Starting a new thread because I keep losing the old one…

Going to collect the shredded paper under the roost shortly, also lay down some lime. Laid it down where the chookens siesta during the pm, I keep smelling chicken manure but I can’t whiff it in my yard, I think it may have been spread on the garden next door…won’t hurt, anyway…

Yes I finally procured some lime, $18 a 10kg bag…

Also I will need to go back to the “old” feed – layer mash – as the chookens are not at all enthused about this current batch…the cockatoos and little corellas are, tho’…

Just put out some shell grit….errr found it on a beach, seriously it was couple inches thick…and the new chookens went for it en masse my old chookens said hmmm, let us into the front of your front, we know there’s some worms growing under the cherry guava….

And I think I know why there’s almost no fallen fruit under that guava…the chookens eat it…

Going to get another bag of the old layer mash soon, seeing as they’re preferring to ignore the new feed mix…

Are you going to give them a half and half mix and see how they go?

Dinetta said:

Just put out some shell grit….errr found it on a beach, seriously it was couple inches thick…and the new chookens went for it en masse my old chookens said hmmm, let us into the front of your front, we know there’s some worms growing under the cherry guava….

And I think I know why there’s almost no fallen fruit under that guava…the chookens eat it…

Going to get another bag of the old layer mash soon, seeing as they’re preferring to ignore the new feed mix…

did you rinse the salt off the shell grit first?

buffy said:

Are you going to give them a half and half mix and see how they go?

Yes, until it’s all the one mix (the old one) again…

bluegreen said:

Dinetta said:

Just put out some shell grit….errr found it on a beach, seriously it was couple inches thick…and the new chookens went for it en masse my old chookens said hmmm, let us into the front of your front, we know there’s some worms growing under the cherry guava….

And I think I know why there’s almost no fallen fruit under that guava…the chookens eat it…

Going to get another bag of the old layer mash soon, seeing as they’re preferring to ignore the new feed mix…

did you rinse the salt off the shell grit first?

No. Well I’ve had it so long, like 25 years, I wouldn’t know if it’s been washed off or not.

Dinetta said:

bluegreen said:

Dinetta said:

Just put out some shell grit….errr found it on a beach, seriously it was couple inches thick…and the new chookens went for it en masse my old chookens said hmmm, let us into the front of your front, we know there’s some worms growing under the cherry guava….

And I think I know why there’s almost no fallen fruit under that guava…the chookens eat it…

Going to get another bag of the old layer mash soon, seeing as they’re preferring to ignore the new feed mix…

did you rinse the salt off the shell grit first?

No. Well I’ve had it so long, like 25 years, I wouldn’t know if it’s been washed off or not.

oh, OK. I thought you had recently collected it.

Quick question: I’ve been feeding my hens the generic oat porridge of a morning, which amounts to about $4 per week, which is OK. However I was wondering if there was some other mash I could make. Mum had a laying mash which looked like ummm…gone from my mind…yea ….no gone again…yep, pollard…but she never got it mixed with the pollard we gave to our pet ponies…does anyone know what it might have been? She used to mix it hot, with whatever had been stewing / brewing on the slow combustion stove top, from the previous day…by golly those hens laid or else…

Also BlueGreen, I have a very dim memory that I did hose down that shell-grit when I brought it from the beach way back when…everything that had been to the beach got hosed down in those days…wouldn’t hurt to give it another freshwater run tho’…

sounds like you have spoiled hens to me Dinetta! Porridge for breakfast! I never could be bothered with the hot mash thing myself.

My understanding is that “mash” is whatever pellets or mix that you feed them, and pollard is generally included in commercial mixes I think, and wet mash is when you soak it in water and hot mash is if you use hot (boiling) water. Some people use milk too if they have an excess or a house cow.

I reckon there are some spoilt hens around too! Mine have a feeder of layers pellets and whatever they can scratch up out of the gravel. They get the spent seed from the cockatiel aviary to pick over, and any thistles and problem weeds I happen to be pulling at the time. If there is an excess of lettuce or silver beet, or tops off the beetroot when picked, they get them too. I had some very spoiled peastraw (with worms in it! YUM!!) for a while and they intermittently got a biscuit of that too. Mine just have to be tough!

:)

I would like to obtain a feeder, they are about $80 for a good metal one out here. Also a waterer. My neighbours have had a domestic, he slept in a park for 3 days before she went and got him, they are not waving to me so I suppose they need to work this through. Well I hope they work it through before I need to find somebody to chook-sit for me…

I really don’t mind feeding them the hot mash, it gets me into their coop and they stay familiar with me. I’ve noticed that they’re keeping a patch of green panic down, so after I get the line for the whipper snipper I’ll knock down a couple of patches of panic between me and Mrs B, then encourage the chookens to forage there…

just change the poultry water and put some ice in. Collected the chook eggs and there was a little 47g egg there along with the usual ~55g eggs. My young chicks are now 15 1/2 weeks old now so looks like one of them is definitely a hen :D Don’t know who laid it though.

bluegreen said:

just change the poultry water and put some ice in. Collected the chook eggs and there was a little 47g egg there along with the usual ~55g eggs. My young chicks are now 15 1/2 weeks old now so looks like one of them is definitely a hen :D Don’t know who laid it though.

If they are approachable, you pat one on the back and if it flattens out, that’s a submissive action to receive the rooster and they only do this after starting to lay.

today the ducks were getting right into the sprinkler, literally! or trying to! they were certainly enjoying it anyway :)

bluegreen said:

today the ducks were getting right into the sprinkler, literally! or trying to! they were certainly enjoying it anyway :)

A sight that gladdens the heart…

I saw the singing honeyeaters bathing in a bird bath I’d given up on, under the frangipanni…

an easy to make auto feeder

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/pJvqH7a78SA?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>

bluegreen said:

an easy to make auto feeder

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/pJvqH7a78SA?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>

Thanks BlueGreen…something to think about…altho’ mine do like scratching for thrown grain late in the afternoon…I like to measure just how much they’re getting through…8 eggs today…or have I already announced that???

Dinetta said:

bluegreen said:

an easy to make auto feeder

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/pJvqH7a78SA?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>

Thanks BlueGreen…something to think about…altho’ mine do like scratching for thrown grain late in the afternoon…I like to measure just how much they’re getting through…8 eggs today…or have I already announced that???

I saw this too and was going to make it. I have all the bits here already. Including a 60 litre wheely bin that would make the job of moving it easier. But I would rather interact with the chickens at feed time, so decided against it. Great for working people though.

Cocci…….grrrrrr. Never had this before and didn’t know what to look for. One min a chick simply looks quiet and sleepy and within an hour it’s dead. I hit the panic button and am medicating that pen. They are seperate and quarantined far away from the others, and it just happens to be the pen with the silver spangled hamburgs :( I had only just sexed them, 4 females and 2 males. One fem lost, and now another fem and one male look ‘quiet and sleepy’.
Checked poop and yep, blood in it. It’s not unusual to see blood in their droppings, they do shed some intestinal lining now and then, but it’s not a lot, nor does it continue.
Fingers crossed.

Happy Potter said:

Cocci…….grrrrrr. Never had this before and didn’t know what to look for. One min a chick simply looks quiet and sleepy and within an hour it’s dead. I hit the panic button and am medicating that pen. They are seperate and quarantined far away from the others, and it just happens to be the pen with the silver spangled hamburgs :( I had only just sexed them, 4 females and 2 males. One fem lost, and now another fem and one male look ‘quiet and sleepy’.
Checked poop and yep, blood in it. It’s not unusual to see blood in their droppings, they do shed some intestinal lining now and then, but it’s not a lot, nor does it continue.
Fingers crossed.

OH NO!! crosses everything

Happy Potter said:

Cocci…….grrrrrr. Never had this before and didn’t know what to look for. One min a chick simply looks quiet and sleepy and within an hour it’s dead. I hit the panic button and am medicating that pen. They are seperate and quarantined far away from the others, and it just happens to be the pen with the silver spangled hamburgs :( I had only just sexed them, 4 females and 2 males. One fem lost, and now another fem and one male look ‘quiet and sleepy’.
Checked poop and yep, blood in it. It’s not unusual to see blood in their droppings, they do shed some intestinal lining now and then, but it’s not a lot, nor does it continue.
Fingers crossed.

:( :(

do you give them chick starter or your own recipe? Chick starter usually contains cocci meds.
————————————-

Yes always, until they’re 8 weeks old. I use it for any sick/stressed/quarantined chooks as well. Perhaps the cocci strain they got was from outside feral birds as none can get into the fernery. There’s about 15 strains of cocci, so this is looking more and more like the reason. Ps they are doing really well now :)

Moving to the correct thread…

Happy Potter said:

do you give them chick starter or your own recipe? Chick starter usually contains cocci meds.
————————————-

Yes always, until they’re 8 weeks old. I use it for any sick/stressed/quarantined chooks as well. Perhaps the cocci strain they got was from outside feral birds as none can get into the fernery. There’s about 15 strains of cocci, so this is looking more and more like the reason. Ps they are doing really well now :)

Moving to the correct thread…

Well they were doing well! then went downhill and lost another chick. I hit the panic button soon as I saw it this morning and rang my vet to ask for advice. She told me what medication I need for them and then we both went off to ring about for it. I had no luck finding it but my vet did. She told me to go to the Uni vet clinic nearby to pick up and pay for a suspension for piglets and small animals with cocci. It’s double the strength than the poultry one, – more meds for your dollar.
I made an appointment to see her at 4pm, 3 hours away, as I needed to find out how much to give them. The dose on the bottle said ‘as directed by your vet’. I got home from and another chick had died..hell.. I couldn’t wait till 4, so I got onto my fb poultry group to ask how much to give the remaining 3 chicks.
Got help immediately from a wonderful lady and dosed them with 2 drops into each chicks beak. That was an initial emergency oral dose, then 1.5 mls in their water for the next 3 days. They were fluffed up and piled into a corner sleeping with heads tucked under wings, almost at the point of death. The medication is toltrazuril. Magic potion.. 2 hours later the chicks were up and pecking at their food. Later on before dusk they were back to flitting about and playing leap frog over one another. But while hopeful, I’m not getting my hopes up too high. After seeing them die so rapidly, my fingers are still crossed. The 3 live ones are all female.
Medicated chick crumbles taken away and replaced with soggy weet bix with vit c in.

I’m wrecked, and not half by the ones who pooh poohed medicating them or spending any money saving chicks, or who draw the line at taking a chicken to a vet. They can go and jump in the lake. I didn’t need their input.
Nite nite.

how are the chicks this morning? Still plenty of people out there who would have done the same as you, so don’t pay any attention to those nay sayers.

bluegreen said:

how are the chicks this morning? Still plenty of people out there who would have done the same as you, so don’t pay any attention to those nay sayers.

Wonderful BG, playing and eating, drinking :)
As to wheather the sickness has affected their growth or development, wheather they’ll lay eggs in the future, remains to be seen. Huge learning curve for me.

Happy Potter said:

bluegreen said:

how are the chicks this morning? Still plenty of people out there who would have done the same as you, so don’t pay any attention to those nay sayers.

Wonderful BG, playing and eating, drinking :)
As to wheather the sickness has affected their growth or development, wheather they’ll lay eggs in the future, remains to be seen. Huge learning curve for me.

will you have enough of the meds to keep for future emergencies?

bluegreen said:

Happy Potter said:

bluegreen said:

how are the chicks this morning? Still plenty of people out there who would have done the same as you, so don’t pay any attention to those nay sayers.

Wonderful BG, playing and eating, drinking :)
As to wheather the sickness has affected their growth or development, wheather they’ll lay eggs in the future, remains to be seen. Huge learning curve for me.

will you have enough of the meds to keep for future emergencies?

I got a 20 ml bottle and I will only use 5 ml of it. I mightn’t ever need it again, I know lots more about prevention now but I will keep it in the fridge for emergencies. Or others birds too. The problem with cocci is that you don’t know until they’re dying that anythings wrong.

Happy Potter said:

bluegreen said:

Happy Potter said:

Wonderful BG, playing and eating, drinking :)
As to wheather the sickness has affected their growth or development, wheather they’ll lay eggs in the future, remains to be seen. Huge learning curve for me.

will you have enough of the meds to keep for future emergencies?

I got a 20 ml bottle and I will only use 5 ml of it. I mightn’t ever need it again, I know lots more about prevention now but I will keep it in the fridge for emergencies. Or others birds too. The problem with cocci is that you don’t know until they’re dying that anythings wrong.

Ps my other chickens are all fine. They are immune.

Snowys trying to hump everything in sight, much to the surprise of the silkies, and the 6 week old leghorns and legbars are having competitions on who can eat the most. They no longer fit under Lin Lin and now they pile on top of her rather than trying to get under her. Poor Lin Lins had quite enough of her ten and starting to push them away.

Happy Potter said:

Happy Potter said:

bluegreen said:

will you have enough of the meds to keep for future emergencies?

I got a 20 ml bottle and I will only use 5 ml of it. I mightn’t ever need it again, I know lots more about prevention now but I will keep it in the fridge for emergencies. Or others birds too. The problem with cocci is that you don’t know until they’re dying that anythings wrong.

Ps my other chickens are all fine. They are immune.

Snowys trying to hump everything in sight, much to the surprise of the silkies, and the 6 week old leghorns and legbars are having competitions on who can eat the most. They no longer fit under Lin Lin and now they pile on top of her rather than trying to get under her. Poor Lin Lins had quite enough of her ten and starting to push them away.

sounds like she might be ready to join the main flock again. Glad to hear that Snowy is doing well :D

bluegreen said:

Happy Potter said:

Happy Potter said:

I got a 20 ml bottle and I will only use 5 ml of it. I mightn’t ever need it again, I know lots more about prevention now but I will keep it in the fridge for emergencies. Or others birds too. The problem with cocci is that you don’t know until they’re dying that anythings wrong.

Ps my other chickens are all fine. They are immune.

Snowys trying to hump everything in sight, much to the surprise of the silkies, and the 6 week old leghorns and legbars are having competitions on who can eat the most. They no longer fit under Lin Lin and now they pile on top of her rather than trying to get under her. Poor Lin Lins had quite enough of her ten and starting to push them away.

sounds like she might be ready to join the main flock again. Glad to hear that Snowy is doing well :D

She’s already out and running with the mob. I open their pens in the morning and get bowled over by little ones dashing to the feed bowl. After they’ve eaten then I open the main gate and they have the yard for the day.
The big leghorns join them after eggs are laid. Snowy does well calling the chicks and hens to a worm or grub.

Here’s a cheap fencing panel place in dandenong, fox proof thickness wire. And lamb proof too!
http://stores.ebay.com.au/Budget-Temp-Fence

Sad to hear about your chookens. I’m sure they aren’t just chooks to you but family pets. Gosh, One day it’s Max then it the chooks. Did you kill a Chinaman or something?

Happy Potter said:

Here’s a cheap fencing panel place in dandenong, fox proof thickness wire. And lamb proof too!
http://stores.ebay.com.au/Budget-Temp-Fence

I so much want some of those, but they are on my dreaming list (as compared to wish list) as the Govt. doesn’t pay me enough to buy stuff like that. lol!

pomolo said:

Sad to hear about your chookens. I’m sure they aren’t just chooks to you but family pets. Gosh, One day it’s Max then it the chooks. Did you kill a Chinaman or something?

I dread to think.

Happy Potter said:

Snowys trying to hump everything in sight, much to the surprise of the silkies, and the 6 week old leghorns and legbars are having competitions on who can eat the most. They no longer fit under Lin Lin and now they pile on top of her rather than trying to get under her. Poor Lin Lins had quite enough of her ten and starting to push them away.

Lively times in the chicken coop…glad you managed to save a few of the stricken chicks in the end…

And, lost another chick today from the stricken ones. Why?.. they were not drinking the medicated water.
I hate having to medicate or worm chickens with meds that need to be placed in their water dish. You just don’t know if they’re drinking it.
I dropped day 3 meds direct into the beaks of the 2 left. I will not lose these ones and by the looks of them, healthy as, I won’t.

Happy Potter said:

And, lost another chick today from the stricken ones. Why?.. they were not drinking the medicated water.
I hate having to medicate or worm chickens with meds that need to be placed in their water dish. You just don’t know if they’re drinking it.
I dropped day 3 meds direct into the beaks of the 2 left. I will not lose these ones and by the looks of them, healthy as, I won’t.

The birds that I have had, I hated the “medicine in water” thing, could never be sure it was being drunk in the quantity required…

Here’s hoping for the last 2…

Happy Potter said:

And, lost another chick today from the stricken ones. Why?.. they were not drinking the medicated water.
I hate having to medicate or worm chickens with meds that need to be placed in their water dish. You just don’t know if they’re drinking it.
I dropped day 3 meds direct into the beaks of the 2 left. I will not lose these ones and by the looks of them, healthy as, I won’t.

Buggadammit!

The remaining 2 chicks will live.. I took out some pulverised layer pellets to them and they madly dived into the bowl, hungry and healthy. I’ve stopped kicking myself, I have learnt so much that I know this problem won’t happen again.

Happy Potter said:

The remaining 2 chicks will live.. I took out some pulverised layer pellets to them and they madly dived into the bowl, hungry and healthy. I’ve stopped kicking myself, I have learnt so much that I know this problem won’t happen again.

…and that’s a good way of looking at it…congrats on saving these two!

Off to buy some silastic or summin’ for the chookens roof…where two pieces of CGI overlap, one has a “v” and the water collects here and drips…they only have one dry nest to speak of, even if they do have rainwater on tap into their water saucepan lol!

It’s that time of year folks, the Wet gearing up and I Have A Broodie!

I thought Goldie was having trouble laying an egg this AM, she hops off and joins the other chookens after 8 hours on the nest, I go down about an hour ago and here she is, on the nest again!

I have chosen the eggs I would like to go under her. Would have liked a couple of Araucanas but that doesn’t look likely, unless I can get some eggs tomorrow.

J1 (neighbour) is coming up tomorrow to look at my arrangement and advise how to separate Goldie from the rest of the flock, so she’s not continually getting new eggs under her. I think I have about 5 days to get it right?

I’ve got about 5 days before things get serious, haven’t I?

Dinetta said:

I’ve got about 5 days before things get serious, haven’t I?

5 Days ? Please explain?

Dinetta said:

It’s that time of year folks, the Wet gearing up and I Have A Broodie!

I thought Goldie was having trouble laying an egg this AM, she hops off and joins the other chookens after 8 hours on the nest, I go down about an hour ago and here she is, on the nest again!

I have chosen the eggs I would like to go under her. Would have liked a couple of Araucanas but that doesn’t look likely, unless I can get some eggs tomorrow.

J1 (neighbour) is coming up tomorrow to look at my arrangement and advise how to separate Goldie from the rest of the flock, so she’s not continually getting new eggs under her. I think I have about 5 days to get it right?

Move her at night nest and all, late as possible when it’s darkest. Get someone else to lift her gently and you put the eggs and nest in into whatever you’re putting her in and put hen back on them quickly and cover with a towel so it’s completely dark and take her to the secluded spot. No talking. Leave the towel on for 24 hours. Even better, if she’s already in a good spot, place a wire mesh fence around her so the other hens can’t get in to lay in her nest. I don’t get what you mean by 5 days to get it right? But in case..fertile eggs will stay good for 10 days or more, and a good hen will sit for 6 weeks or even more waiting for babies to hatch. She won’t starve. I’ve put good eggs under a broody that’d already been sitting for nearly 3 weeks when I couldn’t get fertile eggs, then continued to sit until they hatched.

Thanks for that Happy Potter. I want to keep her in the coop so she’s secure of a night, the coop being 50 metres from the house. Reckon I could organise a wire mesh thing and peel it back after the day’s eggs have been laid. The hens have got 4 other nests that they can use, one of which they don’t use.

Dinetta said:

Thanks for that Happy Potter. I want to keep her in the coop so she’s secure of a night, the coop being 50 metres from the house. Reckon I could organise a wire mesh thing and peel it back after the day’s eggs have been laid. The hens have got 4 other nests that they can use, one of which they don’t use.

Two possible problems could arise.
1. another could go broody and join her in the same nest, and 2, when the chicks hatch other chickens may harm them if you let them out to mingle.

I’ve kept chickens for hmm 16 years now but only started breeding about five years ago. I’ve learn’t much.. don’t use a first time broody for valuable eggs, don’t allow access to other hens while the broody is sitting, and don’t allow the hen and new chicks straight into the main pen with the others.
Keep them separate until 6 weeks at least, better is 8 weeks or until the hen is no longer looking after them.

I keep small folding 6 panel pet pens (around $34- 45 on ebay) within the main pen with a sheet of ply or tin, polycarbonate, ect. over it. With spells out on the grass on warm days.. where other chickens have been.
I use a 2nd folding pen for this purpose, they’re light and easy to store away. These pens are great for quarantine for any newies brought in, and for sick bay and fighting roos purposes too.
And just in case you wern’t sure, feed them chick starter crumbles only . The mumchook is fine to stay on chick starter with them, and also for the time she’s sitting on the eggs.

Don’t let layers eat the medicated chick crumbles. Because I have youngsters in with adult silkies for the time being, they being 7 week old legbars and leghorn big breeds and already bigger than the silkies, they get both crumbles and grain and often the laying hens will head straight to the crumbles dish. Because of this we’re not eating any silkies eggs at the moment, they get recycled back into their mash.
I don’t know how much you know, so I do hope I haven’t been condesending with all this.

Happy hatching! :)

Happy Potter said:

Two possible problems could arise.
1. another could go broody and join her in the same nest, and 2, when the chicks hatch other chickens may harm them if you let them out to mingle.

Thanks Happy Potter, some of it I did know and some of it I didn’t. Altho’ I must admit to allowing laying chookens to eat chicken crumble in the past and then eating their eggs. Ignorance is bliss. (whoops)…not really, I guess.

I have a bright pink “chook tractor” (that needs to get here) and it’s a single bed frame with aviary wire, flaps either end to enable access into the confined area. This gets moved over the grass on a daily basis, but of a night I put the Mumchook and chickens into a home-made dog box, about 1 m by 0.5 m by 1 m. This keeps them secure from marauding dogs etc, but I might use the bitch’s box if dogs become a concern.

J1 is coming this AM, I’m expecting her any minute, this is a first time broodie but as she’s a top-knot bantam I’m pretty sure she’s in for the long haul. Just pissed that I didn’t save more of her eggs (can’t really tell them from the IsaBrowns these days), so I will have to take pot luck with what hatches. Also I’m not too sure that all the newies have accepted Pancho, so they might not all be fertile.

Aargh! Don’t think I could handle two broodies, however as the others’re mostly Isa Browns it would be fair to think that they have the broodiness suppressed.

Dinetta said:

Happy Potter said:

Two possible problems could arise.
1. another could go broody and join her in the same nest, and 2, when the chicks hatch other chickens may harm them if you let them out to mingle.

Thanks Happy Potter, some of it I did know and some of it I didn’t. Altho’ I must admit to allowing laying chookens to eat chicken crumble in the past and then eating their eggs. Ignorance is bliss. (whoops)…not really, I guess.

I have a bright pink “chook tractor” (that needs to get here) and it’s a single bed frame with aviary wire, flaps either end to enable access into the confined area. This gets moved over the grass on a daily basis, but of a night I put the Mumchook and chickens into a home-made dog box, about 1 m by 0.5 m by 1 m. This keeps them secure from marauding dogs etc, but I might use the bitch’s box if dogs become a concern.

