Your Plans For 2020! (Chat/Discussion)

[ValerieJ]

That's some good questions! Tomorrow I'll go ask the birds what their plans are.
They may not answer me since they don't trust people much!

 

[Henry&Friends]

What’s a plan?



gonna try and save a couple hundred dollars to buy a better coop... i saw my shed at Lowe’s but bigger, and now I must have it.

 

[ValerieJ]

Well, it's going to be really soggy here for the next couple weeks at least, mostly raining every day. I'm going to have to put off my integration plans for the moment. This is the wrong time of year to be dealing with this!!! The hen that is making things impossible is the reason I even have these chicks! I had separated her yesterday into a separate run and coop with a couple buddies, so I could try to integrate the chicks with the 5 nicer hens. It is raining so much, everything is completely soggy outside, and that particularly run doesn't have an outdoor shelter. So the hens are all back together again. I don't want soggy chickens, but the 3 looked like drowned rats this morning.

The longer I put this off the more trouble I might have. Right now the chicks are getting along perfectly, but there are two cockerels and two pullets, so I see trouble down the road. It will be hard to just move the pullets in with the hens because there is only two of them, so I wanted to move them with their protectors before those protectors get hormonal. They are 4 months now.

Right now the biggest goal I have for 2020 is a peaceful flock, even if that includes a bachelor pad.

 

[MROO]

I'm getting my BJG! I didn't think I was going to, but ... well, let me start at the beginning.

At Cackle Hatchery you have to order a minimum of 3 of any breed. But I only want one BJG. I ordered 7 female and 8 male Black Australorps because there's a 15-bird minimum and was just sad because I wouldn't get my BJG rooster out of the deal. Being the Queen of the Second Thought, I then wrote them an email asking if I could change my order to 5 male BA and 3 BJG, thinking I could put the extra two BJG in the freezer.

Too late, she said, this year they are not doing adjustments on orders; I would have to cancel my order and start over. Except .... they always send an extra chick or two. Would I like to request a male BJG as an "extra"?

Oh boy, would I! Yes, please! So it looks like I'm going to "luck out" as we say here, and get what I wanted after all.

I bet you'll love him! My solo BJG is a rescue pullet (one of my Kindergarten Dropouts) and she's just the sweetest natured bird I've ever had ... and that includes my lovable cockatiel from way back when. And how cool that you get him basically "free" as your extra! Not only do you get exactly what you want, but you won't have a random "mystery chick" cockerel to raise! Perfect!

 

[MROO]

Thanks! They are coming early - mid February. Oh, question: will one brooder heater be enough for 16 babies?

I guess it really depends on the size of your set-up. I have two eight-week-old BJG/Silkie crosses. and they've already outgrown my little Brinsea brooder plate. It's designed for 20 new chicks, but barely fits my two "little" babies, even propped up on two inch blocks!

 

[MROO]

I'm defiantly adding a few layers either way,

I realize that it's probably a typo, but "defiantly" instead of "definitely," works, at least at MY house!

 

[ValerieJ]

I realize that it's probably a typo, but "defiantly" instead of "definitely," works, at least at MY house!

 

[cluckmecoop7]

I'm planning to make a door in my coop to make cleaning way easier. I also might add a gate in to the run and I'm really hoping to hatch chicks in the spring with a broody hen!

 

[ValerieJ]

I'm planning to make a door in my coop to make cleaning way easier. I also might add a gate in to the run and I'm really hoping to hatch chicks in the spring with a broody hen!

There's always something to do to improve our coops it seems. I'm hoping to have a broody raise chicks in the future, but I don't know if it will be in 2020. My two cockerels are 4 months old and I'm expecting them to be separate from the time they get hormonal until they are roosters and more mature. 2020 goal is to work out all the interim shuffling.

 

[Fur-N-Fowl]

Guys it seems like you all have a very busy 2020 ahead of you!

Well...

Good thing next year has 366 days!

That one extra day will make a lot of difference.