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We have our first pip! #9, a bantam egg (of course). Some peeping goin' on, too. Not starting the camera yet (or the GBS Chickam thread) as the chick hasn't started to unzip. Will keep everyone posted! #9 is on the right in the front (I took this pic earlier, so it's not pipped in this photo).  A second egg has pipped, #12 (on the far left, in front), a small light blue egg. Still no unzipping from either egg, so not starting the camera yet. Velvet Sparrow fucked around with this message at 00:37 on Apr 15, 2022 |
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Apr 14, 2022 22:31
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#9 is VERY slowly unzipping, so we've started the cam! It *might* hatch by morning. I haven't slept in like, 2 days, so I'm getting some sleep now while I can. GBS Chickam thread is here: https://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3999599
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Apr 15, 2022 07:08
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drat, hard times in the chicken thread.  Chido posted:Oh god, this thread still exists. I haven't posted here in years and thought this megathread would be closed by now. For the oldtimers that are still around and remember the henhoes, two of the original ones are still alive - Rusty and Dust - and are pushing 11-12 years old. What a trip down memory lane this thread is. Hey Chido!!!  Fries, our 10 year old mottled Belgian d'Uccle hen is currently hanging out in the house due to an eye injury. Today she starting CROWING. It's every bit as nasty and horrible as you could imagine. Old hens tend to start crowing at a certain age due to hormonal changes, never fails to scare the poo poo out of your roos, who get all 'Who in the Hell is THAT?!'. The kid caught it, the first 5 seconds or so of this video. For the rest of it she stands around looking pissy: https://twitter.com/Clara_wolfdog/status/1539043972076621824 BTW, for some GOOD news, all of the Chickam chicks are doing great. They swarm about the yard in a juvenile delinquent group, looking like lurking teenagers about to knock over the 7-11.
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Jun 21, 2022 02:09
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Hello all! I've been very neglectful about posting in here... To make amends a bit please have some Halloween chickens in funny costumes, including two of this year's Chickam chicks!  https://jackshenhouse.blogspot.com/2022/10/halloween-chickens.html In sadder news, one of our 2019 hatch hens, Paprika, has gone missing. No sign of anything killing her, she's just...gone. Red Tailed hawks are a possibility, and a few days ago the kid saw what might have been a fox in the chicken yard just after dawn one morning. The chickens are always securely cooped every night, of course. Since she was forever broody, I'm still hoping that Paprika will turn up soon, followed by a bunch of chicks...fingers crossed. Velvet Sparrow fucked around with this message at 05:08 on Oct 29, 2022 |
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Oct 29, 2022 04:51
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^^^Sky deserves piles of live mealworms. Okay guys, I need some advice, here. I don't want Chickam to be another chick deathfest this year. I've taken the ReptiPro apart and cleaned a LOT of dust out of it's innards, and I'm hoping that had something to do with the dismal chick survival rate the last couple of years. I'm looking for recommendations for a temperature alarm I can use with my ReptiPro 6000 incubator. The alarm should have a probe that goes inside the incubator, and I'd *like* to get one accurate to +/- one degree, and can track drops/spikes in temperature. I see lots of charting thermometers that are upwards of $400...anyone know of a good one under $100? I was looking for something like this: https://www.thomassci.com/Instruments/Digital-Thermometers/_/Thomas-Traceable-Big-Digit-Four-Alarm-Thermometers Annoying backstory: My little ReptiPro 6000 incubator has worked like a champ since 2013...except for the last two years. While embryo development has remained stable, my hatch rate has plummeted, and I'm getting at-term chicks dead in shell and chicks that hatch and then die. Last spring, out of 29 eggs I got 18 embryos, 6 hatched, 2 lived. I got similar results the year before. I DON'T depend on the ReptiPro controls for temperature, instead I have a seperate hygrometer and a Spot Check probe thermometer (used with a water weasel) to get accurate 'inside the egg' temperatures. One thing--I'm hatching at a high altitude--4,751 feet--which I already know puts a ding in my hatch rate because of low air pressure and a difference in eggshell pore size. But I've been hatching here, using this same equipment, since 2013, and only in the last couple of years has my hatch/living chick rate declined so badly. Here's what my current setup looks like:  Any advice or help would be REALLY appreciated, thanks!
