Daily observations of my simple life.

Hens and Things:

I have two silkie hens left from my chicks I ordered last Spring. A little black silkie hen and a darling fluffy legged white one. Silkies are setting machines, but the little black hen doesn't seem that smart. In the fall they finally hatched out 10 chicks of which I still have nine. It took almost 6 weeks and I had to help by putting eggs in the incubator. Hens kept laying eggs under the hens so it just kept on and on. The white one is much smarter. She begins sitting on the black ones nest just about when it's time to hatch, then she takes charge of the chicks.  Last month the black started setting again . I decided I wasn't going to help, whatever happened happened. So she keeps kicking some eggs out of the nest, they get cold and then of course they won't hatch. Whenever the black hen needed to take a break the white one would go in and sit on the nest. Now the last couple days the white one is also on the nest full time. She was looking kind of maternal this morning so I'm wondering if there's not a chick under her.

I love the silkie breed they are so family oriented, they help each other.  The little roosters will take over the chicks once they are feathered out, about 6 weeks. That way the hens can start setting again.

Yesterday, I found another hen in the garage setting. It was an egg stash I knew about and always took some of the eggs but left some. Now I have been stashing fresh eggs under her. Problem is she's way up high on a shelf. I'll have to move her when it gets time for the chicks to hatch or they'll fall off. For now I'll leave her be. She's setting on a picnic basket. Very cute.

My first hatch has mostly roosters, I think. I can only see maybe three young hens at most. Problem is they are all different and it will be hard to decide which roosters to keep. Later, I'll decide.

This weekend I made my pumpkin bread again. I love it toasted and it's a quick bread, full of dried fruit and nuts, healthy and yummy.

There was such a strong wind yesterday I couldn't go out without being blown away. Feather and Sage ran around as did the peacocks. It makes them excited.

I watched Oprah's show on the avian flu awhile back. After the show I decided the best I could do was feed the chickens sour kraut everyday.I've read on several reports that chickens fed sour kraut don't get it. Oprah's guest said the fear is not great unless it goes from human to human. In that case we're on our own and should have 18 months of food and water stockpiled, plus gloves and masks for the duration. That said, I'm not going to get excited about the probability.

Posted by: cactusandquail at 18:09 | link | comments (4)

Comments:

#1  07 February 2006 - 10:31

 

Pumpkin bread again, i never heard of it until you mentioned it last week and then my neighbor gave me some Saturday. Hers doesnt have dried fruit and nuts but its good. How about posting your recipe if it isnt a secret.

rustymadgal

#2  07 February 2006 - 12:36

 

I can't talk about the avian flu with my mother. She boycotted turkey on Thanksgiving. But then, if she sees it on tv, she has it. So we all try to downplay everything. I'm not about to make something big of nothing... until it's something. But I do have to wonder if they're blowing this way out, or if we really should be worried.

That worries me. Maybe I'm like my mother.

Ladyinthemoon

#3  07 February 2006 - 19:10

 

Feed your mother sourkraut.

cactusandquail

#4  15 February 2006 - 10:16

 

HI cactus
here is susan-did you get my email at your other email place?
1. It takes 21 days from beginning to end to hatch eggs. ALl eggs laid should be taken away and stored with the fat end up, in a cool place, until about 7 have been laid and stored. Then put them back under the hen which is brooding on a nest.They can also be marked if you like with an indelable pen. That way you will know after you have put them back under her, which are the ones being brooded. You can use the newly laid ones which come into the nest either to eat or to save for another hen and nest -storing again in a cool place. That way they will all hatch at the same time within 2 days and the mother will be freed up and not forced to set on a nest forever (6 weeks) It is a lot easier on her health not to sit too long.
2. Normally a hen has to sit 3 weeks before she has the right hormones to take over a brood of chicks. After only a couple of days of sitting, she would normally not be properly pepped up for taking care of chicks.
3. I have been breeding chikens for 5 years and the farmers say that eggs laid under a hen which will hatch in 21 days under a full moon have more hen chicks than rooster.
susan aldridge

susanaldridge

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