What did you do in the garden today?

[WthrLady]

I have never ever ever had success with putting day old chicks under a broody. Then I end up raising them myself. UGH. And buying sexlink birds isn't 100% Ask Penny/Sheldon who now crows down the road.

 

[pennyJo1960]

now on the phone with TDS making sure dish does not cancel them our internet

 

[Sueby]

Ah, I got ya Penny.

Good to know day old chicks under a broody doesn't always work. Makes me lean toward just always getting pullets & integrating.

 

[pennyJo1960]

I love my silkie to do that job I do have tiny bator but they are more reliable and like now I have the dirty dozen up there so silkie are not mothering them but not attacking either so peeps get water learned how by example I did not have to do a thing Bonus in my book

 

[Sueby]

Interesting. & great to know. Hmmm...

 

[chickmom3941]

Afternoon all. Supposed to be super wet for trick or treaters. We don't get many anyway, but with the rain we may get none.

I need more chickens. We weren't getting enough eggs as it was, now to be down one hurts. I wish I could just buy 3 & throw them in. My neighbor is culling her flock in a week or 2, they will purchase 15 or so in the spring & offered to get me a few chicks & raise them till they can be outside & I can work them in (hoping my girls don't kill anyone in the process). I need to figure out what breed I want. I think I might want 1 that will go broody so I have a way to integrate from now on. But maybe that's not a good idea. Does anyone have any thoughts on that? I constantly flip flop on what I want to do.


Love the pic!!


Ugh, sorry to hear about both, how is how is DH? Will he need surgery or anything?


We had Hallmark Channel out here filming a Christmas movie a month or 2 ago too! Pretty sure I'll never see it. LOL

Personally, I raised our original flock in a spare bedroom, and although it was somewhat fun, I really didn't want to do it again. Have cats and a dog, who ALL continually wanted to get into the room to "greet" the chicks (haha), which was really a bother, plus I spent a lot of time cleaning their brooder and making sure they were fed and watered, and cleaning their pasty butts. Once they matured, one of the Australorpes, Bertha, went broody every year without fail. After a few years we decided to let her hatch a batch of eggs (we had a rooster at the time), and she successfully raised four chicks. Then, after our rooster had died, one year we bought day-old chicks to have her raise. Hubs placed them under her the day they arrived, and she immediately accepted them and was a great mother to them. It was SOOOOOOOOOOO much easier having her raise the chicks than having to do it myself. The only hard part was Hubs having his arm pecked like crazy while placing the chicks under Bertha's backside - LOL.

 

[pennyJo1960]

Yup that peck can be awful mean and Ouch my silkie are pretty cool
but I handle them allot which is odd on it's own never handle chickens like I do them often swear they are aliens BF is the same with them we carry them from the coop to the tractor then back to coop and night at night they sit at the tractor door as we take them in 2 then 1 then the other 1 is large and she loves to beat you with her wings

 

[karenerwin]

Yeah, it's supposed to start here later tonight. Winter weather advisory, one forecast says 2-6 inches the other says 2-3. Both say some freezing rain along with it so there go my nets again...

So, how much did you end up getting?

I had to put my Silkie terrier down last Friday and then hubs snapped a tendon in his ankle while we were walking the dogs Saturday afternoon. My list of things to do is far too long and I have no idea where I'm going to find the time to do everything plus work full time. I find myself cutting back on sleep to make more time but I'm grumpy without my z's.

Anyway, sorry to ramble. Have a good day all.

So sorry to hear about all your set backs. Having to put a dog down is the worst.
Will your hubby have to have surgery? I hope he recovers quickly!

 

[karenerwin]

I have never wanted to raise chicks (or humans for that matter, lol)! I was hoping I could get a broody to do it! The girls I have now are red sex links & will (I assume) never go broody. My thought is buying a couple of sexed day olds & sticking them under a broody, I don't want to deal with eggs & having to cull male chicks. But I don't know if my RSLs will kill babies or if I'll have to separate broody & babies out - I might not have room for that. DH will kill me if I make him build me a 2nd coop.

Or is it easier to separate half the run & slowly integrate pullets in with the flock. But I'd still need some type of a temporary coop.

Either way, DH is going to kill me I guess.

I've done it both ways and I much prefer trying to get a broody to accept them. She prevents the other chickens (even roosters) from bothering the chicks.
I have a smallish wire rabbit cage. I sometimes keep the broody and chicks in there inside the coop for a few days. On the occasions when a broody hasn't accepted the chicks I brood them in the rabbit cage inside the coop. My coop has electricity so I can hang a heat lamp if needed ( or a heat mat). Plus by brooding them in the coop they integrate with no problem when they decide to venture out! I usually raise a corner of the rabbit cage so that the chicks can get out and can run back under if they feel threatened but the bigger birds can not get in the rabbit cage.

No more chicken dust in the house for me!

 

[pennyJo1960]

I hate chicken dust in the house I guess I missed IM I am sorry about the dog missed that totally I have been so wound up here but I am with you there I hate doing it have last 2 one each last 2 years both have been older rescues