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Feb 8, 2023 06:00
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Tricky Ed posted:Not quite under $100, but maybe a smoker setup could work? ThermoWorks (not ThermoPro) is basically the standard for professional cooks. Not sure if this will do everything you want but there's a lot on their site. Now, SEE--I *never* would have thought to check out BBQ equipment! But there seems to be several of these to choose from, so I'll check it out, THANK YOU! And if I find something to properly cook my chicken eggs to completed chicks on a *BBQ site*, I'll die laughing. I just need something that'll scream at me if the temperature drops below 98 degrees or goes over 100.5. Tracking any drops/spikes would be a bonus. EDIT--I just calibrated all of my existing assorted digital thermometers/hygrometers. The Spot Check probe is dead on, the temp feature for the digital hygrometer/thermometer (which I only use for the hygrometer) is only low by .4 degrees. Velvet Sparrow fucked around with this message at 07:46 on Feb 8, 2023 |
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Feb 8, 2023 07:35
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Demon Of The Fall posted:
You appear to have become infested with two Rhode Island Reds, a Barred Plymouth Rock, and an Americaunas. Congratulations. Welcome to the Dark Side, BTW...Morehens Disease isn't far behind.
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Feb 9, 2023 02:57
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Demon Of The Fall posted:Death Valley has been renamed Redneck, I’m sorry. But this still made me lol Death Valley is actually a pretty perfect name for a Rhodie... 
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Feb 10, 2023 01:45
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Joburg posted:I have used a couple of Govee thermometer hygrometers and the alarm function (through the app) is really hit or miss but the charting is ok. They are pretty inexpensive too. Y'know...this looks pretty perfect. I'd be hooking it up to my desktop computer in another room...I'll check it out, thanks! EDIT--Does it chart any temperature drops/spikes at any time, or do you need to tell it how often to check? If it has to be told how often, what's the minimum amount of time you can set it to? Velvet Sparrow fucked around with this message at 02:04 on Feb 10, 2023 |
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Feb 10, 2023 01:53
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Thanks to the Goon who so kindly made a donation to Chickam, I was able to order the equipment needed! You didn't give me permission to out you, so I won't unless you give me the go-ahead...but thanks again! Chickam lurvs our Goon frends! 
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Feb 10, 2023 05:34
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Got my ChefAlarm today! And in snazzy purple, too! It comes with a nifty hardshell case. This unit can be set to a narrow range of high/low temps, and an alarm sounds if the incubator makes any excursion beyond that range. I'm going to calibrate it further to get it down to better than +/-1 degree, but first I have to order a different probe--I thought it came with several, but it only comes with one that is WAY too pointy and long, if I used this one I'd stab the water weasel for SURE. I mean, LOOK at that sucker, I could sit on my couch and stab my next-door neighbor with that thing. Ordered the correct one tonight. Meanwhile, I'll start checking the ReptiPro tomorrow. Also, 'Certificate of Conformity'... Thanks again to our lovely Chickam patron!    Got a kick out of the packet of jelly beans when I unboxed it, it made the kid happy. Which is great, because the three of us got *another* surprise today...   EDIT: The Govee smart thermo-hygrometer arrived today, and after MUCH cussing, has been installed (their user manual is a JOKE). Now to wait and over the next week get things calibrated and pull the extra equipment I don't need. Doing all this on Covid brain is a load of crap, BTW. Velvet Sparrow fucked around with this message at 06:30 on Feb 15, 2023 |
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Feb 14, 2023 04:18
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That Works posted:Got a hen that won't use a leg and am curious to find out info while we are in a bit of a waiting period. Couple things up front: It sounds like her foot is gripping normally and the shank portion is working okay, right? I'd (gently) palpate the area to check for swelling (compare the hurt leg to the other leg) and check her for any signs of a growth or internally laid egg in her abdomen. My hens sometimes pop up with injuries higher up in their thighs, usually where it connects to the pelvis. Most of the time it's from one of my dumb rooboys squashing her while mating, or she's jumped down from a perch and tweaked her thigh. If you don't see signs of injury/abdominal swelling I'll bet that's the case here. But like Joburg said, it could also be a pinched nerve from an egg. Until you can get to the vet, try to keep her from jumping up/down from a roost, maybe hold her in your lap for a bit with a hot water bottle held to the area (careful not to burn her!).
