South Carolina

[Lroach711]

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maybe come spring i may need to get a pullet or two from you I lost one of my Bb's while I was on vacation. total surprise to loose her of all of them? keep me in mind this spring for girls.. my little Roo is gorgeous and so sweet.. and so is the little hen that is with him.. i realty think that Henna must have gotten egg bound, they were just at the egg laying age..
Pink

I'll definately keep you in mind! I only have the one little pair but LOVE them so much! I got them on a whim because I knew my DH liked that color. I was hoping maybe if I got him a couple he liked he'd overlook my quickly growing addiction to all things poultry. Come to think of it I used that as the excuse for getting my pair of white call ducks....hmm I may have a problem

Anyways, I plan on letting her hatch whatever she wants to...and I definately wont be keeping them all, so I'm sure come springtime I should have some girlies for you

 

[Patsy29332]

My first winter with chickens and I am not too concerned with my coops YET but do worry about my free roamers. I tried to coop them for 2 months then let them out during the day. The first night they came back in the coop for treats and I closed the door. The next night they came to the door but would not go in but I scooted them in a little against their will. The next night they went up "their" tree near the coop (thats why I picked that spot to build the coop...they liked that area) so I threw things to get them out of the tree and scooted them in a little more against their will. The next night I couldn't get them outa that tree if I had cut it down so I left them out. Last night with the rain they were up their tree (nearly 20 feet up). Tonight with ALL this wind they are up that tree. They are older and have always free roamed...they may be 4-6 years old or some older. 4 hens and one very great roo. 2 hens still lay "somewhere" when I can find it and 2 do not. Just Game hens and roo. My question and worry is the winter. Will they be OK on their own in their tree or where-ever they choose during our freezing temps later? There are buildings for them to get UNDER and even an old junk truck that I suspect is the hens new laying spot. Should I try to capture/coop them again now or ever? They are so happy out!

 

[WestKnollAmy]

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Okay, I'm no help when it comes to OEGB but I can say that now is not a good time for her to sit on the eggs. If this is her first adorable little egg then if it is fertile the chick will be very small and probably much weaker than chicks you could hatch out say in Feb or March when the eggs are bigger and she isn't still taking in a lot of nutrition for her own self. And the weather will be more agreeable for her to raise the babies into the spring.
I say collect up her eggs, blow them out, maybe decorate and spray them with a lacquer or varnish and possibly make an adorable little mobile out of them.

Just my 2 cents.

 

[Lroach711]

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Okay, I'm no help when it comes to OEGB but I can say that now is not a good time for her to sit on the eggs. If this is her first adorable little egg then if it is fertile the chick will be very small and probably much weaker than chicks you could hatch out say in Feb or March when the eggs are bigger and she isn't still taking in a lot of nutrition for her own self. And the weather will be more agreeable for her to raise the babies into the spring.
I say collect up her eggs, blow them out, maybe decorate and spray them with a lacquer or varnish and possibly make an adorable little mobile out of them.

Just my 2 cents.

Thanks Amy! I figured I should probably wait since she's just starting to lay. I got a little too excited

Anyways, that's a great idea about decorating them. They really are so adorable and tiny

Guess I'll try to hold off letting her hatch any til early spring.

To anybody who may know: when do OEGB first start laying? I don't have an exact age on her so I want to make a guess.

 

[WestKnollAmy]

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If they are that determined I would leave them out. If they are cold or want to go inside it would be nice for them to be able to do so.

My Guineas are going in every night now. I am amazed but tonight they were the first ones to bed in the brooder coop. I went to feed the brooder cages and there was the entire family and then some lined up going to bed already. They hate the wind. I was so worried that the one from Joy would forever sleep in the tree but she has been cooping up for the past few weeks since that little cold snap we had.

If yours think they can handle it then they probably always have and I would not worry over them. Life is too short and they are too stubborn!

 

[Patsy29332]

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If they are that determined I would leave them out. If they are cold or want to go inside it would be nice for them to be able to do so.

My Guineas are going in every night now. I am amazed but tonight they were the first ones to bed in the brooder coop. I went to feed the brooder cages and there was the entire family and then some lined up going to bed already. They hate the wind. I was so worried that the one from Joy would forever sleep in the tree but she has been cooping up for the past few weeks since that little cold snap we had.

If yours think they can handle it then they probably always have and I would not worry over them. Life is too short and they are too stubborn!

Thanks! Amy...after visiting you I really value your opinion and suggestions/knowledge! Yes they are very stubborn. I have "housed" others in their coop but I think I will work on something I will just leave un-doored (is that a word...LOL) just for them to offer a place not 20 feet up and kinda sheltered. Thanks!

 

[Joycats]

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Oh, Yancy.........how gorgeous!

That is a work of art. I'm happy if I get anything to live but here you are getting something so exotic to bloom. How amazing!
Do you have a sun room or something you put these plants in or are they just in certain spots in your home that they may do well in?

I have those Christmas cactus that I try so hard to keep alive and still they struggle. I don't understand plants too well.

