Utah!

[La Casa de Pollo]

So funny Donna, I can always picture what you are describing so well, makes me laugh

Sasha, Amanda just got back from Boston tonight, they had a debate tournament at Harvard---she is telling me she is moving to Boston and I am feeling that pit in my stomach! She has had so many offers for full paid tuition, I know she won't stay in Utah much longer. She loves those big cities and busy life. Scary those young girls out in that big ole world!!! I worry so much already, just when she drives to school and back! Of 6 kids, all have stayed close, but this one....no way. She does not like it here at all. Do you know when your daughter is leaving? I hope she gives you time to adjust to the thought. I feel for you!
Maybe she will change her mind? Nah. You need a real hug!

 

[agreger]

Lisa thank you for the advice. Can I put the little ones outside at that young age? My first ones stayed in the garage for a very long time. Mainly because the coop was not finished. A seperate area in the run will be doable. I am hoping for a smooth transition. I was also thinking about letting them run with the others when they roam the yard.
Kids moving far away is not something i want to think about. I feel for you, Sasha. I am glad my oldest decided to stay here and attend the U.

 

[pawtraitart]

Thanks for telling me that! If I do get the coturnix, they would be in an enclosure, by the chickens, so they would not free range at all. I bet we do have quail out there, we live where there are tons of birds. We had killdeer hatching in our gravel road the last two springs..and I have pheasant in my back yard every day, so I will be sure to be careful. These little guys we got today will be in the house only.

So my husband said the green powdery food they gave him is turkey starter, and they told him if quails eat chicken feed they will die. I have learned to take IFA personnel advice with a grain of salt....anybody know about this? Any info appreciated!

Chicken food isn't toxic to quail, but they do need a higher protein level when they are babies. The kind I use is 30% protein. They are on that until the point of lay. I don't know about buttons, but my coturnix are on 20% after that. In a pinch I've given them 16 or 18% chicken crumbles if I'm out of gamebird food.

 

[Cynthia12]

It just did not dawn on him, poor guy I was kind of hard on him when I saw what I thought were dead babies. They were totally limp and motionless, Ugh! I was sooo relieved that they revived. They felt ice cold. They are both fine now. The IFA gave him some feed, I need to call in the morning and just double check he has the right stuff, but it is greenish powdery (like chicken mash) stuff. I wanted to call and make sure it is 'starter', or if there is such a thing for quail. I have no clue, does anybody know? I put it in a milk jug cap, same with their water, and they have both drank and eaten a few specks. I hope its a boy and a girl

I just used the game feed, the stuff I got was small crumbles, real small. Those are cute. Now you have me wondering if I should have tried putting my babies that didn't make it from Idea. I have a friend that did that with a box that looked like dead chicks. Some came around! Shucks. I should have known too, because I did that with a chick last spring that a broody hen just kicked out from under her. I was showing DH the poor little thing, and really disappointed because it was a cute little fluffy EE. I mean, it's head was drooping, just hanging there, then I see a twitch. I almost yell, it's alive! I ran into the house, and put it under a light, and sure enough, it comes around! I really went through all of those babies when they came though. No twitches..so I thought they were gone for sure.

Hey, you guys that are hatching DMRippy eggs..you should have a pretty good hatch. I got my leghorn mixes from her. Had a great hatch! I even have a picture of them in my cabinet bator. I think I have those leghorn mixes living from one end of the state to the other.

That looks like an OE egg in there! What? When did I give that chick up..it either didn't
hatch, or it was a boy. Any way, the lighter ones, white, are DMRippys. Looks like I have
a couple of brown ones back there too. Most of those are the white, looks like some are
cream or pink, just the shadows. I got a lot of the leghorn mixes to hatch. And, they do lay
great. Not the blue blue she said they would be, but they do lay often.
So what breed are you guys hatching from her?

 

[Cynthia12]

Orpingtons, eh.....well.....I sincerely love my gentle giant orps, but my girls are totally holding out on me!! Only 3 eggs among them last week when I have a waiting list for blue babies.....seriously? THREE??. Their neighbors in the pen next door are laying up a storm. Free loaders.

Oh man paw..these are beautiful! I've been thinking I want a splash lately, then you show this! I love the fluffy butts on the Orpingtons. Some EE's are splash, and have fluffy butts. I can hope can't I? I have 10 EE eggs still doing well. They go into lock down on Sun. Loving this splash here. ) She has a sweet look to her face/eyes too.