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Mar 5, 2023 18:38
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BTW, here's the link to Chickam when it starts next month! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CteVAyCD2iY Not active right now, of course. Eggs will be set Saturday, March 18th for a hatch date of Easter weekend, April 8-9. As usual, start checking the site on Thursday/Friday hatch weekend, since banty eggs LOVE to hatch early. If you tune in and see eggs, the hatch is on! We're getting more eggs from a friend here in the valley, the same family we got the eggs from last year that hatched Arson. No broodies yet, but we're working to encourage broodiness. If winter would stop snowing and freezing everything we'd have better luck with that... I think I've got the ReptiPro & temp/humidity tool position sorted, the final fussing with the equipment is being done this week--the new equipment we got thanks to Goon generosity (I won't out them without permission) has proved truly INVALUABLE, thank you! 
Velvet Sparrow fucked around with this message at 14:23 on Apr 2, 2023 |
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Mar 5, 2023 18:49
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That Works posted:Shes holding up well. The vet ruled out any bone break or eggbound issues etc and said the issue is likely a nerve. We have had her on aspirin water since sat morning and the only improvement we noticed is that she's able to move better on 1 leg but not regain function of the bad leg. The vet things while likely a nerve issue no obvious cause as to yet, could be due to an infection, cancer, physical injury causing swelling that she can't detect etc. She gave us a stronger anti-inflammatory, maloxicam (sp?) and basically said if nothing improves over the next 3-4 days it's doubtful that it will. In that case we would likely humanely put her down. WOW, I'd give her longer than 3-4 days to recover before putting her down! As long as she isn't suffering, isolate her and give her time to heal. I've had chickens sustain injuries just like this, from something as simple as jumping down off a roost, a rough mating, etc. When ligaments and whatnot get tweaked and injured, they take longer to heal than muscle tissue does (just like with people). I'vd had birds take weeks to recover from injured white connective tissue, but they DO recover!
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Mar 7, 2023 21:31
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Update on my Chickam hatch equipment... After running the ReptiPro and the associated equipment since February 14th, I've discovered two things about the main accessories I've relied on, LOL  :The Spot Check probe thermometer (the one I place in the water weasel) is reading one degree higher than the ACTUAL temperature--so when it shows 99.5, temp is actually 98.5--too cold to hatch chicks! The digital hygrometer I've used the last couple of years is reading 11% too low--when it reads 50% humidity (perfect incubation humidity) ACTUAL humidity in the incubator was 61% (too high during incubation and can kill chicks). It'll be replaced. No temperature spikes/drops by the ReptiPro so far (which is what I thought was happening), but I'm continuing to run it to be thorough. But last year & the year before, if the temps were too low and humidity too high, it would synch up with what we experienced--a low number of embryos forming, and a low hatch rate, along with developed chicks dead in the shell (I'm sure that in 2021 there was some kind of poisoning going on as well, likely the cardboard the brooder box was made from had been treated with something due to Covid concerns...?). I'm calibrating and testing the poo poo out of all the equipment, to cut down on as many dings to our hatch rate as possible--being at a high altitude already lowers my hatch rate to something like 50% as it is. Really hoping that this year, Chickam will be MUCH better!
