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Muddy Valley Farm

Monthly Archives: March 2017

Poultry Nipples

31 Friday Mar 2017

Posted by Jodi in Chickens, Equipment

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Poultry Nipples.
Yes, it’s a thing. A useful thing that I saw in my local feed store’s chick brooder, my first year raising chicks.
Now I use one quart honey pails and poultry nipples in all the brooders. With lids, a small hole drilled in each top to prevent a vacuum as the water level drops.
The first couple years, I spent lots of time picking up chicks and tapping their little beaks against the nipples. Now I don’t bother, their natural curiosity and intelligence leads them to tap the nipples anyway, and they teach themselves. If I get a slow group, I add a few couple-day older chicks from the next brooder up, they soon teach the sluggards.
The label says “adult birds only”, but I don’t know why they are x-rated, they work great for my chicks.
Keeping waterers clean is a losing battle in the chick brooder, one I’m glad I don’t have to fight.

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SO: Chick Landing

30 Thursday Mar 2017

Posted by Jodi in Chickens

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Special Operation Chick Landing went off without a hitch last night just after 0900 hrs.
Subject one, Alsty broody. Location-layer coop. Status-sitting on 9 just hatched olive egger chicks.
Subject 2-Silkie broody. Location-barn. Status-sitting on 5 just hatched silkies n’ polish.
Objective-achieve adoption of 18 incubator-hatched chicks between these two mamas.
Results-SUCCESS. Each mama took 9 without a murmur, and this morning both were pleased as punch with their impressive broods.

New Mama

28 Tuesday Mar 2017

Posted by Jodi in Chickens

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Little Silkie hatched her first brood yesterday, 5 out of 7, not bad for a newbie.
I had hatched a batch the day before, so last night after dark, since I knew she had room under those fluffy skirts, I took her out three Black Copper Marans chicks.
This morning, the little mother of eight was proud as punch, and fiercely protective.

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House Chicken

22 Wednesday Mar 2017

Posted by Jodi in Chickens

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IMG_5569I sold my first house chicken the other day, a tiny day old White Silkie. The late twenties woman and her partner have a very small yard, and wanted an unusual, indoor pet. They have done their research and were ready for the little one. And they don’t much care if it is a girl or a boy, that’s also a first, usually chick gender is the top concern.
I’m sure this won’t be the last house chicken that starts life here on the farm.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/04/25/silkie-chicken_n_5200292.html

Alsty

20 Monday Mar 2017

Posted by Jodi in Chickens

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What is flat, feathered and growls when disturbed? Alsty the broody Alsterier. Her eggs are due in a week. This is her first clutch, and so far, she is doing great.

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Good Footing

14 Tuesday Mar 2017

Posted by Jodi in Chickens, Farm Improvements, Weather

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Chicken Husbandry 101: Best West Coast Wet Winter Pen Footing
The free range flocks spend more time under cover in rainy weather. With the heavy traffic, the bark mulch I spread last fall gets packed and slick. This year, I started forking over the ground inside each covered pen weekly, when I clean the coops. The heavy work warms me up nicely in this clammy cold weather. It also keeps the footing loose and absorbent and exposes lots of delicious grubs for the birds. They follow my progress so closely, I have to be careful not to stab my chickens!

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Late Hatcher

11 Saturday Mar 2017

Posted by Jodi in Chickens, Farm Produce

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Cleaning out the incubator post-hatch and found a half hatched Black Copper Marans egg. This little one was very late, but so determined to catch up she hatched right in my hand. Back into the incubator she went, to dry off and learn to use her legs, and she is now reunited with her hatch mates.
Her life force is strong. ❤

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New Babies

05 Sunday Mar 2017

Posted by Jodi in Chickens

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More new babies arrived yesterday. Bantam Rhode Island Reds from Quebec, Polish, Black Copper Marans and one little blonde Showgirl from our own pens.

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A New Rooster Joins the Flock

03 Friday Mar 2017

Posted by Jodi in Chickens

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IMG_5518After several weeks in quarantine in the barn with the ponies, bantam Polish rooster has joined the flock. He is a feisty little bugger, spending much of his time chasing poor Earl, who is twice his size, around the run.
This was the scene last night at bed time when I went to lock up. It is pretty obvious what the hens think of new guy’s behaviour. Earl is on the far left, sheltered by his ladies. New guy is on the right, plotting his next move.

Garlic

01 Wednesday Mar 2017

Posted by Jodi in Farm Produce, Gardening, Weather

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Our hard winter has stunted the garlic, will a gentle spring soothe it back to health?
The rhubarb sprouted in January, then gave up in February. A bit of green is peeking out now, wondering if it is safe to come out yet. Who knows?
The last two days have been warm and soft rainy, March has come in like a lamb. So I’m hoping.

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