The Old Folks Home

[ChickenCanoe]

Ice on every bucket here too at 27 degrees. Second cold morning, but more ice as thehigh temp yesterday wasn't very high.

Looks cozy. I worry about the lamp going out. Pros and cons to every method, right?

I've switched to ceramic which are slightly more reliable and use 2 when temps are below 60.

I also have 2 hovers with 2 lampholders each when I have more than a few birds.

 

[ronott1]

Oh, this is good to know, a question I would be asking in the future. I am going to be working on the Seramas...have fallen for them. Going to try to keep a small squeak toy sounding rooster. My neighbors didn't mind the one I had, but I have hatched some real cuties, and I want to pick and choose and try breeding. Two weeks ey? So the hen can stay fertile for two weeks. Wow. It's going to be a while, I just hatched these little ones about 2 weeks ago. Here are a few photos.
A couple of frizzles


A few of the others


I recently had a rooster Serama, with a small crow, could have gotten away with him, but he wouldn't stop crowing. One of those non stop crowing guys.

Hens have a storage organ in the reproductive tract that stores the sperm. The ova is fertilized by a bit of it as each egg passes through. The hen can be fertile for more than 30 days. It is a survival mechanism. If the flock loses it's Roosters, they can still hatch out chicks and rebuild the flock. The longjevity of the sperm is why you see weird crosses sometimes.

Also, if you lose your best Rooster, you can collect the eggs for two weeks and incubate without a rooster.

Chickens are amazing.

 

[Wisher1000]

As I was looking at this, DS#2 (14 years old) walked by and stopped. He pointed to this pic and said, " That is the prettiest chick I've ever seen. It looks like a beautiful little angel seed."

 

[Arielle]

Quote:

As I was looking at this, DS#2 (14 years old) walked by and stopped. He pointed to this pic and said, " That is the prettiest chick I've ever seen. It looks like a beautiful little angel seed."

Oh what a sweet comment-- out of them mouths of babes. . . .

 

[Arielle]

I have an 8x8 brooder room in my coop. It is not insulated and has wire covered window openings that stay open all year. When I brood chicks there in the winter, I burn two lamps about two feet apart, It helps me sleep at night knowing that it is unlikely that both bulbs would blow at the same time.

Wisher, if I might ask, how large is your coop with the 8 x 8 brooder in it??

I have a feeling that the size of the building is key, and the number of warm bodies and a lamp. We sometimes lose power here, though not as often as we used to-- I think when the line was extended it allows for power to flow from either direction now as necessary.

THanks everyone for your input!!

 

[Wisher1000]

Wisher, if I might ask, how large is your coop with the 8 x 8 brooder in it??

I have a feeling that the size of the building is key, and the number of warm bodies and a lamp. We sometimes lose power here, though not as often as we used to-- I think when the line was extended it allows for power to flow from either direction now as necessary.

THanks everyone for your input!!

Keep in mind that our winters are milder than yours', but we still have nights below 32o often and days in the high 30's for a week at a time.

My entire coop/covered run is 12x24. The end section is 8x12 and that is divided into the 8x8 "bedroom" and the 4x8 "kitchen" or feed room. The bedroom was intended to be the inside portion of the coop, but the chickens all sleep in the rafters of the covered run all year, so I close off the pop door and use the bedroom for a brooder room.

 

[Cynthia12]

14 years old? Aww..I like the thought that a young man that age would think of an angel. An angel seed..made me smile, and look at that chick again.

 

[Arielle]

Quote: Great description, now I have a good picture.

WInter is setting in fast here. Well actually fits and stops more than usual. Very cold right now. 37/ 45 , then end of the week into the 70's. Crazy making.

My dream is to figure out how to use broodies, but that might be a pipe dream. Extension cords runs to just a few coops, mostly the girls function using natural light. I have noticed the girls stop laying even if there is a light in the fall. WOuld like some birds, other than just pullets that can lay in the fall. I know, dreaming.

 

[ronott1]

Great description, now I have a good picture.

WInter is setting in fast here. Well actually fits and stops more than usual. Very cold right now. 37/ 45 , then end of the week into the 70's. Crazy making.

My dream is to figure out how to use broodies, but that might be a pipe dream. Extension cords runs to just a few coops, mostly the girls function using natural light. I have noticed the girls stop laying even if there is a light in the fall. WOuld like some birds, other than just pullets that can lay in the fall. I know, dreaming.

Broodies would be nice.

Until then I have two Ecoglow 20s.

 

[Arielle]

Thanks ron. Will see if I even need a broody this winter.