J1 is coming this AM, I’m expecting her any minute, this is a first time broodie but as she’s a top-knot bantam I’m pretty sure she’s in for the long haul. Just pissed that I didn’t save more of her eggs (can’t really tell them from the IsaBrowns these days), so I will have to take pot luck with what hatches. Also I’m not too sure that all the newies have accepted Pancho, so they might not all be fertile.

Aargh! Don’t think I could handle two broodies, however as the others’re mostly Isa Browns it would be fair to think that they have the broodiness suppressed.

Sounds good.
A special candling torch will show you what eggs are fertile.. after 4 days you should see tiny spidery veins, after 7 days the veins are easier to see.
By 2 weeks half the egg is dark, you can see the air sac at the big end and you can see the chick moving about – what I call ‘swimmers’.

Moved the little lady tonight. Made a 3-sided wire frame from some fencing wire, the sturdy but not ARC Weldmesh kind, found a cardboard box that would fit in, took out the flaps, just leaving the 4 sides, and pushed it all under the camp bed that the wardrobe cum nesting contraption is on…I’m happy with this move as I’m used to chookens (my mother’s) setting on bare dirt. Goldy might not be so happy as she prefers the high ground.

My point of view is that where she was, was almost airless in these rather hot and very humid days, whereas on the ground she’s got most of the breezes. All the hens dustbathe in this area, so I’ll have to let them into the house yard in the morning, so’s they’ll do their dustbathing up here and leave Goldy in peace.

Have never moved a hen and eggs before but they are all under her so hope her instincts kick in. By golly they are HOT eggs lol!

Sounds all good Dinetta :)

I’ve upset someone by telling them no sorry to buying my legbar cockerel cheap because he’s young. They have Isas and just want babies of any sort for layers. This one’s a special boy that needs to go to an experienced person who appreciates the breed. If bred true to LB hens they’re autosexing. I will take him to auction next spring, after testing for fertility.
By that time his buying price will be $60-80 plus.

Currently reading up on auto sexing and sex linked breeding. Autosexing is for pure breeds such as the legbars. Sex linked is for crosses, eg: cross a Rhode Island rooster with Plymouth Rock hens and girls hatch black, boys hatch with spots.

Happy Potter said:

Sounds all good Dinetta :)

Well it’s not good, Happy Potter. This morning, the other chookens got in and disturbed the arrangement. By the time I got down there Goldy was trying to get back up to the old nest but didn’t want to leave her eggs behind…

So I put her back up, for peace’s sake, and will consider wiring the on-ground arrangement shut, at least until the rest of the hens have laid their eggs for the day. Then I’ll open the “cage” again.

The eggs had cooled so I don’t know just where I stand with that? She was happy to have them under her again, giving little clucks and arranging them with her feet.

Dinetta said:

Happy Potter said:

Sounds all good Dinetta :)

Well it’s not good, Happy Potter. This morning, the other chookens got in and disturbed the arrangement. By the time I got down there Goldy was trying to get back up to the old nest but didn’t want to leave her eggs behind…

So I put her back up, for peace’s sake, and will consider wiring the on-ground arrangement shut, at least until the rest of the hens have laid their eggs for the day. Then I’ll open the “cage” again.

The eggs had cooled so I don’t know just where I stand with that? She was happy to have them under her again, giving little clucks and arranging them with her feet.

She needs to be penned separately full time. Others may try to steal her eggs, or if she can re join the flock, she may decide to do so and abandon her eggs, esp’ if the others find a tasty morsel and create a ruckus about it, that is if she is a first timer. A tried and tested mumchook won’t leave her nest for anything.
Broodies need a quiet area away from the main pen thats cool and shady, pref darkened, with no people traffic with heavy footsteps or close to doors that bang shut, ect. I’m not sure about the cooled eggs, it depends on how long they were cool for.

Dinetta said:

The eggs had cooled so I don’t know just where I stand with that? She was happy to have them under her again, giving little clucks and arranging them with her feet.

I think they can cope with a short cooling period, may delay hatching a day.

Happy Potter said:

She needs to be penned separately full time. Others may try to steal her eggs, or if she can re join the flock, she may decide to do so and abandon her eggs, esp’ if the others find a tasty morsel and create a ruckus about it, that is if she is a first timer. A tried and tested mumchook won’t leave her nest for anything.
Broodies need a quiet area away from the main pen thats cool and shady, pref darkened, with no people traffic with heavy footsteps or close to doors that bang shut, ect. I’m not sure about the cooled eggs, it depends on how long they were cool for.

I don’t think she’s going to rejoin the flock in a hurry. Very very determined little lady, this one. She only joins the flock about 3 pip emma, for about half an hour, goes up to the flock and has a quick dust bath, a huge drink of water (altho’ there’s always fresh water in the coop) and a big feed of greens and grains. Then it’s back to the nest and she is tight

So basically she needs a pen the others can’t get into. I think I can arrange that, if I promise Sonny Jim a roast dinner on Sunday. Maybe.

Happy Potter said:

Dinetta said:

Happy Potter said:

Sounds all good Dinetta :)

Well it’s not good, Happy Potter. This morning, the other chookens got in and disturbed the arrangement. By the time I got down there Goldy was trying to get back up to the old nest but didn’t want to leave her eggs behind…

So I put her back up, for peace’s sake, and will consider wiring the on-ground arrangement shut, at least until the rest of the hens have laid their eggs for the day. Then I’ll open the “cage” again.

The eggs had cooled so I don’t know just where I stand with that? She was happy to have them under her again, giving little clucks and arranging them with her feet.

She needs to be penned separately full time. Others may try to steal her eggs, or if she can re join the flock, she may decide to do so and abandon her eggs, esp’ if the others find a tasty morsel and create a ruckus about it, that is if she is a first timer. A tried and tested mumchook won’t leave her nest for anything.
Broodies need a quiet area away from the main pen thats cool and shady, pref darkened, with no people traffic with heavy footsteps or close to doors that bang shut, ect. I’m not sure about the cooled eggs, it depends on how long they were cool for.

I have had a broody hatch eggs in the main pen with other chooks around. I would mark the eggs with pencil and remove any additional eggs each day. Works with a settled broody but maybe not with a first timer broody. I always separate them once hatched though. But best if they can be put in a totally separate cage away from other hens for the duration.

bluegreen said:

Dinetta said:

The eggs had cooled so I don’t know just where I stand with that? She was happy to have them under her again, giving little clucks and arranging them with her feet.

I think they can cope with a short cooling period, may delay hatching a day.

Thank you for that, BlueGreen…gosh I sure hope so…

bluegreen said:

I have had a broody hatch eggs in the main pen with other chooks around. I would mark the eggs with pencil and remove any additional eggs each day. Works with a settled broody but maybe not with a first timer broody. I always separate them once hatched though. But best if they can be put in a totally separate cage away from other hens for the duration.

I did mark the eggs the first night, as my last hatching, if you remember, the hen was initially on 3 eggs and in the end it was 6…the hatchings were all over the place…

Would certainly separate them during hatching, after what happened to the first two of the last hatching (got killed by something)

I’ve got the chook tractor coming up this weekend, all going well..bribery with a roast dinner LOL! Then I’ll move Goldy into this, it will still be in the chook run but as it’s a single bed she will have a bit of space between her and the other chookens, especially after I put up loads of cardboard for heat insulation … was just thinking, I might put the tractor in the original coop (the temp one Sonny Jim flung up for me), that way she’ll be in a cool shady spot for the duration, she’ll be protected from the other chookens, it will be relatively peaceful and I can keep a discreet eye on her…how does that sound?

Dinetta said:

… was just thinking, I might put the tractor in the original coop (the temp one Sonny Jim flung up for me), that way she’ll be in a cool shady spot for the duration, she’ll be protected from the other chookens, it will be relatively peaceful and I can keep a discreet eye on her…how does that sound?

sounds perfect :)

bluegreen said:

Dinetta said:

… was just thinking, I might put the tractor in the original coop (the temp one Sonny Jim flung up for me), that way she’ll be in a cool shady spot for the duration, she’ll be protected from the other chookens, it will be relatively peaceful and I can keep a discreet eye on her…how does that sound?

sounds perfect :)

Hooray! Nothing like a tick from an eggs-pert…

Might have to duck down town and pick up the vegetables for roasting before they all go…no trucks since… ummm when did this flooding drama start? Last Friday? Well no truck since Tuesday last…they come Tuesdays and Fridays…

Dinetta said:

bluegreen said:

I have had a broody hatch eggs in the main pen with other chooks around. I would mark the eggs with pencil and remove any additional eggs each day. Works with a settled broody but maybe not with a first timer broody. I always separate them once hatched though. But best if they can be put in a totally separate cage away from other hens for the duration.

I did mark the eggs the first night, as my last hatching, if you remember, the hen was initially on 3 eggs and in the end it was 6…the hatchings were all over the place…

Would certainly separate them during hatching, after what happened to the first two of the last hatching (got killed by something)

I’ve got the chook tractor coming up this weekend, all going well..bribery with a roast dinner LOL! Then I’ll move Goldy into this, it will still be in the chook run but as it’s a single bed she will have a bit of space between her and the other chookens, especially after I put up loads of cardboard for heat insulation … was just thinking, I might put the tractor in the original coop (the temp one Sonny Jim flung up for me), that way she’ll be in a cool shady spot for the duration, she’ll be protected from the other chookens, it will be relatively peaceful and I can keep a discreet eye on her…how does that sound?

Perfect :)

Two more silkies, a young grey and a yong buff just left in the arms of their new owners, a mum and her niece. They are also interested in some other whites I have but they have to wait for a few more weeks until I can clearly sex them.

The two recovering silver spangled chicks look great. After I tipped over the spud tower with the poor harvest, they went mad scratching through it for slaters millipedes and worms. Whatever moved didn’t stand a chance.

I’m going to go play in the pumpkin patch :)

Got the chook tractor where I want it, but am going to have to re-do the fencing on the temp. coop as we had so much trouble getting the tractor in there…the “door” was too small. I don’t really need the wire over the coop just yet. Also need some “tent pegs”, bent fencing wire will be fine, to hold down the sides of the tractor as we made a mess of it sliding it… oh never mind…

Going to fool around a bit more with the chook tractor arrangement, not happy now where it is, also make adjustments to the temp chook coop.

Tonight’s the big night, I have looked up the internet and my bike light will do the job. It’s a jobby with 3 – 4 little leds …white as, bright as…had a go with a fresh egg yesterday, hid behind the shower recess which is about as dark as anywhere in the house can be during daylight, and yep it shines through…

I was thinking that if none of the eggs show signs of life I will replace them. Maybe just 5 this time.

Dinetta said:

Going to fool around a bit more with the chook tractor arrangement, not happy now where it is, also make adjustments to the temp chook coop.

Tonight’s the big night, I have looked up the internet and my bike light will do the job. It’s a jobby with 3 – 4 little leds …white as, bright as…had a go with a fresh egg yesterday, hid behind the shower recess which is about as dark as anywhere in the house can be during daylight, and yep it shines through…

I was thinking that if none of the eggs show signs of life I will replace them. Maybe just 5 this time.

How long have the eggs been under the broody? After 7 days if thats how long it’s been, you should see spidery veins. Sometimes they’re quite faint. But, if the eggs were added to over days and not placed all at once under the broody, some will have just started developing. Left to their own devices, a hen will collect enough eggs for her liking then when satisfied, start sitting on them full time.
It has to be quite dark and the torch quite bright. An empty loo roll inner is a good help, sat on top of a lamp globe and hold the egg over the beam, turn egg slowly. Main room light off.

I’ve collected 9 lehgorn eggs over 7 days and have them sitting on a folded towel (too big for an egg carton to close) and I quarter turn them x3 times a day. Tomorrow I get the incubator back and will set it up and run it for a day then pop them in. I can see if they are fertile after 4 days..tiny darkened blob appears, but I could only see that once I got myself a good 600 lumens candling torch. I’ll remove any infertiles after 7 days and candle again every 4 days and remove any that may have stopped developing, as time passes.

I might shift Lin Lin and her brood of 10 legbars and leghorns into the main layers pen. She’s started moving away from them.. it’s time for them to leave home and fend for themselves. The youngins are good with the big layers and vice versa, they all eat and scratch together fine. But Lin Lin will still run to their defence and dish out a kick to the head of a bully, if need be. I’ve ‘tamed out’ any bullying though and I rarely see a fight these days.

The recovering silver spangled chicks are growing ok and eating very well. It’s something I was told might not happen, they might have been too ill from the cocci infection and not thrive or able to digest food. I can see that they’re bigger though :)
Their mumchook, a brown leghorn bantam, was sold earlier and the buyer is just kindly waiting until her 2 chicks can look after themselves. She is long immune and for this will be used in her new home as a broody.

All silkie cockerels have new homes where they can crow to their hearts content. yes! The last clutch of silkie babies are now 7 weeks old, 4 girls and 2 boys and one little buff cockerels is trying to crow. What a weird noise lol.

Tomorrow evening I will crate up 5 silkie hens and deliver them to my friends place for the start of their trip to the bendigo aged low care home. I hope they will bring a lot of joy and companionship to their human carers.

All enormously interesting news…I think they should go back to gardening and animal keeping, on a small scale, in the aged care facilities as well as schools. This “beautification” with manicured grasses and garden beds does not appeal to me…some of my favourite front yards were entirely given over to gardens…

Dinetta said:

All enormously interesting news…I think they should go back to gardening and animal keeping, on a small scale, in the aged care facilities as well as schools. This “beautification” with manicured grasses and garden beds does not appeal to me…some of my favourite front yards were entirely given over to gardens…

I agree with you though I’ve never considered it before. When and if my time comes to have to go into an aged care facility I would like to think gardening and domestic animals were the norm.

Happy Potter said:

How long have the eggs been under the broody? After 7 days if thats how long it’s been,

It’s 7 nights tonight!

Quick quiz: will a setting hen eat other eggs? My eggs are being eaten, I have some suspects (2) but can’t nail ‘em down. An egg was eaten this AM and then another this PM…I have been collecting ALL eggs several times a day since this started about 4 – 5 days ago…

Dinetta said:

Quick quiz: will a setting hen eat other eggs? My eggs are being eaten, I have some suspects (2) but can’t nail ‘em down. An egg was eaten this AM and then another this PM…I have been collecting ALL eggs several times a day since this started about 4 – 5 days ago…

If you suspect the broody, then she might be breaking it trying to roll it into her nest. Eggs can get broken when being laid and they will eat it. If it goes on for more than a few days, they’ve gotten a taste for fresh eggs and will actively try to break them.
I haven’t had this happen so not sure what I’d do, but if it was a proven egg eater then I’d probably cull it.

Happy Potter said:

Dinetta said:

Quick quiz: will a setting hen eat other eggs? My eggs are being eaten, I have some suspects (2) but can’t nail ‘em down. An egg was eaten this AM and then another this PM…I have been collecting ALL eggs several times a day since this started about 4 – 5 days ago…

If you suspect the broody, then she might be breaking it trying to roll it into her nest. Eggs can get broken when being laid and they will eat it. If it goes on for more than a few days, they’ve gotten a taste for fresh eggs and will actively try to break them.
I haven’t had this happen so not sure what I’d do, but if it was a proven egg eater then I’d probably cull it.

Well I’m shifting Goldie into the chook tractor tonight, she will be separated from the nest boxes then…

Oooh tonight’s the night, lol!

Dinetta said:

Well I’m shifting Goldie into the chook tractor tonight, she will be separated from the nest boxes then…

Oooh tonight’s the night, lol!

Eggs candled, check

Goldie moved to new nest, check.

There were 2 eggs that were clear, but then I remembered seeing an unnumbered egg in her nest earlier today, so that’s gone into a laying nest. All the others had big black shadows, hope this means there’s a chicken in there and not a potential shower of rotten egg…Put the other “clear” one back in, on suspicion.

She’s got water and food down the other end of the chook tractor (single bed). The issue will be for me to notice when she wants her afternoon time-out, and let her out. The let her back in again.

Getting new batteries for my bike torch, it’s becoming rather dim. That’s 3 x AAA batteries, each powers its’ own LED bulb. Stuck the torch up a toilet roll (core) and rested the egg on that, wow wasn’t that easy? I don’t think I need to candle again, do I? Don’t really like moving the eggs around.

Dinetta said:

Happy Potter said:

Dinetta said:

Quick quiz: will a setting hen eat other eggs? My eggs are being eaten, I have some suspects (2) but can’t nail ‘em down. An egg was eaten this AM and then another this PM…I have been collecting ALL eggs several times a day since this started about 4 – 5 days ago…

If you suspect the broody, then she might be breaking it trying to roll it into her nest. Eggs can get broken when being laid and they will eat it. If it goes on for more than a few days, they’ve gotten a taste for fresh eggs and will actively try to break them.
I haven’t had this happen so not sure what I’d do, but if it was a proven egg eater then I’d probably cull it.

Well I’m shifting Goldie into the chook tractor tonight, she will be separated from the nest boxes then…

Oooh tonight’s the night, lol!

Love your enthusiasm :)

Dinetta said:

Dinetta said:

Well I’m shifting Goldie into the chook tractor tonight, she will be separated from the nest boxes then…

Oooh tonight’s the night, lol!

Eggs candled, check

Goldie moved to new nest, check.

There were 2 eggs that were clear, but then I remembered seeing an unnumbered egg in her nest earlier today, so that’s gone into a laying nest. All the others had big black shadows, hope this means there’s a chicken in there and not a potential shower of rotten egg…Put the other “clear” one back in, on suspicion.

She’s got water and food down the other end of the chook tractor (single bed). The issue will be for me to notice when she wants her afternoon time-out, and let her out. The let her back in again.

Getting new batteries for my bike torch, it’s becoming rather dim. That’s 3 x AAA batteries, each powers its’ own LED bulb. Stuck the torch up a toilet roll (core) and rested the egg on that, wow wasn’t that easy? I don’t think I need to candle again, do I? Don’t really like moving the eggs around.

Big black shadows is very good :)
Clear eggs need to be taken out. I’d take the suspicious egg out too. If it is fertile then it may have been added well after the first started developing and it won’t catch up.
At the risk of sounding like a bluddy know -it -all, because I’m still learning too, but this much I do know..the broody doesn’t need time out of her pen. She will sit and go hungry and thirsty until she can bear it no longer, then will come out and eat and drink and go back to her nest. She doesn’t need to forage.
After they hatch she will remain until they’re all hatched and dry, could be 2 or 3 days, after a time though the chicks need for food and water will take over and she will bring them out and leave unhatched eggs to go cold. She may even roll the duds out of the nest. Lin Lin does that.
Don’t worry about moving the eggs, the hen moves them many times a day. Another few days and you should be able to see them moving. I’m always in awe when I can see them moving.

She’s still sitting tight, has worked out which way is front…Shadow thinks this is hugely intriguing, I let him sniff around the cage as Goldie will need to be used to this after the chickens hatch, he can keep the magpies, kookaburras, butcher birds and crows away then.

I think it’s crows. The egg marked X has gone. If I put up curtains over the nesting boxes, will that stop the crows? The hens might like the privacy. The only nesting box that’s not affected is the mower catcher on top of the wardrobe….it’s very private…

2 hens getting their wings clipped tonight. One has been flying over and digging up Mrs B’s “ducks and geese” bulbs, what I would call the Eucharist bulb…

Dinetta said:

I think it’s crows. The egg marked X has gone. If I put up curtains over the nesting boxes, will that stop the crows? The hens might like the privacy. The only nesting box that’s not affected is the mower catcher on top of the wardrobe….it’s very private…

I doubt a curtain would stop a crow nicking eggs. I saw one unwrap a sandwich once.

I crated the 5 silkies and took them to my friends place and he transferred them to his crate. Only there was 6! lol… brought it back..

The little brown leghorn mum raising the 2 silver spangled pullets is hopping over the fence daily now to re join her old friends, leaving the chicks to fend for themselves. She will be gone to her new home within a week. The chicks look good. Next thing is to tame them. They’re flighty, so it may take longer.

Happy Potter said:

Dinetta said:

I think it’s crows. The egg marked X has gone. If I put up curtains over the nesting boxes, will that stop the crows? The hens might like the privacy. The only nesting box that’s not affected is the mower catcher on top of the wardrobe….it’s very private…

I doubt a curtain would stop a crow nicking eggs. I saw one unwrap a sandwich once.

I’d believe it…

There’s going to be two hens with docked wings tomorrow…one got over the fence again today, dug up Mrs B’s Eucharist lilies…I know which one(s) it/they are…they have more white than the others…the Terrible Twos they are, I don’t think they’ve accepted Pancho either…so it’s clipped wings in the morning…

Too tired last night, have scissors at the ready, waiting for A Hen to make the wrong move….

Dinetta said:

Too tired last night, have scissors at the ready, waiting for A Hen to make the wrong move….

When I have to do a clip I get them at dusk when they are going to roost.

bluegreen said:

Dinetta said:

Too tired last night, have scissors at the ready, waiting for A Hen to make the wrong move….

When I have to do a clip I get them at dusk when they are going to roost.

I was going to do that last night but was stoofed for no known reason, so I’m waiting now to halve the wing of the right hen…pretty sure I know which one it is as she has the most white feathers…it seems with this lot of Isa Browns, the more brown (red) they have, the tamer and better behaved they are.

Goldie got out this AM, that was OK, I gave her some grain to scratch around in and let her have a green pick…lifted the chook tractor onto a lump of wood so she could get back in… look out 20 mins later and she’s standing hopefully at the chicken run gate…so I let her in and she went straight for her old nest, I picked her up and put her back into the chook tractor and she went straight for her eggs…phew…

Max has turned out to be the perfect ‘farm hand’ for me and my mini urban poultry set up.
He wouldn’t come back inside yest’ evening after I fed the chooks their supper. I called and called him but he absolutely defied me. I looked out the kitchen window and he was laying on his tum, tail wagging, near the strawberry bed. The tail wagging tells me he heard me calling, but he has something very interesting that I need to see. So I went out and his nose is pointed right at a chick that was caught in the bird netting. It’d gotten under the netting but when it tried to get out, got rolled up and just hung there like it was in a net bag. I got it out and set it down and it ran straight to the others.
Max, satisfied his work was done, trotted inside and curled up in his bed. He got lots of praise and a treat for a job well done :)

Happy Potter said:

Max has turned out to be the perfect ‘farm hand’ for me and my mini urban poultry set up.
He wouldn’t come back inside yest’ evening after I fed the chooks their supper. I called and called him but he absolutely defied me. I looked out the kitchen window and he was laying on his tum, tail wagging, near the strawberry bed. The tail wagging tells me he heard me calling, but he has something very interesting that I need to see. So I went out and his nose is pointed right at a chick that was caught in the bird netting. It’d gotten under the netting but when it tried to get out, got rolled up and just hung there like it was in a net bag. I got it out and set it down and it ran straight to the others.
Max, satisfied his work was done, trotted inside and curled up in his bed. He got lots of praise and a treat for a job well done :)

Well done, Max! Well spotted, Happy Potter!

Well I did the deed last night, cut the wings of two chookens, one of which flies over next door and re-distributes Mrs B’s bulbs…going to get P to look at the ladder to the roost, the roost needs an overhaul anyway…and I think I will do the entire flock…just one wing each…

Dinetta said:

Well I did the deed last night, cut the wings of two chookens, one of which flies over next door and re-distributes Mrs B’s bulbs…going to get P to look at the ladder to the roost, the roost needs an overhaul anyway…and I think I will do the entire flock…just one wing each…

How is Goldie going on her eggs?

