Wisconsin "Cheeseheads"

[denisemhogan]

Hi everyone! Had a chance with a sleepless night to catch up on some posts. Lots going on. Sorry to hear about the kitty Finster . Hate losing the elders.
So much on hatching. Im glad I didn't go that route this first year back into poultry. I however have learned a lot. Maybe another year.

So...why didnt anyone warn me about getting ducks...lol. Not that I probably would of listened. Definitely learned my lesson about baby ducks and winter. They do not go together. I have spent a small fortune on trying to keep them dry and clean. They also eat twice as much food as chickens. I'm thinking of selling some of my BEI's as I have so many.

My friend and I each somehow ended up with paralyzed ducks. Her duck was almost dead when she brought it to me. I brought them inside and rehabilitated them. My new profession as a duck physical therapist paid off. I now have two healthy ducks. My friend is picking hers up today. It's a good feeling.

I went to a poultry swap meet a couple of weeks ago. Came home with a couple of baby runners. (See told you I wouldn't listen). Figured I was already butt deep into this mess...a couple more wont hurt. I wasn't impressed though with anything really there. Overpaid for a pair of silkies....they were obviously just someone's farm birds. They were a mess...gave them baths....feeding them good food and that roo has become my sweetheart. He loves me to death...and I him. Downside is I'm allergic to him....but I don't care...I pick him up and cuddle him anyway. He deserves it. I named him Walter...as he looks like Walter Kronkite to me. His mate is Winnie. She's ok. Cute little bird....not as friendly.

PPB...Amery my big roo that I got from Angiebubs...his tail has changed over the winter...it's dark slate. Last fall he started showing a little buff ontop of his pale lavendar feathers. Is he still considered Lavender? He is HUGE. And definitely the man of the LF. He loves his ladies!

Now that it's nice outside the ducks are getting moved outdoors. It's time!!!!! I still don't know what I was thinking.

Oh...I almost forgot....I had wanted to participate in the hatch along....but I am in over my head at the moment....but I guess you could say I did. My daughter's pigeon had laid a couple of eggs during the deep freeze there. I didn't think they had a snowball in hell chance of hatching....but we woke up Easter morning to a little pigeon. I've seen it once....they sit on him tight!

Hopefully I'll have access to the iPad a little more often and can keep up with you all. I am so looking forward to the warmer weather!
Happy spring to you all!

 

[delisha]

Good morning all..


Thanks everyone for the tips on marking eggs. I love the date idea. I usually set the eggs on dates set starting on the left and work right, but, I usually end up candling and moving them eventually and forget. The date on the egg is going to work for me so much better.

Love the good morning rooster..

TO I have one fertile quail egg from you. Darn. DH was actually excited about breeding quail. I am going to have to buy some large quail from you. These are going to be to small to eat.

 

[Amyable]

Good morning! Sun is out but there's a chill in the air. Such a diddly, dwadly spring this year.

The Lord works in mysterious ways. This morn I had a PM in my inbox from a gal I claimed a dozen Khaki Campbell eggs from off the swaps. She just had an overhatch of ducklings and wants to know if I want ducklings shipped instead of eggs. I just have to pay the extra shipping. Um, YES! So I will have some little quackers in the next day or two.

Also, I'm trying to get some Cayuga eggs from dcbaflock; she is going to the NPIP meeting in Hancock next week. Is anyone from the Appleton/GB area going to be there and willing to do an egg chain???

denise, i like your duck rehab story. WTG!

 

[irishrovr]

Irish ........cute new hens hope they get along well with everyone.....hows my girls doing? I miss my Peepers, she was always such a talker, and Betsies nice dark egg, and her 2 sisters are missing her too....... Suzie is getting picked on my a new feather picker, I seen tonight someone has her chest half plucked, Thought I got rid of my Feather picker, now I'm wondering if I have a new one or if Betsy was protecting her........ arggg gotta separate these guys to breeding pens so I can sort out who has to get the AX this year, and who is being sold or rehomed, before I get chicks marching all over the place.

The girls are all doing very well, though egg production went down mysteriously. I'm betting that they're finding places out in the bushes to lay rather than in the nests. The little stinkers are spending a lot of time under the juniper bushes so I'll have to check it out several times during the day to be sure I don't miss any. Peepers attached herself to the two RIR (my other talkers) and the three of them go everywhere together. My new roo really likes Molly and he tolerates her eating close to him (otherwise the other hens pick on her). He keeps most of the others away when there are treats near him. Molly (EE) and Bridie (BO) follow him around a lot. Stormm (BSL) seems to go with the flow and she gets along with everyone. The new girls are going to be by themselves for awhile before I introduce them to the rest. One of them might be a picker as she went after the Polish rooster's head feathers at her former home. We'll see how these two get along by themselves for awhile. So far, this is a really mellow bunch of birds!

