The Old Folks Home

[Arielle]

Hey dsqard did you get all your hay in??

I love the blue eggs of my easter eggers, ALL are blue layers. A friend suggested breeding back to white leghorns to increase the production and maintain the blue eggs. At some point a white egg layer is likely to show up in following generations. Maybe that is how some of my EEgirls have dominant white feathering.

 

[dsqard]

Arielle, unfortunately it rained off and on until Sunday so it couldn't be baled. They are going to bale it tonight so if we don't work this Friday, DH and I will be going to pick it up. Almost had someone deliver 200 bales tomorrow but it was $2.50 more a bale (not bad for delivered and stacked) and I figured I would save the hundreds of dollars and we can go get it ourselves.

 

[Arielle]

Arielle, unfortunately it rained off and on until Sunday so it couldn't be baled. They are going to bale it tonight so if we don't work this Friday, DH and I will be going to pick it up. Almost had someone deliver 200 bales tomorrow but it was $2.50 more a bale (not bad for delivered and stacked) and I figured I would save the hundreds of dollars and we can go get it ourselves.

Yes, way cheaper to not pay yourelf!!

 

[ducklucky]

Stumbled across this, and so glad to see folks of our "mature" age loving chickens, ducks and all living creatures that make us sooo happy. Hub and I are in our mid-50s, started out with about 70 various breed chickens, free ranged, had a fox problem to where we would lose one every other day. It was too heartbreaking for me after my favorite rooster (RI Red) gave his life defending one of his girls, she later passed from the battle. He was a good man, very friendly. That turned the corner for me. Gave half the flock to a neighbor a few miles away who is organic free ranger, after a few years he still has some of ours, and he raises pure bred goats as well. Hub got ill, had to downsize again, move everything closer to the house. So now we have 10 beautiful hens who are in their prime, lay nicely, fear we may lose some this winter just due to age, but I am determined to continue on. We started Pekins this spring, LOVE them, have 1 drake and 12 ladies, they are 21 weeks, all laying and 1 is broody with a clutch in the dog crate. I am excited but scared to have babies at this time of year, but will let her do her thing, don't want to discourage her. Hope to get chicks come spring and a rooster, miss having a rooster so badly, and letting nature bring me more babies. Our neighbor will always take overflow. Anyway, that is our story, just wanted to introduce myself to all of you fellow "old folks". If anyone has been thru a broody Pekin, please let me know how to handle it. It's been about a week. Thanks all!

 

[Bunnylady]

Greetings, ducklucky!

Never had a broody Pekin, but I have had a couple of other ducks that hatched eggs. I know "they" say duck eggs take 28 days, but I seem to think the eggs under my girls hatched a day or two earlier than that. One girl hatched 17 out of 18 eggs - I had a hard time believing she had managed to cover them all! And while it is closer to cold weather for you than for me, I know ducklings don't have the same heat requirements that chicks do, and you know how fast the little rascals grow! I imagine that if you can keep them in a sheltered location and keep them dry until they are well feathered, they'll probably do ok. Good luck!

 

[Achickenwrangler#1]

Love to learn more about the egg color, will also check out the feathersite.. I free range my chickens and this year thought I would need another coop, but have had a bobcat generously helping itself this summer. Have been letting the dogs out all day and they seem to be doing a good job and the chickens stay closer to the house now...sure hope it stays that way. There's no way I can imagine not having chickens!

 

[Arielle]

ducklucky--welcome.. broodies do a good job with keeping chicks warm. And one or two may be your next year's rooster!

chickenwrangler-- their is an olive egger thread with a good chart to make the olives and the greens. THe first cross is the simpliest to understand; the next generation as multiple possiblities so the number of colors expands. THe colors depend on who the parents are. for example:


Breed a blue egger (EE) to a black copper marans = olive eggs

two choices for breeding here

1. breed olive egger hens to black copper marans = dark olive eggs

2. breed olive egger to olive egger = many colors of eggs( blues, olives, chocolates)

make sense?

 

[Achickenwrangler#1]

Yes, but, if it's a green egg..does it have the chance if bred to another green egg to be blue? Haha I want some blue eggs!

 

[Bunnylady]

Maybe, but you might have to go through a few generations to get there.

 

[superchemicalgirl]

SCG, are you feeling better this morning?

Thank you guys all for the concern. Foot feels a lot better today, only a little sore. Still don't feel great - but mostly "cosmetic" - unable to regulate hot/cold well. A few ibuprofen and acetaminophen and I'm functional. I am taking tomorrow off, however.