Washingtonians Come Together! Washington Peeps

[Stumpfarmer]

Most folks lay eggs on their side when it gets to hatching time, doing it the other way is a new trend that's popping up (with the logic that being in a tray of some sort keeps the already hatched chicks from throwing the other ones all over the place).  The mesh shouldn't be too big for their feet so I wouldn't worry about the paper towels unless it was to make clean up easier.  Most important thing as it sounds like you know by using that term, is to not open the incubator until day 22 or 23 so that everything is hatched so you don't lose humidity and stick the chicks to the shell.

When I was using borrowed Brinseas I used damp washcloths over the unhatched eggs to keep the humidity up when I took dry chicks out- didn't loose any fertile eggs at all doing that. If these hatch (superstitious mumbles withheld), I may need to use that technique again, as the d'Anvers may hatch in 19-20 days while the Hamburgs went 21-22 under a hen last year.

 

[lovinchickypoos]

It's been a LONG time since I've posted and haven't been in here much So, I've had many not so lovely things going on here...
One of my Silkie hens ( one of the two confirmed hens out of 6  ) started acting weirder than usual. She loses her balance as if her equilibrium is off. So I separated her, cut her crest a bit too see if she can see and have been monitoring her to make sir she can eat/ drink because I noticed she was too thin. I'm scared to death that she has Merek's, but so far none of the other birds are showing signs. I feel so bad for her and have considered " releasing" her but she is thriving and has gained weight.

After getting tests back from t the naturopathic doc I started seeing it was found that in addition to the celiac diagnosed a few years ago and confirmed recently, I am allergic to dairy and EGGS!!!! SOOOO mad!

Next..On Friday before last, I started mowing the lawn ( riding mower) and almost immediately got " shot" with something in my leg. I yelled bad things them kept going until I put my hand down and felt a bunch of blood and a hole in my thigh. After contemplating getting it looked at I decided to deal with it until a couple days later when I noticed a knot about 4in away from the puncture. Sure enough, the rads showed a piece of metal was imbedded and had to have surgery to get it out. That thing was 3in deep!

Then, to top off the awful last couple weeks, e had a bee swarm come into our house!!! Yes, you read it right! They came in thru a tiny hole where a junction in the roof is developing rot. One moment there was nothing, then there were a hundred bees in a room. Fortunately, they mostly stayed confined to that room. I called a bee guy who came and decided to go get a bait box to see if he could draw them out but by the time he got back most of them had disappeared! We sucked up the rest with the vacuum.

There have been other small annoyances but you get the point! It has not been very pleasant here lately! Gonna try to keep finding good things around to keep me sane and try not to feel picked on!B.t.w, I very much dislike this mobile site! Please excuse the bad typing!

 

[BGMatt]

When I was using borrowed Brinseas I used damp washcloths over the unhatched eggs too keep the humidity up when I took dry chicks out- didn't loose any fertile eggs at all doing that. If these hatch (superstitious mumbles withheld), I may need to use that technique again, as the d'Anvers may hatch in 19-20 days while the Hamburgs went 21-22 under a hen last year.

Should be the same, if they're hatching early I'd suspect temp was a fraction too high. What size and variety of Hamburgs do you have? I occasionally have folk ask me about where they can find them, it's always good to have a reference.

 

[Chickielady]

It's been a LONG time since I've posted and haven't been in here much So, I've had many not so lovely things going on here...
One of my Silkie hens ( one of the two confirmed hens out of 6 ) started acting weirder than usual. She loses her balance as if her equilibrium is off. So I separated her, cut her crest a bit too see if she can see and have been monitoring her to make sir she can eat/ drink because I noticed she was too thin. I'm scared to death that she has Merek's, but so far none of the other birds are showing signs. I feel so bad for her and have considered " releasing" her but she is thriving and has gained weight.

After getting tests back from t the naturopathic doc I started seeing it was found that in addition to the celiac diagnosed a few years ago and confirmed recently, I am allergic to dairy and EGGS!!!! SOOOO mad!

Next..On Friday before last, I started mowing the lawn ( riding mower) and almost immediately got " shot" with something in my leg. I yelled bad things them kept going until I put my hand down and felt a bunch of blood and a hole in my thigh. After contemplating getting it looked at I decided to deal with it until a couple days later when I noticed a knot about 4in away from the puncture. Sure enough, the rads showed a piece of metal was imbedded and had to have surgery to get it out. That thing was 3in deep!

Then, to top off the awful last couple weeks, e had a bee swarm come into our house!!! Yes, you read it right! They came in thru a tiny hole where a junction in the roof is developing rot. One moment there was nothing, then there were a hundred bees in a room. Fortunately, they mostly stayed confined to that room. I called a bee guy who came and decided to go get a bait box to see if he could draw them out but by the time he got back most of them had disappeared! We sucked up the rest with the vacuum.

There have been other small annoyances but you get the point! It has not been very pleasant here lately! Gonna try to keep finding good things around to keep me sane and try not to feel picked on!B.t.w, I very much dislike this mobile site! Please excuse the bad typing!

Good Grief !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hope things get better soon !

 

[Chickielady]

Sign on the bulletin board at Montesano farm & Feed says a guy looking for a pair of mature Emden...if anyone knows of any for sale, you can call their sales desk & ask a clerk there for the guy's home number.

How is everyone ?????????????
Einstein has filled the 1000 gallon tank right in the driveway, right in front of the house, for now.
Fast....the rain helped.
House/Barn is painted up all pretty & we got the downstairs shower delivered today................
Still waiting for the Bldg inspector to check the R-38 insulation I put in upstairs in the trusses, so then we can run some sheet rock & install the knee wall that runs the length of the barn roof...........4 foot high.
Then we can run wire in the knee wall...but wanted sheet rock behind it first.