 

[unkadan]

good sunny morning from the north country,

Public Service Announcement: It's Election Day, while this particular one has not gotten big press, there are a couple of state choices to make, with all of the "outside" interests in WI elections it's good to go vote your mind. Also lots of local choices. (now back to our regular scheduled chicken programming)

raccoons 1 Unk 0 I set the big box trap last night but one of the buggers tripped it without getting in,,,grrrr

the first chicks got picked up yesterday. quite in the basement for a few days, cleaned up that mess and ready for the next

candled the eggs this morning day 15, only 1 clear out of 31 olive eggers,,, busy fertile guys here ,,,,17 of 24 white chants are growing, not so good on the BR's I reported to Gina so she can figure out what's going on with that group

my 2 cents on marking eggs,,I use a pencil on everything but the Marans, watching my e-mail message boards and threads on BYC I find most breeders use a Sharpie to mark these dark eggs since nothing else shows, some even use the new Silver sharpies. These eggs do have extra shell layers so maybe that helps (don't shoot the messenger, just passing on what I have seen and use on dark eggs)

Nice score on the ducks Amy!

those quail are tempting,,,,maybe I'll look for some eggs later when spring actually arrives here

bbl

danstarvingthinkinghamandeggssoundgood

 

[judge]

good sunny morning from the north country,

Public Service Announcement: It's Election Day, while this particular one has not gotten big press, there are a couple of state choices to make, with all of the "outside" interests in WI elections it's good to go vote your mind. Also lots of local choices. (now back to our regular scheduled chicken programming)

raccoons 1 Unk 0 I set the big box trap last night but one of the buggers tripped it without getting in,,,grrrr

the first chicks got picked up yesterday. quite in the basement for a few days, cleaned up that mess and ready for the next

candled the eggs this morning day 15, only 1 clear out of 31 olive eggers,,, busy fertile guys here ,,,,17 of 24 white chants are growing, not so good on the BR's I reported to Gina so she can figure out what's going on with that group

my 2 cents on marking eggs,,I use a pencil on everything but the Marans, watching my e-mail message boards and threads on BYC I find most breeders use a Sharpie to mark these dark eggs since nothing else shows, some even use the new Silver sharpies. These eggs do have extra shell layers so maybe that helps (don't shoot the messenger, just passing on what I have seen and use on dark eggs)

Nice score on the ducks Amy!

those quail are tempting,,,,maybe I'll look for some eggs later when spring actually arrives here

bbl

danstarvingthinkinghamandeggssoundgood

That is great news on the chanteclers! Hoping to get some more next week and try again

 

[Apyl]

Good morning everyone. My chicks hit the mail tomorrow I have moved my week old ducklings to a different brooder, cleaned and set up the large brooder for the chicks,and a small brooder for the 2 turkeys. I'm thinking I really need to bring in another large bin for the geese and ducks. Maybe I'll put my week old ones in the large bin and the day olds in the medium bin and when they outgrow that then combine all the ducks and geese in the large bin. hhmmm.

How fast do turkey grow? Do they grow super fast like ducks?

 

[judge]

Hi everyone- I'm looking for some help with my chicks.First of all, but not so important, when do you stop calling them "chicks"? My birds are 9weeks old on Thursday.
When do they stop needing heat? It has been cold these last few nights so I have kept the heat on them
I am going to move them to the coop with the other chickens I have eventually.
When can I do that, and how do I make sure they understand how to find the feed, water, and how to roost? I feel like they wouldn't be able to jump up to roost at night, much less find the roosts at all?
Any help with this transition, no matter how small the detail, would really be appreciated. I have never done this before. I have only introduced adult bird before.
Thanks guys!

 

[irishrovr]

Hi everyone- I'm looking for some help with my chicks.First of all, but not so important, when do you stop calling them "chicks"? My birds are 9weeks old on Thursday.
When do they stop needing heat? It has been cold these last few nights so I have kept the heat on them
I am going to move them to the coop with the other chickens I have eventually.
When can I do that, and how do I make sure they understand how to find the feed, water, and how to roost? I feel like they wouldn't be able to jump up to roost at night, much less find the roosts at all?
Any help with this transition, no matter how small the detail, would really be appreciated. I have never done this before. I have only introduced adult bird before.
Thanks guys!

Funny! I was just reading an article about chicks and heat - http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2013/04/when-to-move-chicks-from-brooder-to.html There are some good pics of chicks at different stages, too.

 

[RBerryChicks]

you look at her when she is in the nest,, if she is facing to the left, broody.. if she is facing to the right, not broody,, if she is facing either to the front or the rear, she can't make up her mind..

and remember this,, today is April 1 .........

good one