I have 2 rather smart leghorn pullets that have learnt to use things to jump up on and over in order to get over a fence and into the tomato patch..caught ‘em feasting on green toms. The silverbeet bed is right next to it but they love the tomatoes best.
It’ll be wing clipping for me tonight too ;)

Happy Potter said:

How is Goldie going on her eggs?

I have 2 rather smart leghorn pullets that have learnt to use things to jump up on and over in order to get over a fence and into the tomato patch..caught ‘em feasting on green toms. The silverbeet bed is right next to it but they love the tomatoes best.
It’ll be wing clipping for me tonight too ;)

Chookens may be more clever than they look I think, lol!

Goldie got off her nest unbeknownst to me yesterday, just to socialise with the flock…I was spreading some grain, had a look and uh oh! bare eggs…so I raced down to the nesting box where she originally set and there she was… brought her back up, pushed her under the wire of the chook tractor, and off she went to her eggs…I was reading a newspaper which is why I didn’t pick up she was out…am hoping the chickens didn’t get too cold as the nest is now on the ground and hopefully will hold the heat better than a wooden floor…need to work out something for Saturday…am working Saturday and won’t be here from 7 – 7…

On a positive note, the chookens change of nest to the mower catcher has confused the crows and they (the chookens) are now providing me with 8 out of 9 possible eggs per day…

Happy Potter said:

Max has turned out to be the perfect ‘farm hand’ for me and my mini urban poultry set up.
He wouldn’t come back inside yest’ evening after I fed the chooks their supper. I called and called him but he absolutely defied me. I looked out the kitchen window and he was laying on his tum, tail wagging, near the strawberry bed. The tail wagging tells me he heard me calling, but he has something very interesting that I need to see. So I went out and his nose is pointed right at a chick that was caught in the bird netting. It’d gotten under the netting but when it tried to get out, got rolled up and just hung there like it was in a net bag. I got it out and set it down and it ran straight to the others.
Max, satisfied his work was done, trotted inside and curled up in his bed. He got lots of praise and a treat for a job well done :)

Nice story. Good old Max.

Happy Potter said:

Max has turned out to be the perfect ‘farm hand’ for me and my mini urban poultry set up.
He wouldn’t come back inside yest’ evening after I fed the chooks their supper. I called and called him but he absolutely defied me. I looked out the kitchen window and he was laying on his tum, tail wagging, near the strawberry bed. The tail wagging tells me he heard me calling, but he has something very interesting that I need to see. So I went out and his nose is pointed right at a chick that was caught in the bird netting. It’d gotten under the netting but when it tried to get out, got rolled up and just hung there like it was in a net bag. I got it out and set it down and it ran straight to the others.
Max, satisfied his work was done, trotted inside and curled up in his bed. He got lots of praise and a treat for a job well done :)

good boy :)

Dinetta said:

On a positive note, the chookens change of nest to the mower catcher has confused the crows and they (the chookens) are now providing me with 8 out of 9 possible eggs per day…

mine are dropping right back. Two have gone broody and the number of feathers lying around indicates moult happening and the young ‘uns are not laying yet. Mum duck is not laying again yet preferring to be mum to young ducks which are as big as she is. I was lucky to get my two eggs for breakfast this morning.

Dinetta said:

Happy Potter said:

How is Goldie going on her eggs?

I have 2 rather smart leghorn pullets that have learnt to use things to jump up on and over in order to get over a fence and into the tomato patch..caught ‘em feasting on green toms. The silverbeet bed is right next to it but they love the tomatoes best.
It’ll be wing clipping for me tonight too ;)

Chookens may be more clever than they look I think, lol!

Goldie got off her nest unbeknownst to me yesterday, just to socialise with the flock…I was spreading some grain, had a look and uh oh! bare eggs…so I raced down to the nesting box where she originally set and there she was… brought her back up, pushed her under the wire of the chook tractor, and off she went to her eggs…I was reading a newspaper which is why I didn’t pick up she was out…am hoping the chickens didn’t get too cold as the nest is now on the ground and hopefully will hold the heat better than a wooden floor…need to work out something for Saturday…am working Saturday and won’t be here from 7 – 7…

Sounds like Goldie has given up nesting as a bad idea. If they are dedicated they will let you know if they have gotten out and can’t get back to the nest. You can’t miss it.

I’ve learnt the sounds they make when stressed, like when my brown leghorn couldn’t get back into her pen when she was in the fernery. It’s a double ‘bok bok’ but it is louder and continuious and has urgent undertones. A chick will also make this noise, but higher pitched, when it’s caught somewhere and can’t get to mum..I had one hop into an empty pot and couldn’t get out and the insessant little double bok bok…….bok bok…..bok bok….bok bok, had me out there looking for it.

Happy Potter said:

Sounds like Goldie has given up nesting as a bad idea. If they are dedicated they will let you know if they have gotten out and can’t get back to the nest. You can’t miss it.

No, once she gets off her nest for some R & R, she heads back to the original nest because that’s what’s wired in her brain, I think…sometimes she doesn’t get off for a couple of days…She has food and water in the pen anyway…

Chooks! Who’d have ‘em! My four older girls have all decided to go broody by the looks of it and there is fighting going on. I have had to remove two into different pens for the night until I sort out what I am going to do with them! I am hoping to get some more eggs from the fellow I got the last lot from as he said he would give me replacements due to the fact that I ended out with a mixed batch rather than all bantam Light Sussex, but he hasn’t answered my email yet. The trouble is that the communal nest is big enough for them to lay in if they don’t plan to hang around. It is even possible to have a broody there and have others still lay their eggs. But there is not enough room for four determined broodies who all want the prime spot up the end!

ARRRGGGHHH!

bluegreen said:

Chooks! Who’d have ‘em! My four older girls have all decided to go broody by the looks of it and there is fighting going on. I have had to remove two into different pens for the night until I sort out what I am going to do with them! I am hoping to get some more eggs from the fellow I got the last lot from as he said he would give me replacements due to the fact that I ended out with a mixed batch rather than all bantam Light Sussex, but he hasn’t answered my email yet. The trouble is that the communal nest is big enough for them to lay in if they don’t plan to hang around. It is even possible to have a broody there and have others still lay their eggs. But there is not enough room for four determined broodies who all want the prime spot up the end!

ARRRGGGHHH!

Oh no… lol, sorry got to laugh at the image of four broodys squabbling over one spot..

I’m going to the baccus marsh auction on the 24th and will keep my eyes open for BLS eggs. I noticed in the list for auction there will be bantam LS for sale.

I switched the incubator off with the 12 white leghorns eggs. Not a single one fertile. My guess is the hens are too old. As Snowy is mating with the silkie hens too I will incubate a few of their eggs just to test for fertility. If they are fertile then I’ll know that Snowy is ok. I won’t let those eggs develop if they are though..I don’t want leghorn x silkies lol.

Happy Potter said:

bluegreen said:

Chooks! Who’d have ‘em! My four older girls have all decided to go broody by the looks of it and there is fighting going on. I have had to remove two into different pens for the night until I sort out what I am going to do with them! I am hoping to get some more eggs from the fellow I got the last lot from as he said he would give me replacements due to the fact that I ended out with a mixed batch rather than all bantam Light Sussex, but he hasn’t answered my email yet. The trouble is that the communal nest is big enough for them to lay in if they don’t plan to hang around. It is even possible to have a broody there and have others still lay their eggs. But there is not enough room for four determined broodies who all want the prime spot up the end!

ARRRGGGHHH!

Oh no… lol, sorry got to laugh at the image of four broodys squabbling over one spot..

I’m going to the baccus marsh auction on the 24th and will keep my eyes open for BLS eggs. I noticed in the list for auction there will be bantam LS for sale.

I switched the incubator off with the 12 white leghorns eggs. Not a single one fertile. My guess is the hens are too old. As Snowy is mating with the silkie hens too I will incubate a few of their eggs just to test for fertility. If they are fertile then I’ll know that Snowy is ok. I won’t let those eggs develop if they are though..I don’t want leghorn x silkies lol.

I have heard back from the breeder and his hens have all stopped laying due to the heat, so no eggs. I have asked if he has any spare cockerels. If not could you look out for one for me, rather than eggs? I will have to “debrood” these hens I think.

bluegreen said:

Chooks! Who’d have ‘em! My four older girls have all decided to go broody by the looks of it and there is fighting going on. I have had to remove two into different pens for the night until I sort out what I am going to do with them! I am hoping to get some more eggs from the fellow I got the last lot from as he said he would give me replacements due to the fact that I ended out with a mixed batch rather than all bantam Light Sussex, but he hasn’t answered my email yet. The trouble is that the communal nest is big enough for them to lay in if they don’t plan to hang around. It is even possible to have a broody there and have others still lay their eggs. But there is not enough room for four determined broodies who all want the prime spot up the end!

ARRRGGGHHH!

So what are you going to do, let them all sit on 3 eggs each or just choose one to be the Mama Hen?

bluegreen said:

Happy Potter said:

bluegreen said:

Chooks! Who’d have ‘em! My four older girls have all decided to go broody by the looks of it and there is fighting going on. I have had to remove two into different pens for the night until I sort out what I am going to do with them! I am hoping to get some more eggs from the fellow I got the last lot from as he said he would give me replacements due to the fact that I ended out with a mixed batch rather than all bantam Light Sussex, but he hasn’t answered my email yet. The trouble is that the communal nest is big enough for them to lay in if they don’t plan to hang around. It is even possible to have a broody there and have others still lay their eggs. But there is not enough room for four determined broodies who all want the prime spot up the end!

ARRRGGGHHH!

Oh no… lol, sorry got to laugh at the image of four broodys squabbling over one spot..

I’m going to the baccus marsh auction on the 24th and will keep my eyes open for BLS eggs. I noticed in the list for auction there will be bantam LS for sale.

I switched the incubator off with the 12 white leghorns eggs. Not a single one fertile. My guess is the hens are too old. As Snowy is mating with the silkie hens too I will incubate a few of their eggs just to test for fertility. If they are fertile then I’ll know that Snowy is ok. I won’t let those eggs develop if they are though..I don’t want leghorn x silkies lol.

I have heard back from the breeder and his hens have all stopped laying due to the heat, so no eggs. I have asked if he has any spare cockerels. If not could you look out for one for me, rather than eggs? I will have to “debrood” these hens I think.

Will do :)
Best debroody method I’m told by several people is to dunk the chickens lower body into a tub of cold water.

Hey BG! Got a possible LS roo. He’s in Cobden and if suitable I will pick him up and keep him as I’m going to Timboon this weekend, back Sunday. That is if you can pick him up from me. I’ll get a photo and email you.

Happy Potter said:

Hey BG! Got a possible LS roo. He’s in Cobden and if suitable I will pick him up and keep him as I’m going to Timboon this weekend, back Sunday. That is if you can pick him up from me. I’ll get a photo and email you.

You need to get on facebook lol. Quickest to find things. All I know so far about the roo is he is 12m old and tame, hangs out with kiddies and dogs and cats and friendly.

Oh and, Seymour farming expo next weekend … there will be chook breeders galore there, some I know :D

Happy Potter said:

Oh and, Seymour farming expo next weekend … there will be chook breeders galore there, some I know :D

Haha, my chicken friends list just exploded by 100s lol. Now I’m in another FB group Chicken Lovers NE Victoria. Make that got dragged in, lol.

Happy Potter said:

. All I know so far about the roo is he is 12m old and tame, hangs out with kiddies and dogs and cats and friendly.

Does he know what to do with a hen? lol!

You’re such a sweetie to think of me (((HUGS)))

goes to check calender for free dates

bluegreen said:

Happy Potter said:

. All I know so far about the roo is he is 12m old and tame, hangs out with kiddies and dogs and cats and friendly.

Does he know what to do with a hen? lol!

You’re such a sweetie to think of me (((HUGS)))

goes to check calender for free dates

Thank you. I do like connecting people :) Better the roo go to someone that needs one, than lose his head. I asked more questions about him and the lady said he was at first in with large breeds but working ok. His hens eggs wern’t set as she only wants the large breed LS. He’s since been kept in with chicks and he looks after them well :)

Photo of the Roo BG. He is beautiful !

Happy Potter said:

Photo of the Roo BG. He is beautiful !

he is indeed :)

can’t wait to introduce him to the girls :)

Very handsome rooster there BlueGreen! Looks like quite a lad lol!

Few more clipped wings tonight…I still need to add a few more steps to the roost, also figure out a climbing frame to the mower catcher nest…

Well, my egg supplier has a young cockerel for me too. Nearly full grown, so a young ‘un. He’s closer (near Shep) so HP, if it is possible to pull out of the other one I might go for this one. Just because finances are tight and it will be less petrol to collect.

bluegreen said:

Well, my egg supplier has a young cockerel for me too. Nearly full grown, so a young ‘un. He’s closer (near Shep) so HP, if it is possible to pull out of the other one I might go for this one. Just because finances are tight and it will be less petrol to collect.

No worries, glad you are getting a closer one :)
There was plenty of interest in the Cobden one if I don’t take it. There was another lady saying ‘argh too late, I didn’t know you had this one available’, so he will still live on :)

Happy Potter said:

bluegreen said:

Well, my egg supplier has a young cockerel for me too. Nearly full grown, so a young ‘un. He’s closer (near Shep) so HP, if it is possible to pull out of the other one I might go for this one. Just because finances are tight and it will be less petrol to collect.

No worries, glad you are getting a closer one :)
There was plenty of interest in the Cobden one if I don’t take it. There was another lady saying ‘argh too late, I didn’t know you had this one available’, so he will still live on :)

The little rooboy has been snatched up already and will be travelling with annitrans transport co via nsw to to a new owner, in qld!

Happy Potter said:

The little rooboy has been snatched up already and will be travelling with annitrans transport co via nsw to to a new owner, in qld!

Annitrans = animal transport?

That’s a long way for a little rooster to travel…not surprised he was snapped up, tho’…

Lady at church this morning was saying how her grandkiddies’ little hens (4 of them) were snatched out of their yard one day…the kiddies liked to pick up the hens and cuddle them…

Happy Potter said:

Happy Potter said:

bluegreen said:

Well, my egg supplier has a young cockerel for me too. Nearly full grown, so a young ‘un. He’s closer (near Shep) so HP, if it is possible to pull out of the other one I might go for this one. Just because finances are tight and it will be less petrol to collect.

No worries, glad you are getting a closer one :)
There was plenty of interest in the Cobden one if I don’t take it. There was another lady saying ‘argh too late, I didn’t know you had this one available’, so he will still live on :)

The little rooboy has been snatched up already and will be travelling with annitrans transport co via nsw to to a new owner, in qld!

:D :D

Dinetta said:

Happy Potter said:

The little rooboy has been snatched up already and will be travelling with annitrans transport co via nsw to to a new owner, in qld!

Annitrans = animal transport?

Yes :)

Dinetta said:

That’s a long way for a little rooster to travel…not surprised he was snapped up, tho’…

Lady at church this morning was saying how her grandkiddies’ little hens (4 of them) were snatched out of their yard one day…the kiddies liked to pick up the hens and cuddle them…

Thats awful. I do occasionally hear of poultry being stolen though.

Happy Potter said:

Dinetta said:

That’s a long way for a little rooster to travel…not surprised he was snapped up, tho’…

Lady at church this morning was saying how her grandkiddies’ little hens (4 of them) were snatched out of their yard one day…the kiddies liked to pick up the hens and cuddle them…

Thats awful. I do occasionally hear of poultry being stolen though.

It is. The kiddies were very upset. I think, along with these pet dogs being stolen, people are setting themselves up with free pets…

Dinetta said:

Happy Potter said:

Dinetta said:

That’s a long way for a little rooster to travel…not surprised he was snapped up, tho’…

Lady at church this morning was saying how her grandkiddies’ little hens (4 of them) were snatched out of their yard one day…the kiddies liked to pick up the hens and cuddle them…

Thats awful. I do occasionally hear of poultry being stolen though.

It is. The kiddies were very upset. I think, along with these pet dogs being stolen, people are setting themselves up with free pets…

Or free food, and eggs in the case of poultry.

Happy Potter said:

Or free food, and eggs in the case of poultry.

One of my neighbours was saying, about 40 years ago when we used to go to Coolum for our Christmas holidays, Mrs A at #25 would look after Mum’s chooks. One year Mr and Mrs A had to go away for a week, and their lads used to throw parties and cook Mum’s chooks.

That was the year we returned and were told that sadly, a dog must have got in… Mr and Mrs A would not have done it but their lads were “smart”…

Dinetta said:

Happy Potter said:

Dinetta said:

That’s a long way for a little rooster to travel…not surprised he was snapped up, tho’…

Lady at church this morning was saying how her grandkiddies’ little hens (4 of them) were snatched out of their yard one day…the kiddies liked to pick up the hens and cuddle them…

Thats awful. I do occasionally hear of poultry being stolen though.

It is. The kiddies were very upset. I think, along with these pet dogs being stolen, people are setting themselves up with free pets…

or selling them

I’m back from picking up my new boy. I reckon the one HP sourced was probably the better bird, but this one was closer and in lieu of the replacement eggs this fellow was going to give me. He is much smaller than my older girls but about the same size as the pullets that hatched from the original eggs I bought. It is possible that over the years mine have been gradually growing out of the ideal “bantam” size. He is also very thin, not much breast on him at all, but he looks free of lice or mites and his vent is clean. I have given him a dusting of Pestene and put him in a separate cage and will get some worming solution and give him a chance to fatten up a bit before he has to run the mill of the girls. I will dust and worm the girls as well as it has been a while since I have done that and as they are not laying atm it is the best time to do it.

Came home from the hairdresser’s with tinted eyelashes and new hairstyle, to find Goldie trying to get back into the chook tractor…shock! she’s remembered where her nest is!! On Saturday I’ll have to lock her in to the coop if she’s going to remember to go back to her nest, I won’t be here to check and I will need to lift one end of the chook tractor so she can get in and out, but the other chooks can’t get into the coop..I can only try…

Well today is the day I can expect little bright eyes to peer from under Goldie’s chest, altho’ this is the absolute earliest I can expect this…most of the chipping and chirping should happen tomorrow…however I’ll be keeping a close watch as I don’t want the crows getting any…

Dinetta said:

Well today is the day I can expect little bright eyes to peer from under Goldie’s chest, altho’ this is the absolute earliest I can expect this…most of the chipping and chirping should happen tomorrow…however I’ll be keeping a close watch as I don’t want the crows getting any…

I can’t wait to see them :)

I put the cross breed eggs under Lin Lin and moved her into the fernery.

Meant to say, found a Buddha in the chicken run on Sunday…a big one…I could not carry it…

Dinetta said:

Meant to say, found a Buddha in the chicken run on Sunday…a big one…I could not carry it…

a Buddha?

bluegreen said:

Dinetta said:

Meant to say, found a Buddha in the chicken run on Sunday…a big one…I could not carry it…

a Buddha?

My thoughts exactly, BlueGreen.

Dinetta said:

bluegreen said:

Dinetta said:

Meant to say, found a Buddha in the chicken run on Sunday…a big one…I could not carry it…

a Buddha?

My thoughts exactly, BlueGreen.

you mean like a statue? did they dig it up? lol!

bluegreen said:

you mean like a statue? did they dig it up? lol!

Yep, like a statue. Nope, they didn’t dig it up but that scenario is a good story going begging to be told…

It was in the long grass, which is rotting with heat and age. I thought it was a fallen tree trunk. The other day I thought it might be a lump of coal even tho it was too big for that. Then I noticed it had two “legs” out the back of it, like a roast whole pig on a table. Disconcerting when the dog retrieved a relatively fresh bone at the same time, I can tell you. So I rolled it over and there it was…a Buddha in a victory (hands upraised ) pose. I think it might be stolen goods and also that it may have held something…

Dinetta said:

Meant to say, found a Buddha in the chicken run on Sunday…a big one…I could not carry it…

buddah?

Dinetta said:

bluegreen said:

you mean like a statue? did they dig it up? lol!

Yep, like a statue. Nope, they didn’t dig it up but that scenario is a good story going begging to be told…

It was in the long grass, which is rotting with heat and age. I thought it was a fallen tree trunk. The other day I thought it might be a lump of coal even tho it was too big for that. Then I noticed it had two “legs” out the back of it, like a roast whole pig on a table. Disconcerting when the dog retrieved a relatively fresh bone at the same time, I can tell you. So I rolled it over and there it was…a Buddha in a victory (hands upraised ) pose. I think it might be stolen goods and also that it may have held something…

Right.

Urgent question: Goldie now has 3 healthy little yellow balls of fluff. She has 4 eggs to go. I can smell bad egg(s). Should I look and see if any more are hatching?

She is not very secure, I worry about rats etc coming in and eating the chickens she has. Should have thought of this, shouldn’t I?

When I went down earlier this afternoon, the whole chook tractor was teeming (inside) with sparrows, I think they must have heard the chickens and came down to see what was the matter?

I would like to move the brood somewhere more secure, like the old dog box. Can I do this now? Also the egg shells left from the hatching: do I leave or remove?

Dinetta said:

Urgent question: Goldie now has 3 healthy little yellow balls of fluff. She has 4 eggs to go. I can smell bad egg(s). Should I look and see if any more are hatching?

She is not very secure, I worry about rats etc coming in and eating the chickens she has. Should have thought of this, shouldn’t I?

When I went down earlier this afternoon, the whole chook tractor was teeming (inside) with sparrows, I think they must have heard the chickens and came down to see what was the matter?

I would like to move the brood somewhere more secure, like the old dog box. Can I do this now? Also the egg shells left from the hatching: do I leave or remove?

if you can determine that there are no more viable eggs then you can move her and her chicks. It can take a couple of days for a clutch to hatch though. You can remove the broken shells.

Over in the Backyard Poultry Forum there was a case where two sparrow fledglings managed to join a clutch of chicks for a day. The hen didn’t seem to mind that there were two additions keeping warm underneath her :)

bluegreen said:

if you can determine that there are no more viable eggs then you can move her and her chicks. It can take a couple of days for a clutch to hatch though. You can remove the broken shells.

Over in the Backyard Poultry Forum there was a case where two sparrow fledglings managed to join a clutch of chicks for a day. The hen didn’t seem to mind that there were two additions keeping warm underneath her :)

Thanks BlueGreen. I couldn’t determine anything tonight, my torches both have dead batteries, altho’ one caught me by surprise. Made a new cardboard box cover for her, the last one was resting on her head…this one only has to last until tomorrow.

The sparrow tale is lovely. Seeing as it was sparrows I wasn’t concerned but the kookaburra and the crows have been warned off…just couldn’t believe the whole of the real estate inside the chook tractor was covered in sparrows….

The rain has settled in for the night but I have got the sheet of CGI on top of the tractor and she should be snug.

Dinetta said:

Urgent question: Goldie now has 3 healthy little yellow balls of fluff. She has 4 eggs to go. I can smell bad egg(s). Should I look and see if any more are hatching?

She is not very secure, I worry about rats etc coming in and eating the chickens she has. Should have thought of this, shouldn’t I?

When I went down earlier this afternoon, the whole chook tractor was teeming (inside) with sparrows, I think they must have heard the chickens and came down to see what was the matter?

I would like to move the brood somewhere more secure, like the old dog box. Can I do this now? Also the egg shells left from the hatching: do I leave or remove?