Looks like 1 skovie pip...duckles are not due until tomorrow.
It is so weird to hatch something that does not peep !!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[mikeyb]

I have PEEPS! Arbuckle (Eng Orp) my broodie finally hatched at least one. So cute and adorable peeping out from under MOM!
Will wait, maybe take a full count tomorrow and take pics.

 

[Stumpfarmer]

When I was using borrowed Brinseas I used damp washcloths over the unhatched eggs too keep the humidity up when I took dry chicks out- didn't loose any fertile eggs at all doing that. If these hatch (superstitious mumbles withheld), I may need to use that technique again, as the d'Anvers may hatch in 19-20 days while the Hamburgs went 21-22 under a hen last year.

Should be the same, if they're hatching early I'd suspect temp was a fraction too high.  What size and variety of Hamburgs do you have? I occasionally have folk ask me about where they can find them, it's always good to have a reference.

I have Silver Spangled Large Fowl; I'm going to need another rooster soon, and so far the one which was at Vancouver was not according to breed type on posture, comb, body markings, or hackle/saddle feathering; had a nice clear white tail with strong spots, unlike my boy's smudged one, but my current cock is much better on other matters.

I know that there's a reputation for "flightiness" that comes with this breed, but mine don't seem to fill that, and I can't understand why such a striking and productive bird has fallen out of favor in the Large Fowl size.

(I can't get to any of my pictures of him, which are on the back-up drive on the defunct box, have to take new ones, I guess).

 

[MidsummerNight]

It's been a LONG time since I've posted and haven't been in here much So, I've had many not so lovely things going on here...
One of my Silkie hens ( one of the two confirmed hens out of 6  ) started acting weirder than usual. She loses her balance as if her equilibrium is off. So I separated her, cut her crest a bit too see if she can see and have been monitoring her to make sir she can eat/ drink because I noticed she was too thin. I'm scared to death that she has Merek's, but so far none of the other birds are showing signs. I feel so bad for her and have considered " releasing" her but she is thriving and has gained weight.

After getting tests back from t the naturopathic doc I started seeing it was found that in addition to the celiac diagnosed a few years ago and confirmed recently, I am allergic to dairy and EGGS!!!! SOOOO mad!

Next..On Friday before last, I started mowing the lawn ( riding mower) and almost immediately got " shot" with something in my leg. I yelled bad things them kept going until I put my hand down and felt a bunch of blood and a hole in my thigh. After contemplating getting it looked at I decided to deal with it until a couple days later when I noticed a knot about 4in away from the puncture. Sure enough, the rads showed a piece of metal was imbedded and had to have surgery to get it out. That thing was 3in deep!

Then, to top off the awful last couple weeks, e had a bee swarm come into our house!!! Yes, you read it right! They came in thru a tiny hole where a junction in the roof is developing rot. One moment there was nothing, then there were a hundred bees in a room. Fortunately, they mostly stayed confined to that room. I called a bee guy who came and decided to go get a bait box to see if he could draw them out but by the time he got back most of them had disappeared! We sucked up the rest with the vacuum.

There have been other small annoyances but you get the point! It has not been very pleasant here lately! Gonna try to keep finding good things around to keep me sane and try not to feel picked on!B.t.w, I very much dislike this mobile site! Please excuse the bad typing!

My goodness. o.o That is a lot of craziness! I hope things start to look up for you soon!

 

[Stumpfarmer]

Sign on the bulletin board at Montesano farm & Feed says a guy looking for a pair of mature Emden...if anyone knows of any for sale, you can call their sales desk & ask a clerk there for the guy's home number.

How is everyone ?????????????
Einstein has filled the 1000 gallon tank right in the driveway, right in front of the house, for now.
Fast....the rain helped.
House/Barn is painted up all pretty & we got the downstairs shower delivered today................
Still waiting for the Bldg inspector to check the R-38 insulation I put in upstairs in the trusses, so then we can run some sheet rock & install the knee wall that runs the length of the barn roof...........4 foot high.
Then we can run wire in the knee wall...but wanted sheet rock behind it first.

 
Looks like 1 skovie pip...duckles are not due until tomorrow.
It is so weird to hatch something that does not peep !!!!!!!!!!!!!  :/

 
I'm alive, busy, not yet ready for the number of chicks I've set myself up for (although my hypothesis is that the hinky incubator is likely to work better full, for temperature stability reasons: we'll see how it works out in practice?) although I have a plan for how it's going to work.

Just in to have a glass of water, back from checking that last cow and moving the sheep into shade in the orchard. Filled a feeder on the way out and a waterer on the way in, of course, never walk by the chickens that there's not some little thing to do, of course.

 

[BGMatt]

I have Silver Spangled Large Fowl; I'm going to need another rooster soon, and so far the one which was at Vancouver was not according to breed type on posture, comb, body markings, or hackle/saddle feathering; had a nice clear white tail with strong spots, unlike my boy's smudged one, but my current cock is much better on other matters.

I know that there's a reputation for "flightiness" that comes with this breed, but mine don't seem to fill that, and I can't understand why such a striking and productive bird has fallen out of favor in the Large Fowl size.

(I'm posting this to go ruffle through my photos for a pic of Elvis: I do not trust this platform not to dump a post, otherwise).

He was the only one there right? I remember him. I too have always been wondering why the hamburg has fallen out of favor. I used to have Golden Pencilled Hamburg and was forced out of them due to life circumstances but they were very productive and all the patterned varieties are eye catching. Maybe it's just that white eggs have fallen out of favor and Hamburgs aren't big enough to be dual purpose fowl? Anyway, triple luck hatching goes well. Love seeing Hamburgs being raised and shown.