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Mar 7, 2023 21:51
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12_String just mentioned something I han't considered in my quest to calibrate the damned hygrometers, and I can't find anything about this online... So Goons, I need advice! Since I'm calibrating a couple of digital hygrometers at 4971 feet altitude...does higher altitude affect hygrometer readings when you are calibrating? (I know that we naturally have lower ambient humidity up here) Anything I need to consider beyond basic hygrometer calibation techniques? My gut feeling is that altitude doesn't factor in when you're doing a sealed-container hygrometer calibration...but...DOES it?! Tomorrow we're picking up a dozen local eggs from the same folks we got Arson's egg last year, and collecting eggs from our hens, too. Eggs get set in the ReptiPro this Saturday the 18th! 5er I'd bet the farm that your extra chick is a roo. Hatcheries do that. Sorry. Velvet Sparrow fucked around with this message at 21:53 on Mar 15, 2023 |
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Mar 12, 2023 23:33
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5er posted:I gave Team Beefy a couple shreds of rotisserie chicken and they went fully ballistic about it. There was a point when all four chicks had a shred of meat each and were too caught up playing keepaway to settle down and eat. I video'd it and shared it up on FB, and got a couple revolted reactions out of family for 'cannibalism'. I get similar reactions from people at Thanksgiving when I give my flock the turkey carcass, it's GREAT. Meanwhile, at my house... Hey look, it's 28 Chickam eggs! They go into the ReptiPro in about 6 hours! This will be our 15th year of doing Chickam, yay!  Because we are gluttons for punishment and powerless to resist cute fluffies... All but three of these are from our flock--sadly, when I candled the eggs tonight, 10 of the 12 eggs we got locally were badly cracked from repeated pecking (it seems our friend has an egg eater in his flock!)  # 1-3 are the eggs from our friend. I know who laid some of our eggs: #4 Brick (bantam Cochin mix), 5 Slick Charlie (Partridge Rock), 6 Spork (Barred Rock), 7 Sesame (Smokey Pearl), 9 Cheerio (Cochin/Americaunas/Red Star mix). There are 4 bantam eggs (#15-18, which will no doubt hatch first), the rest are a mix across our flock. I believe #19-20 are from Frittata (Danish Brown Leghorn), Pearl (Sussex mix) or Boombox (White Leghorn). EDIT: And we're off! The C-seeds started cookin' this morning. I'll candle them in 10 days and see how many embryos we have!  Hatch day should be April 8-9th, as usual I'll post a link here to the GBS Chickam thread when the hatch has begun. Start thinkin' up names, y'all! This year I decided to throw some font names into the hat... Velvet Sparrow fucked around with this message at 16:57 on Mar 18, 2023 |
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Mar 18, 2023 10:54
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Welp...the Govee H5174 smart thermo/hygro, which had been working like a champ, started acting up at 7PM. Won't read above 98.6 or 98.8, and has 45 minute to hour long stretches where it shows that *exact* temperature, with no fluctuations from the ReptiPro fan when it cycles on and off (which up to now it tracked). I've changed the batteries, it made no difference. Only other thing I can think of is to delete the app and reload it, then recalibrate the sensor--start from scratch. The other three thermo/hygros all match each other and are working fine. Anybody have any advice? EDIT: I'm in communication with Govee and they're trying to figure it out. Meanwhile I'm relying on the other three thermo/hygro units. It just wouldn't be Chickam without frustrating, pointless drama of SOME kind... Velvet Sparrow fucked around with this message at 05:38 on Mar 20, 2023 |
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Mar 19, 2023 11:57
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Hey, we got us embryos here! Out of the 28 eggs I set in the ReptiPro, here's how things shake out: 16 have embryos! Also, 2 more *might* be early quitters, but I'm leaving them in to be sure. I'll check again on lockdown day (three days before our hatch day of April 8-9th) and pull any definite quitters then. 10 eggs were duds (never developed), these include three bantam eggs and eggs from Slick Charlie (Partridge Rock, Chickam class of '21) and Cheerio (Red Star mix, Chickam class of '19). Of the original 28, eggs from Spork (Barred Rock, Chickam class of '21), Sesame (Smokey Pearl, Chickam class of '22) and Brick (bantam Cochin/d'Uccle mix, Chickam class of '19) all have embryos! Only one other bantam egg besides Brick's has an embryo, the other 3 were duds. Two of the three eggs from my local friend have embryos, the other was a dud. I kinda blame so many duds (and possibly the early quitters) on our extra-harsh and cold winter. Even though we gathered eggs 2-4 times a day, they were always very cold. Several feet of snow on the ground since December 31st, and we still have low 40's days/low 20's nights (I think we've only broken 50 degrees two days since Jan 1), another storm moving in today. Other than my original Govee unit failing (they replaced it super quick, I'm very impressed with their customer service), all of the equipment is working like a champ--no temperature spikes/drops from the ReptiPro. Fingers crossed for lots of healthy lil' chicks!
