****Winter**** Chicken Moma chat thread. Join in the chat!

[3lilbubs]

oh good to know about the silkies, I'll buy mash instead of crumbles for the chicks then.

LOL, fake it till ya make it is the mantra of any workout. Thank you! I figure I have about six mos's worth of work ahead of me to get to my goal. But I am very proud of how far I've come and how much I've reduced my risk of diabetes and heart disease. I hope to be at 140lbs by late july. Yes, I'm doing the video series, it was expensive but 100% worth it. Sorry the music was too loud, you don't think they'd lower it if people complained?

[Squeaky McMurdo]

Do any of you use an open air coop? I have a 20x5 ft space between the house and the fence and I have an idea that I could frame a brace for a piece of plywood with a sheet of tin over it and just prop it up between the wall and fence for a roof. Then I can cover the remaining space with chicken wire.

ETA: Here's the space

[3lilbubs]

I think it's against code to have the coop join a wall to your home? Many towns have rules that the coop has to be "x" feet from another home. Here ours is 100ft. It's pretty common to have a chickenwire enclosure with nothing more than a lean-to and a roost here though. I know it's sufficient but I always feel sad for those birds, esp on days like today when the wind is blowing snow at 30mph. Depends on your highs and lows.

[sarahannecloud9]

Originally Posted by 3lilbubs Sarah, I tried to tilt the eggs a little this am, but the AM ones are really too big. I'm kinda at a loss. I didn't candle them because I just wanted them to be able to stay still and rest. THe silkie eggs were easier to tilt. I'm so lost trying to figure this all out, and I want the Am's to hatch SOOO badly!! The rest from Sarah C. should be here today, at least I hope so because we're due for snow tonight. It's 34 degrees out now and the storm is supposed to hit midday. My roos are pitiful. Sitting on the porch looking mournfully in the house. LOL Here's what I would do, get a ruler and wedge it in an end crease under the carton. Then it will give just enough tilt. You can them just rotate the carton. Michelle those coops are gorgeous, I LOVE how it opens fully for cleaning! Wow! Congrats on starting your workouts, keep it up! I started p90x a month ago now and while it was VERY hard for me at first I can at least finish or get close to finishing all the reps now. At first I couldn't do more than 5 pushups in a row even on my knees. Maybe if I get brave I'll post pics eventually but I'm 2 days from finishing phase one (30 days) and I have lost 12 lbs and 2" all the way down my body from my chest to my hips and almost 3" from my thighs!! I have a long way to go but I'm really happy with how far I've gotten.

Originally Posted by mommy2wyatt I'm still reading, enjoying just learning from everyones posts So it'll be about 3 weeks now until our chicks come, anything I should be preparing? I'm getting a dozen silkies, what should I keep them in to start with? My friend suggested a kiddie pool as long as the bottom is covered so they aren't sliding all over. I've also been looking at different coop plans, I'm thinking we might turn one of our machine sheds into a coop, that way it still matches the rest of our farm and won't cost as much. I think we'll fence in a run but hope to let them free range. A neighbor told me that they have a problem with mink getting their chickens. I'm hoping our dogs keep most of the predators away but I'm thinking we should maybe be prepared just incase the free ranging won't work. My IL's had a coop, but I guess when they were done with it they just put it in the woods behind our house(along with all the boulders and everything else they didn't want!) So I might be able to use parts of it still. My parents live in the city and my Dad told me the other day he'd be happy to come out and spend a weekend working on the coop, he's a great carpenter and that way it's less for DH to do. Hoping to have it all settled and done by my due date! As long as spring comes soon we'll be fine!

I have pics if you wan, but my setup is kinda diff. I use small box with shavings and a blanket cover for a cpl days with an extension coard and 2 4 wat night lights hung from wire in the top. Then I progress to a bigger one if I don't feel they are ready for the bin. Then we have 2 huge rubbermaide totes/bins I have with normal 75-60 was bulbs. I seperate the chicks into 2 bins as they grow. Then into the growout pen.
I made wire lids for each and cover that with a baby blanket till they are a tad older.

Originally Posted by 3lilbubs other eggies are here! 7 lavendar ameraucanas and 2 wheaten! I just went ahead and set them because the air cells looked good and with the cold, I am assuming potentially weak embryos and waiting one more day might not be good. 28 eggs in my incubator! I'm thinking since the two groups of eggs are just about 12 hours apart that I may stop turning the second group a day early and then do a slow rise to lockdown. Like 50-55% humidity for the first 12 hours and then up to 60-65%. Thoughts Sarah? Awsome idea! Oh and sarah I wanna see your Am babies now!

I JUST put them in the growout pen. They were getting flighty and needed space. They are having the time of their life. We miss them though because they were our only chicks that would rush the edge of the bin if they even saw you to be pet or have a snack. I'll try to get some pics soon. Stinkin georgious colors!!!!!

