Too Early for Feb Hatch-A-Long Thread??

[FortCluck]

Actually my daughter and I were in Georgia last April visiting colleges and we thought it was so lovely. She was just talking about it today, how nice it was to sit outside in the warmth...it was only i the 20's here today and shes my kid that loves summer so winter in New England is not her happy place.

We moved to Virginia because we were sick of the New England weather. I grew up in Maine and moved when I was 15 to New Hampshire and live there until I was 25.

I don't think I could handle another New England winter.

Yesterday they said that we were going to get snow and we did for about 5 minutes You can't even tell that it snowed.

 

[LilyD]

I just died reading how much you'd pay for eggs I'm used to going to two local farms and paying nothing (we barter like this month I'm incubating 32 duck eggs for them) or $10 for dozen at the other farm. Sometimes I just go outside and collect my eggs for the bator.

I am a penny pincher though.

Someday I MIGHT but emu eggs and I know those can get quite costly. We do have an emu farm an hour away who does eggs and I think they're only $30 a piece. They're way more expensive when you get them shipped.

I usually don't like to either but I am looking for specific types of Orpingtons and in our state we tend to only have chocolates and lavender. If I'm going to spend over 10$ a chick whether I get eggs from a breeder or get chicks from the hatchery I might as well get good quality chicks/eggs for that price.

 

[FortCluck]

I usually don't like to either but I am looking for specific types of Orpingtons and in our state we tend to only have chocolates and lavender. If I'm going to spend over 10$ a chick whether I get eggs from a breeder or get chicks from the hatchery I might as well get good quality chicks/eggs for that price.

I guess at this point I'm not looking for specific breeds because I have found a love for barnyard mixes.

I started my flock off with pure breeds. I got all the ones that I wanted and some were just ones that I thought were nice looking.

When we ended up getting the black jersey giant cockerels I decided that I was just going to incubate fertilized eggs from our flock. That's what started my love for mixed breeds. We got so many different colors.

 

[Merrymouse]

Funny you say that, because I’m not a huge medicine taker either and usually just ride things out, but I was given the tiny melting pill of zofran this week during the worst of my flu and OMG it’s a miracle. I went from not keeping any fluids or anything down for a couple days, to being able to drink and eat tiny bits of rice right after taking it. Wonderful stuff when it’s needed. Today is the first day I feel like a human again and it’s such a relief. It’s one thing being super sick, but being super sick with a super sick 2 year old was kind of unbearable lol.

Happy you're feeling a bit better. I remember those days of being sick and still having to care for toddlers...not easy my friend.

 

[Merrymouse]

I just noticed you said “this week”. We’re you sick too?! Are you feeling better? I still haven’t caught up on the thread so I’m a bit out of the loop!

OMG yes, so sick, but its a weird nausea and vomiting that comes and goes over two weeks with abdominal pain, had a slew of tests and they still don't know whats wrong with me. Feeling decent today. This morning I even added a plexiglass panel to my brooder so I can see the chicks. Ill post a pic later gotta take the cats to the vet for their check up.

 

[Merrymouse]

I have heard from people who have them up here that they have special coops for them and they tend to have to run heat for them in the winter and keep them inside to prevent them dying of the cold.

hmm I never heard of that but maybe your are just that much colder up there. Well if any of my chicks are pullets we will find out for sure next winter

 

[Merrymouse]

I have my chicks in the shed and it has been kind of cold at night. They don't even use their heat plate anymore. Some of them aren't even all the way feathered out.

We were specifically talking about Silkies. And we are in New England, quite a bit colder than where you are. I put my baby chicks outside with a heat plate at around 3 weeks old and they do fine.

 

[FortCluck]

We were specifically talking about Silkies. And we are in New England, quite a bit colder than where you are. I put my baby chicks outside with a heat plate at around 3 weeks old and they do fine.

I really don't think there's a difference between silkies or any other chick. Silkies don't require any special treatment when they are chicks. I know several people who have them all around the United States and they don't seem to treat them any differently than I would treat mine.

I know the weather in New England I lived there for most of my life until I was 25 years old. and actually the weather here has been a bit cold and we're probably at the same temperature that you guys are.

 

[LilyD]

I really don't think there's a difference between silkies or any other chick. Silkies don't require any special treatment when they are chicks. I know several people who have them all around the United States and they don't seem to treat them any differently than I would treat mine.

I know the weather in New England I lived there for most of my life until I was 25 years old. and actually the weather here has been a bit cold and we're probably at the same temperature that you guys are.

It may just be the owners I talked to and what they believe too. But I know they had a heated coop and wouldn't let them outside once the snow started said they were not as hardy as a regular chicken and they got sick easily so they tried to be careful to keep them healthy.

 

[FortCluck]

It may just be the owners I talked to and what they believe too. But I know they had a heated coop and wouldn't let them outside once the snow started said they were not as hardy as a regular chicken and they got sick easily so they tried to be careful to keep them healthy.

I know people who let theirs play in the snow and they love it. I guess if you coddle them that's what they'll expect and they'll be more frail. I have so many different breeds, but I always let them do their own thing. They know better than me on what they need or want.

I used to always listen to what people said about brooding chicks... I realized I shouldn't be listening to other people, I should actually be listening to the chicks. They'll let you know when they are done with their heat or anything really. You just have to pay close attention to them.

I think it is 29° here today and my chicks aren't even under the brooder plate. They are running around like a bunch of crazies and not even caring about the cold. They are now just learning that they can fly and jump on things so they are having tons of fun.