Yay! on the 3 hatched :)
Rats can get into anything, pretty much sparrows too, but yes I’d move her. I remove shells an any that might have died in the shell and smell off.

Happy Potter said:

Yay! on the 3 hatched :)
Rats can get into anything, pretty much sparrows too, but yes I’d move her. I remove shells an any that might have died in the shell and smell off.

I think she has turfed one egg out, I will move her after I buy some crumbles (if I can) as I think the chickens will need water before long…Pancho would not follow the hens down this AM (I left BOTH gates open last night!!) so I think he is hanging around to keep an eye on the chickens? Normally he’s down like a shot…a limpin’r‘long shot…

There’s two yellow fluffs and one yellow with a black spot or two fluff…be sad if they’re roosters…

Dinetta said:

Happy Potter said:

Yay! on the 3 hatched :)
Rats can get into anything, pretty much sparrows too, but yes I’d move her. I remove shells an any that might have died in the shell and smell off.

I think she has turfed one egg out, I will move her after I buy some crumbles (if I can) as I think the chickens will need water before long…Pancho would not follow the hens down this AM (I left BOTH gates open last night!!) so I think he is hanging around to keep an eye on the chickens? Normally he’s down like a shot…a limpin’r‘long shot…

There’s two yellow fluffs and one yellow with a black spot or two fluff…be sad if they’re roosters…

I left my chook house door open last night. Chooks are OK but it has ruined my plans of keeping them licked up today as I am going out this evening and won’t be back until after dark. The chances of me getting them all in the pen and locked up before I go are pretty remote but will have to try. Don’t want to risk leaving them unsecured two nights in a row.

bluegreen said:

Dinetta said:

Happy Potter said:

Yay! on the 3 hatched :)
Rats can get into anything, pretty much sparrows too, but yes I’d move her. I remove shells an any that might have died in the shell and smell off.

I think she has turfed one egg out, I will move her after I buy some crumbles (if I can) as I think the chickens will need water before long…Pancho would not follow the hens down this AM (I left BOTH gates open last night!!) so I think he is hanging around to keep an eye on the chickens? Normally he’s down like a shot…a limpin’r‘long shot…

There’s two yellow fluffs and one yellow with a black spot or two fluff…be sad if they’re roosters…

I left my chook house door open last night. Chooks are OK but it has ruined my plans of keeping them licked up today as I am going out this evening and won’t be back until after dark. The chances of me getting them all in the pen and locked up before I go are pretty remote but will have to try. Don’t want to risk leaving them unsecured two nights in a row.

Rattle the food bucket inside their pen..

Well I have moved Goldie, lost a chick!!!!!! Not sure how: there were 4 eggs when I went to buy the crumble and feeders, then when I came back and moved her, there was 3 eggs and 3 chicks!! P**d off I can tell you…not sure how it happened as I was sure they could not move out of the box…anyway they’re safe and secure now altho’ Goldie rejected the nest I provided (her old one from the coop) and is setting on the floor of the dog box (covered in newspaper)…she tried to roll the eggs over so I took pity and put them under her…

Think I have a rooster already :( Took some photos and will have to start a new photobucket account or something as I can’t remember what my last one was called…last posted to it about 5 years ago…

They have been provided with crumble (pullet starter crumble!!!) “Oh we don’t have medicated” “OK whatever you have will do”…pick it up and it’s medicated…ffs…Barastok brand…also a little waterer and a big 3 kg feeder, but I am using a small pot plant dish for the feed…gave Goldie some grains and the chickens are keen on the sunflower seed…have picked up some cardboard to make a border so chickens can run around in the dog box without the other hens scaring the dickens out of them…

Dinetta said:

Well I have moved Goldie, lost a chick!!!!!! Not sure how: there were 4 eggs when I went to buy the crumble and feeders, then when I came back and moved her, there was 3 eggs and 3 chicks!! P**d off I can tell you…not sure how it happened as I was sure they could not move out of the box…anyway they’re safe and secure now altho’ Goldie rejected the nest I provided (her old one from the coop) and is setting on the floor of the dog box (covered in newspaper)…she tried to roll the eggs over so I took pity and put them under her…

Think I have a rooster already :( Took some photos and will have to start a new photobucket account or something as I can’t remember what my last one was called…last posted to it about 5 years ago…

They have been provided with crumble (pullet starter crumble!!!) “Oh we don’t have medicated” “OK whatever you have will do”…pick it up and it’s medicated…ffs…Barastok brand…also a little waterer and a big 3 kg feeder, but I am using a small pot plant dish for the feed…gave Goldie some grains and the chickens are keen on the sunflower seed…have picked up some cardboard to make a border so chickens can run around in the dog box without the other hens scaring the dickens out of them…

The person behind the counter rarely knows whats in the feed bags. Do you know what breeds the chicks are? Only vent sexing can tell you whats m and f. If they’re a cross breed they can often look different to each other, some combs already large, others tiny. And then you can get sports, or throwbacks.

Happy Potter said:

The person behind the counter rarely knows whats in the feed bags. Do you know what breeds the chicks are? Only vent sexing can tell you whats m and f. If they’re a cross breed they can often look different to each other, some combs already large, others tiny. And then you can get sports, or throwbacks.

Well she seemed to know her product…maybe nobody’s ever asked for medicated and she was playing it safe…

The father (Pancho) is Araucana. The mothers are mostly Isa Browns, but I hope that one of Lynda’s eggs was good (not sure what she is but she’s white) and I was rather hoping that I had managed to put one or two of Goldie’s (bantam with a top knot) under her.

I will have to wait and see, one can usually tell after 2 weeks by their behaviour…but Pancho is such a peaceable chap I might have to leave it longer…as you say…

Goldie may have abandoned 2 eggs, we’re not sure. That means there might be a 4th chick hiding in amongst her feathers, sure hope so!

Is it OK for her to just eat chicken crumble for a couple of days? As soon as she leaves the eggs she’s into the chook tractor, which will be moved every day, and she can have a good old scratch and there’s plenty of green pick.

Hiya,

I’m in need of sound advice if you would, please.

Just before Christmas, one of my three chooks went broody and despite putting her in ‘jail’ for a few days, she stayed broody.
A near neighbour was visiting and mentioned he needed a good broody, as his chooks wouldn’t sit on the eggs he wanted to hatch, so we loaned our chook to him. He’s an experienced bird breeder – chooks, pigeons, etc, so we had no worries. We heard that our chook had hatched some eggs and that if there were any hens she would come home with some of them.
Today a very bedraggled chook and three littlies turned up at home – pale floppy comb, missing feathers – I hardly recognised her, and the chicks are scruffy looking too. I’m horrified.
They had a good feed this afternoon, but didn’t want to go into the chook house with the other two – and I don’t think they wanted her there either, so she’s gone bush for the night, I think. I’m confident she’ll show up again tomorrow, now that she’s found her way home and I can find another temporary house for her and the chicks, but what should I do to get her back to health – what sort of diet? (My chooks usually free range all day, have plenty of fresh mixed greens, wheat, pellets, mash, and whatever else seems good at the time.)

All advice appreciated, thanks.

And I’ll never loan out my good chooks again! x 1000.

Dinetta said:

Goldie may have abandoned 2 eggs, we’re not sure. That means there might be a 4th chick hiding in amongst her feathers, sure hope so!

Is it OK for her to just eat chicken crumble for a couple of days? As soon as she leaves the eggs she’s into the chook tractor, which will be moved every day, and she can have a good old scratch and there’s plenty of green pick.

she can eat it for as long as the chicks are eating it. You just don’t want your egg layers eating it if you want to eat the eggs.

Phooey said:

Hiya,

I’m in need of sound advice if you would, please.

Just before Christmas, one of my three chooks went broody and despite putting her in ‘jail’ for a few days, she stayed broody.
A near neighbour was visiting and mentioned he needed a good broody, as his chooks wouldn’t sit on the eggs he wanted to hatch, so we loaned our chook to him. He’s an experienced bird breeder – chooks, pigeons, etc, so we had no worries. We heard that our chook had hatched some eggs and that if there were any hens she would come home with some of them.
Today a very bedraggled chook and three littlies turned up at home – pale floppy comb, missing feathers – I hardly recognised her, and the chicks are scruffy looking too. I’m horrified.
They had a good feed this afternoon, but didn’t want to go into the chook house with the other two – and I don’t think they wanted her there either, so she’s gone bush for the night, I think. I’m confident she’ll show up again tomorrow, now that she’s found her way home and I can find another temporary house for her and the chicks, but what should I do to get her back to health – what sort of diet? (My chooks usually free range all day, have plenty of fresh mixed greens, wheat, pellets, mash, and whatever else seems good at the time.)

All advice appreciated, thanks.

And I’ll never loan out my good chooks again! x 1000.

OMG! Amazing that she found her way home with chicks alive!

A cage for her and the chicks away from the others means she is not stressed out and having to protect her chicks from the others or compete for food. Get some chick crumbles for the chicks and she can eat that too. What you are feeding the others sounds pretty good to me as well. The main thing is that they have a clean, secure cage and access to food and water and they should come good. Might be an idea to check for parasites too in case she has picked any up on her journey. Presumably the neighbour hasn’t reported her missing? Probably too embarrassed and hoping she will turn up. My suggestion next time if anyone wants to borrow a broody is to suggest they hand over the eggs to you for setting!

bluegreen said:

Phooey said:

All advice appreciated, thanks.

And I’ll never loan out my good chooks again! x 1000.

OMG! Amazing that she found her way home with chicks alive!

A cage for her and the chicks away from the others means she is not stressed out and having to protect her chicks from the others or compete for food. Get some chick crumbles for the chicks and she can eat that too. What you are feeding the others sounds pretty good to me as well. The main thing is that they have a clean, secure cage and access to food and water and they should come good. Might be an idea to check for parasites too in case she has picked any up on her journey. Presumably the neighbour hasn’t reported her missing? Probably too embarrassed and hoping she will turn up. My suggestion next time if anyone wants to borrow a broody is to suggest they hand over the eggs to you for setting!

Thanks, bluegreen, Yeah, the chicks look about 4 or 5 weeks old to me. They probably wandered back through the bush – I’m thinking maybe they have been living rough for a few days. Nothing heard from the neighbour – I don’t want to accuse him of neglect until I find out what’s been going on over there. I know he ‘lost’ a few of his chooks recently to Devils, and I’m assuming he left the chook house door open.
Fingers crossed they’ll be back in the morning and I can administer TLC as well as what you have suggested. :)

Phooey said:

bluegreen said:

Phooey said:

All advice appreciated, thanks.

And I’ll never loan out my good chooks again! x 1000.

OMG! Amazing that she found her way home with chicks alive!

A cage for her and the chicks away from the others means she is not stressed out and having to protect her chicks from the others or compete for food. Get some chick crumbles for the chicks and she can eat that too. What you are feeding the others sounds pretty good to me as well. The main thing is that they have a clean, secure cage and access to food and water and they should come good. Might be an idea to check for parasites too in case she has picked any up on her journey. Presumably the neighbour hasn’t reported her missing? Probably too embarrassed and hoping she will turn up. My suggestion next time if anyone wants to borrow a broody is to suggest they hand over the eggs to you for setting!

Thanks, bluegreen, Yeah, the chicks look about 4 or 5 weeks old to me. They probably wandered back through the bush – I’m thinking maybe they have been living rough for a few days. Nothing heard from the neighbour – I don’t want to accuse him of neglect until I find out what’s been going on over there. I know he ‘lost’ a few of his chooks recently to Devils, and I’m assuming he left the chook house door open.
Fingers crossed they’ll be back in the morning and I can administer TLC as well as what you have suggested. :)

when Happy Potter comes on she might have some good ideas too. She has had experience with bringing chooks back from the brink of death and knows a few pick-me-up “recipes”. Some bird vitamins (from pet shop) in their water wouldn’t go astray either.

bluegreen said:

My suggestion next time if anyone wants to borrow a broody is to suggest they hand over the eggs to you for setting!

That sure is a horror story, Phooey…you are so lucky to get your hen back…and I agree with BlueGreen: put the eggs under your hen at your place. Pretty sure this would be normal practice, BlueGreen?

when Happy Potter comes on she might have some good ideas too. She has had experience with bringing chooks back from the brink of death and knows a few pick-me-up “recipes”. Some bird vitamins (from pet shop) in their water wouldn’t go astray either.

That would be good:) I give them garlic in their water, but will have to go back into Hobart for the vitamins. Was up there today, too! :P Recon they could do with a worming treatment too. Any suggestions which is the best to get?

Dinetta said:

bluegreen said:

My suggestion next time if anyone wants to borrow a broody is to suggest they hand over the eggs to you for setting!

That sure is a horror story, Phooey…you are so lucky to get your hen back…and I agree with BlueGreen: put the eggs under your hen at your place. Pretty sure this would be normal practice, BlueGreen?

Oh yes! Never again!!
Goodnight to you both, and thanks again :)

bluegreen said:

Phooey said:

bluegreen said:

OMG! Amazing that she found her way home with chicks alive!

A cage for her and the chicks away from the others means she is not stressed out and having to protect her chicks from the others or compete for food. Get some chick crumbles for the chicks and she can eat that too. What you are feeding the others sounds pretty good to me as well. The main thing is that they have a clean, secure cage and access to food and water and they should come good. Might be an idea to check for parasites too in case she has picked any up on her journey. Presumably the neighbour hasn’t reported her missing? Probably too embarrassed and hoping she will turn up. My suggestion next time if anyone wants to borrow a broody is to suggest they hand over the eggs to you for setting!

Thanks, bluegreen, Yeah, the chicks look about 4 or 5 weeks old to me. They probably wandered back through the bush – I’m thinking maybe they have been living rough for a few days. Nothing heard from the neighbour – I don’t want to accuse him of neglect until I find out what’s been going on over there. I know he ‘lost’ a few of his chooks recently to Devils, and I’m assuming he left the chook house door open.
Fingers crossed they’ll be back in the morning and I can administer TLC as well as what you have suggested. :)

when Happy Potter comes on she might have some good ideas too. She has had experience with bringing chooks back from the brink of death and knows a few pick-me-up “recipes”. Some bird vitamins (from pet shop) in their water wouldn’t go astray either.

Not any more than you have said already BG. Chick crumbles for mumchooks and chicks. Nutripet I give the worst off, cheapest off the net, pet shops charge twice as much. Vit C in their water, you can’t OD them on it. I’d say 2 × 500 mg daily in their food or water. Chemist brand is fine but only the one with sugar in it, aspartame and other artificial sweeteners will kill chickens. Canned cat food for protein (dog food is too salty) Aldi brand is fine. I give sickos fish oil tabs in weetbix, or olive oil mixed ito the crumbles.
And as BG said, safe house from others and predators. Folding pet pens are great for emergencies, broody pens and quarantine purposes.

Yes I agree re setting eggs for others only at your place. I’d never lend out a broody. Poor chookies.

Dinetta said:

Goldie may have abandoned 2 eggs, we’re not sure. That means there might be a 4th chick hiding in amongst her feathers, sure hope so!

Is it OK for her to just eat chicken crumble for a couple of days? As soon as she leaves the eggs she’s into the chook tractor, which will be moved every day, and she can have a good old scratch and there’s plenty of green pick.

Chick crumbles for mum and chicks for 6 weeks. After a week or two I throw in some silverbeet greens. I don’t give babies pens any kitchen scraps but as they grow I give them a whole apple or zuchinni or bird pecked tomato. But only a little fruit as they need the crumbles first. Organic apple cider vinegar, the one with the ‘mother in it’ not the clear stuff, is a great health tonic for poultry in general from day old to aged, just 10 mls to a litre.

Happy Potter said:

Dinetta said:

Goldie may have abandoned 2 eggs, we’re not sure. That means there might be a 4th chick hiding in amongst her feathers, sure hope so!

Is it OK for her to just eat chicken crumble for a couple of days? As soon as she leaves the eggs she’s into the chook tractor, which will be moved every day, and she can have a good old scratch and there’s plenty of green pick.

Chick crumbles for mum and chicks for 6 weeks. After a week or two I throw in some silverbeet greens. I don’t give babies pens any kitchen scraps but as they grow I give them a whole apple or zuchinni or bird pecked tomato. But only a little fruit as they need the crumbles first. Organic apple cider vinegar, the one with the ‘mother in it’ not the clear stuff, is a great health tonic for poultry in general from day old to aged, just 10 mls to a litre.

Meant to add, plenty of grass and green pick is great.

Dinetta said:

bluegreen said:

My suggestion next time if anyone wants to borrow a broody is to suggest they hand over the eggs to you for setting!

That sure is a horror story, Phooey…you are so lucky to get your hen back…and I agree with BlueGreen: put the eggs under your hen at your place. Pretty sure this would be normal practice, BlueGreen?

I don’t know, but I don’t think it is a good idea to loan hens out. You really don’t know they will be treated or what sort of parasites or diseases they will pick up. It would be highly stressful for them too.

when Happy Potter comes on she might have some good ideas too. She has had experience with bringing chooks back from the brink of death and knows a few pick-me-up “recipes”. Some bird vitamins (from pet shop) in their water wouldn’t go astray either.

Not any more than you have said already BG. Chick crumbles for mumchooks and chicks. Nutripet I give the worst off, cheapest off the net, pet shops charge twice as much. Vit C in their water, you can’t OD them on it. I’d say 2 × 500 mg daily in their food or water. Chemist brand is fine but only the one with sugar in it, aspartame and other artificial sweeteners will kill chickens. Canned cat food for protein (dog food is too salty) Aldi brand is fine. I give sickos fish oil tabs in weetbix, or olive oil mixed ito the crumbles.
And as BG said, safe house from others and predators. Folding pet pens are great for emergencies, broody pens and quarantine purposes.

Yes I agree re setting eggs for others only at your place. I’d never lend out a broody. Poor chookies.

Thank you Happy Potter.

Mum and chicks are out and about this morning, foraging in the fallen wattle seeds. I’ve given them some crumble, fish oil and fresh silverbeet and they have water. Yes, I often put apple cider vinegar in their water, or garlic – usually they have the choice of both of those and plain – garlic seems preferred! Mum does look a little better this morning – not quite as shell shocked and edgy with a bit of colour in her comb, although they’re all still scruffy from missing feathers – which are re-growing. Chicks seem strong and lively. My other two are not hustling them so far, but I’ll get them settled into a temporary house and check them over – I can’‘t catch them, so I’ll have to lure them in to the enclosure, then catch them.
What is the best way to worm them? (I rely on garlic for my healthy chooks).

I wish we had an Aldi down here! (None in Tassie) My nearest decent shop is 70k away, and pet supplies another 10k more. Mainland companies charge like wounded bulls for postage, there’s no ‘overnight’ delivery and parcel deliveries are left at the petrol station 20 k’s away, so I may as well drive into town for stuff like vitamins and medicines that I want now…

No-one is ‘borrowing’ my chooks again, never fear! We are not set up for hatching – just have the three of them for eggs and their company about the place. Neighbour’s very splendid rooster occasionally visits – and he IS splendid. Sometimes neighbour’s other hens wander over as they range about, and all look very healthy and well kept. Neighbour has been looking after birds for years, and has given us some good chook wrangling tips in the past so we wrongly assumed nothing could go wrong. I’ll visit today and find out what happened.

I appreciate everyone’s advice. Thanks! :)

If you want to catch them for inspection, approach them after they’ve roosted and are bit dopey getting ready to sleep. YOu will need a torch if you want to inspect them.

Happy Potter knows how to pat them to calm them: I know a little bit but not enough to put them to sleep, lol!

Well Goldie and her 3 chickadees are now in the chook tractor, one nearly escaped but Shadow was on the ball…the other hens have been let out, I think one is laying down the back, possibly because the mower catcher was too crowded and this keeps her eggs away from the crows…I buried the 3 defunct eggs, good thick layer of newspaper on top plus a “funny face” sculpture that weighs a stone, literally… :P

Uploading photos shortly…not much of a photographer…

http://i1327.photobucket.com/albums/u678/SunnyPlains/Goldie_2013005_zpsf00c5cb4.jpg

Goldie and the chicks discussing the menu…

Dinetta said:

http://i1327.photobucket.com/albums/u678/SunnyPlains/Goldie_2013005_zpsf00c5cb4.jpg

Goldie and the chicks discussing the menu…

NOpe, they’re re-assuring the 3rd chicken that it’s alright to come out…

Drat, how do I get thumbnails onto the Forum??

Dinetta said:

http://i1327.photobucket.com/albums/u678/SunnyPlains/Goldie_2013005_zpsf00c5cb4.jpg

Goldie and the chicks discussing the menu…

fluffy bottoms!

Trying this:

bluegreen said:

Dinetta said:

http://i1327.photobucket.com/albums/u678/SunnyPlains/Goldie_2013005_zpsf00c5cb4.jpg

Goldie and the chicks discussing the menu…

fluffy bottoms!

erses with attitude I think, BlueGreen…these are two very confident chickens…

Discussing the menu…

Overview of the DogBox, nesting arrangement. Biddy checking out the tucker to the left…Goldie and chicks will go in here of a night, for security.

Dinetta said:

Dinetta said:

http://i1327.photobucket.com/albums/u678/SunnyPlains/Goldie_2013005_zpsf00c5cb4.jpg

Goldie and the chicks discussing the menu…

NOpe, they’re re-assuring the 3rd chicken that it’s alright to come out…

Drat, how do I get thumbnails onto the Forum??

hover the curser over the thumbnail in PB. Hover over the cogged wheel that appears on top RH corner. Click on “Get Links”. click on link under “HTML Thumb code”. Paste in here.

One more, just because I can…

Need to learn thumbnails…and albums…

Dinetta said:

One more, just because I can…

Need to learn thumbnails…and albums…

hehe :) They’re cute as!

Dinetta said:

http://i1327.photobucket.com/albums/u678/SunnyPlains/Goldie_2013005_zpsf00c5cb4.jpg

Goldie and the chicks discussing the menu…

Now, at least, I know what goldie looks like.

pomolo said:

Dinetta said:

http://i1327.photobucket.com/albums/u678/SunnyPlains/Goldie_2013005_zpsf00c5cb4.jpg

Goldie and the chicks discussing the menu…

Now, at least, I know what goldie looks like.

Her original name was Blondie, she’s a bit of a ditz, but I thought Sonny Jim changed her name to Goldie so that stuck, until one day he asked why was she called Goldie??? Life in the Dinetta family…

Arrgghhhh!!! Chooks! They are driving me crazy atm!

I gave them all worming solution in their water last night. OK. I might have mentioned before that the older hens have been fighting, as in bloody head and feathers? As a result I have had to temporarily separate them into other cages. So, I had 3 of them in small cages and one in the main pen with the 4 young pullets. The little cockerel was in a pen by himself too, socialising through the wire and waiting for the worming routine before I let him mingle properly. So now that I had wormed them I decided to put the 4th hen in his cage and let him out to mingle with the pullets and put him in the main pen with them tonight. So far so good. He came out and happily scratched around and I ensconced the hen in there instead. He and a couple of the pullets did a bit of sparing but nothing serious so I let them be to get on with introducing themselves to each other.