Originally Posted by Resellmybelle Thanks Sarah, I will take pics after we get the coops delivered, we can't wait. Can't wait to see!!!!!!! I bet you are anxious to get them! Make sure whatever brooder you use has high sides and is not drafty, a kiddie pool sounds too big for right away if you are getting day olds. We usually use a small cardboard box with paper towels on the bottom with the heat lamp shining in a corner. They can get chilled easily and that is your enemy in those first few days. Also we do not hold them a lot in the first week, we heard it can stress them. After a week or two of everyone doing fine, we give lots of cuddles. Oh and look for a digital thermometer to place in the bottom of the brooder. We normally shoot for 95 the first couple weeks then going down 5 degrees a week til they feather out. I had to grind up our chick starter to tiny granules, almost powder like in the food processor because the silkies mouths were too tiny to fit the normal starter crumbles in their mouths. I would also offer them their processed food mixed with hot kettle water and sometimes added a tablespoon of yogurt. They loved that the most. I fed them this powdered crumble for many weeks, they are thriving and eating normal chick starter now at 8 weeks and live outdoor full time in the coop.

Originally Posted by Resellmybelle Um, they play the music WAY too loud at Zumba. My mom brought ear plugs today. I don't think I will go back. My ears are still ringing and my left ear actually hurts! The worst part is they had babies in strollers against the walls and I know that the incredibly loud music is damaging their ears, it was certainly damaging mine. It is louder than any concert I have attended. I refuse to wear earplugs because they won't turn the music down, and I cannot sit there and watch the kids ears bring ruined...oh well they lost me! Looking into buying the videos. Liz, congrats on your success! Are you doing videos? Oh and ya'll don't be too impressed with my mom, she modifies big time, as she should! But she is pretty amazing!

Oh man, I agree. I wouldn't be able to tolerate that or watch the babies in the room!

Originally Posted by Squeaky McMurdo Do any of you use an open air coop? I have a 20x5 ft space between the house and the fence and I have an idea that I could frame a brace for a piece of plywood with a sheet of tin over it and just prop it up between the wall and fence for a roof. Then I can cover the remaining space with chicken wire. ETA: Here's the space

Can you do a frame a cpl inches from the wall and fence. Perfect spot, but I would do a frame to keep it seperate. Were you not wanting walls? You could do wire? It has super potential.

Dang it I lost a quote!

I wanted to comment on the newly ordered coops and there was something elese.

Someone asked about Patients, Michelle perhaps? She's great! She decided she hates me now? No clue why? Weirdo! Lookin great though and gets along well with the others!!!!

We are supposed to head to the outbuilding this am to try and finish up the coop. Had a babysitter and stayed up too late, lol. Rented some great movies, well, 1 was great. The other was good. Hit & Run!! Rocked!!!!!

[Nielsen6]

Hey Sarah, so how about we try out some more hatching eggs again?? But this time I'll pay you for them. I get paid Tuesday I'd like to order some duck eggs too, and just put the chicken eggs in a week later. I think that will work. I'll have to reasearch some more though.

[sarahannecloud9]

I get the ducks in the spring. It will be hatching eggs. Hope I can figure those out!

I'd be happy to send more. Did you have no luck with the others? You can just pay the shipping, fees, and a smidge for supplies. I don't feel right selling you eggs fodie. You've been so good to me and they are just mixes for the most part. I know Solomon is mating like wild again. If you want more summer, my nicer pullets should be laying. I don't know when I'll have a blue male ready. I think I picked the one I want. He has wonderfull feathering, but dang brass leaking through on the chest. I'll have to mate him to a pure blue to get that worked out. It'll prob take a cpl yrs before i have what I want, lol! Summer though, I should at least have better girls laying.
Just lmk what ya wanna do.

[Nielsen6]

Yeah I think the shipping through that cold was bad. But I will check the forecast and see if you can send me some more soon, like maybe 2 weeks from now. I have 10 left out of 26...just crappy. I feel terrible, but am going to improve my skills in hatching this way so may as well do it again. I hope to get more eggs of my own as well. I would like to set at least 3 dozen.

And look who I got back today! All the lil roos are gone and Gorgeous George is here to stay. I might be biased but boy he's a looker huh?

[3lilbubs]

what a handsome guy!

[sarahannecloud9]

Oh man is he just georgious! I can't wait to see some of that dude's lo's!! Wow! I bet the girls are happy!

I have some new pics of Solomon with his new tail, lol. Poor fella, so handsome now. He's feeling so good too.

I think we will be able to finish the coop today. Then we can get in into place and later start the run. We should be able to build the run in the out-building, then set it up. We do pannels. Keeps the wire tite, and it's moveable.

[Nielsen6]

I hear lots of cheeping going on in the bator!! Exciting!