Feeling low...visit with friends..just what I needed!

I have been under the weather for so long. Flu and Bronchitis , all the while trying to get to work everyday. I was just so worn out. Got where the only thing I wanted to do was work and get home to feed my 11 chickens and go to bed. Some time as early as 5:30. Got into a rut... didnt want to go anywhere....was finding my bed was my haven!! NOT good! Winter blahs turning into Winter Blues!
So the sun was shining today, Chilly but not cold! I called Friends who raise Chickens...all kinds and varieties. Some for show most pets. They had rescued my cages and Chickens at a show one day last Fall when I was called away for a Family emergency. I was so busy driving back and forth to my Parents home(125 miles away) and the hopital that I just couldnt take care of my 100 or so Chickens. So these friends and others fostered in or adopted my birds. I just now got to where I could go and get the cages.
While I was there I toured their little farm and was amazed at all the varities and coops of Fowl. So much fun!! I was introduced to a most gorgeuos solid white French Maran Roo. Both his parents were French Copper Black Marans. He was considered a "Sport". He was bred to 2 Cuckoo Marans and they produced a pair of beautiful Wheaten Hens. He was bred back again to the Wheatens and they are now producing White as well as other Maran colors. Maybe not Show Quality because of non-pure strains but oh what gorgeous birds.
When I started to leave they offered a dozen and a half assorted eggs for hatching. It made me so happy! I now haveFrench Black Copper Maran, White maran, Cuckoo Maran and Buff Brahma eggies. The photo "bleaches" out how truly dark these eggs are.

I cant get the true darkness of the Maran eggs to show up, the lighter eggs are Buff Brahma. I also added 4 experimental eggies of my own. Moms are Buff Orpingtons dad is a Black Copper Maran.

As I started to leave my friends, they said "Oh no you havent seen the kindergarten yet!" They then took me to their basement which has ben converted into a baby room for Seramas and Silkies. Oh man I was in Heaven for sure. I got to see colors and varieties I had only heard about. As I was about to go my Friend said here I know you love Silkies, and she handed me the sweetest little guy, a blue Silkie. Her Husband said "Oh No No, She cant have only one... it will be lonely!", so she handed me another. Oh Happy Day!!!!!

oh yea!!!! Eufaula. So glad to hear you had a Happy Day to give those Blues a kick in the but. I hate winter when we get those dark gloomy over cast days. Puts me in the dumps too.
Your new babies are beautiful. Hope your hatch goes well. Babies will perk you up and keep you busy

Oh how sweet...hope all goes well with your babies! I would love to give raising chickens a shot someday!

Yep I am perked for a few days! Actually having new babies to tend makes my days happier! Donna Ive got to get my incu going for a few days to calibrate it again but hopefully these little eggberts will be in action real soon!
Hey there Nanny_56 glad to hear from someone new!! Yes you really have to give chickies a try, once you do....Wellll you cant go back to not having them! OH how funny... I live in Putnam County , Georgia!!!

Eufala, you did the right thing *G*. Way to deal the Blues....Change Winter Blues into Silky Blues....

Eufaula I am so happy for you!Those silkies are so sweet,I have a few blues born this time to.And your right nothing can perk you up like babies and eggs to hatch.My winters are long and cold here and this year because I could break those two silkie broodies I let them hatch and did some in the incubator also and its something to look forward to and to do to take your mind off the darkness and cold.I also have some orpi. eggs in the incubator and looking forward to more babies.Again so happy for you.Keep us updated on your hatch.

Beautiful eggs, cute blue fuzzies!

Oh that is a coincidence with Putnam County! I have a sister that lives in Alpharetta Georgia.

I hope with our next move maybe we will live somewhere that I can have a few. I want to have some pygmy goats too! Baby chicks are too darn cute!

Careful what you wish for, nanny_56. Baby chicks are SO cute, that they tend to become addictive. And then they become chickens, and then there are eggs, and then more chicks, and so on and on...I know.

Your name sounds as if you're ready for the goats now....:)

The Pygmies are very small, and might fit nicely into a closet barn.

just a thought

Hey Y'all! I set up my incu last night. I need a new thermometer!! Please ....anyone have a sugestion for a source???? I have a Walmart, TS,and one feed store in my area . I dont have time to order over the net.
My incu is just a Little Giant, but it has a turner , fan and light. No Hygrometer. I wouldnt know how to read it anyway. I used it last year without the fan , had pretty good luck , but never enough eggs to really put it to a test. A friend modified it with the fan, said it works great for her, so Im raring to use it and see. Eggers are waiting in a semi-warm draft free place , but neeeeed to get into the incu .....yesterday!! LoL!

I got mine at WalMart. It tells temp and humidity, is digital, and was about $8, I think. Seemed accurate when compared with a traditional bulb type thermometer.

