What did you do with your flock today?

[ChicksnMore]

I'm taking Quantative Analytics this term in school so this could sky rocket into something I may need an intervention from
I was looking on Farmish today to see if there were any that needed homes.

I'm trying so hard to downsize here....yet I have eggs in the incubator

 

[ChicksnMore]

Yes, I'm looking forward to them arriving. After I had them ordered, seems like I see that some folks have lots of pullets and hens for sale. DH even asked if we could buy some locally. Too late, and I would be wary of biosecurity issues as well, not that it didn't stop me the couple times I did buy some POL pullets and hens. Did I mention that DH is on a mission to install the electric fence? So far he has the grounding rods in, and one set of insulators installed. I would love to see what kind of shocking experience those raccoons get. I purchased 2 more cameras for that reason

I love the electric fence! Helpful spouses are such a joy.
I worry about getting live birds locally too. The two times I've had bad bouts of illness sweep through my birds, came from adding new local birds. The last time was myco and the bird I'm sure brought it was quarantined for a month with out showing illness. But even so, I still end up saying yes a lot when offered birds. Twice in over thirty years of owning chickens isn't that bad really... though it feels awful when it happens.

 

[Aliceismad106]

I'm trying so hard to downsize here....yet I have eggs in the incubator

Same! I've got Serama and Silkie. Then I'm doing Ayam. Farmish is going to be the death of me
Someone has silkie chick's for 10 bucks......

 

[ChicksnMore]

Limiting treats? What does that mean?
Seriously though, I try not to give unhealthy treats or anything else with lots of salt, sugar or fat. Unfortunately, Ferdy is more than capable of helping himself so his diet is much less controlled. I'm liberal with treats because, with my first hens being ex-batts, I was of the opinion that they only live short, hard lives so they deserved spoiling! Never got out of the habit. And as long as my birds remain healthy and happy, I'm not really concerned about egg production or anything else.
Ferdy is very good at telling me exactly what he wants for snacks. He sits on my shoulder whilst we look in the fridge. He will then crane his neck towards the food he wants, grunt and do a happy dance if I pick up the right thing. We often have a disagreement over him wanting cheese or butter though!
He loves the pantry too. In there, he will tap on the canisters he wants to investigate. If he's not interested in the contents, he makes a dismissive noise so we move on. He absolutely recognises his nut tin - a miniature amaretti cookie tin - and he's usually in agonies of impatience to get to that!

I don't keep a journal. I tried when I was 8 or 9 and concluded my life was way too boring.

Ferdy sounds like our parrot Tiny! Tiny watches me cook and calls out "cracker?" when he wants to try something. He wants to try just about everything . He has to have a little plate of goodies or I'd never get dinner done. When the weather allows I often take him outside til I'm done though. Since he's my kids bird, I can do that and not feel like a bad mom

 

[Nomadicus]

I'm going out with a slice of bread to give to Honey and whoever wants to come with her to get a little treat on this cold morning. This afternoon cracked corn will be freely given to all the coops.

I'm trying so hard to downsize here....yet I have eggs in the incubator

That's me. Have 2 hatches in the brooder now. At least they are not standard layers and are good for the market place because they are not common. Dark Cornish, American Bresse, and White Giants. I don't have many of these in the brood hen coops.

 

[ValerieJ]

I don't know what to do. It looks like even as cold as it is at night I've got another pullet decide it wants to me a mama hen. She's setting on the ground in a corner of the coop that is hard to get to. Looks like I will have to modify the roosting bars so I can get to her and see if she is broody and not hurt somehow. I didn't think Breese were a broody breed but I know there must be some exceptions. I said she was a pullet but she turns to a fully verified hen Dec 5. So far my mix of age chicks are doing fine. They all are behaving like chicks I've had in the past and if another chick is asleep where they want to go they just climb over like they own the road. Tomorrow is pasty butt cleaning again. At least we have them in a heated room and don't have to go out in the 30+ degree temp in the morning.

I have a broody right now too. Seems an odd time of year for it. I just allow my girls to go broody when they want these days. There have been no chicks as a result for this last year, even with the new cockerel in the mix. So, each time it happens, I think maybe this will be the one who is successful. I don't want to raise chicks anymore, so it's up to them to replenish the flock. At least that is my desire. My hens are trying.

 

[fuzzi]

I had to stay late for a meeting yesterday, didn't get home til full dark. I did go out in the coop to check out my chicks (roosting) and the boxes for eggs (zero again).

I missed visiting with the flock, and hearing their little conversations.


Hopefully I'll be home before full dark tonight.

 

[Nomadicus]

while letting Honey nibble bread from my had this morning one of the rambling roos tried to get a chuck of bread and got my finger instead. He got me right across a knuckle. He's not old enough to have cataracts.

 

[MaeM]

@MaeM how are you and your flock doing today? You're in my thoughts.

Thank you for asking.

My ladies are fine, I'm free ranging them as much as I can so that they can distract themselves. I try to spend time with them but I gotta work, too, and it's never been harder to be away from them. After Ruby's necropsy, and the vets telling me that I have a virus in my backyard, I kind of get separation anxiety, lol. With the virus thing + Mabelo's sudden death, I have a feeling that I could lose any other chicken at any time.

 

[ForFlocksSake]

Ok help me out. Why don’t I get all the notifications for this thread? I assumed no one was posting and came today to say hello and there’s a ton of new posts I hadn’t seen! Is there a way to get notified?

Also we are under freeze warning tonight. Mid to low 30s expected. Not too common here. Tell me my chickens will be fine please