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Mar 28, 2023 16:09
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OMG OMG YOU GUYS! It's too soon, today is only the 1st! I don't have the brooder box set up yet!  EDIT: Wow, I expected to hear 'You rear end in a top hat' at least once today.
Velvet Sparrow fucked around with this message at 06:57 on Apr 2, 2023 |
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Apr 1, 2023 10:13
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Lockdown has begun! Details here: https://jackshenhouse.blogspot.com/2023/04/lockdown.html I've started a list of names. Three days (or less) to go! No pipping, peeping or movement from the eggs yet...
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Apr 5, 2023 08:39
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Neddy Seagoon posted:I submit Lord/Lady Cornelius Redwattle Peepington Esquire; First of their Name, Seeker of Worms, Pecker of Seed, High Clod Climber. I love this, but can you change it up a *teensy* bit? We had 'Peepsquire' and it's awfully similar... Sciencetastic, I can now say with authority that Smokey Pearls, though great for comic relief and friendly as heck, are NOISY SCREAMING HELLIONS when they lay. Banties also tend towards endless-loop, screamy cackling that sounds like they are in imminent danger of being murdered (which they will be if they don't STFU). I absolutely loved my Giant Cochins--big floofmonsters, sweet, docile--quiet! Brahmas don't cackle a lot, but being big birds, when they *do* eggsong, it's loud (but short & sweet).
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Apr 5, 2023 17:44
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The Chickening has begun. We have two pips! #11 and #24.  In this pic, #11 is the green egg on the left, second from the back and next to the water weasel, and #24 is right out front & center. EDIT: VVVV There ya go! Added to the list! Also, #11 is STRIDENT. MUCH VERY LOUDNESS. Velvet Sparrow fucked around with this message at 11:26 on Apr 6, 2023 |
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Apr 6, 2023 07:02
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Chickam has begun! Here is the GBS thread: https://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=4029197 And here is a link to Chickam on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iFY1LhqcFhk #11 (on the left, green egg) is unzipping, #24 (in front, center) is expanding its pip. Any new name suggestions from this point on, please post in the GBS thread.
Velvet Sparrow fucked around with this message at 18:53 on Apr 6, 2023 |
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Apr 6, 2023 18:35
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So this happened... It's Phoenix, our Head Roo for years (son of Jack, namesake for Jacks Henhouse, my chicken site) and my very special man! Phoenix was a total pet and always hung out with me. I won a drawing from @SuzyTheSilkie (Twitter), she does amazing bird artwork. I MEAN, she even got those few wonky feathers that stuck up on top of his head, caused by his silly comb! She was kind enough to create this during a Twitch stream so EVEN BETTER, I got to watch this beautiful thing being made! I LOVE IT. The original pic she worked from:  I'm hoping she'll add it to her site so I can buy myself a Phoenix coffee mug to go with the others in my Chickam collection... Someday I'm gonna save up and commission Suzy to do a full-body art of Phoenix with him all decked out in full 'courtly knight' regalia... 