 

[La Casa de Pollo]

Agreger---just transition them slowly, from low light to no light, to garage, to outside. I have put them outside at 6-8 weeks in the winter months, with a lamp out in the coop in case they need to get under it...I have a 8 wk old outside now that is just fine, she does not even huddle much under the lamp.. So long as they have all their feathers, and have been adjusted to it they can do well. By the end of March it won't be so cold at night I would not worry at all.

Michelle, CYnthia thanks for the feed info! That helps a lot! I am glad you guys posted that.

Cynthia, I have the Leghorn EE's, and a few extra B/B/S Marans from her. Any ways to tell on the Leghorns what gender besides the usual? Can they be feather/wing sexed do you know? I remember you had a lot of girls I hope I can be so lucky!

 

[Cynthia12]

Agreger---just transition them slowly, from low light to no light, to garage, to outside. I have put them outside at 6-8 weeks in the winter months, with a lamp out in the coop in case they need to get under it...I have a 8 wk old outside now that is just fine, she does not even huddle much under the lamp.. So long as they have all their feathers, and have been adjusted to it they can do well. By the end of March it won't be so cold at night I would not worry at all.

Michelle, CYnthia thanks for the feed info! That helps a lot! I am glad you guys posted that.

Cynthia, I have the Leghorn EE's, and a few extra B/B/S Marans from her. Any ways to tell on the Leghorns what gender besides the usual? Can they be feather/wing sexed do you know? I remember you had a lot of girls

I hope I can be so lucky!

I think I had quite a few girls alright, and the only way I do it by wing tipping. These were mostly pea combed..so kind of hard to tell with the comb at first. The wings and tails..pretty good way to tell.

hmmm, part pea comb, part straight? Not sure what that kind of comb this is called.
Pretty small though. And this is full grown. Next to a beautiful wheaten A.

 

[blujems]

Lisa that is great that they were ok. I have always wanted button quail but could never figure out where to put them.
I have read that chicken starter was ok but it needed to be put through a grinder or chopper to make it finer. It has been awhile though so not positive.

Phoenix brought home another chick last night. The bigger black one pushed it and it turned around and pecked the big one. Made me laugh but hope that is not a bad sign. It is a little chipmunk one with very fluffy cheeks. looks like sparkles when she was tiny.


I will be out waiting on new goat babies today but will check in later.

 

[Sphinx]

Lisa, I'm so glad your chicks were ok after getting so cold. It's so funny to me that your dh surprised you with them. I can't imagine any circumstances in which my dh would bring home chicks of his own volition.

Corvidae, so weird that the roosters were crowing at 2am! Do you have a light out there? I'm still interested in maybe swapping you so that I get a traditionally colored legbar, and giving you my white legbar, and I'd even toss in my wyandotte/bcm cockerel too, if you want an extra meat chicken.

 

[sundancenbare]

Forgot to ad that my daughter has 3 ducks that will need new homes...they are all girls, all just started laying this past month to month and a half. Getting an egg about 6 days a week from each of them. 1 Buff orpington and 2 Anconas that we hatched ourselves from eggs we got from a breeder on the east coast. One is black & white the other is blue and white. Gorgeous girls, can get pictures for anyone who wants to see them.

I set eggs this morning! 10 from my own flock. I set 6 from the cochins, 2 from Hedwig's smaller eggs and 2 from the LF Wyandottes that were smallish...considering the roosters are both bantam, we'll see how that goes. I wasn't going to set any because if Clay or Clyde fertilized either of the LF laced Wyandottes eggs, those will be some funny looking babies if they hatch! LOL But, why not? This will be my trial run with my new bator I bought from Cynthia!

I did order 15 Bantam Ameraucana eggs today from Stromberg's...they couldn't give me an exact date as to when they would ship though.

They said 2-4 weeks, they would let me know. SO, hopefully we'll have some babies in a month or two...Hattie, do you still want a couple wheaten Amer girls? Keep your fingers crossed!

I have kids and know how hard it can be. The good part is very often they come back after they leave. They find out the grass isn't greener on the other side. However I have a couple that did stay and I look on the visits I make to them as a great chance to get away