Texas

[AllenK RGV]

Glad we aren't yankees and experience this every year! Those scary temps and we might need socks too!

 

[AllenK RGV]

Ok I swear I do not live in a shack, and we have electricity too.

However, the bed got too small. Dogs are not allowed in the bed, it just isn't their place. Last night they came in anyways. I had one digging in to my kidneys and another taking every square inch of foot space. So it was a two dog night and my wife kept mumbling something about blankets. At 12:35 I broke down and turned the heat on.
Cool fronts are ok but cold fronts suck.

The chickens will be happy at crow'o'clock I'll let them out and try to get back to sleep, unless I get back to sleep first.

 

[Heather67]

I’m looking for Copper Marans Pullets or hens in the DFW area.

 

[AllenK RGV]

I’m looking for Copper Marans Pullets or hens in the DFW area.

I know investing in an incubator seems steep at 130ish, but you can get eggs so cheaply for quality stock. Or you can invest $1000s trying to make pet quality stock into a breeding program. I don't have that kind of time left nor do I wan't to cull to excess. In short I would choose the incubator and buy those double laced frilled whatevers you want to have right now.

Also living near the metroplex you could even partner with a teacher to get yours hatched out and her chicks moved on I have a sister in Bridgeport, Tx who want's to meet you.As this is one of her annual projects. You don't even need to buy an inccubator. The last point in how to do this on the cheap is regarding cockerels I can't go into detail here, that is best discussed in the meat bird forum.

 

[Heather67]

I would and have considered it but I don’t want to go through the bang stage again lol. I’m trying to keep all the ones I have now in the same age range.

 

[AllenK RGV]

So how bad is todays cold front for everyone? I hear the panhandle got snow.

 

[janiedoe]

So how bad is todays cold front for everyone? I hear the panhandle got snow.

49 and raining here. I hope it gets cold enough to rid us of the mosquitoes.. I almost need a blood transfusion.

 

[AllenK RGV]

I would and have considered it but I don’t want to go through the bang stage again lol. I’m trying to keep all the ones I have now in the same age range.

So I'm sure my incubator is working fine, however, this is my second dead clutch. I think my latest issue was due to the USPS breaking an egg which soiled the rest and destroyed the bloom. The first issue was USPS cooking my hatching eggs. I think I'm giving up on the sumatra and hatching out Silkies now since that is what I have and they are mating. Oh well my perches will not be filled for Christmas. It is probably a good thing as we have way too many eggs. @aart or @RUNuts have any ideas on what could have gone wrong? @007Sean is a good expert too as we have the same incubator. Yes I did the factory reset so it turns the eggs again. A Horrible undocumented feature of our incubator, well that and the fan of decapitation.

I never added water for humidity control as I live at the coast and it was always 90% plus and the Silkies incubated fine like that, but who knows I am 1/3 for success.

I might need to hatch out some silkies to verify the incubator after cleaning up the blasted eggs with clorox wipes.

Now on a cool note I was able to give away 32 eggs yesterday to the cutest abuela here in south Texas who knows about natural eggs. BTW it is cute the call me Mr. Allen.

 

[AllenK RGV]

One final question, does anyone know what this bush is called? My wife really wants one. It is in bloom now.

 

[RUNuts]

One final question, does anyone know what this bush is called? My wife really wants one. It is in bloom now.

Looks like a Firebush. But flower clusters don't look exactly right.

Need closer pictures of flowers and leaves, please sir.