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Aug 13, 2023 23:47
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MrUnderbridge posted:Dropped Florette off today. Once I got her in hand, she was calm, and she didn't seem to mind the box much. During the 40-minute drive, she was moving around in the box and occasionally pecking. Even had to cross a state line to get there. Mann Act violation spotted! https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/mann_act
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Sep 2, 2023 11:14
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Joburg posted:Today the chickens found a snake out in the woods. Love how they follow it out, talking about it the entire way... Sorry I haven't been on much...got some really bad news recently, turns out I was born with bifurcated heart valves (trifurcated is the norm, bifurcated valves don't work for poo poo and mine are failing rapidly) and need open heart surgery ASAP for a valve job. But of COURSE I've got medical/dental procedures that have to be done first that my insurance won't cover, and had to start a GoFundMe. Stupid insurance companies. Gotta keep kicking so I can keep doing Chickam, after all--I mean, first things first! Bleah. Can't I just go out and play with my chickens instead?!  Meanwhile, here's Eggroll, who is this giant mutant THING at 4 months old (Deliciousaurus next to her)...  And so tall that other full-grown hens can reach under her legs to eat.  Also Peanut, who has for some reason grown what we are calling a rooster Handle.   She is NOT amused.
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Sep 26, 2023 01:31
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Joburg posted:Some sort of weasel? ...am I allowed to post a link to it here? I did post it on our Chickam2008 & my Velvet Sparrow Twitter (i refuse to call it that dumbass letter)... Also: the kid and I weighed lil' 5 month old Eggroll...who clocked in at 2 pounds. Sorry about the loss of your hen socialsecurity, that sucks. The situation you describe sounds like classic raccoon, where they grab a bird by the head/wing and pull them to the fence. They then remove the head and reach through to eat the bird's back or insides, whatever they can reach. Damned gruesome, sorry you had to experience that.
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Oct 2, 2023 03:05
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my cat is norris posted:General rule of thumb is to check in with mods before sharing anything, but I personally wouldn't mind if you shared here or just PMed info to me. I'll check with them. I PMed you--anything that helps spread the word is fantastic, thanks!
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Oct 2, 2023 09:08
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RoboRodent posted:Hi, sorry, I've had a few crazy days. Okay, thanks. Suspected this was the case and totally understand the policy. I've had a crazy time, too--older sister broke her back weeks ago and the medical system isn't fixing her. She can't eat/drink from pain so is fading rapidly and the doctors are just kinda...letting her die, because 'opiods, eek!'. Doing what I can from 400 miles away because her husband has cancer but it's stupid and stressfull, ARGGH. TheDK congrats on your little cuties! 'Poop Ranchers' is a perfect description for what we do. ALSO--Chickam will be running this weekend, Saturday and Sunday as we give the flock a pumpkin--you'll have a great view! Stop by and listen to this year's chicks' eggsong (yes, they've noisily come into lay and it's horrible)! It will be here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K5iMWhoO42w Velvet Sparrow fucked around with this message at 22:50 on Oct 13, 2023 |
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Oct 13, 2023 22:30
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^^^ Thanks, Joburg! Meanwhile...Chickam is LIVE! From inside a pumpkin. Come watch the flock this weekend, all day today and tomorrow during daylight hours (we are at PST in the US): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jsh4ydqnIPY
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Oct 14, 2023 22:01
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Aww...poor little Lucky. It's always your favorites. I am properly equipped for Chickam. 
