Surviving Minnesota!

[duluthralphie]

Ralphie! are you saying you took your birds to Hutch and left them there? alone?  then you go back tomorrow for the 'show'?

I did

 

[MinnesotaNice]

It has an egg turn so I only opened it to candle or add water. I filled all three trays with water when I went into lock down. Was too much because I had to leave the plug off at the start or I was at 90% humidity or better. I would put it on and off trying to keep humidity at the right level. It has a fan. I put it in a small storage room which stays pretty dark all the time and kept the door closed so the temp in there stayed close to the same temp all the time in there. I feel like I can trust it now so I won't be checking it all the time. We even left for a wedding out of town gone for 2.5 days and it did just fine on its own. We ordered it off Amazon. About $130-150 I think it was. The clear top was very nice during hatch time. The chicks were so funny. One time one jumped around and laid its head on an I hatched egg and fell asleep. Its head slowly slid off the top and woke it up again but it was really funny!


Oh it also has a digital thermostat on top as well as a hatch timer and you can change the setting on the egg turner for how many times it turns the eggs per 24 hrs.

The digital thermostat is awesome! My first one didn't have it - I felt like I jumped from coal to gold with the new one. I still use a separate one like you did. The hatch timer is a cool addition. How many eggs does it hold? I did find mine doesn't hold large duck eggs well, but I think spacing out the racks will do the trick. I have this turner in mine:


I'd like to hatch a few birds out now for Spring eggs, but I'm not even sure where to get fertile eggs at this time of year. Most birds are molting. Ebay scares me.

my chickens started laying the cutest little pullet eggs I have ever seen!! They are almost to normal size now but not all my birds are laying yet and occasionally I see a new tiny egg...I have brown and pink eggs, don't know if it's the Wyandottes or the Cochins laying the pink eggs but they are cute.

I firmly believe Cochins don't lay eggs

However, I love them anyways. I love seeing the little pullet eggs! Especially the blue ones. My EE's are laying more mint colored eggs at the moment. Did all of your Wyandottes end up as females? I can't remember.....

 

[Bogtown Chick]

Good luck Ralphie to you tomorrow on the judging. Maybe the the snickering will be halted right then and there. We all know you have a lot to offer the poultry community. Cold water and Clorox 2gets blood out of most anything. Not sure if it works on feathers. Maybe with some q tips a quick spot treatment before judging...? Wish I could see everything there!!! Work is over rated right now!

 

[duluthralphie]

What?

Erlibrd are you sick? Did I win

 

[duluthralphie]

Ok, I have had coffee, I feel semi-human again.

Yesterday was too much for Judy, she is or was real wore out last night. She wanted me to go to Hutch without her and she would drive over later. Beings I am a guy that does not even let my DW use the TV remote, there is no way I would let her drive a car all the way to Hutch!

I have decided the chickens will be ok until I get there, whenever that is. The bad part is we left them with the new "cups" full of feed. I know Minnie said I did not want them judged with full crops, but what is, is what it is. I think Judy driving to Hutch would be too much, and I know she wants to go so badly. She sometimes acts like she hates my chickens and as like they are hers. This weekend I think she thinks they are hers.


BC we had some chlorine wipes with and tried them on the blood. It did not work we were starting to break the webbing in the feather. I think a blood spot is better than a broken web. And, of course, it has to be a pure white tail feather that is the top feather in the tail for all to see.


I might pass on the banquet tonight if Judy is tired. I may not bring anything to sell, if I do it will be a white sport cockerel or 2, appletinii, polish and the ninja cockerels. (spritzes and Yokohama's ) Maybe a cuckoo maran but they would be all cockerels and I doubt there is any call for them.


If you come to the show and want to meet up, drop me an email at [email protected] if you do not have my cell number and I will call you and you will have it...or pm me here but I am not sure when I would get that. I get emails right away on my phone.

Holms you would love the show, there are more types of birds than I ever guessed. I hate to say this but some of the "mini" ducks are cute. Judy even mentioned getting one, which is a shame, I hate to have to divorce her after all these years.

There are ducks that would fit in the palm of my hand. Chickens too. I have never thought much about bantam.s but darn they are cute. I bet the feed bill would go down too.

I got a laugh yesterday, some guy was looking at my PC cockerels when we were prettying them up to go into the cage. He said " Your rooster is a little dark colored." It should be lighter. Minnie said the PC cockerel were darker than Roger Jr or should be, and I agree with her, but the one this guy was looking at was almost the same shade as Roger Jr. I think there must be one opinion of what each breed should look like for every person in the room. ( notice how I did not mention what opinions were like?)

When we were leaving I saw a guy carrying in a royal palm. I did not bring mine because I thought they were too young. This one was not much larger than mine. I did think about the mutt that killed my 4 babies in July. I thought his death was too easy. I would have liked to have them to show.


MinnesotaNice, Did you say boy or girl? If so I missed it..


I have fertile eggs, what kind of eggs do you need? I will not guarantee 100 or even 90% fertility as I have too many hens for the number of roosters I am running right now. BUT I know some are fertile. EJB's cockerel makes sure to breed the one everyday as soon a s they leave the coop. He is a horny guy. She tries to out run him, but she is not fast enough. Sven runs over when she screams but he is not fast enough to stop it.

EJB jr ( have to call it something) has this thing for her an BA pullet. If you want a pure line all I have are CLB's at this time. I am also in a molt so the SS and PC are not breeding. I know most of my EE eggs are good.

 

[Cebarmlds]

What?

Erlibrd are you sick? Did I win

I let you win.

 

[duluthralphie]

I let you win.

NO NO NO NO NO!!

Never say that. That is the worse thing a person can say to me! I am too competitive for that. My day is ruined. I might as well start drinking now....

 

[Cebarmlds]

NO NO NO NO NO!!

Never say that. That is the worse thing a person can say to me! I am too competitive for that. My day is ruined. I might as well start drinking now....

Sorry it was a joke.

Get Judy ready and get to Hutch, no drinking until you are home.

 

[jerryse]

Morning . More roof work today.

 

[lvie]

Good Morning Chickeners . . . . . .

Interesting about Hutchinson Ralphie. I know you will share more and I am looking forward to readying it this evening.

Today is the day that I paint the coop after doing all the other stuff to it. Its going to be a nice day to get that done.

Out to the coop an start being productive . . . . . not right now - ohhhhh so tired. Just let me wake up. Lets say by 10:00 a.m. Then the sun will be
shining and I will wake up. Had to take an Advil P.M. and did not do that til 1:00 a.m. Should have taken it earlier.

Have your own kind of productive day chickeners.