Now. I just went out to get a bit of celery to put in my dinner tonight and cast my eyes around. No sign of the cockerel. I had a bit of a walk around and was getting a bit worried because, as you know, young lightweight chooks can get over a fence when they have a mind to. Finally I spotted him, in the paddock next door looking in! Now I can’t get through my fence because it has chicken wire all around (which was stopping him from coming in because, as you know, they can always fly out but can never seem to figure out how to fly in again!) So I grab myself a broom and walk around the front of my yard until I get to the paddock fence which is strands of regular and barbed wire. I very carefully climb through, pausing at times to detach myself from barbs. Then start walking towards my recalcitrant bird, hoping I will be able to spook him enough to fly back over the fence, but he managed to stay just ahead of me (of course.) On one stage he switched back and headed towards the fence where I came in but I didn’t want that as he could easily escape into the trees and shrubs there or end out on the road so I had to steer him away from there. This is where the broom comes in handy.

I walked him along and around the corner of my fence until we came to the opposite corner of my property, where it adjoins the CFA. Here he was able to get through the fence. Good, I thought, I can move him along the adjoining fence to my property and around the end into the driveway, so I carefully climbed through, pausing at times to detach myself from barbs. Get through and look around, he’s hiding behind a tree. I go to approach him and he slips through the fence again. Yes, you guessed it, I had to climb through again, encourage him back through the fence and then climb back out again. This time he moved away from the fence and I was able to move him along then around into my driveway as described, then down to the gate and through. I think we were both relieved. I just hope he stays there as I don’t want to be doing that again tonight!

When I go to lock them up I am taking a pair of scissors with me, to clip some feathers.

Just hope he settles in tonight. Then I have to figure out how to reintegrate the older chooks into a flock again.

So glad you got him back, BlueGreen…he would have been a very lonely little rooster otherwise…

Not sure why your older hens are fighting….maybe the young feller will sort them when he comes into his hormones?

Shadow has been trying to dig out the chickens…I’m not impressed…so he’s confined to the top half of the front yard…

Dinetta said:

So glad you got him back, BlueGreen…he would have been a very lonely little rooster otherwise…

Not sure why your older hens are fighting….maybe the young feller will sort them when he comes into his hormones?

he would have been a dead little rooster! A mere snack for a fox!

I am hoping he will sort the fighting out. But it will be a while before he is grown enough to be alpha in the flock.

bluegreen said:

he would have been a dead little rooster! A mere snack for a fox!

I am hoping he will sort the fighting out. But it will be a while before he is grown enough to be alpha in the flock.

As he’s accepted into the flock, will he become the alpha? I mean, after the hens have decided that he is “it”? Does he have a name?

I notice that at least one hen still declines Pancho’s overtures, I think she might be the only one now, but the hen at the bottom of the pecking order (not the same one) will smooge herself across Pancho’s breast when none of the others are watching…

Off to check that I still have 3 chickens.

Also I have been buying Barastoc layer feed for the hens, it has lucerne pellets in it, but I am buying a bag a week which, at 20kg a bag / 9 laying hens, I think is excessive. They eat the sunflower seeds and cracked corn, leaving the sorghum and other seeds behind. My mother’s hens were only fed sorghum and they loved it.

They do not need the lucerne pellets: there is just so much green pick around. Does anybody else have any ideas? There is another Barastoc feed which is mostly grains (and a fair amount of shell grit, from what I can see).

Barastoc is a quality feed, from what I can see.

Dinetta said:

Off to check that I still have 3 chickens.

Also I have been buying Barastoc layer feed for the hens, it has lucerne pellets in it, but I am buying a bag a week which, at 20kg a bag / 9 laying hens, I think is excessive. They eat the sunflower seeds and cracked corn, leaving the sorghum and other seeds behind. My mother’s hens were only fed sorghum and they loved it.

They do not need the lucerne pellets: there is just so much green pick around. Does anybody else have any ideas? There is another Barastoc feed which is mostly grains (and a fair amount of shell grit, from what I can see).

Barastoc is a quality feed, from what I can see.

when they are offered mix grain feeds they will pick out their favourites and reject the rest. You can try not giving them fresh feed until they have finished the rest or buy plain pellets. The routine at my place is they get offered the left overs in the evening (they have no access during the day) before getting topped up with fresh mix. If there are a lot of left overs then they don’t get any new feed that night. I feed mine Red Hen and finding I am going through it quickly with all the ducks I have atm.

bluegreen said:

when they are offered mix grain feeds they will pick out their favourites and reject the rest. You can try not giving them fresh feed until they have finished the rest or buy plain pellets. The routine at my place is they get offered the left overs in the evening (they have no access during the day) before getting topped up with fresh mix. If there are a lot of left overs then they don’t get any new feed that night. I feed mine Red Hen and finding I am going through it quickly with all the ducks I have atm.

Thanks BlueGreen, Red Hen is not available here, but we have Blue Ribbon and Barastoc…I think I will let them be grateful for what they get…

Just hope he settles in tonight. Then I have to figure out how to reintegrate the older chooks into a flock again.
—————————————————-
Oh, such a pain in the bum when this sort of thing happens. It could be so many things that cause fighting. One hen might be trying to assert dominance over the others.
What colours are fighting? I ask because if it’s one colour against others it’s because they can be racists. Whits don’t like browns and vice versa.
They can also fight when one is ageing, or not well. They can be horrible at picking on the lower status ones.

bluegreen said:

Dinetta said:

Off to check that I still have 3 chickens.

Also I have been buying Barastoc layer feed for the hens, it has lucerne pellets in it, but I am buying a bag a week which, at 20kg a bag / 9 laying hens, I think is excessive. They eat the sunflower seeds and cracked corn, leaving the sorghum and other seeds behind. My mother’s hens were only fed sorghum and they loved it.

They do not need the lucerne pellets: there is just so much green pick around. Does anybody else have any ideas? There is another Barastoc feed which is mostly grains (and a fair amount of shell grit, from what I can see).

Barastoc is a quality feed, from what I can see.

when they are offered mix grain feeds they will pick out their favourites and reject the rest. You can try not giving them fresh feed until they have finished the rest or buy plain pellets. The routine at my place is they get offered the left overs in the evening (they have no access during the day) before getting topped up with fresh mix. If there are a lot of left overs then they don’t get any new feed that night. I feed mine Red Hen and finding I am going through it quickly with all the ducks I have atm.

Try moistening it into a mash? with added crushed garlic or tumeric powder and they think it’s new and different. Thats a lot of feed to go through.

Only one battle between chooks here.. one of the young blue leghorn cockerels has twice hopped the fence into the rear mini orchard and attacked the new black silkie. The poor silkie was getting dragged along by his pom pom and making an awful sound. I saw the first attack and had the hose in my hand. I put it on jet and let bluey have it.. he jumped with a loud squwark and took off. They are about the same age but the blue is a large breed and taller.
It took me a little while to get the silkie out of the middle of the tall yacon stalks, he’d jammed himself in really tight.
Then later on it happened again. I caught the blue and locked him in the big pen. There’ll be some wing clipping going on here too, shortly. They will stay locked in their pens tomorrow.

ps, some silkie eggs were fertile, so Snowy is fine and I was right, the old leghorn white girls are just too old.

Funny moment tonight.
One of the 2 big yabbies kept in a separate tank had died. I put it’s body out on the path for the chooks. Well, they were absolutely terrified of it! The bigger chooks all formed a circle around it and no one was game to move any nearer. Then a young chick went through the throng, saw the frightening ‘creature’ and I swear it shot up half a metre and took off. It made such a noise that it spooked the others and bugger me there were chooks tearing off in all directions squarking very loudly and trying to hide behind things and up trees. LOL. I was laughing so hard hubby came out to see what was going on. He had to help me get them into their pens lol!

Happy Potter said:

Funny moment tonight.
One of the 2 big yabbies kept in a separate tank had died. I put it’s body out on the path for the chooks. Well, they were absolutely terrified of it! The bigger chooks all formed a circle around it and no one was game to move any nearer. Then a young chick went through the throng, saw the frightening ‘creature’ and I swear it shot up half a metre and took off. It made such a noise that it spooked the others and bugger me there were chooks tearing off in all directions squarking very loudly and trying to hide behind things and up trees. LOL. I was laughing so hard hubby came out to see what was going on. He had to help me get them into their pens lol!

If Laughter is the Best Medicine, I’ve just had my dose!!

Happy Potter said:

Just hope he settles in tonight. Then I have to figure out how to reintegrate the older chooks into a flock again.
—————————————————-
Oh, such a pain in the bum when this sort of thing happens. It could be so many things that cause fighting. One hen might be trying to assert dominance over the others.
What colours are fighting? I ask because if it’s one colour against others it’s because they can be racists. Whits don’t like browns and vice versa.
They can also fight when one is ageing, or not well. They can be horrible at picking on the lower status ones.

It is my four older hens that have been together since before I moved up. They are all the same colour, i.e. Bantam Light Sussex. Factors are: all but one (who is still laying every couple of days) went broody within a few days and I presume started fighting over the shared nesting area (I think this is the main one); the addition of the younger pullets making it a bit crowded for the pen creating stress, even though they are not actually fighting the younger ones and are only in there at night; hot weather making them all cranky; ??????

I initially pulled two out and put in separate cages but because on of them was the one still laying I swapped her over for one of the others, but then she and the remaining one started fighting so they are all in separate sin bins at the moment.

Crows are still getting my eggs, found two in the paddock tonight…

Happy Potter said:

Funny moment tonight.
One of the 2 big yabbies kept in a separate tank had died. I put it’s body out on the path for the chooks. Well, they were absolutely terrified of it! The bigger chooks all formed a circle around it and no one was game to move any nearer. Then a young chick went through the throng, saw the frightening ‘creature’ and I swear it shot up half a metre and took off. It made such a noise that it spooked the others and bugger me there were chooks tearing off in all directions squarking very loudly and trying to hide behind things and up trees. LOL. I was laughing so hard hubby came out to see what was going on. He had to help me get them into their pens lol!

lol!

I have the young fellow’s wing clipped now so hopefully he won’t be jumping any more fences :)

when they are offered mix grain feeds they will pick out their favourites and reject the rest. You can try not giving them fresh feed until they have finished the rest or buy plain pellets. The routine at my place is they get offered the left overs in the evening (they have no access during the day) before getting topped up with fresh mix. If there are a lot of left overs then they don’t get any new feed that night. I feed mine Red Hen and finding I am going through it quickly with all the ducks I have atm.

My chooks did that and I don’t buy mixed feed now. The hopper is always stocked with pellets which they eat now and then, and as well as the pellets I buy a bag of grain, another of mash, (another of crumble, now) and mix it about as required. The native hens didn’t mind They eat everything :).
I won’t buy more mixed feed.

Bedraggled Chooken update:
Mamma and the three chicks have their own night time apartment and have suffered the indignity of a health check. (Told them they were at an exclusive chook spa, and they seemed to buy it…) Mamma’s top beak is missing 2 or 3mm from the tip, but she’s eating and pecking well. How would that happen? The chicks seem strong and healthy, tho’ missing a few feathers around the shoulders when they flex their wings. Mamma is looking better; Comb has better colour, leg scale mite treatment applied and ongoing, general lice and mite dustings done, worming done, poo collected. They are eating well and were happy to go home of their own accord tonight after free ranging all day.
Neighbour arrived this morning to ask if Chooken had returned? Reckons Mamma is moulting and ‘doesn’t know’ about her beak. I reckon she has been subjected to a very aggressive rooster, and ‘don’t know’ about her beak. Didn’t mention the leg scale mite. Suspect all the chicks are roos.

Thank you for the advice posted!

On driving into town today on a busy four lane avenue I had to avoid a hen which was totally absorbed in some fast food toss out in the middle of the road. Completely oblivious to the stream of cars trying to go about their business without squashing the chook.

I was going to say “move the food” but then I re-read and saw “busy 4-lane”…makes you wonder where she came from to be so placid…

Phooey said:

Bedraggled Chooken update:
Mamma and the three chicks have their own night time apartment and have suffered the indignity of a health check. (Told them they were at an exclusive chook spa, and they seemed to buy it…) Mamma’s top beak is missing 2 or 3mm from the tip, but she’s eating and pecking well. How would that happen? The chicks seem strong and healthy, tho’ missing a few feathers around the shoulders when they flex their wings. Mamma is looking better; Comb has better colour, leg scale mite treatment applied and ongoing, general lice and mite dustings done, worming done, poo collected. They are eating well and were happy to go home of their own accord tonight after free ranging all day.
Neighbour arrived this morning to ask if Chooken had returned? Reckons Mamma is moulting and ‘doesn’t know’ about her beak. I reckon she has been subjected to a very aggressive rooster, and ‘don’t know’ about her beak. Didn’t mention the leg scale mite. Suspect all the chicks are roos.

Thank you for the advice posted!

sounds like she has been de-beaked :(

bluegreen said:

Phooey said:

Neighbour arrived this morning to ask if Chooken had returned? Reckons Mamma is moulting and ‘doesn’t know’ about her beak. I reckon she has been subjected to a very aggressive rooster, and ‘don’t know’ about her beak. Didn’t mention the leg scale mite. Suspect all the chicks are roos.

Thank you for the advice posted!

sounds like she has been de-beaked :(

That’s a bit drastic…if that’s the case…dreadful thing to do to someone else’s chicken…

Just waved the JWs on…

this poultry thread is hard to stay abreast of – but i like this -

_Funny moment tonight.
One of the 2 big yabbies kept in a separate tank had died. I put it’s body out on the path for the chooks. Well, they were absolutely terrified of it! The bigger chooks all formed a circle around it and no one was game to move any nearer. Then a young chick went through the throng, saw the frightening ‘creature’ and I swear it shot up half a metre and took off. It made such a noise that it spooked the others and bugger me there were chooks tearing off in all directions squarking very loudly and trying to hide behind things and up trees. LOL. I was laughing so hard hubby came out to see what was going on. He had to help me get them into their pens lol!_

there’s virtually no grass here this year (too dry) – and i didn’t plant any silver beet – der.
for greens my hens are having to be fed figs and grapes (seconds/overripe) -

justin said:

this poultry thread is hard to stay abreast of – but i like this -

_Funny moment tonight.
One of the 2 big yabbies kept in a separate tank had died. I put it’s body out on the path for the chooks. Well, they were absolutely terrified of it! The bigger chooks all formed a circle around it and no one was game to move any nearer. Then a young chick went through the throng, saw the frightening ‘creature’ and I swear it shot up half a metre and took off. It made such a noise that it spooked the others and bugger me there were chooks tearing off in all directions squarking very loudly and trying to hide behind things and up trees. LOL. I was laughing so hard hubby came out to see what was going on. He had to help me get them into their pens lol!_

there’s virtually no grass here this year (too dry) – and i didn’t plant any silver beet – der.
for greens my hens are having to be fed figs and grapes (seconds/overripe) -

Are their shells a bit pinker? I’m coming back as one of your hens…be worth it for the figs…

justin said:

for greens my hens are having to be fed figs and grapes (seconds/overripe) -

poor things, they must really be suffering :(

ROTFL!!!!

bluegreen said:

justin said:

for greens my hens are having to be fed figs and grapes (seconds/overripe) -

poor things, they must really be suffering :(
ROTFL!!!!

they do clean the figs up quick – and i have sunflowers becoming ripe for them as well.
their yolks are not as colourful without the green stuff tho’.

there’s virtually no grass here this year (too dry) – and i didn’t plant any silver beet – der.
for greens my hens are having to be fed figs and grapes (seconds/overripe) –

————————————————-
Tumeric, grated or powdered.

No grass here either and a very poor looking bed of silverbeet that cannot keep up.
So they have turned on my herbs. They are eating lemon balm, basil, oregano, thyme and the marigolds are now leafless flowers, lol. Capsicum leaves have been on their menu too.
The celery is just stalks. They’ve even helped themselves to leeks and chives.

What I do, is buy the other leaves of the iceberg lettuce…you know how folk strip most of the other leaves from the icebergs before they’ll buy them? Well I stuff these outer leaves into the plastic bag and I mean STUFF…by this stage I reckon I’ve got about 2 lettuce LOL! then I put it through the checkout as one iceberg…these leaves only go into the waste bin, WW will not give them to you…so you might as well get 2 for 1… they will keep in the fridge of course…

Happy Potter said:

there’s virtually no grass here this year (too dry) – and i didn’t plant any silver beet – der.
for greens my hens are having to be fed figs and grapes (seconds/overripe) –

————————————————-
Tumeric, grated or powdered.

No grass here either and a very poor looking bed of silverbeet that cannot keep up.
So they have turned on my herbs. They are eating lemon balm, basil, oregano, thyme and the marigolds are now leafless flowers, lol. Capsicum leaves have been on their menu too.
The celery is just stalks. They’ve even helped themselves to leeks and chives.

full marks for variety LOL.

justin said:

Happy Potter said:

there’s virtually no grass here this year (too dry) – and i didn’t plant any silver beet – der.
for greens my hens are having to be fed figs and grapes (seconds/overripe) –

————————————————-
Tumeric, grated or powdered.

No grass here either and a very poor looking bed of silverbeet that cannot keep up.
So they have turned on my herbs. They are eating lemon balm, basil, oregano, thyme and the marigolds are now leafless flowers, lol. Capsicum leaves have been on their menu too.
The celery is just stalks. They’ve even helped themselves to leeks and chives.

full marks for variety LOL.

They’re self seasoning for the pot LOL

Happy Potter said:

justin said:

Happy Potter said:

there’s virtually no grass here this year (too dry) – and i didn’t plant any silver beet – der.
for greens my hens are having to be fed figs and grapes (seconds/overripe) –

————————————————-
Tumeric, grated or powdered.

No grass here either and a very poor looking bed of silverbeet that cannot keep up.
So they have turned on my herbs. They are eating lemon balm, basil, oregano, thyme and the marigolds are now leafless flowers, lol. Capsicum leaves have been on their menu too.
The celery is just stalks. They’ve even helped themselves to leeks and chives.

full marks for variety LOL.

They’re self seasoning for the pot LOL

LOL.
they might be just picky – having a taste of everything.

the ants are water deprived and crowd around any source of moisture they can find. i’ve been giving the dangerous bullants their own water bowl – near their nest – and it has kept them at home. my 6 garden water bowls disappear before they turn green. i can hear frogs at night tho’.

justin said:

Happy Potter said:

justin said:

full marks for variety LOL.

They’re self seasoning for the pot LOL

LOL.
they might be just picky – having a taste of everything.

the ants are water deprived and crowd around any source of moisture they can find. i’ve been giving the dangerous bullants their own water bowl – near their nest – and it has kept them at home. my 6 garden water bowls disappear before they turn green. i can hear frogs at night tho’.

On the other hand we have the ants that are trying to dodge the wet weather. They are everywhereev en in the toilet room. Any food scraps left in one place longer than ten minutes is swarmed over. Rarely see them at any other time of the year.

Due to several claps of thunder, the chookens have put themselves to bed. Shadow tried to tunnel his way in to the chook tractor. Grrr

Dinetta said:

I was going to say “move the food” but then I re-read and saw “busy 4-lane”…makes you wonder where she came from to be so placid…

Had to be from one of the nearby houses perhaps? The traffic was just driving around her. She took no notice.. Food was on her mind.

roughbarked said:

Dinetta said:

I was going to say “move the food” but then I re-read and saw “busy 4-lane”…makes you wonder where she came from to be so placid…

Had to be from one of the nearby houses perhaps? The traffic was just driving around her. She took no notice.. Food was on her mind.

Mine are getting like that…getting so neither the mower nor the whippersnapper fazes them…in fact they’ve got the idea it can be nutritious to follow the mower…at a distance…

On the other hand we have the ants that are trying to dodge the wet weather. They are everywhereev en in the toilet room. Any food scraps left in one place longer than ten minutes is swarmed over. Rarely see them at any other time of the year.

———————————————————————————————

they are mad crazy chasing moisture here and – mad crazy running away from it at your place – sounds about right.

Goldie a lot happier today, scratching and foraging more…who wouldn’t be happy with those chirpy little chicks using your back for a bed, or sliding down your wings just for fun?

What would you say if I said I think my Christmas Present hens, are Lohmanns??

They fit the description.

What is the difference between Isa Browns and Lohmanns????

Dinetta said:

What would you say if I said I think my Christmas Present hens, are Lohmanns??

They fit the description.

What is the difference between Isa Browns and Lohmanns????

probably the breed of chickens that they are hybrids of. Both have been bred for production egg laying.

Dinetta said:

What would you say if I said I think my Christmas Present hens, are Lohmanns??

They fit the description.

What is the difference between Isa Browns and Lohmanns????

Basically just the color. Pretty colour though

Goldie is losing a lot of feathers. She is a lot happier tho’, and is a far more settled type of mother hen than Broodie ever was…

Dinetta said:

Goldie is losing a lot of feathers. She is a lot happier tho’, and is a far more settled type of mother hen than Broodie ever was…

sounds like she is in moult.

bluegreen said:

Dinetta said:

Goldie is losing a lot of feathers. She is a lot happier tho’, and is a far more settled type of mother hen than Broodie ever was…

sounds like she is in moult.

She’s in the wars then…near catatonic state whilst setting, several days to feel alive again, and now she’s moulting! Would not go to one end of her tractor today, I don’t know why but that’s where her box is for going to bed before I move her into the dog box and she’s gone in after frantically trying to escape the other end…

Dinetta said:

bluegreen said:

Dinetta said:

Goldie is losing a lot of feathers. She is a lot happier tho’, and is a far more settled type of mother hen than Broodie ever was…

sounds like she is in moult.

She’s in the wars then…near catatonic state whilst setting, several days to feel alive again, and now she’s moulting! Would not go to one end of her tractor today, I don’t know why but that’s where her box is for going to bed before I move her into the dog box and she’s gone in after frantically trying to escape the other end…

some protein boost like raw mince or tinned cat food might be the go, and some bird vitamins in her water, to help her get through it.

Marion Mary has not got off the roost this morning. She keeps going to sleep and is breathing a bit heavily.

Do I leave her there or put her into a nesting box that the other hens won’t use? It’s between two other boxes the hens use, and has the towel across the three boxes…

bluegreen said:

some protein boost like raw mince or tinned cat food might be the go, and some bird vitamins in her water, to help her get through it.

Thanks BlueGreen. I did offer them some porridge with the cat food in it yesterday but she was already determined not to go there…in fact she did not eat until I put some more food down the end where she was…All OK this morning, tho’…

Dinetta said:

Marion Mary has not got off the roost this morning. She keeps going to sleep and is breathing a bit heavily.

Do I leave her there or put her into a nesting box that the other hens won’t use? It’s between two other boxes the hens use, and has the towel across the three boxes…

she doesn’t sound well. I would isolate her from the others if you can.

It’s old age, BlueGreen. She stopped laying about October/November, after laying in fits and starts some months before that. I figure that she’s better with the other hens clucking in the yard around her, than being shut away from the familiar…

Dinetta said:

It’s old age, BlueGreen. She stopped laying about October/November, after laying in fits and starts some months before that. I figure that she’s better with the other hens clucking in the yard around her, than being shut away from the familiar…

fair enough

Dinetta said:

It’s old age, BlueGreen. She stopped laying about October/November, after laying in fits and starts some months before that. I figure that she’s better with the other hens clucking in the yard around her, than being shut away from the familiar…

How old is she D?

bluegreen said:

Dinetta said:

It’s old age, BlueGreen. She stopped laying about October/November, after laying in fits and starts some months before that. I figure that she’s better with the other hens clucking in the yard around her, than being shut away from the familiar…

fair enough

sounds a bit like me.

Happy Potter said:

Dinetta said:

It’s old age, BlueGreen. She stopped laying about October/November, after laying in fits and starts some months before that. I figure that she’s better with the other hens clucking in the yard around her, than being shut away from the familiar…

How old is she D?