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Oct 15, 2023 01:15
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^^^ LOL  ^^^Pearl *really* loved the pumpkin today. So much so, that she unwisely climbed in...and, well... https://youtu.be/ikita-hpUgI?si=0Q6uyeq7TSpaRjl6 ...it rolled away with her inside. She wasn't hurt, and Bobbie guarded her until the kid ran out and emptied an embarassed hen out of a pumpkin. She stayed away from it after that, though, silly chicken. Spork and Popcorn going spelunking inside the pumpkin:  Also, Eggroll is roostering out quite nicely, and is beginning to grow lovely saddle feathers and a proper dinosaur frill over his eyes. And a BIG deep voice, tho no crowing yet.  Still no tail...   And yes, we're keeping his crossbeak trimmed. As you can see, it doesn't interfere with him eating. Derp... 
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Oct 16, 2023 05:12
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Joburg posted:Pearl! LOL Great box for new babies! This weekend Oct. 21-22 during daylight hours (PST) we'll be running Chickam again, broadcasting the wonderful Wheel of Food! Join us as the flock stares in consternation at FOOD hung from a bicycle wheel so it spins when they peck it. What the heck is Wheel of Food? Here: https://jackshenhouse.blogspot.com/2015/01/wheeloffood.html Go here and click the Jack's Henhouse icon on the left above the description, Chickam will start around 8AM (PST) both days. https://www.youtube.com/cha.../UCr7ICWyIMhWSp0UUJpAeTCw/live
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Oct 20, 2023 18:24
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Chickam is live! Today we have Wheel of Food. Go here to watch, click on the Jack's Henhouse icon above the description, then click on the live feed: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xWFx0ZLMT3U
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Oct 21, 2023 16:52
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Nthing the 'Don't use anything but hardware cloth' recommendation. Raccoons can be especially evil about reaching through chicken wire to grab a chicken sleeping within reach, haul it over to the wire and just...eat them through the wire. No need to get in. PerniciousKnid, you'd be surprised at what you can move for the chickens. Can you at least take the wire to reuse? Any of the framing? We moved the old carport & wire we used for the run, the corrugated metal roofing, and the heavy security screen doors for the run. It's still working great 12 years later. And the extra work to take it down and move it was worth it in saving our sanity (and money!) & getting the chickens placed quickly at our new home. Also we are incredibly stubborn about reusing things, dammit. If it helps, here's how we moved our flock of 36 chickens 900 miles. The laundry basket carriers worked FANTASTIC. I still have them in case we have to bug out for wildfires. How we moved the chickens: https://jackshenhouse.blogspot.com/2011/09/such-moving-experience.html Setting up the new coop/run (time delay due to house hunting/house purchase, chickens lived in a temporary run betweentimes): https://jackshenhouse.blogspot.com/2012/02/how-to-spend-two-weeks.html In other news, Eggroll the Blue Laced Red Wyndotte chick that we got this year...has begun to crow. He waited until the kid brought him in for a visit, then made this HORRIBLE noise in the dining room. Video ends pretty quick 'cause I started to laugh. https://www.youtube.com/shorts/LTpQIPMb6ag
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Dec 9, 2023 21:29
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Scientastic posted:We are taking a long holiday in February, and putting the girls into a local chicken boarding farm. Really late to the party (health issues and my eldest sister passing away taking up my time), but I've got some info on my chicken site that might help. Our routine for worming chickens and dusting/spraying them for mites. There are several things you can use, but after trial and error, what works best for us (least stressful to the birds and low-mess) is the Equimax wormer and the Adams Flea & Tick Mist spray. We've been using this technique for 20+ years with no problems. http://jackshenhouse.com/WormingDusting.htm And a great thing to use to clean and sterilize your coop is a steam cleaner! No pesticides. Mites can't develop a resistance to 'death by heat'. I use a little hand-held steamer. Scroll down to 'Cleaning and Santizing' http://jackshenhouse.com/Coop.htm Also, your avatar is terrifying. In other news, my initial hope that my fund had reached its goal was ...premature. It turns out that because of my craptacular heart, some dental procedures will have to be done in a hospital (upping the cost, whee!)...and STILL not be covered by my insurance. *sigh...*  So a HUGE thanks to fellow Goon Tiny Myers for creating and talking to the mods about the banner ad here for me! Thank you as well to the mods, and everyone helping out!  I'll let everyone know when Chickam will be--but it WON'T be on Easter as usual...Easter is March 31st this year--too early for our hens to reliably be in lay. I'm shooting for sometime in April or May, but Chickam has to be after my heart surgery.
