North Carolina

[ramirezframing]

I better be your fav #2, or we got problems dad

to the newbies

I think I can stop dancing for rain now, but still doing a chickie dance for them eggs.

 

[Possum Manor West]

Hi all. I do not post often, but I read all the time. I have been busy planning a new chicken house, since my girls ( all Silkies) have out smarted me in the old one. They want to keep their eggs, so they have been getting under the box, which is about six inches of the ground, and laying eggs there. That means I have to put down a tarp, lay down, and rake the eggs out. I rake one out. They roll it back under. This goes on and on until I finally win. They are smarter than I even gave them credit for.

Last summer I let them hatch six of my neighbor's eggs, well not my neighbor's eggs, but her chickens' eggs. They are all big girls, but two of my little Silkies adopted, hatched, and took care of those babies. Now I am wondering if they would hatch a Polish egg. I would want to keep it, and I hate watching a new chick or rooster even, go through that horrible hazing they do to the new ones. Do you think a Polish hen.....oh don't let me hatch another rooster....would live happily with Silkies?

Today I hung a cabbage in the coop. They have had a lot of fun with it. At first they were a bit wary, but they got over that quickly. Cabbage is one of their favorite things, just behind tomatoes and dried meal worms.

Kathie

 

[NewHomesteader2010]

Good Morning BYC'ers!! I am SO ready for the rain to stop...I have a coop to finish!!

Question: Does anyone know with the new extra egg program that BYC is starting, if it is available to those of us who don't yet have laying hens?? Just curious if anyone knew, as I read the threads, but didn't see anyone answer. I saw a few of our faithful NC BYC'ers are interested...I fear that since I am one of the few people way far out east, that there will be no one else in my area for me to qualify even if we could join up later.

how depressing...that would have been another motivator for my DH to allow us to get MORE chickens!!

Coop Update (you know i can't post without giving you something): DH is stopping by to pick a ladder after work today and we will begin to cut out the pieces for the framing of the roof.

PRAYING for a nice clear day tomorrow so we can get the roof framed (and I can get some of my veggies divided and the rest planted) and the window slots framed too. After that...the walls get to go up and then...THEN it will be almost finished.

Have a great FRIDAY everyone!

 

[Miss Lydia]

PMW, I think a polish hen would be great with silkies, for one thing none of them can see each other

so like you said there won't be any hazing going on... Just remember to post pictures we love to see pics of that mama and new chick.. and Ruthann we're all

that ya'll will be able to work on your coop tomorrow. what kind of windows did you get? ya'll have a great day and we will be busy starting tomorrow we will be going to pick up our 3 grandkids and will have them for the week.. Gosh I am exhausted already..

 

[NewHomesteader2010]

ML - First off...ENJOY your time with your grandkids...are you SURE you're old enough to have grandkids?? You don't seem old enough, unless you were married young, and your kids were married young...then I suppose you could be like mid-30's and be a grandparent...Ok, I'll let that slide!!

We just bought (from a wonderful BYC'er) a few windows for this coop (and for the next one...we know it's inevitable, as you all know, we have the disease!!

). They are vinyl windows that are approximately 2.5' square (approximately...this is me rounding up & out...lol). They will be going on the North & South (I THINK) sides of the coop. I think we're going to do a hinge system so they can be open during the summer and closed during the winter...not too sure what the DH has planned!! We have to cut out the 2x4 studs so we can frame the windows...and well that's HIS job. I do NOT use power tools - they scare me!!

I will use the shovel while he does that and continue to work on our garden so when we get the chicken wire we can put extra around my garden...I found the deer munching on my peas yesterday when I returned home from picking up the windows.

did you know deer do NOT like the sound of a car horn...or a car blaring it's horn while driving in their direction... SO glad the DH wasn't home to see me drive my car through the yard at the deer...although in my defense...I'd NEVER have gotten close enough to do anything more than scare them!! If they weren't so destructive...they'd be CUTE...pretty much like coons!! I will post photos of everything IF it stops raining and dries out. I'm hoping to surprise the DH today if the yard dries out by mowing it...he HATES to mow (we have 4 acres that get mowed and another few acres that we just leave - to hard to weave around trees...lol) because it takes so long. I'm hoping this early evening when the DD goes down for a nap if the grass is dry enough, I can take care of it for him.

It's one less thing he has to "do" and can use as an excuse NOT to work on the coop. I'm sneaky...I know!!

Does anyone know anything about the Greensboro show? Gavin are you going?? I was thinking if the coop was largely finished we could go...not sure WHERE it is. Anyone know? I'd have to GPS it so I'd know how to get there!!

even then...I'd probably get lost. I got lost with TWO sets of directions going to pick up windows yesterday!!

What??

Some people are directionally challenged, like myself. I'd blame it on being left handed as it affects my mother too, but then again...I know too many other lefties who don't have a problem!!

Just means I have to blame genetics!!

Just had to share that the DD was NOT interested in the chickens she saw yesterday until the Roo started "talking"...then she pipped right up and started "talking" to him and everything else out there!! It was SUPER cute!! Ok, I am a biased mother, but still... it was CUTE. Can't wait to see how she does with her own flock!!

We're thinking of names for the chickens just in case they don't come with names...I sure hope they're named, as I am running out of ideas and I've only managed to get to 3!!

My nieces LOVE the powerpuff girls, so I thought they'd like to take care of a few PPG chickens when they visit!! Wow...I'm extra long winded today...better run and try to get something accomplished!! HAPPY FRIDAY EVERYONE!!

Edited to ask: I was reading that most people use DE to combat mites...if I have a concrete floor would mites/lice be a problem? Would I still need DE? Thanks for the help!!

 

[Miss Lydia]

Hey long winded,

I'm a lefty too. and the only thing I have going for me is my sence of direction, so it must be in your family only.. [my mom was a lefty too.] and yes I was a child bride

cool you were able to get those windows, you'll need lots of ventaliation , we only have 2 windows in our coop so we will be putting another one on the south side, that will give them more air and don't forget to use hardware cloth to cover them. it's very windy and we had 34* this morning. won't get to plant too much yet

all my chickens have names all 22 but I mostly call the hens the girls and the roos by their names it's easier for me.. plus I have 3 sets of twins so it's hard to tell them apart.

well gotta go do something constructive I guess

 

[secretquail]

Hey everyone! It's been a while since I've been on, life got a bit busy. I was wondering if anyone is going to the 'flock swap' in Sanford tomorrow?

 

[HenThymes]

Good Morning everyone!

Have you read about this yet this morning? I think it is going to be GREAT!!

Every little bit helps these days.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=475930

 

[Junkmanme]

Quote:
Interesting idea.
(But my skeptic side says: "It ain't gonna work.")

-Junkmanme-

 

[NewHomesteader2010]

Quote:
I think it sounds GREAT...but I don't think I'll be able to do it...there's so few people out in my "neck of the woods" that I don't see how (besides they haven't said whether you can join up later or if you have to have layers right now)...those of you in the Western part of the state will have better luck.

It makes me sad. The DH thought it was a great idea and even said we could get more chicks if that was the case...BOO!!
On a worse note...my sewing day was cut short by an angry wasp that was out to get me. Since I am highly allergic (and no epi pen in sight) I packed up and ran with my tail between my legs.

good thing the wee one was sleeping!! STILL no teeth fully emerging. BOO!!
Where's SCM?? I was curious how the rest of her hatch is going and if she heard anything back from the seller of her duds? Also was curious to see if the little man was feeling better.