Recent content by iopele

LOL, thndrdancr! That's quite the mental image. I'm glad she kept the hens inside! Bah, more rain today so no building... and tomorrow and Monday I'll be out of town, and Tuesday I'm getting my car fixed! I'd hoped to be done already. Oh well, what can't be cured, must be endured, and the...

Red and yellow kill a fellow, Red and black, bite him back! I understand how you feel about snakes, but personally I'd rather have them around than rats and mice with all their fleas and diseases they can pass on to people. Gimme a few snakes any day! (Of course, around here it seems like...

Now I'm really curious about that chick--picturing a fuzzball Silkie with a looooooooong tail! Can't wait to see how they grow up!

I know I'm late chiming in, but Storey's Guide says to rest them 24 hours in an egg carton with the small end down so that the yolk has time to return to the middle of the egg. If the yolk isn't in the middle, it can stick to the shell and make the chick have a hard time hatching or even keep...

Oh, that's too bad, aran. Poor Tiny! I'm glad your others are doing well, though.

Well, my 9 Araucanas have moved outside to the intermediate brooder! They'll probably be in there for a month or so while I finish up their brand new chicken house and coop. They had a BLAST scratching and pecking in the grass! I made sure and put some grit in their feeder since they were...

The weather never did clear up so we didn't get anything done on the house today. I did, however, buy paint and rollers--a pretty, pale sage green for the outside, and a peachy/tan color for the inside. (The inside color's different because the guy mixed the paint wrong and had it for 50% off...

Found the camera! That's last night's stopping point. We're off to Home Depot now for a board to patch the error-hole in the floor and get paint and brushes, then we're going to attempt (oh please oh please ) to finish this up today (apart from painting it, of course). These chickies need...

My new coop's right next to the house, too, because like Dawn, it's the only flat area in our yard I could build it! It's actually right next to the front door, with the doghouse beside it. I think it'll be nice to see the chickens every time I go in and out of the house. It's (obviously)...

I've never heard of this breed, but they sound fascinating. I wonder how difficult it would be to find a breeder in the US? Good luck with your chicks!

Have you already put more water in the incubator to raise the humidity now? I'm not sure that'd solve the problem completely, but it might help out some. Keep us posted.

So glad your babies got something to eat! If this ever comes up in the future, Storey's Guide recommends a mixture of half ground-up uncooked oatmeal and half corn meal, but says not to use it very long because it's not nutritionally complete. It's better than being hungry all night, though...

Well, let's hope I didn't get the SOB stuff, then, because it rained last night! I've got pics from last night's stopping point to post... if I can find the camera... I know I've seen it inside the house SOMEWHERE, but where??? At least I didn't leave it out in the rain! So as soon as I...

If you add insulation, make sure that you seal it inside or the chickens will peck at it. Styrofoam supposedly doesn't hurt them, but I'd imagine any kind of fiberglass would. Or you could get an Eglu--it's designed for 2 hens and I've heard good things about them...

Quote: I don't know what OSB means (told y'all I was so very not a carpenter, lol), but the plywood I'm using is supposed to be outdoor rated and sealed and is 3/4" thick. It's got a sort of waxy smooth feel to it and is very smooth when you run your hand over it--no catches or splinters. I...