Wisconsin "Cheeseheads"

[denisemhogan]

Thanks...there is a great assortment of colors...black...red..brown...partridge..white...grey...all little Bantam Cochins. A couple might be fizzle...therenarebtwo reds and a brown whose fluff is definitely different than the others. We got some silver lace too...but my friend wanted those. They are still running the special and twice I had my credit card out...but I'm afraid in a week or two I would feel like I'm over my head. Also afraid to put them outside even with a heatlamp...it's just so darn cold! They are actually in an old parakeet flight cage. And you know of course if I order another 25 I will have 30 Roos and 5 gals with my luck!

 

[denisemhogan]

Was just talking to my girlfriend and said....what the peck! Might as well jump in all hog....so I called and ordered a variety pack of Banty chicks.
My poor rooster Amery is going to feel like a giant next to all these little ones....still will be looking for some lav. Orp hens for him this spring...now I better get to cleaning so it looks like I did something other than surf hatchery website all day...

 

[delisha]

Went out and snapped a few pics of the Orps..

B4's favorite side





These have more growing to do..

 

[delisha]

awwww..cute chick pics!!

 

[delisha]

Well the experiment is sill going..it seems that the shipment with the hand warmer is going and the one without is not.

With the hand warmer
I tossed out 9 eggs and checked them. Infertle.
10 doing well so far

With out the hand warmer

3 viable, the rest never started.
8 were infertle 7 just never began.

I have all of my Orpington eggs doing well

 

[denisemhogan]

Yolks on me....went to bake some cookies for the fam...went to crack the eggs....guess I now know where the 6yr old put her hard boiled eggs that we couldn't find and thought the dog ate. (Yes...I'm stalling...I don't feel like cleaning)

 

[CasieD]

I candled my eggs today, day 10. Looks like 2/2 BBS orps are clear but 5/5 of the white orps are developing. Overall that makes this batch 5/8 so far after pulling out that stinker earlier.

Stopped in at the feed store today to check on prices for whole grains. Doing some price research on sprouting/fodder/fermenting options. The wheat was $9.95/50#, cleaned oats $9.89/50# and barley was only $7.50/50#. Only picked up the oats today. I mix them with cracked corn and BOSS for their chicken crack, I mean scratch! lol They also had a bin of buckwheat seed so I grabbed a pound of that at $1.75 just to try growing it into fodder for them to see if they like it as a special treat. Cracked corn is up to $11.70/50# now too.

Jim - hope your eyes are feeling better today!

Delisha - love those big butts! How did you experiment with the hand warmers??

Denisemhogan - chicks are just like potato chips aye!

Hope the girls had a good time at lunch in Madison!

Judge -

Sorry to hear about your DDD, I have a couple friend with it and it's not easy to deal with. Hope they can do something for your pain. Sounds like a nice brooder box too!

With it being so cold outside I've been brooding the chicks in the basement. They start out in a 31 x 15 x 14 critter cage (hamster type thing), they moved up last weekend to their bigger digs. A 50 gal Sterilite plastic tote, 42 x 24 x 18. Menards has them for $18. Then right next to those are the wire closet shelves. We picked up a 48 x 20 wire shelf piece to use as a cover ($14). Fit on the tote nicely. Drilled a couple of holes along the long side of the tote and attached the side of the shelf with wire ties to act as a hinge. So far so good. Will have to work until they can go out to the unheated shop.

 

[Hurley]

Man these NYD chicks are getting big already. Got a trio of quite handsome OE barred cockerels in there, all three are barred, 1 with a pea comb, 1 with a straight comb, and 1 with a straight comb and muffs, CUTE. Too bad I don't need them unless I feel like trying to make some barred hens. Anyone have a need? They are Iowa Blue x F1 Blue Cuckoo OE Marans x Ameraucana. Also have several EEs that are Iowa Blue x Lavender Bantam Ameraucana, some look bantam, others look full sized. Give a shout out if anyone wants some. They are all pea combed, blackish right now, 3 weeks old and growing fast.

Got my NPIP certification today, woot! I'm all official-like now, happy as I want to ship some eggs this summer.

I keep hearing it's going to warm up, sure doesn't feel like it. Brrrr. Poor IB roosters are getting a bit frost bit. Good ventilation/low humidity, but cold is COLD. Poor guys. They're going to look rose combed next year.

Had to shoot a raccoon today. Hope it's dead, it gimped off and couldn't find it. It was up 15 feet from the dog yard, dogs going crazy, and it wasn't acting right. Worried about Rabies, in Iowa it would almost be a guarantee. Not sure how much rabies y'all have here, but that bold, daylight, and coming up to dogs that way with no food to lure him? Like I said, hope he's dead. Hubby got a couple shots into him.

 

[BlackBrookPoultry]

I can't believe a raccoon was out and about in this cold weather.

 

[CasieD]

Just an FYI in case anyone else is interested, the certified Pullorum Tester Training Seminar is scheduled for this year.

It's April 10th from 6:30 - 9:30 at the Hancock Ag station.

http://datcp.wi.gov/Animals/Poultry/index.aspx?Id=135

The seminar is free, but if you want to become certified you must mail in the form with a $25 fee.

Register by April 1st.

I'm planning on going, anyone else??