OK I'll let you in on a little secert about Orchids and Christmas catus..... Put them outside during our Hot/Humid summers THEY love it!!! BUT always put them under a shade tree or hang them in a shade tree(better) DIRECT sunlight will burn them up in only 4hours. I fertilize them about once a week or really just when I remember too. Bring Orchids in before the first cold snap and put near a sunny window, Never fertilize a blooming orchids. Bring Christmas Catus in before it frost and STOP watering it...wait about a 3weeks to 4 weeks then start to water it alittle. This will Spark it to bloom..although they should be called Thanksgiving Catus cause that's when they will bloom. The cold at night and lack of water is what it needs to push it into blooming full.

Secrets I've learned after killing lots of plants. And it's really this simple.

Thanks Yancy - I need help with Christmas Cactus. My Grandmother always had the most beautiful cactus and now I have one of hers and I so want it to live. I have it in a south facing window and I haven't watered it much. Anything else you can tell me will be most appreciated. When should I fertilize it, in spring?

 

[Joycats]

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If they are that determined I would leave them out. If they are cold or want to go inside it would be nice for them to be able to do so.

My Guineas are going in every night now. I am amazed but tonight they were the first ones to bed in the brooder coop. I went to feed the brooder cages and there was the entire family and then some lined up going to bed already. They hate the wind. I was so worried that the one from Joy would forever sleep in the tree but she has been cooping up for the past few weeks since that little cold snap we had.

If yours think they can handle it then they probably always have and I would not worry over them. Life is too short and they are too stubborn!

My free rangers sleep up in the top of my magnolia tree. No matter how many times I move them, they go back to that tree so I just give up and leave them there. They're in a safe place in the yard and the coop is open if they should decide they want to go in. So far, they've been in that tree about a year now and everybody is doing fine. Amy, I'm glad your guinea hen is going back in the coop. She was raised in the coop with my chickens so hopefully she'll be well behaved all winter.

 

[Patsy29332]

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If they are that determined I would leave them out. If they are cold or want to go inside it would be nice for them to be able to do so.

My Guineas are going in every night now. I am amazed but tonight they were the first ones to bed in the brooder coop. I went to feed the brooder cages and there was the entire family and then some lined up going to bed already. They hate the wind. I was so worried that the one from Joy would forever sleep in the tree but she has been cooping up for the past few weeks since that little cold snap we had.

If yours think they can handle it then they probably always have and I would not worry over them. Life is too short and they are too stubborn!

My free rangers sleep up in the top of my magnolia tree. No matter how many times I move them, they go back to that tree so I just give up and leave them there. They're in a safe place in the yard and the coop is open if they should decide they want to go in. So far, they've been in that tree about a year now and everybody is doing fine. Amy, I'm glad your guinea hen is going back in the coop. She was raised in the coop with my chickens so hopefully she'll be well behaved all winter.

Thanks Joy for the words of encouragement and words of experience. I don't have anything as hearty as a Magnolia anywhere near. Just a small open field lined with woods. I think it is a poplar they are in...whatever it is EVERYTHING around here looses their leaves in the winter except the few tall limbless pines growing between in the woods that I haven't cut to rid them. I will build some kinda shelter to offer them for the winter. I am thankful for the suggestions of having something out there to offer them IF they so choose...LOL

 

[Moonchild]

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OK I'll let you in on a little secert about Orchids and Christmas catus..... Put them outside during our Hot/Humid summers THEY love it!!! BUT always put them under a shade tree or hang them in a shade tree(better) DIRECT sunlight will burn them up in only 4hours. I fertilize them about once a week or really just when I remember too. Bring Orchids in before the first cold snap and put near a sunny window, Never fertilize a blooming orchids. Bring Christmas Catus in before it frost and STOP watering it...wait about a 3weeks to 4 weeks then start to water it alittle. This will Spark it to bloom..although they should be called Thanksgiving Catus cause that's when they will bloom. The cold at night and lack of water is what it needs to push it into blooming full.

Secrets I've learned after killing lots of plants. And it's really this simple.

Thanks Yancy - I need help with Christmas Cactus. My Grandmother always had the most beautiful cactus and now I have one of hers and I so want it to live. I have it in a south facing window and I haven't watered it much. Anything else you can tell me will be most appreciated. When should I fertilize it, in spring?

JoyCats- The big things are out during the summer til early fall, in the shade(ish) no direct sunlight outside, but still light. I only fertilize mine in the spring through the summer then back off towards fall and nothing during the winter (don't over water, will cause it to rot in the roots). I put mine out in May under my RiverBirch tree water it from my pond(which is beside the tree) Fertilize it from my compost water and some orchid fertilize actually just when i rememeber too and Then bring in near the end of Oct or Nov(depending on temp) don't water it at all for 3weeks then water and it will bloom. I know I'm repeating myself some, but actually the less you take care of it the better it will do...or so mine has. OH on a Chicken note: My chickens got to my orchids and Christmas and did a number on them...had to move them around away from the chickens and they all recovered nicely!!!!!
Please ask me anything about plants...since I hound all of you about Chickens!!!!