~~December~~ Chicken Moma Chat Thread. :) Come chat!

[3lilbubs]

RE: fred, it's from mating, not plucking. Such a horndog, he's got 14 girls (but won't mate his two sisters, so he's mating 12 of them) and he's still giving them a bare spot by the tail from mating. I'm hoping to add another two females from the babies I just hatched. Lord help my poor girls come spring. Maybe by then he'll be tired.

I'm hoping with adding the two babies, I'll have more EE production and since they'll be beginning to lay around that time that I'll have more diversity for hatching. If I do get a roo out of these chicks I'd like to save it long enough to mate it to Fred's sisters, particularly Greta. She's lovely, and I'd like some chicks from her.

That's the type of feeder I'm using, set inside a big plastic tray. I took the jar off and I've just been filling it as needed and it seems like that's helping a bit, keeping the feed from being so close to the top where it gets kicked out.

your little penciled girl is so pretty. I'd keep her if nobody harasses her.

[sarahannecloud9]

You're gonna have an awsome selection of colors!! How exciting. I read the ee is the most fun to work with for colors because they don't breed true and you always get a surprise! So cool.

She had not a single feather plucked, lol. She's fast and has a tiny attitude with the bullies. Tough little cookie!

[3lilbubs]

whoops!

[3lilbubs]

I sure hope I get a good mix of colors. If there's anything I've learned with the ee's is that the baby fluff and feathers don't betray their true color in the least. They're always fun to watch grow out.

Have you named the little penciled hen yet? You should keep her. She's only getting started, my partridge rock started out with the heavy double outline like that and when she got to about 12 wks she started shedding them for some really gorgeous fine penciled feathers.

[sarahannecloud9]

I have to come up with a name for her. They kinda earn them, lol. I like the name to fit. I remember them more quickly that way. I still have to name that perfect cochin pullet out there. She is like a soccer ball, haha!!! A spit fire though.

[sarahannecloud9]

Patients weighs 14.6 oz!!!!!!

[Bekki]

Sarah, that's great news on Patience's weight gain! Woohoo!

I have been busy lately, and not very able to keep up!

I think tonight will be first night in the coop for the babies! They are nice and feathered out, and it has been unseasonably warm! Only going down to 37 tonight. They spent a day out in 26 degree weather a few days ago and did fine. I'm sure they will be OK tonight.

No heater yet, even though I ordered the thing with 2-day shipping. It's drop-shipped from the manufacturer, so who knows? But again, I think they will be OK with a low of 37.

Still not gonna sleep tonight, though! Nope, not one bit!

All this talk of EE's makes me want some - BAD! I'm half tempted to just buy one more of those coops and find some. This is becoming an obsession!

[sarahannecloud9]

I know the feeling Bekki!

Mine are in the big girl coop for the first time tonight. It turned out to be the worst possible time. Monsoon freezing rain. All the chickens are soaked to the bone from playing in the run and mud. The run get's muddy because they scratch the darn chips out of there. Our soild get's wet at all and it's sludge. Have to go make sure they stayed up in the coop where I put them a cpl hrs ago. They were having a blast last time I checked, lol. They wouldn't stay in their little shelter, had to come out and stand up to the flock. brave little snotts this batch.

I think yours will do great Bekki. Can you check a tracking #? I know I won't sleep either.

I think when it dries up I'm gonna add Patients to the coop while everyone is distracted with the newbys. I can pull her out 2X a day to feed seperate. She needs some friends. She's nice and plump and doing great! I'll continue to monitor her weight and health though. I may have to keep her. Nobody can pay the shipping. Oh well.

[vjbakke]

I feel bad for our Dom hen Cookie, she started moulting last week and is loosing a lot of feathers, today it was only 6 degrees out, she never left the coop. I didn't see very many of them leave the coop at all today. I almost wish I could put a sweater on her or something. I had a feeling this would happen when they started to moult, it's supposed to be back in the upper 20's later in the week, that should be a bit better for her. The coop stays about 10 degrees warmer than outside ( insulation & in the garage) Got down to -8 last night, felt like -15. Thank goodness for hardy birds!

[sarahannecloud9]

There are lots of online patterns and even sales of hen aprons. Could something like that keep her core warmer? My blue is a slow moulter, so it appears. I also have a blk doing the same, just a bit faster. I'm affraid of the same. The blk doesn't wanna leave the coop.

Everyone dried under the lights last night and stayed up top. When I went out, 2 hens were protesting the new addititions by roosting outside of the coop. I'm sure it got cold enough that they went back up, lol.