Checking-In On Peeps - Post Here To Say Hello!

[muddy75]

We and our three barred rocks girls are well. They are about a year old now and laying very well. Their eggs are huge (as are their poops!) with deep yellow/orange yolks. We can't keep up with their production which benefits my neighbors greatly

Glad you are doing well! Hope to see you more!

 

[Nifty-Chicken]

busy, just busy

Yup, totally get it. Clad you stopped by.

 

[Nifty-Chicken]

Oh gosh it's been at least four years since I've been here. In that time I've graduated highschool, became vegan, started college as an environmental engineering major, moved with my family to the Netherlands (and gave away our pet chickens to other people with pet chickens), started dating my partner, moved in with him, and adopted a puppy together. (We're both in college in the US and planning to move to the Netherlands once we graduate, so we don't have any chickens right now. I'm hoping to persuade him later... we'll see.)

Wow, you've had quite the journey these past few years! Netherlands? My kid dreams about moving there some day!

Hopefully, down the road, you'll get to have some chickens again. In the meantime, how's the puppy doing? Pics?

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

oh yes chickens and ducks and turkeys and eggs in the incubator.... I run festivals and spring is a busy season! This is how I spend my non-chicken time: https://www.bigwhimsy.com/list-of-faerie-faires.html

Looks like a lot of fun events.

Nothing better than a full incubator. Good luck with your hatch.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

We used to have buff orpingtons but thought they didn’t lay much eggs. So we got some barred rocks, they are much more productive at laying. 2022/2023 winter was stressful with our flock being decimated by a neighbour dog and a mink. My hubbys sister gave us her chickens! We had 24 then a fox jumped the fence and got a few. We now have 19 and they are full on laying now (we have barely any sun in the winter so they don’t lay then). We used to set up a light in their coop but decided not to the last couple years as the eggs just freeze anyways!

I'm unfortunately familiar with too many predators here too. So sorry you have lost so many. Glad those you have now are earning their keep. We need to check several times during a cold winters day too if we want eggs. I usually end up with a pile of frozen ones.

 

[Nifty-Chicken]

Well, I'm still tending the flock. I'm at 46 right now. My sweet Doodle (on my shoulder) passed away last summer, as well as my other little silkie rooster, Archie. They were 8 and 10 yrs old. I've now got two completely opposite roos (size-wise). One is Shorty (a little ball of a bantam cochin) and the other is Mr. FuzzyBloomers (a giant white Brahma, and such a sweet guy). Both of them are just about a year old.
I'm getting so many eggs right now, my regular "clients" who became friends can't even keep up. So I've put a sign out by the road! And some of the girls are just now starting to lay their first eggs! It is amazing, though, how many people have become good friends just by meeting over an egg sale!
I've expanded and am finishing a 3-stall unit where I can keep broody mamas and the babies I give them, and/or an isolation area for any sick girls.
I'm forever learning more and more about chickens. My husband says, "I've never thought I'd know so much about chickens in my life!"
Thanks for reaching out! I always love to share stories and info about the flockin' chickens!
This photo was from a couple years ago. Even this has been changed and improved!

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WOW, that is such a great pic!!! I'm kinda jealous of your coop!!

... and 46! That's quite the flock you've got there. Ugh, sorry to hear about Doodle and Archie.

That's fantastic that your egg venture is turning neighbors into friends... nothing like fresh eggs to bring people together.

Thanks for sharing your story and the updates about your coop improvements. Keep those stories (and pics) coming!

 

[casportpony]

Getting the chickens planted ready to grow….. every year these ladies decide a plant pot is the best dirt bath

Welcome back! Too funny! Mine like pots, too.

 

[Nifty-Chicken]

Oh lots of things have been happening! We have enlarged our outside run. Have added two hatched chicks, re-homed 3 handsome roosters. Lost one of our sweet girls to heat-exhaustion. (We do have one of her chicks.) Hubby is bonding with our Roo. Girls are laying like crazy at this time. Our shy little Easter Egger Bebo is either stressed out or trying to go broody on us. Can't have broody 11 is all I can handle. The girls are doing a wonderful job tilling our orka and tomato beds. Getting ready to plant them this weekend. Time to put fresh aspen in the coop and put the old in the garden mulch. Had a sweet wild Turkey hen hang out with us from November to February. Tried my hand at glass glazing eggs, dehydrated some, and the made frozen omelets. Sorry I haven't posted or commented in a while. I do still use the feeds for great info on different subjects. Thanks for checking in on me.

Sounds like you've been super busy with your flock and garden! Any pics of the expanded run and new chicks? Sorry to hear about your loss to heat-exhaustion, though; that's always tough.

A wild turkey visitor? We just saw one too on Friday!

 

[muddy75]

I've changed phones twice since joining and I knew something didn't get transferred (many things, actually) and now I know what I've been missing!
I went through a predator catastrophe in 2021(bobcat) and I'm slowly rebuilding my flock.
I have 23 eggs on day 12 in the incubator and am really excited for that.
I can't wait to read what everyone else has been doing.

Glad to have you back! Good luck with the rebuild

 

[casportpony]

i still have chickens,ducks.again had predator attacks from Weasels.i started out with 25 chickens and now have 12.(5 roosters).
everyone is laying now including the ducks.I am cooking eggs for dinner atleast twice a week.lol

Welcome back. Sorry about your losses, that's never easy. Here we have a fox that's been getting my hens. Glad to hear that they're laying. What's your favorite way to cook your eggs?