TeaChick's Chicks

[TeaChick]

Wow! Nice flock

I'm kinda partial to them. ;-)

 

[chickenboy190]

I'm kinda partial to them. ;-)

Yeah

 

[TeaChick]

So, my DS is wanting a flock of his own, but he only just told me that he's even interested in chickens this week. I've known for a while (I'm his mother, it's my job to know these things before he tells me), but he only just said something to me about it.
Anyway, he's already planning out his breeding flock and four huge breeding projects and he's saying things like I want four roosters and six hens and I want ALL my hens to be broody hens, etc. lol
Trying not to squash his enthusiasm too much, I tried to impress upon him that he needs to start with small laying flock so that his chickens are paying for themselves first, and then he can start looking at roosters and then at breeding projects, etc.
So, this morning he was upset b/c he felt like I was putting him off about the chicken thing. So I had to talk him back into reality and tell him that I'm going to give him part of my laying flock after he learns some basics about chicken care and what he's going to have to do and what he's going to need to be looking for and such as that.

Dealing with him about things that are important to him is like riding a roller coaster. So now I'm

.

 

[TeaChick]

Gave the girls half a biscuit left over from breakfast this morning.
I've been trying to get my rooster to eat out of my hand, but he doesn't come close enough and when I think he's going to come close enough, one of the hen invariably cuts him off.
Oh, well.
When I take treats out, I try to make sure I take out something with extra protein and I try to make sure that Snoodle and Beauty get half of what I bring out and I only give the other hens (and the roo) enough to keep them off of the two I'm trying to feed.

 

[TeaChick]

I just came in from taking a bit of bread w/ peanut butter on it out to them. I succeeded in making sure that Beauty and Snoodle got more than anyone else.

While I'm thinking about it, I wanted to ask something.
Beauty is a Jersey Giant and she was considerably heavier (and noticeably larger) than my other hens. Now, she doesn't seem quite as heavy, nor does she look larger, really. IDK if I've just become accustomed to her size or if she needs to gain some weight.
She's been sleeping on my back porch, so she doesn't eat what I have in there for her in the mornings, which means she doesn't eat anything until I let her out (at the same time as the other chickens are let out of the hen house) about nine-ish most mornings (sometimes a bit earlier, about once a week, not until close to noon)..... Anyway, I'm planning on putting her in the hen house tonight (and every night until she goes in there on her own); I feel like she needs to know she is part of the flock and I think she needs to compete for food so that she eats enough.
Since she should be the largest and she is a year older than everyone else, (theoretically) she should be at the top of the pecking order, but she seems to be about on the bottom.

IDK; I'm just trying to take good care of my chickens.

 

[chickenboy190]

I just came in from taking a bit of bread w/ peanut butter on it out to them. I succeeded in making sure that Beauty and Snoodle got more than anyone else.

While I'm thinking about it, I wanted to ask something.
Beauty is a Jersey Giant and she was considerably heavier (and noticeably larger) than my other hens. Now, she doesn't seem quite as heavy, nor does she look larger, really. IDK if I've just become accustomed to her size or if she needs to gain some weight.
She's been sleeping on my back porch, so she doesn't eat what I have in there for her in the mornings, which means she doesn't eat anything until I let her out (at the same time as the other chickens are let out of the hen house) about nine-ish most mornings (sometimes a bit earlier, about once a week, not until close to noon)..... Anyway, I'm planning on putting her in the hen house tonight (and every night until she goes in there on her own); I feel like she needs to know she is part of the flock and I think she needs to compete for food so that she eats enough.
Since she should be the largest and she is a year older than everyone else, (theoretically) she should be at the top of the pecking order, but she seems to be about on the bottom.

IDK; I'm just trying to take good care of my chickens.

She could be Black Austalorp and at first she could have been just a faster grower.

 

[TeaChick]

She could be Black Austalorp and at first she could have been just a faster grower.

I see what you mean, but I got her fully grown and after my original flock were all fully grown too.
Also, she lost weight being confined and being cooped up in the hen house (and so did the Leghorns, but the Comets came out of being grounded fat, dumb, and happy; apparently, they're on the top of the pecking order and the Leghorns are apparently at the bottom; I have NO idea where my Cochin lies.)
Sorry...

 

[chickenboy190]

I see what you mean, but I got her fully grown and after my original flock were all fully grown too.
Also, she lost weight being confined and being cooped up in the hen house (and so did the Leghorns, but the Comets came out of being grounded fat, dumb, and happy; apparently, they're on the top of the pecking order and the Leghorns are apparently at the bottom; I have NO idea where my Cochin lies.)
Sorry...

Yeah,oh okay lol

 

[TeaChick]

Okay.
I have a plan!

I want to give DS his own flock of laying hens.
I also want more Leghorns (I can't believe I'm saying that; I'll do a separate post about them, but... I digress). Anyway, ...
I want more Leghorns b/c I want more eggs.
I don't want to wait until spring, soooo....
I looked up "home made incubators" here on BYC and in the first thread, I found this:

• gimmie birdies
• 
• 

• Location: Eastern Washington
• Joined: 2/2013
• Posts: 1,617
• offline

here's my home made incubator I hatched out 3 batches in this this year. dry hatch. 8''x9'' box 15 w light. small white dish under metal bowl had water in it about once every couple days not much. more on hatching days.



this batch was 100% hatch w/dry hatch.



I modified it to hold this many eggs. dark eggs are blue copper marans from ebay took just 3 days to mail and all intact.the last batch is due 8/18

I have lots of card board boxes, I can make a basket of some sort out of hardware cloth or grapevine or something else, and I'm getting more and more Leghorn eggs, so I'll be able to hatch some out in a month or so.
I just have to wait until the puppies are old enough that I can use my old coop for my hatchlings instead of for the pups.... Hmmm

Please give me any feed back, comments, advice, etc. I need all the help I can get!!!

 

[chickenboy190]

Okay.
I have a plan!

I want to give DS his own flock of laying hens.
I also want more Leghorns (I can't believe I'm saying that; I'll do a separate post about them, but... I digress). Anyway, ...
I want more Leghorns b/c I want more eggs.
I don't want to wait until spring, soooo....
I looked up "home made incubators" here on BYC and in the first thread, I found this:

• gimmie birdies
• 
• 

• Location: Eastern Washington
• Joined: 2/2013
• Posts: 1,617
• offline

here's my home made incubator I hatched out 3 batches in this this year. dry hatch. 8''x9'' box 15 w light. small white dish under metal bowl had water in it about once every couple days not much. more on hatching days.



this batch was 100% hatch w/dry hatch.



I modified it to hold this many eggs. dark eggs are blue copper marans from ebay took just 3 days to mail and all intact.the last batch is due 8/18

I have lots of card board boxes, I can make a basket of some sort out of hardware cloth or grapevine or something else, and I'm getting more and more Leghorn eggs, so I'll be able to hatch some out in a month or so.
I just have to wait until the puppies are old enough that I can use my old coop for my hatchlings instead of for the pups.... Hmmm

Please give me any feed back, comments, advice, etc. I need all the help I can get!!!

Are those your eggs?In the last pic?First you have to make sure your eggs have chicks in them too.