Got mine at wal mart to

Thanks Guys! Walmart didnt have what I needed, or at least I couldnt find it, no one working there seemed to know where to look????? Got a regular indoor out door thermometer from ACE. Eggers in the Incu... all set. 23 (not to count my chicks before they hatch mind You) in all. So by February 7th we should get at least a couple!

I was so excited about putting them in the "bator", that I was litterally shaking!!!! Do you find yourself talking to the little eggers as if they were already newborns??

Yaaay!!! Very excited.... I found my first true FBCM egg from my own Little "Mary", when I got home. SO it is now also in the incubator. That makes 24 all set!

Heres an update on my babies. Not so sure now that they are blue after all. Once I got them into a better light , I think they are just going to be blacks.........Haaaahaa...who cares!!! I have babies again and they're Silkies!

I almost caught Mr. P.P. playing nursemaid, but he just didnt want his photo taken today!!

I don`t know they look blue to me

I agree with Green. I don't know much about Silkies, but those look like blue chicks. It will be fun to see what color they are when they molt.

Hey Eufaula - I put in eggs today too! I put in some Easter eggers (4 now but might sneak another one in tomorrow if one of my 2 lays another) ... they'll be mutts though. They will be either a wyadotte or faverolle mix - should make for an interesting color mix. I hope to have something hatch. This is my first try with my new Christmas gift. I got the basic incubator so I will have to monitor the humidity, temp, and also turn the eggs.

Ooooh Green and Prkpal I hope you are right!!!
TRex ( Haha) Oh I know you are excited about your new incu..... wishing you the best of luck!! :-)

I'm gonna vote with the Blue Crew. For some reason I end up with lots of blue babies, and these look typical :)

Yaaay! Thanks Cat....now I just hope they dont grow up to be the "Blues Brothers"!!

This one looks blue to me but his daddy is a splash blue with black so he may look like his daddy.

Daddy,this is his first child LOL

Oh Oh! this PAPA cant say its not his baby!!!!! just look at those beautiful genes!!!

If I had a chick that cute, I wouldn't care what color it ended up!

Its been a week and the incu had it first mishap yesterday! I woke up to 75 degree rainy weather ..... NOT good! Just two days before it was in the 30s . Yeppers! Tornadoes started popping up all over Georgia! I was very lucky, they just went over me . Bad wind and rain and limbs blown everywhere. Then the electricity went out for almost two hours.
I grabbed my down insulated jacket and covered the Incu. Thank heavens it wasnt any colder than it was, or I just dont think my eggies would have made it at all. My biggest worry is that the pressure drop was so drastic. I hope this wont be another disaster like last year. I honestly believe that embryos cant survive it. Oh well we will see. Im hoping for the best.

Sending good wishes to the little eggies!

Oh Dear... sending best wishes and warm thoughts to the eggies....

Hope they are okay....my gosh! Always something isn't it.....

Sending good vibes your way so we can both show off our babies in a couple weeks!

Im singing to them and talking over them , if that does any good at all... I dont know but it helps me! LOL!!(sniff)

I am sure it helps - they feel loved already!

Sounds like fun. Glad you kicked the blues. Jumping in on this thread, so that I can follow the birth. Those maran eggs look awesome.

Eufaula; Barb and I just went back to this thread to check what has been going on, yep we are getting eggsited. I have wanted to have an incubator for some time now but it has always managed to get put on back burner, you know "wait"! Think I will have to move that to the get it done file, huh.
Green that is indeed one handsome roo.
I was just thinking plain ol chickens but now I'm not sure. I might go fancy. I don't need a prolific egg layer as there are just the two of us. Of course I'm sure our girls would want us to share as well but that would be an enticement for them to visit, Right?
Eufaula
Hope the little guys in the bater made it through.
Russ

Green I have a rooster similar to yours. I was thinking about giving him away or selling him. I was going more for the big crest, but now, I am not that crazy about chickens that can't see.

Anyway, here he is.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hiKL6sYs9CE&feature=related

Woof woof woof. See why that dog irritates me so much? Imagine I thought she was so cute as a puppy and came up to us and barked and wagged her tail. Man. What a mistake. Get the quiet shy dog.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&feature=endscreen&v=kMTWkv-tzOk

Edited to add the second video. Woof.



This message was edited Jan 26, 2012 11:58 AM

Here he is in the house. He jumped up there by himself, so I took his picture. Kind of a funny sometimes what they decide to do.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&feature=endscreen&v=T0G36rSHARM

Am I the only one that brings chickens in the house? Not that I let them stay too long, but I find it fun to let them come in occassionally, usually when I bathe them or something.

Zoro has been in here two nights, just walking around in the kitchen. lol :D Since I am tearing out the old vinyl in there, there isn't anything he can hurt. So, what's the harm? none