I don’t know, but she was obviously a mature bird when I got her this time last year. My reckoning is about 3 years at least…possibly more….

She’s moved out of the chook run and under the long grass…none of the chookens were happy with the wheel barrow come to clean up under their roost…

Dinetta said:

She’s moved out of the chook run and under the long grass…none of the chookens were happy with the wheel barrow come to clean up under their roost…

cleaning up, is their job.. and don’t you forget it! ;)

roughbarked said:

Dinetta said:

She’s moved out of the chook run and under the long grass…none of the chookens were happy with the wheel barrow come to clean up under their roost…

cleaning up, is their job.. and don’t you forget it! ;)

Whaaat? And waste all that lovely chickenshit and shredded newspaper?? No way!

Dinetta said:

roughbarked said:

Dinetta said:

She’s moved out of the chook run and under the long grass…none of the chookens were happy with the wheel barrow come to clean up under their roost…

cleaning up, is their job.. and don’t you forget it! ;)

Whaaat? And waste all that lovely chickenshit and shredded newspaper?? No way!

That’s what they are trying to tell you.. too ;)

I have had a look, and it appears that Pancho has the “proper” pea comb for araucana roosters…not much else tho’…must must take a photo, I think he’s so handsome…

Marion Mary is a little better, roosted last night and has followed the other chooks up to the house today. Comb is still pale and she shakes her head as if to keep her eyes open.

Also, on another note, this current crop of hens is happy with the layer mash pellets that I bought for the ungrateful and unappreciative first flock of hens. This is good because I have a 20 litre bucket of the stuff. Have fed some to the worms, along with lime powder, but if the hens (and in particular, Pancho) are happy with the layer pellets I’m happy too.

Two 8 week old white silkies sold, and will be picked up tomorrow. The silkies yard is looking a bit empty, but will look better when I add the new splash silkies that are still in quarantine in the mini orchard area. They look great :)
I will let them all out to free range for a few days first.

I have just looked up splash silkies and they are certainly an unusual colouration…

Happy Potter said:

Two 8 week old white silkies sold, and will be picked up tomorrow. The silkies yard is looking a bit empty, but will look better when I add the new splash silkies that are still in quarantine in the mini orchard area. They look great :)
I will let them all out to free range for a few days first.

there are some black silkies for sale over at Backyard Poultry if you are interested. I kind of remember you being pleased to get one?

bluegreen said:

Happy Potter said:

Two 8 week old white silkies sold, and will be picked up tomorrow. The silkies yard is looking a bit empty, but will look better when I add the new splash silkies that are still in quarantine in the mini orchard area. They look great :)
I will let them all out to free range for a few days first.

there are some black silkies for sale over at Backyard Poultry if you are interested. I kind of remember you being pleased to get one?

Thank you Bluegreen. I did get a lovely black cockerel last week, he’s in with the new splash ones, and also got 3 pure black 6 week old pullets at the auction.
I did notice however that he or she also breeds white leghorn bantams. Now those I am looking for :) I PM’d them.

I was thinking that a fencer could put in a couple of strainer posts between side fences at the rear and stretch the wire – allowing you to clip on the 1.5m high chicken wire – thus dividing off the back from the house.
do your chooks still roam free during the day?

failing that you can make circular wire cages for each tree.

justin said:

I was thinking that a fencer could put in a couple of strainer posts between side fences at the rear and stretch the wire – allowing you to clip on the 1.5m high chicken wire – thus dividing off the back from the house.
do your chooks still roam free during the day?

failing that you can make circular wire cages for each tree.

whoa – meant for ’pruning my fruit trees’ thread…oops

justin said:

I was thinking that a fencer could put in a couple of strainer posts between side fences at the rear and stretch the wire – allowing you to clip on the 1.5m high chicken wire – thus dividing off the back from the house.
do your chooks still roam free during the day?

failing that you can make circular wire cages for each tree.

all good ideas

another juvenile drake cooling in the fridge.

bluegreen said:

another juvenile drake cooling in the fridge.

Savage!!

Marion Mary appears to have revived, her comb is more rosy and she’s more active. Probably ate something she shouldn’t have…

Dinetta said:

bluegreen said:

another juvenile drake cooling in the fridge.

Savage!!

lol! No, not at all! He has a lovely, if short, ducky life and a humane and useful end to it.

Broody disaster. An egg exploded under my broody hen Lin Lin.
I lifted her to candle the eggs and yuk.. the smell.. and several eggs were stuck fast to her feathers. These are the eggs I brought home from my friends in timboon, and whats happened is that the eggs weren’t stored at correct temps, they got too warm and started developing, then stopped then re started when I placed them under the hen.
Remaining eggs will be discarded, hen brought into the laundry and completely washed clean and placed back into the pen. Poor thing. I just wish I had not seen the chicks moving inside the remaining eggs. But I can’t leave them as the gasses will set off a chain reaction and pop the other eggs in turn. Yuk.

What a shame…poor little Lin Lin, eggs stuck and she couldn’t roll them…

Happy Potter said:

Broody disaster. An egg exploded under my broody hen Lin Lin.
I lifted her to candle the eggs and yuk.. the smell.. and several eggs were stuck fast to her feathers. These are the eggs I brought home from my friends in timboon, and whats happened is that the eggs weren’t stored at correct temps, they got too warm and started developing, then stopped then re started when I placed them under the hen.
Remaining eggs will be discarded, hen brought into the laundry and completely washed clean and placed back into the pen. Poor thing. I just wish I had not seen the chicks moving inside the remaining eggs. But I can’t leave them as the gasses will set off a chain reaction and pop the other eggs in turn. Yuk.

well done.
good resolution to a sad case.

I’ve had a letter from the council, too many chooks. Fair enough, I do have more than I’m allowed. So I’m selling off many. I will not part with my layers though.
My old girls not laying can’t be rehomed and will have to be culled :(

But what got me is that the complaint didn’t mention the rooster, it was about me running an illegal chicken business with more than 100 chickens. Pfft. Try 18.

Snowy is going on lease to 3 acres at scarsdale near ballarat, along with his pen of leghorns and legbars and I will be free to go and get some of their eggs for hatching when I need new layers. Or eggs for eating should I need any.

Silkies being picked up this week, and the 9 fertile eggs I have in the incubator are being transferred to a friends big incubator to hatch. To be decided apon.

The amount of terrific people who want to step in for me to battle the council over the number alowed, especially when the amount that used to be allowed was 15 and suddenly changed to six without reason, is very humbling. I’m not up to the fight though.

By the time they come out to inspect my property, there will be 6.

Happy Potter said:

I’ve had a letter from the council, too many chooks. Fair enough, I do have more than I’m allowed. So I’m selling off many. I will not part with my layers though.
My old girls not laying can’t be rehomed and will have to be culled :(

But what got me is that the complaint didn’t mention the rooster, it was about me running an illegal chicken business with more than 100 chickens. Pfft. Try 18.

Snowy is going on lease to 3 acres at scarsdale near ballarat, along with his pen of leghorns and legbars and I will be free to go and get some of their eggs for hatching when I need new layers. Or eggs for eating should I need any.

Silkies being picked up this week, and the 9 fertile eggs I have in the incubator are being transferred to a friends big incubator to hatch. To be decided apon.

The amount of terrific people who want to step in for me to battle the council over the number alowed, especially when the amount that used to be allowed was 15 and suddenly changed to six without reason, is very humbling. I’m not up to the fight though.

By the time they come out to inspect my property, there will be 6.

what a shame :(

bluegreen said:

Happy Potter said:

I’ve had a letter from the council, too many chooks.

,,, ,,,

By the time they come out to inspect my property, there will be 6.

what a shame :(

It is indeed…

bluegreen said:

Happy Potter said:

I’ve had a letter from the council, too many chooks. Fair enough, I do have more than I’m allowed. So I’m selling off many. I will not part with my layers though.
My old girls not laying can’t be rehomed and will have to be culled :(

But what got me is that the complaint didn’t mention the rooster, it was about me running an illegal chicken business with more than 100 chickens. Pfft. Try 18.

Snowy is going on lease to 3 acres at scarsdale near ballarat, along with his pen of leghorns and legbars and I will be free to go and get some of their eggs for hatching when I need new layers. Or eggs for eating should I need any.

Silkies being picked up this week, and the 9 fertile eggs I have in the incubator are being transferred to a friends big incubator to hatch. To be decided apon.

The amount of terrific people who want to step in for me to battle the council over the number alowed, especially when the amount that used to be allowed was 15 and suddenly changed to six without reason, is very humbling. I’m not up to the fight though.

By the time they come out to inspect my property, there will be 6.

what a shame :(

Sure councils need to have rules and regulations. Strikes me that they are often the only ones who know about them. They are also apt to changing those rules whenever it suits them. Pity we didn’t all get to know about the changes as they happen though.

pomolo said:

bluegreen said:

Happy Potter said:

I’ve had a letter from the council, too many chooks. Fair enough, I do have more than I’m allowed. So I’m selling off many. I will not part with my layers though.
My old girls not laying can’t be rehomed and will have to be culled :( But what got me is that the complaint didn’t mention the rooster, it was about me running an illegal chicken business with more than 100 chickens. Pfft. Try 18. Snowy is going on lease to 3 acres at scarsdale near ballarat, along with his pen of leghorns and legbars and I will be free to go and get some of their eggs for hatching when I need new layers. Or eggs for eating should I need any. Silkies being picked up this week, and the 9 fertile eggs I have in the incubator are being transferred to a friends big incubator to hatch. To be decided apon.
The amount of terrific people who want to step in for me to battle the council over the number alowed, especially when the amount that used to be allowed was 15 and suddenly changed to six without reason, is very humbling. I’m not up to the fight though.
By the time they come out to inspect my property, there will be 6.

what a shame :(

Sure councils need to have rules and regulations. Strikes me that they are often the only ones who know about them. They are also apt to changing those rules whenever it suits them. Pity we didn’t all get to know about the changes as they happen though.

good whinge.

Goldie was trying to escape the chook tractor this AM, in the general direction of the main pen. Is she trying to (a) get back to her old nest to start laying again, (b) get back to Pancho (apologise for attacking him whilst setting?) or © just rejoin the flock in general? The chickens did escape this morning, little gits, but thankfully they have either forgotten how they did it or the chook tractor’s OK now that Mum’s in it again?

Can’t answer your question. My ladies are off the lay and moulting. There are feathers everywhere. It’s far too hot anyway. We’ve been over 30 degrees for days now and looking to stay there another week or thereabouts. I’ve just put the low pressure sprinkler in the Back Corner where it gently sprinkles into the chook run, the cockatiel cage and an area for the local wild birds. I might leave it there for a couple of hours as it uses very little water.

When it was hotter, late last year and early this year, I left the sprinkler on dribble all day long…the hens prefer it this way…I used to move to a different location each day, even if by a metre…not doing it at the moment as the soil is too moist…

Well I’m not going to tell my hens they should moult and refuse to lay when it’s hot…I think this year will be OK as the majority of the hens are new layers, but next year it will be different I suppose…

I haven’t had a hen that didn’t want to stay with her chicks at all times. I don’t know either.

I’ve just created 14 chickens and brought them inside to cool off before being picked up.

By the time a couple more silkie babies go and 2 oldies culled, I won’t have six. Then I can re start incubating!

Happy Potter said:

I’ve just created 14 chickens and brought them inside to cool off before being picked up.

By the time a couple more silkie babies go and 2 oldies culled, I won’t have six. Then I can re start incubating!

Crated!
Brain fried.

Dinetta said:

Goldie was trying to escape the chook tractor this AM, in the general direction of the main pen. Is she trying to (a) get back to her old nest to start laying again, (b) get back to Pancho (apologise for attacking him whilst setting?) or © just rejoin the flock in general? The chickens did escape this morning, little gits, but thankfully they have either forgotten how they did it or the chook tractor’s OK now that Mum’s in it again?

don’t ask me about chickens! they are a completely mystery to me these days! I thought one of the chooks that has been in solitary confinement might enjoy an outing today. Opened the lid of the cage and left her to hop out when she was ready. Went back an hour or so later and she is still sitting in the cage. Closed the lid again.

Happy Potter said:

Happy Potter said:

I’ve just created 14 chickens and brought them inside to cool off before being picked up.

By the time a couple more silkie babies go and 2 oldies culled, I won’t have six. Then I can re start incubating!

Crated!
Brain fried.

Brian…

Happy Potter said:

I haven’t had a hen that didn’t want to stay with her chicks at all times. I don’t know either.

We’re talking about Goldie here: she whose heart beats for Pancho…

Dinetta said:

Happy Potter said:

I haven’t had a hen that didn’t want to stay with her chicks at all times. I don’t know either.

We’re talking about Goldie here: she whose heart beats for Pancho…

I’ve thunk on this, seeing as it was too hot to sleep, and she could be wanting to take her chicks to better food. Or what she perceives to be better food. If she’s been a free ranger then she will want to get her chicks out to free range, doesn’t like the confines of the pen shes in.

Happy Potter said:

Dinetta said:

We’re talking about Goldie here: she whose heart beats for Pancho…

I’ve thunk on this, seeing as it was too hot to sleep, and she could be wanting to take her chicks to better food. Or what she perceives to be better food. If she’s been a free ranger then she will want to get her chicks out to free range, doesn’t like the confines of the pen shes in.

Yes I think that might be so. She’s used to free-ranging and she sees the rest of the flock pot-walloping around. She’s on green pick and her supplies of crumble and layer mash are plentiful. She also gets a tablespoon of porridge of a morning and a couple of crushed egg-shells during the day. Yesterday I put half an apple in, it had been left out and was not choice, so I gave it to her and the chickens who had a good time with it. Also gave them a lump of panic, mostly roots with plenty of soil in it…She has spots where she can dust bathe within the tractor. I just need to get them to 6 weeks: at the moment a raptor could cart them off, they are so small…

It’s awfully bare in my hens yards at the moment. I went out to feed them and realise I didn’t need the 2 litre container, but just a cup. Just 3 little white silkies and a splash silkie boy to be picked up.
I’ll stick to bantams from now on too. The big breeds just about flattened the two comfrey bushes. I’ve shut the gate to the mini orchard area for the time being. The raised bed of barley is up and running already starting to grow through the wire mesh, and the comfrey will recover. The white bantam leghorn x brown leghorn chicks, when they hatch, will free range in there.

In the meantime, I’m clearing and levelling the lawn area to re grow it. It looks like that deep euc mulch has completely killed off the kikuyu, but I’ll water it well and see if it comes back. If not, I’ll seed it with a non runner type.

big chook news here – the chookies have been rotated into the old garden pen and now – this fertile desert is ready for my autumn plantings.
i had to temporarily fence off the basil, ginger, cueys and okra in the old garden pen.
the hens run to a spot in the old garden and scratch, dig. eat – then off to another spot to do the same. i think they are happy. there is an old xmas pine tree for shade.

justin said:

big chook news here – the chookies have been rotated into the old garden pen and now – this fertile desert is ready for my autumn plantings.
i had to temporarily fence off the basil, ginger, cueys and okra in the old garden pen.
the hens run to a spot in the old garden and scratch, dig. eat – then off to another spot to do the same. i think they are happy. there is an old xmas pine tree for shade.

Nice looking cockerel…it is a young’un, isn’t it?

I have used my chookens in the last 3 weeks to turn over the soil in the bush house…I did level the panic a bit with the whippersnapper first…then threw grains in there daily…they have scratched out most of the regrowth…heheh!

Dinetta said:

justin said:

big chook news here – the chookies have been rotated into the old garden pen and now – this fertile desert is ready for my autumn plantings.
i had to temporarily fence off the basil, ginger, cueys and okra in the old garden pen.
the hens run to a spot in the old garden and scratch, dig. eat – then off to another spot to do the same. i think they are happy. there is an old xmas pine tree for shade.

Nice looking cockerel…it is a young’un, isn’t it?

I have used my chookens in the last 3 weeks to turn over the soil in the bush house…I did level the panic a bit with the whippersnapper first…then threw grains in there daily…they have scratched out most of the regrowth…heheh!

i would photograph the hens in their new pen – but when i show up they pose by lifting their heads and opening their mouths to hang out their tongues. i swear they have three bowls of cool water LOL.

The other very hot arvo I brought some chickens in to cool off in crates before they got picked up. The person picking them up was delayed and it was dark by the time they got here.
The chooks were startin to bunker down for the night in the crates and were making the most beautiful noises. Not unlike those recordings of dolphins playing, but not as loud or rushed, they were clicking and chirping, whirring in a sort of soft kitten mewing sound and it was so pretty to listen to. I sat and listened for hours. I wished I’d recorded it.

If you never hear this, you’ve missed something absolutely worth hearing.

Happy Potter said:

The other very hot arvo I brought some chickens in to cool off in crates before they got picked up. The person picking them up was delayed and it was dark by the time they got here.
The chooks were startin to bunker down for the night in the crates and were making the most beautiful noises. Not unlike those recordings of dolphins playing, but not as loud or rushed, they were clicking and chirping, whirring in a sort of soft kitten mewing sound and it was so pretty to listen to. I sat and listened for hours. I wished I’d recorded it.

If you never hear this, you’ve missed something absolutely worth hearing.

Oh I believe you, do wish you could’ve recorded it too…

Goldie is feeling much more the “thing”…broke skin and drew blood this morning when one little chicken sqwarked and carried on instead of sitting quietly in my hand, just before I put him in the tomato box prior to removal to the chook tractor…she still looks like a feather duster altho’ she’s got a bit of flesh on her bones now…

Dinetta said:

Goldie is feeling much more the “thing”…broke skin and drew blood this morning when one little chicken sqwarked and carried on instead of sitting quietly in my hand, just before I put him in the tomato box prior to removal to the chook tractor…she still looks like a feather duster altho’ she’s got a bit of flesh on her bones now…

Huh? who bit who? lol..

Happy Potter said:

Dinetta said:

Goldie is feeling much more the “thing”…broke skin and drew blood this morning when one little chicken sqwarked and carried on instead of sitting quietly in my hand, just before I put him in the tomato box prior to removal to the chook tractor…she still looks like a feather duster altho’ she’s got a bit of flesh on her bones now…

Huh? who bit who? lol..

Goldie bit me…I have to hand it to her, her aim has improved this last week…lol!

Hmm maybe a delayed reaction, and probably an overreaction, but I have to think about my mental health first. I can’t handle that someone in my circle would ring the council with a very untrue allegation about some bulk chicken selling business, and it’s really hit me so badly that everytime I go and glose the gate to the coop, it reminds me that there’s some rotten to the core out there and I can’t deal with that right now. I can’t stand nasty sorts, who can.. but this was deliberate. Everytime you sell a chicken it’s at a loss anyway, unless it’s a very exxy show or special breeding bird.

So, I’m going out of keeping chickens, for a while at least until I can deal with it all. I have given away most already, one here and one there to selected people who I know will look after them. Over one week each and every one will go and I can close the door on that chapter, until I feel ready again.

One friend came over within minutes of me messaging bawling, silly fellow made me bawl, gave me a great big bear hug and took the ones he loves. With a couple feeders, waterers and grain.
Incubator already gone out on permanant loan and the eggs in that off to another friends incubator to continue developing. They can keep them, sell give away or use for the table.

Dinetta said:

Happy Potter said:

Dinetta said:

Goldie is feeling much more the “thing”…broke skin and drew blood this morning when one little chicken sqwarked and carried on instead of sitting quietly in my hand, just before I put him in the tomato box prior to removal to the chook tractor…she still looks like a feather duster altho’ she’s got a bit of flesh on her bones now…

Huh? who bit who? lol..

Goldie bit me…I have to hand it to her, her aim has improved this last week…lol!

Naughty, but protective, Goldie.

Happy Potter said:

Hmm maybe a delayed reaction, and probably an overreaction, but I have to think about my mental health first. I can’t handle that someone in my circle would ring the council with a very untrue allegation about some bulk chicken selling business, and it’s really hit me so badly that everytime I go and glose the gate to the coop, it reminds me that there’s some rotten to the core out there and I can’t deal with that right now. I can’t stand nasty sorts, who can.. but this was deliberate. Everytime you sell a chicken it’s at a loss anyway, unless it’s a very exxy show or special breeding bird. So, I’m going out of keeping chickens, for a while at least until I can deal with it all. I have given away most already, one here and one there to selected people who I know will look after them. Over one week each and every one will go and I can close the door on that chapter, until I feel ready again. One friend came over within minutes of me messaging bawling, silly fellow made me bawl, gave me a great big bear hug and took the ones he loves. With a couple feeders, waterers and grain.
Incubator already gone out on permanant loan and the eggs in that off to another friends incubator to continue developing. They can keep them, sell give away or use for the table.

sad end of an era – you learn a lot from such intense periods. forget the liar but remember all the chook knowledge.
thanks for all the stories HP – sincere handshake LOL.

Happy Potter said:

Hmm maybe a delayed reaction, and probably an overreaction,

No, chookies affect you like that. I don’t think it would be anybody in your circle, just someone who’s jealous in your neighbourhood…smiling two-faced erse it would be, too…you’ll find them out…N E ways, when the council comes around, they’re going to ask the same question we on the forum have been wondering, “where did you fit them?”. Then they’ll realise they’ve been lied to (about the 100 chookens…)

Oh I will miss being able to chat to you about chookens, and I’ll miss all the escapades and the photos…

Hanging onto your poultry, aren’t you BlueGreen?

Happy Potter said:

Naughty, but protective, Goldie.

Yes, good to see that bit of spark!!

Dinetta said:

Happy Potter said:

Hmm maybe a delayed reaction, and probably an overreaction,

No, chookies affect you like that. I don’t think it would be anybody in your circle, just someone who’s jealous in your neighbourhood…smiling two-faced erse it would be, too…you’ll find them out…N E ways, when the council comes around, they’re going to ask the same question we on the forum have been wondering, “where did you fit them?”. Then they’ll realise they’ve been lied to (about the 100 chookens…)

Oh I will miss being able to chat to you about chookens, and I’ll miss all the escapades and the photos…

Hanging onto your poultry, aren’t you BlueGreen?

Stuff that, hit Submit when I meant to get out of the post…

Anyways, Happy Potter I have been thinking, do you really need to get rid of all your chooks? I would like to see you keep 6 (or whatever) and when officialdom calls around, say “Yes I have six chooks. Look at this and tell me how I could possibly have kept 100?” Once you have poultry it’s hard to give them up, and I don’t like to think you may be hounded by some small mind that’s stirring the officialdom pot just because they can…

Happy Potter said:

Hmm maybe a delayed reaction, and probably an overreaction, but I have to think about my mental health first. I can’t handle that someone in my circle would ring the council with a very untrue allegation about some bulk chicken selling business, and it’s really hit me so badly that everytime I go and glose the gate to the coop, it reminds me that there’s some rotten to the core out there and I can’t deal with that right now. I can’t stand nasty sorts, who can.. but this was deliberate. Everytime you sell a chicken it’s at a loss anyway, unless it’s a very exxy show or special breeding bird.

So, I’m going out of keeping chickens, for a while at least until I can deal with it all. I have given away most already, one here and one there to selected people who I know will look after them. Over one week each and every one will go and I can close the door on that chapter, until I feel ready again.

One friend came over within minutes of me messaging bawling, silly fellow made me bawl, gave me a great big bear hug and took the ones he loves. With a couple feeders, waterers and grain.
Incubator already gone out on permanant loan and the eggs in that off to another friends incubator to continue developing. They can keep them, sell give away or use for the table.

