Sitting with a cup of coffee. (coffee lovers)

[chickisoup]

Quote: I do exactly the same only my "bribe" is mealworms

 

[SparkleFlower]

HELLO ALIENS PEOPLES! I'M NOT DRINKING COFFEE RIGHT NOW, BUT I WILL IN A MINUTE!

my muscovy duck has been sitting on eggs for 27 days, then all of a sudden she ate 3 of them, does anyone know why she ate the eggs that would have hatched in a week?

 

[TeaChick]

Question from me, the newbie, my chicks arrived one day old and it was already snowing so we raised them in the basement until Christmas. Then we moved them to the garage to a huge cardboard brooder with a canvas top but they would not go out of the garage in the snow. But I opened the big doors for them a few hours a day to let them see the sun. Now that the snow is mostly melted they run allmover the place and put themselves to bed aver night at 7 and I go out and shut all the doors. But now that I've lost one I am trying to watch them more and lock them up if I have to go to town but they won't come in! The coop is almost done but I don't know if I need pens or not... Any ideas?

If you're trying to get them to go in at an inordinate time of day, then you will have problems; Chickens are creatures of habit.
If you want to be able to get them in any old time you want, then train them to go in for a specific purpose. Always give them treats at the time you normally lock up the door, use a specific sound when you give them the treat. It won't take long (just like with ppl, some chickens are smarter than others and learn quicker). You should then be able to use your treat call to get them in and shut the door while they're eating.
You mentioned that the coop is almost done. If you train them to a treat call now, then you should be able to use that treat and treat call to get them into the new coop (some won't get it at first, they'll go to the old digs when you sound the treat call, those you'll have to take to the new coop). Eventually, it will just be "normal" to them to go to their coop for treats. =)
Pens would be a good idea. You can make them large enough that it's just like free ranging (IOW, such that it doesn't look like a desolate wasteland). FYI: the legal definition of "free range" is that their feet touch the ground for at least an hour every day.

My personal definition is no pens. I wouldn't consider myself a liar to call chickens in large fenced yards free ranged either though. Safety is important. If the ground of the "pen" turns to dirt, then IMO the chickens aren't "free ranging"; if the ground in their pen is grassy (bushes and trees are good for shelter from areal predators), then I would consider that free ranging.

 

[TeaChick]

 

[TeaChick]

I do exactly the same only my "bribe" is mealworms

Whatever works!!!

Glad they don't think

HELLO ALIENS PEOPLES! I'M NOT DRINKING COFFEE RIGHT NOW, BUT I WILL IN A MINUTE!

my muscovy duck has been sitting on eggs for 27 days, then all of a sudden she ate 3 of them, does anyone know why she ate the eggs that would have hatched in a week?

I know nothing about ducks except that they're too messy for DH to want to keep them (and I don't blame him, so I'm not even trying to convince him we should).
sorry. Hope you get your question answered, Hon. =)

 

[TeaChick]

Glad you are feeling better. Everything is the same here. Weather went by with clouds that were tornado green.

Thanks.

Tornado green????? Oh, my! and

Glad everything is the same; tornadoes don't leave everything the same, that's for sure!!!

Good Morning Y'all! I'm up with my coffee getting my oldest ready for school, then ready for a busy day of gardening and moving chicks into the hen house. My next set of chicks have finally hit 5 weeks and by luck are completely feathered! yah.... means I can get one whole brooder outta the kitchen! So the ducklings will be moving into the next size brooder and the faverolles will be as well!

Good for you!! Nothing like getting the brooders out of the kitchen.

Good morning everyone I woke up to thunder and rain this morning and my chickies are playing in the rain while I gather eggs lol I don't think I'm gonna leave them out long though it looks bad outside

IDK how to get mine in from the rain. They go play out there and.... well, I'll just show you:

This is what my Frizzle Bantam Cochin looks like normally. Nice and fluffy, right?


I think this picture shows how much my chickens like the rain:

 

[pollitos2013]

I love the advice and the wet chicken! I figured out that we were so excited that they finally put their toes out of the garage that we gave them treats everywhere! So we have switched to treats only where we can shut them in and it worked today. Meal worms and clam chowder soup...

 

[chickisoup]

HOPING ALL MY SOUTHERN BYC FRIENDS ARE SAFE AND
ENJOYING A HOT CUP OF NECTAR THIS MORNING!!!

 

[cindynkidsd]

HOPING ALL MY SOUTHERN BYC FRIENDS ARE SAFE AND
ENJOYING A HOT CUP OF NECTAR THIS MORNING!!!

Good Morning Chicki, thanks! So we have rain with storms coming this afternoon and tomorrow. The coffee is good and I'm gonna spend the day with my 27 new chicks trying to get them calmed down. lol. So what's it like up north this morning?

 

[chickisoup]

just took these out my kitchen window. I need another cup of coffee, sigh.
BUT!!! someday the snow will melt, we still have power (not everyone does), we are safe and the chicks are warm.
Praying that it stays the same for all of my BYC friends