Poultry Talk Ontario (pto.ca)

I have a broody hen in this heat too - Penelope, my EO hen - a first time broody. I don't get it. She's 4+ years old and has never shown an inclination until now. The good news is that she's fairly easy to pick up to remove eggs, and I have had no trouble with putting her out in the yard with the others for some "free-ranging" in the evenings. Yesterday I saw her dust-bathing in a pile of peat moss down by the compost bins, so I'm not worried about her losing condition. DH and I entertained (briefly) the idea of getting her some hatching eggs to sit on, but don't need more hens ATM, and I think it's too late in the season really. For our setup/situation anyway. Plus, she's unproven as a mother, so there's the risk of her rejecting the chicks when they hatch (or worse, killing them) and having to set up to brood them ourselves followed by the challenge of integration late in the season. Still, it would be fun to have some little chicks running around again.

Well, where' s the rain?....ugh..I hate, absolutely hate, did I mention I hate? watering the garden...I dont sweat the grass going crispy, that will come back, but the veggies don't survive so water I must...the well is a good one so I am not worried but its just a pain...planning a soaker hose system for next year...the only hiccup is the construction of a header pipe for it...oh well...I am winning the war on my batch of potato beetles but I gotta say, its relentless...multi generations of hatching so it takes diligence...soooooo over squishing those things...gets old really fast but it must be done...nice potato plants tho...yay!...I have my one olive egger hen in a long broody mood...week three now..no eggs...have to toss her off the nest every day just to get her eating and drinking...she looks good but i hope the hormones wear off soon..I have no use for broody...hafta cull some roosters this weekend..finally made the choices....last chance for the Splash Cochin and I have a 2-1/2 month old Blk Copper Maran cockeral that is starting to crow that i have no need for...any takers?...anyway...big day today..off to Ottawa to bear witness to our acquired child from Belarus, Natallia, becoming a Canadian...buig family do afterwards..should be a good time....very proud pseudo papa here...have a good one folks..

Congratulations all, I know this is a huge deal!

Congratulations, TomK! Love to know the story.

SusanH wrote: ↑

Fri Jul 13, 2018 11:41 am

Congratulations, TomK! Love to know the story.

@SusanH ...back in '94 my family got involved with an organization that brought chidren from Belarus that were in need of a break from the low level radiation in their everyday environment, caused by the Chernobyl nuclear disaster, to Canada for summer respite visits...the kids were all minors from age 7 and up...children suffer more than adults from this level of radioactivity...the children stayed with host families for a period of 6-10 weeks, virtually the entire summer and were temporarily integrated into the host family's everyday life...we were such a family....we started with a girl, Leanna, and she came for two successive summers but in the second she showed huge homesickness issues and although we were prepared to host her again it was apparent that it would not be a good idea...so in the third summer ('96) we got Natasha (proper name Natallia) and although she was what one could kindly call a handful, she was endearing, so she continued year after year to share our summers...she was smart, precocious, daringly fearless and willing to try anything... A good student back home but from a miserable home life..only a negligent mother once her grandmother passed away, so she became a ward of the state and put in an orphanage, where, odds against, she blossomed...made friends and excelled in her schooling...so much so that she was awarded a university scholarship which she took and graduated with a BSc (Belarussian version)...all this time she continued to come to us every summer...we even had a serious eye condition repaired here pro bono in Toronto which would have left her blind for life if not dealt with...when she was 18 she applied for and with a great deal of assistance from people here as well as ourselves she emigrated to Canada, got her PRC, got work, enrolled in Algonquin college and graduated as a Registered Practical Nurse, got married, has a baby now and is enrolled in university this autumn to get her RN degree....and today she became a Canadian citizen in a very worthwhile enlightening ceremony in Ottawa cheered on by all who love her...what a day...what a young woman..Canada should be proud to have her and more like her...

Cudos to Canada, successful emigrants, and all those who give them a "leg up" ! Great story !

Great story! Thanks for telling it!

Candled under the 2 broody turkeys at 7 days. Good news for Al, his new boy is sure getting them! 17 eggs, 2 not fertile, 2 early quitters and the rest are just fine! (I am OK too)
BTW Home Hardware has a misting tower on sale for $15.99, just got one for the birds. Looks a neat idea.

@TomK hmm black copper Marans cockerel? I don't know. I think I might have been lucky and got all females because none of my bunch of Polish that I got same time as you got your Marans, now 12 weeks old, is trying to crow or growing wattles or doing anything gender specific at all. I guess I have to wait and wait. Somebody had a roo that didn't crow until 21 weeks. They've got at least four more weeks to even think about laying eggs. So, ok, I better wait. If they are all female I will get them a boyfriend next summer, soon enough. I already know my ducks are all female.

Killerbunny wrote: ↑

Sat Jul 14, 2018 1:00 pm

Candled under the 2 broody turkeys at 7 days. Good news for Al, his new boy is sure getting them! 17 eggs, 2 not fertile, 2 early quitters and the rest are just fine! (I am OK too)
BTW Home Hardware has a misting tower on sale for $15.99, just got one for the birds. Looks a neat idea.

Good news about turkey fertility. Glad you're okay too.
Arggh! I was just at HH today. Wish I'd known about the tower mister. We cobbled together our own DIY mister for the "quailsters", but I'm thinking the chooks might appreciate some coolth too when the mercury soars above thirty, even if they are in the shade for the worst of it.