Southern NY, Dutchess county and below

[queenchick16]

Good morning;Ican't believe how good I am being after reading about everyone buying and hatching. I have obsessive tendencies and I am really restraining myself. I let my girls roam around mt back yard and boy are they trashing my gardens so this keeping me in check(plus the fact that my husband would kill me.) He wants me to raise quail. Just can't take on another project right now.

 

[smkchick]

My girls are such little beggars already
I can't look in the brooder without them
expecting a treat. I always put the treats
in the same spot so now they keep digging
all the shavings away making a hole where
I put them. Like maybe I hid something under
the shavings lol. They also threw a fit when I
Didn't put momma hen (stuffed animal) back
in the brooder after I cleaned it today. I put it
back in and they ran over and snuggled with it.
I can see it now, 2 full grown hens sleeping
with a stuffed hen in the coop. Hahaa.

Too cute! I hope you're taking lots of pictures. The babies grow up so fast.

Last night I sat on the back stoop and watched them head into the coop for the night. It's amazing. Like they're programmed. Auto-chicks.

Bobby told me the hens we gave his friend (courtesy of Auntie Roberta) kept roosting in the trees at night. We told him to put them on lockdown for 3 days and it worked. That's how we finally got Gladys to sleep in the coop. (What a pain THAT was!)

I made a lemon cake for a party I'm going to tonight. I used one of Wanda's huge double yolkers to give it more of a yellow color. I've been getting lots of compliments on the eggs I've given away. No wonder I'm so popular.

Tomorrow's payday (another trip to HD) and my daughter's coming home from California. I miss her like crazy. And Roberta's starling has nothing on this cat for being a mimic. I was watching tv last night and she came down the stairs calling "Ma" in my daughter's voice. I almost answered her before I realized Laura's in California!

More chickens, please!

 

[smkchick]

Good morning;Ican't believe how good I am being after reading about everyone buying and hatching. I have obsessive tendencies and I am really restraining myself. I let my girls roam around mt back yard and boy are they trashing my gardens so this keeping me in check(plus the fact that my husband would kill me.) He wants me to raise quail. Just can't take on another project right now.

I hear ya about the gardens. I have absolutely NO lawn in the back now. Not a blade of grass or a weed anywhere. I'm going to construct a brick wall around my vegetable garden this year!

 

[stoopid]

What kind of quail?
I have bobwhites, and 2 ringneck pheasant in the brooder right now.
And I did some button quail last summer. Now those things are tiny!

 

[stoopid]

The insanity has started. Oh Boy!
OK, the first thing to do is wash it out, I don't trust anything just 'cause it is new.
You never know what kind of chemicals are in there from the manufacturing process.
Now you need a good thermometer/hygrometer setup.
Plug it in, and get used to the settings on it. Teach yourself about that little bitty temp adjustment knob.
One little millimeter in either direction can kill everything if you don't watch the temp.
Now you need to get some free eggs from somewhere

just to test it out.
You wouldn't want to win a bid on something worth alot, and kill them due to inexperience.
I also know a gal in CT that wants everyone with empty bator space to hatch out for her....
It is great for everyone. We hatch, play, and give away.
It fulfills the need to kiss those fluffy butts, but you don't have to feed them for the rest of eternity.
Beth G, the enabeler. She was at NEPC, you may remember her.

Well, I bought an incubator. I can't help it. It's therapy. Really.

I went on to ebay just to look at the Lav Orp eggs I've been following and I searched "incubator". You know, just to look, right?

So there was a brand new Hovabator, turbo fan and automatic egg turner. $85 including shipping. So I did it. Hey, I'm not losing my job tomorrow, right??
I said, " RIGHT?????"

The incubator should be here by next week. I'm just biding my time on the Lav Orp eggs til we get back from AC. And if anyone wants to hatch some eggs after I do the Lav Orps, well, y'all are welcome.

And Karen, I hear baby Lavender Orpington chicks make excellent birthday presents for people with birthdays in May. Just sayin'...

Also, since the babies are coming April 12 or 13, maybe we do need to have a little group thing here to divide up the chicks. Whaddya say, Auntie Roberta? Come and have some BBQ chicken? (Unnamed, of course.)

The first Southern NY BYC Thread Annual BBQ!

 

[goldeneggtees]

I'm in Suzanne! I keep hoping for a broody, I really don't want to house and raise these chicks in the house. It would be interesting to see if these baby buff orp chicks were raised by a mother hen and not me, if they would be as friendly as my hand raised buffs. C'mon henners, give me a broody!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Congrats on the incubator!!!

 

[smkchick]

Okay, all you coop watchers. Here's today's update:

 

[goldeneggtees]

Beeeuuuutiful!

 

[Toxic Chicken]

Wow so nice. He got so much done already !

 

[ChickenAl]

Bobby is the man! He's building a great looking coop. Gonna have a lotta happy chickens.