:(
‘
‘
‘

(((HUGS))) for HP. Look after yourself my friend, and don’t let the bastards get you down.

Dinetta said:

Hanging onto your poultry, aren’t you BlueGreen?

yes :)

Happy Potter said:

Hmm maybe a delayed reaction, and probably an overreaction, but I have to think about my mental health first. I can’t handle that someone in my circle would ring the council with a very untrue allegation about some bulk chicken selling business, and it’s really hit me so badly that everytime I go and glose the gate to the coop, it reminds me that there’s some rotten to the core out there and I can’t deal with that right now. I can’t stand nasty sorts, who can.. but this was deliberate. Everytime you sell a chicken it’s at a loss anyway, unless it’s a very exxy show or special breeding bird.

So, I’m going out of keeping chickens, for a while at least until I can deal with it all. I have given away most already, one here and one there to selected people who I know will look after them. Over one week each and every one will go and I can close the door on that chapter, until I feel ready again.

One friend came over within minutes of me messaging bawling, silly fellow made me bawl, gave me a great big bear hug and took the ones he loves. With a couple feeders, waterers and grain.
Incubator already gone out on permanant loan and the eggs in that off to another friends incubator to continue developing. They can keep them, sell give away or use for the table.

Down for the moment but not out HP. Don’t let the blighters break you kiddo.

Happy Potter said:

Hmm maybe a delayed reaction, and probably an overreaction, but I have to think about my mental health first. I can’t handle that someone in my circle would ring the council with a very untrue allegation about some bulk chicken selling business, and it’s really hit me so badly that everytime I go and glose the gate to the coop, it reminds me that there’s some rotten to the core out there and I can’t deal with that right now. I can’t stand nasty sorts, who can.. but this was deliberate. Everytime you sell a chicken it’s at a loss anyway, unless it’s a very exxy show or special breeding bird.

So, I’m going out of keeping chickens, for a while at least until I can deal with it all. I have given away most already, one here and one there to selected people who I know will look after them. Over one week each and every one will go and I can close the door on that chapter, until I feel ready again.

One friend came over within minutes of me messaging bawling, silly fellow made me bawl, gave me a great big bear hug and took the ones he loves. With a couple feeders, waterers and grain.
Incubator already gone out on permanant loan and the eggs in that off to another friends incubator to continue developing. They can keep them, sell give away or use for the table.

I just thought…maybe you need a break from them (chooks) for a spell. Perhaps it’s a blessing in disguise. I just can’t imagine you giving in so easily unless you, yourself had an idea that it was time for a rethink.

I just thought…maybe you need a break from them (chooks) for a spell. Perhaps it’s a blessing in disguise. I just can’t imagine you giving in so easily unless you, yourself had an idea that it was time for a rethink.
————————————

Threat of big fines did me in. I hated having to part with my birds. I miss them and it’s killing me inside. I can’t let it eat me up though.

Council will give me a days notice then visit with a search warrant. That very word scared me, I have no idea what it means. I don’t know what they would expect to find. I imagine that having a chicken business means you would have a lot of equipment, pens, birds, and money! I have none of that. I told them I don’t run a business but keep chickens as a hobby and I swap ones when big enough for either a fee or for a table bird back. I told them I don’t kill nor eat my own and there’s a lot of people who don’t, so they swap live table birds for meat with each other. If someone just wants the birds for the table and you don’t get anything back, then there’s a fee, like $5. You have to get something back for having raised it.
That I have sold some here and there. But nothing on the scale that they think.
I don’t think of it being any different than if I sold a tote bag, or an apron that I made at home.

The coop door hasn’t been completely shut. I still have the 2 silver spangled hamburgs. These were the ones that had cocci when young and their 4 siblings died. They look fine and they are growing well, but might still yet go on to not develop properly or they might not lay eggs, only time will tell. But no one wants them. I don’t want to cull them because I’m so attached, and having gone to a lot of trouble and significant expense to save them, putting them down will just knock me over the edge emotionally. I know I would get that awful feeling of why did I even bother, and start to descend into depression. They are staying here with me and I will keep looking after them.

This whole stupid thing has caused such a ruckus within my poultry circle that friends are up in arms, they are more than prepared to go into bat for me. I do appreciate the support, but there isn’t anything that I need defending from. I won’t tell them when ‘they’ come, as was asked, I will deal with it myself.

Pics of the two I will keep, such pretty things, and their mum (now rehomed) eating from the raised barley bed. Gees that grew fast in the heat. I only made it a week ago.

Happy Potter said:

Pics of the two I will keep, such pretty things, and their mum (now rehomed) eating from the raised barley bed. Gees that grew fast in the heat. I only made it a week ago.

OH I just love the look of that barley bed, what a good idea!! Sometimes I think, even if they don’t DO anything apart from turning over soil, chookens are good to keep as they’re great value pets…

I missed it, if it’s in this thread….how many livestock are you allowed to keep in your area Happy Potter? Our council bylaws give numbers by land area, so we can actually have our 3 dogs without a problem because our block is a double block and larger than 0.2hectares. Here are our rules:

21. Keeping Excess Animals
§
(1) The requirement to obtain a permit to keep more animals or types of animals than that prescribed in the following provisions applies where the land is less than 0.2 hectares and where:

(a) a horse is to be kept on the land; or (b) the number of each category of animal exceeds the following or where there are more than four types of animals; • 2 dogs • 2 cats • 12 poultry • 100 domestic birds • 2 goats • 2 cockatoos. (2) The requirement to obtain a permit under this provision does not apply where a planning permit has been obtained for animal boarding or breeding on the land.

I think you are more urban, so you’ve probably got a no roosters thing too? I can’t find it in the bylaws, but I think it’s no roosters in towns here.

buffy said:

I missed it, if it’s in this thread….how many livestock are you allowed to keep in your area Happy Potter? Our council bylaws give numbers by land area, so we can actually have our 3 dogs without a problem because our block is a double block and larger than 0.2hectares. Here are our rules:

21. Keeping Excess Animals
§
(1) The requirement to obtain a permit to keep more animals or types of animals than that prescribed in the following provisions applies where the land is less than 0.2 hectares and where:

(a) a horse is to be kept on the land; or (b) the number of each category of animal exceeds the following or where there are more than four types of animals; • 2 dogs • 2 cats • 12 poultry • 100 domestic birds • 2 goats • 2 cockatoos. (2) The requirement to obtain a permit under this provision does not apply where a planning permit has been obtained for animal boarding or breeding on the land.

I think you are more urban, so you’ve probably got a no roosters thing too? I can’t find it in the bylaws, but I think it’s no roosters in towns here.

Yes urban, and 6 poultry. My mistake being not applying for a permit to have more, being the amount I need for a petting pen or meat. And keeping a rooster, although a rooster was not the subject of the complaint.
You put an egg under a broody to hatch and it becomes a business. There’s nothing in the bylaws I can find about chicks and having to register them. If I had the allowable 2 dogs for example and I let them have puppies, that’s not an offence and when the young reach 6 months then you have to register them. No such provision for chicks that I can find.

The by law is badly worded and hard to understand.
Pasted: (iii) 6 poultry (other than rooster, fowl, guinea fowl, turkey, geese or ducks);.

Well as far as I know fowl are chickens.

And quite apart from this, if the poultry pens aren’t the required 15 meters from the human dwelling, they have to go anyway.

Happy Potter said:

wow – the barley liked the hot soil.

I’m thinking HP, that the council is giving you notice (don’t be scared by the search warrant, they need that to come onto your property but that is all). If they wanted to “catch you in the act” then they could have turned up with the warrant unannounced. By giving you notice they are giving you a chance to comply so they don’t have to fine you. Don’t mention chooks for meat, reinforce the hobby side (and that it is therapeutic for you). You could mention that you help relocate chooks or hatch eggs for people as a favour and there is no profit involved.

>>If I had the allowable 2 dogs for example and I let them have puppies, that’s not an offence and when the young reach 6 months then you have to register them<<

Just in case anyone else needs to check……I thought it was register dogs at 6 months, but when I looked, it is at 3 months here.

Actually, I think they need to get these things sorted out and the same all over the country. You could at least have it the same for all urban areas, or use something like we have here with a size of the land descriptor. As I live rural(ish) I understand the need to have different arrangements for larger allotments, but I’m sure something universal could be written.

buffy said:

Actually, I think they need to get these things sorted out and the same all over the country. You could at least have it the same for all urban areas, or use something like we have here with a size of the land descriptor. As I live rural(ish) I understand the need to have different arrangements for larger allotments, but I’m sure something universal could be written.

Lousy idea…I think it should be an area-by-area basis…some rural towns couldn’t care less about roosters in town but with the amalgamation of shires up here, suddenly found the traditions of 125 years of town chook-keeping, dictated to them by the nearest Big Town, where such traditions have faded from memory…

Biddie laid an egg this morning, it was all over Red Rover by the time I got there. She has been sitting in the old mower catcher nest, dissing the other hens, for a couple of weeks now. I went to collect the eggs and there was evidence that one had been broken and consumed so no prizes for guessing, Biddie knew she was going to lay an egg but not when it would be laid…her eggs were soft-shelled for a while before she quit laying so that would be the story there…drat…this means I have to wash out the mower catcher so the girls will continue to lay there…

Happy Potter said:

I just thought…maybe you need a break from them (chooks) for a spell. Perhaps it’s a blessing in disguise. I just can’t imagine you giving in so easily unless you, yourself had an idea that it was time for a rethink.
————————————

Threat of big fines did me in. I hated having to part with my birds. I miss them and it’s killing me inside. I can’t let it eat me up though.

Council will give me a days notice then visit with a search warrant. That very word scared me, I have no idea what it means. I don’t know what they would expect to find. I imagine that having a chicken business means you would have a lot of equipment, pens, birds, and money! I have none of that. I told them I don’t run a business but keep chickens as a hobby and I swap ones when big enough for either a fee or for a table bird back. I told them I don’t kill nor eat my own and there’s a lot of people who don’t, so they swap live table birds for meat with each other. If someone just wants the birds for the table and you don’t get anything back, then there’s a fee, like $5. You have to get something back for having raised it.
That I have sold some here and there. But nothing on the scale that they think.
I don’t think of it being any different than if I sold a tote bag, or an apron that I made at home.

The coop door hasn’t been completely shut. I still have the 2 silver spangled hamburgs. These were the ones that had cocci when young and their 4 siblings died. They look fine and they are growing well, but might still yet go on to not develop properly or they might not lay eggs, only time will tell. But no one wants them. I don’t want to cull them because I’m so attached, and having gone to a lot of trouble and significant expense to save them, putting them down will just knock me over the edge emotionally. I know I would get that awful feeling of why did I even bother, and start to descend into depression. They are staying here with me and I will keep looking after them.

This whole stupid thing has caused such a ruckus within my poultry circle that friends are up in arms, they are more than prepared to go into bat for me. I do appreciate the support, but there isn’t anything that I need defending from. I won’t tell them when ‘they’ come, as was asked, I will deal with it myself.

Pics of the two I will keep, such pretty things, and their mum (now rehomed) eating from the raised barley bed. Gees that grew fast in the heat. I only made it a week ago.

I’m sure youll be fine HP. Just a bugger that someone has forced this issue.

>>some rural towns couldn’t care less about roosters in town but with the amalgamation of shires up here, suddenly found the traditions of 125 years of town chook-keeping, dictated to them by the nearest Big Town, where such traditions have faded from memory…<<

You can apply for permission to raise chooks, as far as I know. And then you can have rooster/s in town. But within a town it is only fair that people have some say on the noise levels. It’s not really different from having barking dogs controls.

I’ll never get used to seeing the yard bare of feathery things, but at least I’ve stopped putting too much food out.

Next Thursday the council will come out. No one seems to be able to find any rules or by=laws regarding chicks and what age they have to be to be counted. I’ll ask when they’re here.

Which council are you under? They should have bylaws on their website. But if they are like ours, they are somewhat vague…..

buffy said:

Which council are you under? They should have bylaws on their website. But if they are like ours, they are somewhat vague…..

Very vague.
A really close retired friend was one of those ‘big union blokes’, worked at trades hall and with the woman currently running the country. He lives eats and breathes by laws..said if he can’t find it, it’s not there. It doesn’t mean there’s no law against it, only that there’s no words written about it yet. He insists that chicks are not poultry. I disagree.

He boomed at me ‘ you can change that y’know. Yer right. Told him to do it.

Happy Potter said:

buffy said:

Which council are you under? They should have bylaws on their website. But if they are like ours, they are somewhat vague…..

Very vague.
A really close retired friend was one of those ‘big union blokes’, worked at trades hall and with the woman currently running the country. He lives eats and breathes by laws..said if he can’t find it, it’s not there. It doesn’t mean there’s no law against it, only that there’s no words written about it yet. He insists that chicks are not poultry. I disagree.

He boomed at me ‘ you can change that y’know. Yer right. Told him to do it.

opps forgot to add, wyndham council.

buffy said:

>>some rural towns couldn’t care less about roosters in town but with the amalgamation of shires up here, suddenly found the traditions of 125 years of town chook-keeping, dictated to them by the nearest Big Town, where such traditions have faded from memory…<<

You can apply for permission to raise chooks, as far as I know. And then you can have rooster/s in town. But within a town it is only fair that people have some say on the noise levels. It’s not really different from having barking dogs controls.

…which is true, but if you’ve got the quiet country towns with their half to one acre house blocks, a blanket “thou shalt no longer have roosters in town because the Big Smoke city that’s now your regional council admin, doesn’t have them” is not appropriate. It ruffles feathers.

I can see where, in the more built up areas of this town even, roosters aren’t appreciated because those areas generally are populated by shift workers. Glad I don’t live in those areas. It was a hassle putting Pancho away every night when I first came here but then I gave it away and he didn’t crow so much.

Happy Potter said:

I’ll never get used to seeing the yard bare of feathery things, but at least I’ve stopped putting too much food out.

Next Thursday the council will come out. No one seems to be able to find any rules or by=laws regarding chicks and what age they have to be to be counted. I’ll ask when they’re here.

…and that’s the best way…if they see for themselves…

Happy Potter said:

I’ll never get used to seeing the yard bare of feathery things, but at least I’ve stopped putting too much food out.

Next Thursday the council will come out. No one seems to be able to find any rules or by=laws regarding chicks and what age they have to be to be counted. I’ll ask when they’re here.

I’ll ask when they’re here.

And they better have the answers too.

>>..which is true, but if you’ve got the quiet country towns with their half to one acre house blocks, a blanket “thou shalt no longer have roosters in town because the Big Smoke city that’s now your regional council admin, doesn’t have them” is not appropriate. It ruffles feathers. <<

It’s not a blanket ban. You can apply for a permit. I live on half an acre, and I know I can hear the roosters from about a km away, the ones out of the town boundary. So for the amenity of people in a town, there has to be rules. At one time someone in our other little town where we lived before had a peacock…..now there is a noise that carries. At all times of the day and night. That really was a nuisance bird.

Well I have just sent a few doz cackleberries off with P, bound for the kidlets and some of their friends…none for the MIL as she never passes on thanks…if I have an extra doz to spare I’ll send her some next time…

Biddie tried again today but thankfully no result…out of 4 available nests the hens have narrowed themselves down to 2 nests …

My first post in the poultry thread. I have a chicken. His name is Groover and he’s 6cm tall. He has the cutest face and a lovely smile. The only problem is that he is yellow plastic and he sits on a solar panel. In the light he does a hula type movement. That’s why I called him Groover. I found him in the easter goodies section of a shop and just had to have him. If any of his friends fly in to see him I’ll let you know.

He sounds charming and easy-care…

pomolo said:

My first post in the poultry thread. I have a chicken. His name is Groover and he’s 6cm tall. He has the cutest face and a lovely smile. The only problem is that he is yellow plastic and he sits on a solar panel. In the light he does a hula type movement. That’s why I called him Groover. I found him in the easter goodies section of a shop and just had to have him. If any of his friends fly in to see him I’ll let you know.

:D
At least he won’t crow ;)

Did I report I have a Manx chook? One of the Speckled Sussex women has lost all her tail feathers. She looks very odd! The other two haven’t lost their tails yet.

I haven’t had an egg for a couple of weeks. I have been blaming the really hot weather. But maybe they’ve just gone off the lay now until August.

someones tag line on a chook forum:

“MONEY can’t buy happiness….but it can buy CHOOKS, and that’s pretty much the same thing”

bluegreen said:

someones tag line on a chook forum:

“MONEY can’t buy happiness….but it can buy CHOOKS, and that’s pretty much the same thing”

Money bought my Groover and he makes me happy too.

bluegreen said:

someones tag line on a chook forum:

“MONEY can’t buy happiness….but it can buy CHOOKS, and that’s pretty much the same thing”

LOL! Yep…

bluegreen said:

someones tag line on a chook forum:

“MONEY can’t buy happiness….but it can buy CHOOKS, and that’s pretty much the same thing”

Love it :D
I have a mind to make a plaque of that for my front door.
I also saw some life-like farm animals at the local plants plus nursery.. the evil side of me would love to stick a few sheep and goats in my back yard. LOL

I got a duck egg this morning, yay! Only small but it’s a start. It’s been a long duck egg drought since my only laying duck started sitting on her eggs 20 weeks ago! But with some more females now I am hopeful of not having to be without so long again.

bluegreen said:

I got a duck egg this morning, yay! Only small but it’s a start. It’s been a long duck egg drought since my only laying duck started sitting on her eggs 20 weeks ago! But with some more females now I am hopeful of not having to be without so long again.

Yay :)
Egg drought here too and probably won’t get any until spring.

Thought I had a new hen this morning, small and black. I noticed her in the disused coop next door, the other day but didn’t worry as I’m sure she’s from the flock two doors back…

This morning I go to let the chookens out of their coop and into their run and there she was, outside trying to get in…so she tried to mingle and Pancho dropped a wing and ran his spur up and down it…she was not fazed…however the other hens said “He’s ours, rack off” and I haven’t seen her since…

I put a tub of water out for the crow, I think it was looking for water the other day…also I throw grain on the ground just before the hens go to bed, so they can have a bit of a scratch before retiring…so the little hen is fed and watered…there seems to be an unusual egg in one of the nests so we shall see how things go…I’ve no objection to her laying in my nests lol! If she tries roosting with the others I may have to check with Number 17 and see if she is theirs and do they want her back…

my new cockerel might be at the bottom of the pecking order in the hen house, but he is on the job out in the yard :D

Dinetta said:

Thought I had a new hen this morning, small and black. I noticed her in the disused coop next door, the other day but didn’t worry as I’m sure she’s from the flock two doors back…

This morning I go to let the chookens out of their coop and into their run and there she was, outside trying to get in…so she tried to mingle and Pancho dropped a wing and ran his spur up and down it…she was not fazed…however the other hens said “He’s ours, rack off” and I haven’t seen her since…

I put a tub of water out for the crow, I think it was looking for water the other day…also I throw grain on the ground just before the hens go to bed, so they can have a bit of a scratch before retiring…so the little hen is fed and watered…there seems to be an unusual egg in one of the nests so we shall see how things go…I’ve no objection to her laying in my nests lol! If she tries roosting with the others I may have to check with Number 17 and see if she is theirs and do they want her back…

Must be too good at your place and a handsome rooster, if she wants to run away and join your flock :)

bluegreen said:

my new cockerel might be at the bottom of the pecking order in the hen house, but he is on the job out in the yard :D

Chickies! :D

I went out to check that the silver spangled had gone home and shut their pen door, then checked the silkies and shut their gate. I have Lin Lin and the 3 little black silkes, and the 2 dotty silvers. That makes 6.
But I heard something coming from the nest box….
No way..! It can’t be! Cheep cheep cheep..OMG. It appears that the 2 dug eggs that Lin Lin was sitting on, aren’t duds! I was about to take the eggs away and shut the hen out.

Oh boy, problem..they will be silkie cross leghorn. I definitely didn’t want this cross to happen. Unless that silkie roo was hiding behind his shyness..

They can’t stay here, even if they are going to be whacko looking chooks :(

Happy Potter said:

bluegreen said:

my new cockerel might be at the bottom of the pecking order in the hen house, but he is on the job out in the yard :D

Chickies! :D

probably not until Spring, lol!

Happy Potter said:

I went out to check that the silver spangled had gone home and shut their pen door, then checked the silkies and shut their gate. I have Lin Lin and the 3 little black silkes, and the 2 dotty silvers. That makes 6.
But I heard something coming from the nest box….
No way..! It can’t be! Cheep cheep cheep..OMG. It appears that the 2 dug eggs that Lin Lin was sitting on, aren’t duds! I was about to take the eggs away and shut the hen out.

Oh boy, problem..they will be silkie cross leghorn. I definitely didn’t want this cross to happen. Unless that silkie roo was hiding behind his shyness..

They can’t stay here, even if they are going to be whacko looking chooks :(

nature finds a way :D

nature finds a way :D
————————— It sure does. She was sitting on this huge pile of eggs and I took them away, then handed her back two because I felt sorry for her. Unreal.
I think I know the parentage tho..saw a little white chick and I think it had yellow legs. Pure silkies have black legs. I will check again soon as it was hard to see.

bluegreen said:

my new cockerel might be at the bottom of the pecking order in the hen house, but he is on the job out in the yard :D

Some serious sorting to do in the chooky social world at BlueGreen’s… lol!

Happy Potter said:

Must be too good at your place and a handsome rooster, if she wants to run away and join your flock :)

Right on both counts Happy Potter… the little bantam rooster is a cutie but I think the foraging is limited…

Well the hatched chick has no silkie in it! Phew :D It’s a brown leghorn x white leghorn roo.
No idea on egg 2..but it’s pipped.

Thank goodness there’s still happenings in the HP hen house…

Dinetta said:

Thank goodness there’s still happenings in the HP hen house…

Yes! Hahaha. I never get tired of seeing new chicks, no matter what breed they are :)

Dinetta said:

bluegreen said:

my new cockerel might be at the bottom of the pecking order in the hen house, but he is on the job out in the yard :D

Some serious sorting to do in the chooky social world at BlueGreen’s… lol!

he’s still only a young fella, haven’t even heard a crow yet!

bluegreen said:

Dinetta said:

bluegreen said:

my new cockerel might be at the bottom of the pecking order in the hen house, but he is on the job out in the yard :D

Some serious sorting to do in the chooky social world at BlueGreen’s… lol!

he’s still only a young fella, haven’t even heard a crow yet!

Getting some practice in :)

I’ve a couple baby chicks and their mum to move into a small pen. I’m going to shut Max inside so he doesn’t try to follow me and end up falling into the pond. He nearly did this morn on the long arduous journey (for him) to get to his piddle spot.

The little black hen wasn’t there this morning, I’ll see later if she’s in the disused chicken coop next door…

I can hear a chicken “be-gurking”. Will go out and collect the egg/s soon :)

Dinetta said:

The little black hen wasn’t there this morning, I’ll see later if she’s in the disused chicken coop next door…

Did you find her?

My minsicule flock are going well, but I’m getting no eggs at all. They’re either too young or broody. Must be patient. I bought some eggs from a place that had the longest use by date on them, organic and cage free. But, they have the deepest orangest yolk I ever saw. Tell me they aren’t artificially coloured..or the hen has busted into a sack of turmeric and ate half..

Fertile eggs that I gave away are hatching at friends places and I was told I can have a pullet or two later on. That will be great :)

No I never found the little black hen, she may have decided to go back to her original flock.

