Okies in the BYC The Original

[MMPoultryFarms]

So after 5 days of building and slaving to build coops for my over populated farm I got all my breeds seperated and ready for some serious spring hatching. Then I turn on the news and it says Severe cold storm tues. threw the middle of febuary. Ugggg.

After a few hours at walmart mapping out all my coops and possible outlets, 200 bucks later my yard looks like a big giant spider web of outdoor cords and indoor Surge protectors. everyones cozy in there Forts fully equiped with indoor feedes and waters and red heat lamps.

I can see the hens now with snow on the ground sitting in the house in there bathing suits drinking gatoraid and talking about boys.

 

[donnie]

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I have a young cockerel donnie he is still shy of breeding by a few months I am sure hes 5 months old. I am taking him to the blanchard auction unless you want it its a cuckoo maran.

thanks for the offer but im hoping to find me a grown bird that is already topping hens , need one mature for what im going to do

 

[artsyrobin]

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now that brings images to mind! one question though- is heat lamps necessary or would the chickens be acclimated to this cold??

 

[Greybear23]

Hi Beth, is it cold there yet? Hi to everyone else too!!! I got out this morning and finish up 5 Pallet pens (temporary pens???) They turned out really nice, will have to get some pics for yall to look at and give me your opinions, They were totally free, used pallets, used tin and the grates out of salvage cookstove ovens for doors!!! And lots of baling wire!!! They are about 4 foot tall, 4 foot wide and almost 5 feet deep! I got a FREE rooster with the Naked necks and game hens, not sure what he is, a cross of some sort I guess, he is basiclly Black with some lacing on his breast and gold/orange hackles and saddle, black tail, he is about the size of a RIR or B. Australorp. Put him in with the Naked neck hens (5 of them), should have some meaty babies with Naked necks on some??? Ende up with a Spangle colored Game hen, a light Blue with red neck Game hen, and 4 that are Hatch looking, don't know what I am going to put with them yet, thinking about putting some of my Toppy stags with them for a while.
Teach my Punkin Hulsey hen I bout a week ago laid her first egg today!!!
Well I think I am ready for the cold spell, got hay to the horses and hay for bedding in all the pig pens, have feed to get through next week, dreading carrying water next few days Lynn

 

[TheBarnSwallow]

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is the blue sweed a hen or drake ?

I have no idea, I can try and post a pic tomorrow and you can see if its male or female... I just know that it thinks the white crested duck is its momma (since he was the lone survivor when his parents were taken mysteriously.

 

[Okla-doodle-doo]

Sounds like you all are battening down the hatches!Hope it doesn't get as bad as it sounds,but its always good to be prepeared. All we will get out of it is about four days of rain towards the end of the week.
Lynn sounds like you got a nice set of pens going there! How are the pig crops doing?

 

[poultryand bees]

All the birds and rabbits are ready for cold weather, but it took all afternoon. Jaxon discovered the joys of finding Nintendo games for cheap at Mary's swap meet this weekend. I don't know that I will ever be lacking for someone to walk around with at Mary's again.

Of course, he is now wanting a Jersey Wooly doe to go with the new "very soft" buck so he had to inspect all the rabbits at Mary's this morning also.

 

[al6517]

I prefer not to use any heat lamps in the breeder or layer pen's in the winter at all, unless of course I have chicks outside in brooders. I only keep the little ones in a brooder in the house for about 4 wk's or so then out they go, regardless if it's 100 degrees outside or 20 below, they all do fine when properly perpared. These birds need to be acclimated to their permanant suroundings as soon as possible and then stay that way. I find the birds do much better Physicaly & mentally when they are not babied & fussed over and made to fend for themselfs. It sure helps to not have to give Meds to birds every other week for one thing or another because they get fussed over and have their routines changed from inside & outside areas swapped too often. I do add some lights in the early spring to jump start my breeders into laying and the water bowl heaters but that's about it and all they need & want I might add.

I have Cornish chicks hatching as we speak, 6 out so far with a bunch doing their best to make it out before I hit the sack LOL, once they start to feather out, botta bing out to the frozen tundra LOL.

AL

 

[babyrnlc]

I am new here and new to chickens. We are in Tulsa and have 2 hens and some chicks hatching in a few days!

 

[Sooner]

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I am riding this storm out at your house Sooner!

I actually have room that I could have folks over & we would all be confortable & well fed! LOL!