Chickens for bug control and food recycling.

[PennyJo]

You just take your own time on this do not overdo it please

 

[Beekissed]

Oh, I am! With plenty of sit down breaks at the computer to read and write in between. Running on 9 1/2 hrs of sleep for the past 48 hrs, so not got much spring in my gitty up today. I'll try to take it easy...this spine of mine pretty much dictates how much I do nowadays.

If I get the birds in the canner and stock cooking down sooner than later, I just may do a small construction project I've been meaning to do, put up a dog run and also a little painting. I hope I get the time to do those things...too many little projects piling up around here and the good weather is bound to break soon.

Boy, that flock looks a whole lot thinner with 13 birds off the land. Tomorrow will do the final~I hope~butchering for the fall and will have the flock pared down to a winter time slimness. Will carry over the best cockerel this winter, which will be the first time I've done that here on this land and in this coop....we'll see if that turns out to be successful, as I won't have separate penning situations for the males.

 

[catjac1975]

After being on strike for a while, adding light to the chicken coups have helped in egg production. But, they are certainly not earning there keep.

 

[Beekissed]

VERY pretty eggs!!!

 

[so lucky]

Boy, those eggs sure look pretty! I really miss my chickens. Miss those fresh eggs more, though.

 

[baymule]

I love colored eggs!

 

[PennyJo]

many colors of mine picked up 16 today
joined a hatch thread on byc for new years day put 20 in the Hova Bator Dec 11
candled today all but like 3 show veining may not keep some send those to auction personally do not really want more

 

[Beekissed]

It's a struggle to deal with chicks in the dead of winter...don't know why they have those winter hatches unless it would be for folks who live near the equator.

 

[Nyboy]

Do colored eggs remind anyone of the dyed colored chicks they use to sell as Easter gifts ?

 

[Ridgerunner]

It's a struggle to deal with chicks in the dead of winter...don't know why they have those winter hatches unless it would be for folks who live near the equator.

I do it every February, Bee. That way I have chickens to butcher when the meat in my freezer runs low in summer. It takes five months for mine to reach the butcher size I want so I need to start early.

I don't brood in the house either, my brooder is in the main coop right along with the adults. In the summer it's open so it can cool off, in the winter I wrap it in plastic to help hold the heat in, though it has good ventilation through that "chimney" to the left where the heat lamp is. This photo as not deep winter, but spring when I wanted some breeze protection at their level.

Once I get it set up and wrapped it's no harder in winter than spring or summer. In winter the water stays in the heated area so it stays thawed. I now use a black rubber bowl filled with rocks for a waterer so even if it freezes it won't burst. If I have a power outage it can get bad really quickly but I have a generator for that if I'm around and awake when power goes out. I haven't had to do that yet. I have a frost free hydrant down there so water is available.

I agree the risks are higher in winter and if you are not set up for it then it can be a hassle. I've seen photos of how you brood in the coop so it might not be practical for you but it's not a big problem for me. You're a clever woman. If you could figure out how o keep the water thawed the heating pad cave or a hover might work for you if you wanted to try it. But I'm sure you don't run out of meat the way your system is set up so you don't need to.