This morning Goldie and the Chicks got out somehow, mostly because I forgot to put the wire in the latch / hasp that secures them into the dogbox. They were doing OK, the main flock was out because I forgot to shut them in last night…gees must have been a bit of a misalignment with my stars yesty evening…anyway anytime they got near some of the main flock (not all) they would get chased.

The chickens are six weeks old today.

My question is, if I supervise them, could I let Goldie and the Chicks continue to roam with the main flock? My concern is that the chickens, although heavy, are still a temptation for the hawks and eagles that occasionally fly overhead. They have plenty of hidey spaces, thanks to MrsB’s overhanging shrubs.

….annnnd, on a criminal note, we went and got my coop gate back from the neighbour’s yesterday…hope the tenant didn’t see us but we tried to make sure she wasn’t there…I think Sonny Jim (my accomplice) thought I was over the top, but then he lined up the gate with the pole and realised that I was right: the gate was custom made to fit that pole in that particular spot.

Dinetta said:

My question is, if I supervise them, could I let Goldie and the Chicks continue to roam with the main flock? My concern is that the chickens, although heavy, are still a temptation for the hawks and eagles that occasionally fly overhead. They have plenty of hidey spaces, thanks to MrsB’s overhanging shrubs.

….annnnd, on a criminal note, we went and got my coop gate back from the neighbour’s yesterday…hope the tenant didn’t see us but we tried to make sure she wasn’t there…I think Sonny Jim (my accomplice) thought I was over the top, but then he lined up the gate with the pole and realised that I was right: the gate was custom made to fit that pole in that particular spot.

supervised ranging would be fine, if you can lock them up again when you are not there.

hope your gate stays put this time!

bluegreen said:

supervised ranging would be fine, if you can lock them up again when you are not there.

hope your gate stays put this time!

Thanks BlueGreen, I don’t anticipate leaving the house except to go down the back and do some more chainsawing later this afternoon…so I might give it a go…the Chicks are a bit larger than quail size, about halfway between quail and bantam…

My gate is on the front verandah…we are trying to figure a workaround so we can secure under the house for furniture that I want brought up but not into the house (decluttering process)…so any valuables such as the whippersnipper, the ladder and the chainsaw (and of course my loose gates) are upstairs where they can’t be seen…

They’re out…and have discovered a froggie I never knew I had…so I’ll put some mulch on the grapevine where I think s/he has gone to earth…literally!

All minding our P’s and Q’s so far…

Because I have been having to lock the chook pen after letting them out to stop Peter Pan from getting in, it means that if eggs have not been laid by let out time then they lay their eggs somewhere in the yard. The problem was that I have not until recently been able to find them. The usual places have been left empty, the corner of the vege patch where one of the brown hens was laying has not been used for a while, and there is very little undergrowth or long grass due to the hot, dry summer and Peter Pan eating whatever was in reach. The other day I was clipping some prunings into the compost and went to throw the thicker bits onto a small stick pile. There, snug behind the pile was 8 eggs. I hadn’t bothered looking there because there was nothing growing against that fence!

In the meanwhile one of the brown hens has been jumping the fence (even after I clipped her wing) and scratching around my front garden which IS rather over grown. I had had a few looks in the garden for eggs to no avail but after having to let the hen back into the yard again at feed time tonight, I had another look. There, on the gravel outside the garden but hidden by a healthy crop of flea bane was another 9 little brown eggs.

BTW. How come chooks can jump over a fence to get out, but somehow forget how to do it to jump in again?

bluegreen said:

Because I have been having to lock the chook pen after letting them out to stop Peter Pan from getting in, it means that if eggs have not been laid by let out time then they lay their eggs somewhere in the yard. The problem was that I have not until recently been able to find them.

Good work on finding them BlueGreen, now come up here and wave your magic stick over my back paddock… :P

bluegreen said:

BTW. How come chooks can jump over a fence to get out, but somehow forget how to do it to jump in again?

It’s got me beat too…maybe by the time she’s ready to come back in, her crop is too heavy for lift-off?

Dinetta said:

bluegreen said:

Because I have been having to lock the chook pen after letting them out to stop Peter Pan from getting in, it means that if eggs have not been laid by let out time then they lay their eggs somewhere in the yard. The problem was that I have not until recently been able to find them.

Good work on finding them BlueGreen, now come up here and wave your magic stick over my back paddock… :P

bluegreen said:

BTW. How come chooks can jump over a fence to get out, but somehow forget how to do it to jump in again?

It’s got me beat too…maybe by the time she’s ready to come back in, her crop is too heavy for lift-off?

They have a one-way mind, lol. Mine get into places they can’t get out of too, but I’ve blocked certain places off when I find them.

Happy Potter said:

Dinetta said:

bluegreen said:

Because I have been having to lock the chook pen after letting them out to stop Peter Pan from getting in, it means that if eggs have not been laid by let out time then they lay their eggs somewhere in the yard. The problem was that I have not until recently been able to find them.

Good work on finding them BlueGreen, now come up here and wave your magic stick over my back paddock… :P

bluegreen said:

BTW. How come chooks can jump over a fence to get out, but somehow forget how to do it to jump in again?

It’s got me beat too…maybe by the time she’s ready to come back in, her crop is too heavy for lift-off?

They have a one-way mind, lol. Mine get into places they can’t get out of too, but I’ve blocked certain places off when I find them.

I have already clipped one wing so not sure what to do about her, other than lock her up! She is not going far, and to be fair she does go back in again herself most of the time. Just not when I am watching! lol!

The little brown hens have either taken the day off, or have find a new hiding place.

bluegreen said:

The little brown hens have either taken the day off, or have find a new hiding place.

I have found you shouldn’t really take the eggs when they can see you…best to wait until they’re looking the other way…

Dinetta said:

bluegreen said:

The little brown hens have either taken the day off, or have find a new hiding place.

I have found you shouldn’t really take the eggs when they can see you…best to wait until they’re looking the other way…

Oh no, dramas in the countries hen houses lol. I hope you’ve found the brown hens BG.

I was brought back a blue leghorn pullet I’d given away, because the fellow said, ‘it’s the most aggressive chook I have ever known’. What the heck. He put it straight in with the others in the mini orchard and it was terrified of the littlest silkies..then trying to catch it was impossible. I left it until dark and the others had long gone to bed and found it with the torch, picked it up and it was savage. Something’s happened to it, that was easy to tell. It lived with 2 other chooks and 22 ducks. Lovely fellow, but I don’t think he knows how to look after chickens. It’s heel bone very sharp in my hand, underweight too. Now to get it back to health, fatten it up and tame it.

Happy Potter said:

Dinetta said:

bluegreen said:

The little brown hens have either taken the day off, or have find a new hiding place.

I have found you shouldn’t really take the eggs when they can see you…best to wait until they’re looking the other way…

Oh no, dramas in the countries hen houses lol. I hope you’ve found the brown hens BG.

I was brought back a blue leghorn pullet I’d given away, because the fellow said, ‘it’s the most aggressive chook I have ever known’. What the heck. He put it straight in with the others in the mini orchard and it was terrified of the littlest silkies..then trying to catch it was impossible. I left it until dark and the others had long gone to bed and found it with the torch, picked it up and it was savage. Something’s happened to it, that was easy to tell. It lived with 2 other chooks and 22 ducks. Lovely fellow, but I don’t think he knows how to look after chickens. It’s heel bone very sharp in my hand, underweight too. Now to get it back to health, fatten it up and tame it.

I hadn’t lost the hens, just couldn’t find any eggs since I emptied their previous hiding places.

Happy Potter said:

I was brought back a blue leghorn pullet I’d given away, because the fellow said, ‘it’s the most aggressive chook I have ever known’. What the heck. He put it straight in with the others in the mini orchard and it was terrified of the littlest silkies..then trying to catch it was impossible. I left it until dark and the others had long gone to bed and found it with the torch, picked it up and it was savage. Something’s happened to it, that was easy to tell. It lived with 2 other chooks and 22 ducks. Lovely fellow, but I don’t think he knows how to look after chickens. It’s heel bone very sharp in my hand, underweight too. Now to get it back to health, fatten it up and tame it.

Sad when that happens…a new hen on her own, I’d try to get the others used to it first…was just lucky with my last lot that they had weight of numbers (8 vs 4) but even so they were definitely on the “outer” for at least 2 weeks…

The Chicks have discovered what Shadow is for: if you time it right you can jump up and get a bit of a ride on his back, before he starts snipping at your tail…they ask to be picked up when first let out of a morning, cos that’s the routine they know (being picked up, put in a tomato box and taken to the chook tractor)…

Dinetta said:

The Chicks have discovered what Shadow is for: if you time it right you can jump up and get a bit of a ride on his back, before he starts snipping at your tail…they ask to be picked up when first let out of a morning, cos that’s the routine they know (being picked up, put in a tomato box and taken to the chook tractor)…

oh! so want a picture!

bluegreen said:

Dinetta said:

The Chicks have discovered what Shadow is for: if you time it right you can jump up and get a bit of a ride on his back, before he starts snipping at your tail…they ask to be picked up when first let out of a morning, cos that’s the routine they know (being picked up, put in a tomato box and taken to the chook tractor)…

oh! so want a picture!

I thought about it while it was happening but can’t race up the stairs like I used to…Will remember to take my phone down (only camera I have) tomorrow morning…

Dinetta said:

bluegreen said:

Dinetta said:

The Chicks have discovered what Shadow is for: if you time it right you can jump up and get a bit of a ride on his back, before he starts snipping at your tail…they ask to be picked up when first let out of a morning, cos that’s the routine they know (being picked up, put in a tomato box and taken to the chook tractor)…

oh! so want a picture!

I thought about it while it was happening but can’t race up the stairs like I used to…Will remember to take my phone down (only camera I have) tomorrow morning…

$3 for a nesting egg!! Whoo!

I don’t think the hens like it much, found 2 new-laid eggs in the nest and the fake egg booted therefrom…

One of the Light Sussex pullets laid her first egg today :)

bluegreen said:

One of the Light Sussex pullets laid her first egg today :)

Egg-siting!! (sowwy)

bluegreen said:

One of the Light Sussex pullets laid her first egg today :)

Oh cool :)

Bleeding crows got another egg today…they haven’t been around for a while…I know it’s them because they pick a neat hole and then eat the yolk, etc…getting bold, they are…

Will Goldie and chicks integrate themselves into the main flock? They seem better accepted now, still roosting in the dog box…I look at the main roost and wonder where they will fit…

I’m very pleased with how my little roo is turning out. He is growing nicely and has found his crow and knows what to do with the girls. But today I am especially pleased with him because I let out one of the hens that has been in solitary confinement (she was getting stir crazy) to see if she would behave. Well, not only did he give her lots of (ahem) attention, but broke up any fights that started between her and the other hens. I am hopeful now that I will be able to reintegrate this and the other hen back into the main pen before too long.

bluegreen said:

I’m very pleased with how my little roo is turning out. He is growing nicely and has found his crow and knows what to do with the girls. But today I am especially pleased with him because I let out one of the hens that has been in solitary confinement (she was getting stir crazy) to see if she would behave. Well, not only did he give her lots of (ahem) attention, but broke up any fights that started between her and the other hens. I am hopeful now that I will be able to reintegrate this and the other hen back into the main pen before too long.

You’ve got a gem there BlueGreen…

Pancho never sorts fights…not that the girls fight much at all…if the pecking order is being sorted he just keeps an eye on it until the girls decide “ar stuff this, life is too short”…

Dinetta said:

Pancho never sorts fights…not that the girls fight much at all…if the pecking order is being sorted he just keeps an eye on it until the girls decide “ar stuff this, life is too short”…

the fights that have been happening here have been bloody. He wasn’t able to stop them all together but prevented them from getting too serious. the hens are separated again for the night but I will give them a couple of hours each day now out in the yard.

bluegreen said:

the fights that have been happening here have been bloody. He wasn’t able to stop them all together but prevented them from getting too serious. the hens are separated again for the night but I will give them a couple of hours each day now out in the yard.

Oh dear, the fights here have never been quite that bad…are the hens possessive do you think?

Marion Mary looks like she is laying again…every now and then I think…I wasn’t sure where the large white egg was coming from but it looks like hers…I was too slow or she was too quick and the crows got the egg…dammit…

Dinetta said:

Marion Mary looks like she is laying again…every now and then I think…I wasn’t sure where the large white egg was coming from but it looks like hers…I was too slow or she was too quick and the crows got the egg…dammit…

I’m getting about 3 bantam eggs and 1 duck egg a day now :)

bluegreen said:

Dinetta said:

Marion Mary looks like she is laying again…every now and then I think…I wasn’t sure where the large white egg was coming from but it looks like hers…I was too slow or she was too quick and the crows got the egg…dammit…

I’m getting about 3 bantam eggs and 1 duck egg a day now :)

Go the duck egg!

When I made my pav-a-lova shell for last Christmas, the Donna Hay recipe called for the whites of so many eggs, then she gave either a weight or a measure…I had to add another egg white because the hens were POL and their eggs were a bit on the small side…one of my daughter’s friends, with whom Daughter shares my eggs, says they remind her of the duck eggs of her childhood…

I have been a bit stingy with the grain lately, the chookens leave a lot behind and I am p’d off with this as I think they are fussy…they get the run of the back yard plus front yard so plenty of natural protein and green pick… I have tried mixing two feeds already mixed and they just pick what they want out of that…there is still plenty of grain for them to eat but they’re saying “nup, not good enough”… grrr

Dinetta said:

Go the duck egg!

When I made my pav-a-lova shell for last Christmas, the Donna Hay recipe called for the whites of so many eggs, then she gave either a weight or a measure…I had to add another egg white because the hens were POL and their eggs were a bit on the small side…one of my daughter’s friends, with whom Daughter shares my eggs, says they remind her of the duck eggs of her childhood…

I have been a bit stingy with the grain lately, the chookens leave a lot behind and I am p’d off with this as I think they are fussy…they get the run of the back yard plus front yard so plenty of natural protein and green pick… I have tried mixing two feeds already mixed and they just pick what they want out of that…there is still plenty of grain for them to eat but they’re saying “nup, not good enough”… grrr

Those must have been smaller breeds of ducks, as my duck eggs come in about 80g!

Finickiness can be a problem with mixed grain and is why many chook owners only layer pellets. Reducing the amount is a good idea so they have to eat the less favoured grain to fill their crop.

bluegreen said:

Dinetta said:

one of my daughter’s friends, with whom Daughter shares my eggs, says they remind her of the duck eggs of her childhood…

I have been a bit stingy with the grain lately, the chookens leave a lot behind and I am p’d off with this as I think they are fussy…they get the run of the back yard plus front yard so plenty of natural protein and green pick… I have tried mixing two feeds already mixed and they just pick what they want out of that…there is still plenty of grain for them to eat but they’re saying “nup, not good enough”… grrr

Those must have been smaller breeds of ducks, as my duck eggs come in about 80g!

Finickiness can be a problem with mixed grain and is why many chook owners only layer pellets. Reducing the amount is a good idea so they have to eat the less favoured grain to fill their crop.

I think Daughter’s friend means the yellowness of the yolk rather than the size…I do feed mine layer pellets, these are popular now along with shell grit…my mum’s chookens only got sorghum (available on the black market locally) plus their cooked “layer mash” with scraps of course…and they thought all of this was good tucker!!

Have been throwing out the leftover grains for the pink galahs and sulphur crests…plus all the extras that find their way to grain in a chicken coop…it’s raining and everything seems to be hungrier right now…

Dinetta said:

I think Daughter’s friend means the yellowness of the yolk rather than the size..

nods head

mind you, my chook eggs yolks are pretty yellow too. there is plenty of green for them in the yard atm.

bluegreen said:

Dinetta said:

I think Daughter’s friend means the yellowness of the yolk rather than the size..

nods head

mind you, my chook eggs yolks are pretty yellow too. there is plenty of green for them in the yard atm.

aarrrgh! got that wrong, didn’t I? The comment was about how yellow YOUR chook eggs were, which are free range too of course.

Don’t mind me. I think I’ll just sit here and talk to myself for a while until I make sense again. It might be a while, lol!

I have found the way to appreciate my chooks eggs. If ever I start to think the yolks are not impressive enough in the yellow department, I simply buy some supermarket eggs. I very quickly realize my perceptions have been warped…..the yolks in them are very very pale.

I have been a bit stingy with the grain lately, the chookens leave a lot behind and I am p’d off with this as I think they are fussy…they get the run of the back yard plus front yard so plenty of natural protein and green pick… I have tried mixing two feeds already mixed and they just pick what they want out of that…there is still plenty of grain for them to eat but they’re saying “nup, not good enough”… grrr

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hey – mine are like that too – I have 7 hens = I get 2 eggs/day.
I have quartered the amount of grain they get. it’s all eaten in 10 mins – the pigeons and sparrows get none so they raid the farm across the road (along with a gazillion other birds)
the chooks get good greens every day and lauke’s bran and pollard mix.
spoilt little poultry – they nestle into the old compost when stuffed full and sit around chatting half the day.

bluegreen said:

bluegreen said:

Dinetta said:

I think Daughter’s friend means the yellowness of the yolk rather than the size..

nods head

mind you, my chook eggs yolks are pretty yellow too. there is plenty of green for them in the yard atm.

aarrrgh! got that wrong, didn’t I? The comment was about how yellow YOUR chook eggs were, which are free range too of course.

Don’t mind me. I think I’ll just sit here and talk to myself for a while until I make sense again. It might be a while, lol!

LOL no worries…it’s the green pick that yellows them I reckon…bought some shop eggs the other week, just for the 6-pack, and they were the most miserable scrambled eggs I’ve made since I can’t remember when…

justin said:

hey – mine are like that too – I have 7 hens = I get 2 eggs/day.
I have quartered the amount of grain they get. it’s all eaten in 10 mins – the pigeons and sparrows get none so they raid the farm across the road (along with a gazillion other birds)
the chooks get good greens every day and lauke’s bran and pollard mix.
spoilt little poultry – they nestle into the old compost when stuffed full and sit around chatting half the day.

Lovely, a picture of words…

buffy said:

I have found the way to appreciate my chooks eggs. If ever I start to think the yolks are not impressive enough in the yellow department, I simply buy some supermarket eggs. I very quickly realize my perceptions have been warped…..the yolks in them are very very pale.

snap!!

buffy said:

I have found the way to appreciate my chooks eggs. If ever I start to think the yolks are not impressive enough in the yellow department, I simply buy some supermarket eggs. I very quickly realize my perceptions have been warped…..the yolks in them are very very pale.

too true

Altho’ I do find the Eco Eggs quite colourful…they only sell them in 10-egg cartons but they are the best cartons for recycling…

justin said:

buffy said:

I have found the way to appreciate my chooks eggs. If ever I start to think the yolks are not impressive enough in the yellow department, I simply buy some supermarket eggs. I very quickly realize my perceptions have been warped…..the yolks in them are very very pale.

too true

I do believe that at one stage, they used to dye the yolks prior to sale, not sure how that was done?

When o/s the scrambled eggs on offer for breakfast at the hotel were so pale it looked like there were no yolks at all! I don’t know whether they had bulked it out with left over whites, or whether it was just that there was no colour in the yolks. Needless to say I passed on those.

Dinetta said:

justin said:

buffy said:

I have found the way to appreciate my chooks eggs. If ever I start to think the yolks are not impressive enough in the yellow department, I simply buy some supermarket eggs. I very quickly realize my perceptions have been warped…..the yolks in them are very very pale.

too true

I do believe that at one stage, they used to dye the yolks prior to sale, not sure how that was done?

some chook pellets have something in them to enhance yolk colour.

Hang on, I used to know what it was in the greens and yellows that made the yolks yellow, but I’ve forgotten.

I’ll try to dredge my memory, but I’m also watching Orbit at the same time.

Carotenoids. Of course. Useful for the retina too, why we should eat lots of different coloured veggies and so should our chooks.

buffy said:

Carotenoids. Of course. Useful for the retina too, why we should eat lots of different coloured veggies and so should our chooks.

Now that’s an interesting point…when you think about it tho’, historically chookens got all the household scraps …

I have a question. Do any of you lot keep guinea fowl? A patient of mine gave me some eggs (for eating) yesterday and it occurred to me that it might be interesting to run a trio. They are noisy though, so probably not for town dwelling?

I’ll be back later. Have to take the dogs to Warrnambool for their annual checkup and vax.

YES!! I had guinea fowl for some years…geee I miss them…it depends on your town: are they live and live types, or officious? GF don’t squark all the time, the keets do try to off themselves, thp’…

there is peace in the hen house. Let the recalcitrant chook I have been working on out in the afternoon yesterday as has been my practice the past few days – no fighting. At lock up time she calmly entered the main pen with the others – no fighting. When I let them out this morning all was still calm and no signs of blood, and no fighting. YAY!

Just one more to go now.

bluegreen said:

there is peace in the hen house. Let the recalcitrant chook I have been working on out in the afternoon yesterday as has been my practice the past few days – no fighting. At lock up time she calmly entered the main pen with the others – no fighting. When I let them out this morning all was still calm and no signs of blood, and no fighting. YAY!

Just one more to go now.

Yay!

Thanks for the answers. I think it might be prudent to quell my ambitions with regards to the noisy ones. I’ll stick with the idea of chasing down a trio of Andalusian bantams at some stage. I’ve still got a trio of Speckled Sussex ladies, in full messy moult at the moment, so I don’t need anything else right now.

There were guinea fowl in suburbia in my previous town, they were there for ‘ears and ‘ears…not sure why they’re not any more as nobody really minded them…about 4 streets away from the main street…maybe their owner sold and left town…but they were famous and nobody ran over them, they pretty much owned that street…

bluegreen said:

When o/s the scrambled eggs on offer for breakfast at the hotel were so pale it looked like there were no yolks at all! I don’t know whether they had bulked it out with left over whites, or whether it was just that there was no colour in the yolks. Needless to say I passed on those.

I went to subwxx.. for breakfast one morning when they were advertising cheap egg meals. as the worker place a 4mm thick square of off-white substance on the roll I asked what it was. she said “egg”. I was so flabbergasted I took it without protest and ate the tasteless stuff. never again.

buffy said:

Carotenoids. Of course. Useful for the retina too, why we should eat lots of different coloured veggies and so should our chooks.

when you dredge that memory you come up with some big and deep words. lol.

justin said:

bluegreen said:

When o/s the scrambled eggs on offer for breakfast at the hotel were so pale it looked like there were no yolks at all! I don’t know whether they had bulked it out with left over whites, or whether it was just that there was no colour in the yolks. Needless to say I passed on those.

I went to subwxx.. for breakfast one morning when they were advertising cheap egg meals. as the worker place a 4mm thick square of off-white substance on the roll I asked what it was. she said “egg”. I was so flabbergasted I took it without protest and ate the tasteless stuff. never again.

Sad, isn’t it?

The blue leghorn hen that was returned to me quite wild and terrified of everything is now tame again :) Gees she took some work though.

She and the silver spangled hamburgs and the black silkies all hang out by day in the rear mini orchard and all getting on famously. Lin Lin and her two chicks are going great. I was sure they were crosses with white roo and brown leghorn hen, but then I noticed they have 5 toes. So they are leghorn cross silkie. Bugga. Never mind, if they are both pullets I’ll see how they lay. They will be odd looking that’s for sure.

We should count their toes???

Good news about the little Wild Thing settling down again…and all is harmony in your chicken run…

Still chasing the bleeding crows here…grrr…oh have I said grrr already…?