Katiebob Posted December 26, 2008 Report Share Posted December 26, 2008 Sometimes I think this is the house of death It certainly feels like it at the moment. I think one of our neighbour's terriers has been on our land because I've just found a decapitated chicken at the boundary (not the way a fox would travel). Sadly it's one of my brown hens. Run free little girl, that terrier will not be happy if I get my hands on it. But, it might be happier than it's owner who will be getting a very angry talking to about sorting out his fencing so it can't get through here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phoebejo Posted December 26, 2008 Author Report Share Posted December 26, 2008 Oh no :GroupHug: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phoebejo Posted January 5, 2009 Author Report Share Posted January 5, 2009 Incubator ordered and should be here in the next day or two Really undecided over what to hatch Had set my heart on Orpingtons but my sensible head says for my first attempt I should probably try cheaper eggs so it's not so bad on my bank balance if I get it wrong. Orpington eggs are the most expensive of them all Space for 24 in the incubator, can assume whatever I buy will not be 100% fertile so figure I'll be lucky this time of year if I manage to get 12 live chicks. Will probably go for a mix of Cream Legbars and hybrids plus a few Wyandottes because they're supposed to be notoriously broody and I might be able to hatch some under one next year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dirtychicken Posted January 5, 2009 Report Share Posted January 5, 2009 Di - I'm so sorry to hear about your chicken Chicken babies Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Katiebob Posted January 5, 2009 Report Share Posted January 5, 2009 Incubator ordered and should be here in the next day or two Really undecided over what to hatch Had set my heart on Orpingtons but my sensible head says for my first attempt I should probably try cheaper eggs so it's not so bad on my bank balance if I get it wrong. Orpington eggs are the most expensive of them all Space for 24 in the incubator, can assume whatever I buy will not be 100% fertile so figure I'll be lucky this time of year if I manage to get 12 live chicks. Will probably go for a mix of Cream Legbars and hybrids plus a few Wyandottes because they're supposed to be notoriously broody and I might be able to hatch some under one next year. Oooooo, good luck Really looking forward to hearing how you get on. It's minus 5 (at least) tonight and one of my black rock hens has decided it's time for her moult She looks so bedraggled it's untrue but she has hardly any feathers (and if I remember correctly this is the same chook who last year shed almost every feather she had before she grew any more!!). I hope she's going to be warm enough She does look comical but all the same, she might have picked slightly warmer weather Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phoebejo Posted January 5, 2009 Author Report Share Posted January 5, 2009 Pancake did a kind of mini-moult recently. Great big bald patches on her neck and head but then I read about neck moults I thought they either moulted or didn't, hadn't realised there was such a thing as a neck moult. So I suppose that's what she did. Why can't they be sensible and moult when it's warmer? They certainly pick their times don't they? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
celeste Posted January 5, 2009 Report Share Posted January 5, 2009 Sometimes I think this is the house of death It certainly feels like it at the moment. I think one of our neighbour's terriers has been on our land because I've just found a decapitated chicken at the boundary (not the way a fox would travel). Sadly it's one of my brown hens. Run free little girl, that terrier will not be happy if I get my hands on it. But, it might be happier than it's owner who will be getting a very angry talking to about sorting out his fencing so it can't get through here. Aww, poor chook Good luck with the hatching Phoebejo , could you not just get one or two Orp eggs, it's a shame not to go for it if thats what you really want. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phoebejo Posted January 6, 2009 Author Report Share Posted January 6, 2009 I'll do Orps later on in the year once I know I can actually do it right. There is soooooo much to think about and so much that can go wrong. I can't decide if to have the incubator in the living room or my bedroom, I suppose it depends how noisy it is. I've bought a humidity gauge and I hope I can get the right amount if humidity needed in the incubator to hatch. That's my biggest worry. Ickle chicks will spend the first few weeks inside in the brooder I'm buying and I'm recruiting Mr Hazell to clear space in the garage. My grand plan is to put the old chook run & coop in the garage (which has an electricity supply) so that the babies can stay in there under the heat lamp until they're ready to go outside. I just know I'm bound to make mistakes the first time and I'll be happy with any chicks at all. Already got 12 eggs from a mixed bunch of hens ready to be sent whenever I'm ready. The fact they're going through the post already diminishes their chance Should sort out the rest today, definitely some Cream Legbars amongst them. There is a chance I'll be up and running this weekend which means the weekend of the 31st I'll be a granny Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dirtychicken Posted January 6, 2009 Report Share Posted January 6, 2009 How very exciting, Cheryl Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BOB Posted January 6, 2009 Report Share Posted January 6, 2009 It's minus 5 (at least) tonight and one of my black rock hens has decided it's time for her moult She looks so bedraggled it's untrue but she has hardly any feathers (and if I remember correctly this is the same chook who last year shed almost every feather she had before she grew any more!!). I hope she's going to be warm enough She does look comical but all the same, she might have picked slightly warmer weather I have a chicken jumper made up if you need one . I knitted a few back when we collected our ex-battery hens as they were pretty threadbare. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
celeste Posted January 6, 2009 Report Share Posted January 6, 2009 I'll do Orps later on in the year once I know I can actually do it right. There is soooooo much to think about and so much that can go wrong. I can't decide if to have the incubator in the living room or my bedroom, I suppose it depends how noisy it is. I've bought a humidity gauge and I hope I can get the right amount if humidity needed in the incubator to hatch. That's my biggest worry. Ickle chicks will spend the first few weeks inside in the brooder I'm buying and I'm recruiting Mr Hazell to clear space in the garage. My grand plan is to put the old chook run & coop in the garage (which has an electricity supply) so that the babies can stay in there under the heat lamp until they're ready to go outside. I just know I'm bound to make mistakes the first time and I'll be happy with any chicks at all. Already got 12 eggs from a mixed bunch of hens ready to be sent whenever I'm ready. The fact they're going through the post already diminishes their chance Should sort out the rest today, definitely some Cream Legbars amongst them. There is a chance I'll be up and running this weekend which means the weekend of the 31st I'll be a granny That does make sense if your unsure, especially if they are coming through the post..........best of luck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phoebejo Posted January 6, 2009 Author Report Share Posted January 6, 2009 The incubator is here Up to temperature already and I've put a little gold star on one of Tallulahs eggs, shoved that inside and I'm waiting to see if I've set up the automatic turning bit properly 12 eggs definitely arriving Friday, they'll rest for 24 hours and then go in the incubator on Saturday....... if I live that long because Mr Hazell doesn't know I've bought the incubator yet Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dirtychicken Posted January 6, 2009 Report Share Posted January 6, 2009 if I live that long because Mr Hazell doesn't know I've bought the incubator yet And when - precisely - are you going to tell him that he's sorting the garage out?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phoebejo Posted January 6, 2009 Author Report Share Posted January 6, 2009 When he's pizzed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phoebejo Posted January 6, 2009 Author Report Share Posted January 6, 2009 I've chickened out and sent him a confessional text He hasn't replied Drama just now caused by my ladies I'd been out to give them some corn and Emily came out to join me. She said she was going to play with them for a while and the last thing I said to her was "be careful you don't slip because it's icey". You can guess what happened Apparently one of the chickens stole her bracelet and as she was chasing the offending chook she slipped, fell and cut her hand. When I looked out I could see Juliet running with it in her gob, being chased by several others. Anyone who has seen a chicken being chased with a prize in their gob knows how funny this looks I managed to corner her between the netting & compost bin and retrieve it from her but she's very annoyed Let that be a warning to others, don't wear elasticated jewellery near chickens! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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