming up they had to be shown all over again. We are keeping watch to make sure no pecking goes on over the injuries. Even though the Cochins are the most docile, they are the largest Roosters other than Biden.

Laney

 

[Cetawin]

Go Biden!

 

[JoAnn_WI_4-H_Mom]

I was going to place an order with Sand Hill Preservation for March delivery so I could show everyone how they look.

I go to their web-ste on Jan 1 and they are sold out through June! I have to wait till June for Dellies! That will be too late for the boys to show them at the fair (July). Argh!

However, it looks like I will be able to borrow an incubator, so now I have to search for eggs instead, for March-ish delivery.

My DH is going to kill me.

 

[popcornpuppy]

Hey Joann, I just noticed you are in the LaCrosse area (in you signiture line). My Mom is from Viroqua! I thought WI was America's Dairyland, not Deli-land

I keep telling hubby, if we ever have the money I want to buy a farm in WI. He says it's too cold in the winters

 

[JoAnn_WI_4-H_Mom]

Chickens and cattle are naturals together.

We actually do not have any cattle, so they get the pasture all to themselves.

I cannot with good conscience get more Dellies or anythig else with a big comb until we work out a way to keep the combs from freezing. If I cannot get that figured out, I will have to give up on big-combed breeds. It just isn't fair to them.

Why do chickens not stay where it is warm when offered a choice? Our set up is entirely inside a very large pole shed, just a fenced off corner. Within that corner, we have a roosting/nesting hut with heat lamps and pet-bed warmers in the nests. The silly birds won't roost or hang out in the hut, they cuddle up in the coldest corners of the more extended area. ???!!!!??

 

[walkswithdog]

Quote:
Then you have it WAYYYYYY too warm.... Hang one light where they can get under it if needed and unplug everything else. They're telling you that you made it too hot or your ventilation is inadequate. Lower the wattage on the lights over the roosts and offer a 2x4 flat on it's side (wide to sit on) or a wider perch branch over 2 " in diameter. They'll move back.

I have some that insist in living in a dog kennel. One wall, a roof that goes down about 20 inches on all sides from the top. Open air. It's been in the teens. Some still go in there to roost instead. They lay eggs in the dog house in the kennel.

 

[Germaine_11.20]

Hi everybody, I finally got pictures of the "crooked comb" babies and now it looks like they also have "greenish" feet. Please take a look and tell me what you see...cull? (probably!)

Here is my only Pullet and she is finally laying. Her comb is not pretty like Gracie's and I have a question about the tail? Sometimes she holds it fairly straight--a little angled, but then when I am in and taking pics she has it up. How bad a fault is that? Here she is:

 

[JoAnn_WI_4-H_Mom]

But it isn't way too warm. It is -15F to -20F in the un-heated portion. The roost hut never goes above 30 and is often lower (sometimes closer to zero, we are doing our best here folks!). The largest combs are frostbit, yet these birds want to spend their days running around instead of keeping themselves in a more comfortable environment. I would interpret their behavior as you do, but the thermometers don't seem to match.

So I guess maybe the question is "why would a frostbit rooster spend his days in -15F to -20F when he could choose to be in 0 to 30F?"

Maybe when it gets that low, there really isn't any difference.

Or he is going where the girls are.

 

[walkswithdog]

LOL He's following the girls. I think if you want to keep the boys combs frost free, you may have to pen them for winter, considering the absolutely cruddy temperatures we've all had. Pen em up and KEEP em over 30 for their own silly dang good. They can go without sex... they'll think they're dying but they'll manage. They will fight more but if you want to keep big combed birds I think you're stuck with penning when it's this nasty out consistently.