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Mar 16, 2024 06:42
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Once on a muddy winter day I put on my nasty, ratty old yard sneakers to go out back and let the chickens out. Later when I got to the office, I realized I'd forgotten to change my shoes. I was wearing a dress. Had to keep my feet hidden under my desk until I could go out at lunchtime and buy a pair of heels to wear. EDIT: OMG GOONS ROCK! You know what you did...I'm funded, I'm funded!!! Huge love to you all, including the mods--but especially Tiny Myers for placing the banner ad for me!  Also, here is this week's Brahma 'Dogpile On The Kid' (Bobbie the Head Roo, Chonk the light Brahma hen, and Arson the dark Brahma mix):  Charlotte was late to the party. 
Velvet Sparrow fucked around with this message at 21:13 on Mar 20, 2024 |
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Mar 17, 2024 02:50
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Welp, my heart valve surgery is scheduled for April 15th! Going by what the valve nurse tells me to expect as far as recovery time... VERY tentatively I'm planning on setting the Chickam eggs in the incubator around Saturday, April 27th, with a hatch (and Chickam broadcast) date of Saturday, May 18th. I won't know for certain until the eggs are cookin' in the ReptiPro, but for now, that's the plan! Also, Elder Postman we discovered that a loud, shrill whistle scares away hawks. The higher pitched, the better. Rather than a regular whistle, we got a couple of plastic 'siren whistles', they make an obnoxious 'Fwee!' sound--I think that's key, maybe it mimics a hawk cry...? At any rate, it scares off Red Tails!
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Apr 2, 2024 01:17
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TheDK posted:Awesome chicken tunnel raceway habitrail thing This is one of the best things I've seen recently, thanks for posting it! And really cool to see chicks/quail hatching, it's immensely cheering. And thanks everyone for your support & well wishes...but we hit a snag. On April 1st I came down with 12_String's nasty chest cold thing, it got so bad & hard to breathe that it nuked my surgery dates. As of today its finally starting to clear, and my oral surgery and heart surgery are both rescheduled, so... HEART SURGERY UPDATE! And I hope to God it's the last one, who needs this constant stupid lousy drama. My oral surgery will be done 4/22, the TAVR heart surgery on 4/29. I'll take a bit over 2 weeks to heal, & plan on Chickam eggs going into the incubator 5/18, with a hatch date of 6/8! I'll update as things progress. UPDATE: My TAVR heart surgery yesterday went well! I just got home and will spend the next few days recovering from being in a hospital. The part that feels best is my heart. Go figure! I'm already breathing a whole lot better--no longer totally winded by walking across a room, and am more alert. My sincere thanks and gratitude to everyone who donated or supported my fund by spreading the word, it's been a tough row to hoe but I'm hoping now I'll have nowhere to go but up! Meanwhile the chickens are all properly twitterpated, with all of the roos doing their thang...we're looking forward to a great variety of fertilized eggs when we do eventually set them to hatch. A couple we especially have hopes of getting chicks from this year: Bonesaw looks a bit like a chicken made by committee, I've never seen a feather pattern/coloration like hers, she's stunning.  Luna the silver-gray bantam Cochin hen really IS the color of moonlight, and veeeery fluffy.  Gretchen (lower right) is a splash lavender Orpington we got as a pullet last August at a local chicken swap...she's grown considerably since then!  Here she is next to Bobbie (lower right) the buff Brahma roo & Mjolnir (upper left, only half in frame) the buff Orpington roo for scale. 
Velvet Sparrow fucked around with this message at 03:52 on May 1, 2024 |
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Apr 17, 2024 07:50
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