Farming, Gardening & Homesteading

Discussion in 'Survival and Wilderness Skills' started by Delkancott, Dec 1, 2016.

  1. Delkancott

    Delkancott Member

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    I need to look into a stronger heater. These pans are only 125W each, but we're also running 300+ feet of cord to get there so I don't know how strong the current even is at that point. We're using about 6-8 gallons a day currently in two founts. All the other freezing days were fine, but apparently 8F was too cold.
     
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  2. Strigidae

    Strigidae Administrator Staff Member

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    Had one new goat born tonight!
     
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  3. FortyTwoBlades

    FortyTwoBlades Moderator Staff Member

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    Congrats! :)
     
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  4. Strigidae

    Strigidae Administrator Staff Member

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    One more baby born this weekend. Had two stillborn. :( Got one more kidding soon and then the rest of the herd in the spring.
     
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  5. Strigidae

    Strigidae Administrator Staff Member

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    One more baby two nights ago. Gonna have the rest in the spring.
     
  6. Bcamos

    Bcamos Member

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    My hens haven't laied in about 2 weeks. From my understanding, this should be extremely painful for them.

    We first had them setup in a stall that the previous homeowner converted into a coop. With our growing licestock, we needed that stall back. So I built them a new coop and allowed them to free-range during the day (They were cooped at all times before). The ducks are still laying like clockwork and they also free range during the day. The ducks lay on the coop floor and the hens always laid in the root boxes. Boxes are empty. Here's the thing, I heard one of the hens singing her egg song the other day, but again, the boxes were all empty. Today I crack an egg and it's 100% not a duck egg. Duck eggs have a very distinct feel to them, because the shells are extra thick.

    The problem with this, the hens have ALWAYS laid small light brown eggs. The ducks have always laid large white eggs. This egg was large and white. Can chicken eggs change colors like that? I know there are easter egg chickens that lay different colors, but they're a different color every day. I've never heard of a hen just switching from brown to white out of nowhere.
     
  7. Bcamos

    Bcamos Member

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    I saw a video where a guy was using old tractor tires as troughs. Concrete the bottom of them and the rubber keeps them insulated so they don't freeze. In his video, there was about 1' of snow around them but the water had no ice in it.
     
  8. Strigidae

    Strigidae Administrator Staff Member

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    Likely not a chicken egg. Typically they don't change colors like that but its possible. Our chickens slow down egg production in the winter and during the molt. If the chicken is egg bound then it can be bad news bears but sounds like they are doing one of the above.
     
  9. Bcamos

    Bcamos Member

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    Yeah, the outside texture of the egg was also completely different than the other duck eggs. Could have just been a weird duck egg.

    I have a hen that has quite literally, never laid a single egg. Ever. We've had her for almost 2 years now. And it's definitely a hen.

    It's weird for the other two to just stop.
     
  10. Strigidae

    Strigidae Administrator Staff Member

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    We have one, thats my bird, that lays once a month if she feels like it. Ruth is her name and im ok with her work ethic.

    Ive heard of some breeds not laying down much pigment on the egg but have not seen it in my brown egg chickens. Its odd for sure.
     
  11. Strigidae

    Strigidae Administrator Staff Member

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    Are the hens old?
     
  12. Bcamos

    Bcamos Member

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    No, they just hatched this spring. So they're not even a year old. Up until this point they were consistent layers.
     
  13. Strigidae

    Strigidae Administrator Staff Member

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    Likely decreasing light and they are taking a break. Or they are laying in a new spot.
     
  14. AddictedToSteel

    AddictedToSteel Member

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    The longer the cord, the heavier the gauge should be.
     
  15. Delkancott

    Delkancott Member

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    Some of our Red Star hens lay white eggs. Others brown. Others speckled. Diversity is the spice of life.
     
  16. Strigidae

    Strigidae Administrator Staff Member

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    Wife was on a mission to make me an OD green egg. Shes gotten pretty close with some crosses.
     
  17. Strigidae

    Strigidae Administrator Staff Member

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    Hows the hens bcamos?

    Losing more birds del?
     
  18. AddictedToSteel

    AddictedToSteel Member

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    I don't know if it is true, but I think I heard that the color of the hen affects the color of the egg shell.
     
  19. Delkancott

    Delkancott Member

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    No more lost since we put the aprons up to keep them from roosting out of the coop. Fun fact, they do not seem to like snow, they didn't know what to do when they saw it yesterday.

    Also, found this last night.


    IMG_0142.JPG
     
  20. SEMO

    SEMO Member

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    ^^^looking for lead poisoning^^^
     

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