We got through Christmas and the New Year OK. There was some swapping of coops as we realised the little gits (the araucana chicks) could, and did, slip through the neighbour fence between myself and Mrs B. So they’ve been in the renovated fernery, and still managed to get out…

Goldie has been an excellent mother, the araucana chicks are very happy and confident. I have had to move them of a night because Goldie wanted to roost on top of her little nest, out in the elements…try moving chickens at 3:30 am when there’s cold rain coming down…

Hat abandoned Tink (I call it that because it makes a “tink-tink-tink” noise) when it was 6 weeks old. Just went back to the roost with the others….however Tink is still a meal-size for the raptors, so it had been confined to the A-frame coop. Today I put them all back in the Maternity Ward and Tink is getting along with the others…there’s no fights anyway so that’s good….

Two of the araucanas have the distinctive bumps on their heads…it’s amazing how Tink had much of the colouring of the two mostly black araucana chicks…

Hat is not going to be allowed to set again…she did not nest very well and her motherly instincts are fitful…

I managed to dissuade Maggie from setting, and in view of the heat last week I can only be grateful to those who advised me that indeed it is much too hot for a setting at this time of the year.

The heat affected the eggshells rather than the number of eggs…one egg had the white trailing out of one end…

After I got back from my daughter’s a week ago I noticed the next morning when I let out the chooks that one was missing. I blamed myself because I didn’t do a head count when I locked them up, just did a cursory glance around the yard for stragglers. I figured “fox dinner” and figured that was that.

I put the sprinkler on this morning in the front garden bed (outside the fence) and just before it was time to go to work I went out to turn it off and to put fresh water and ice blocks in the water tub for the chooks and ducks. Lo and behold there was the errant chook with THIRTEEEEEN!! little black eyed fluff balls. She obviously went missing about the time I left and the house sitter didn’t know any better.

I was late for work as I then had to catch thirteen little fluff balls that could and did go from one side of the fence to the other to get away from me while mum-chook was creating a racket, put them into a spare cage (thankfully I had one), encourage mum to go in too (to which she obliged), give them food (budgie seed until I can get some crumbles tomorrow) and water, by which time I was all hot and sweaty and had to have a shower again.

Now I hadn’t planned to set any clutches this season, and I wouldn’t have set her eggs because they will all be cross breeds, and I still don’t know where she was sitting although I strongly suspect somewhere in the garden I watered resulting in her being “flushed out” so to speak. They only look day old so the the timing was quite amazing really. And I am totally amazed that she didn’t end out a fox’s dinner after all!

So now my chicken count has doubled and I have no room!

What a wonderful tale! Thirteen fluff balls, you lucky thing! I concur that fluffballs are nippy even at one day old…

Good timing at finding her! …Them…

Sad about Lucky1 losing her last two hens, isn’t it?

What breed is she, BlueGreen?

Dinetta said:

What a wonderful tale! Thirteen fluff balls, you lucky thing! I concur that fluffballs are nippy even at one day old…

Good timing at finding her! …Them…

Sad about Lucky1 losing her last two hens, isn’t it?

yes. unfortunately despite all you do the heat can just get too much.

Dinetta said:

What breed is she, BlueGreen?

not sure. I bought a doz fertile eggs that were all supposed to be Light Sussex Bantams. Of the six that hatched I got two Light Sussex, two White Leghorn Bantams and two like her. She may be Buff Sussex or just some cross.

The rooster is Light Sussex and apart from a few that have some black markings on them it looks like these will have that colouring. Won’t know for sure until they start growing proper feathers to see if they have the black collar, tail and wingtips of the Light Sussex.

bluegreen said:

Dinetta said:

What breed is she, BlueGreen?

not sure. I bought a doz fertile eggs that were all supposed to be Light Sussex Bantams. Of the six that hatched I got two Light Sussex, two White Leghorn Bantams and two like her. She may be Buff Sussex or just some cross.

The rooster is Light Sussex and apart from a few that have some black markings on them it looks like these will have that colouring. Won’t know for sure until they start growing proper feathers to see if they have the black collar, tail and wingtips of the Light Sussex.

This will be interesting, but it sounds like they are 3/4 Sussex of some description?

What kind of comb does she have?

Dinetta said:

bluegreen said:

Dinetta said:

What breed is she, BlueGreen?

not sure. I bought a doz fertile eggs that were all supposed to be Light Sussex Bantams. Of the six that hatched I got two Light Sussex, two White Leghorn Bantams and two like her. She may be Buff Sussex or just some cross.

The rooster is Light Sussex and apart from a few that have some black markings on them it looks like these will have that colouring. Won’t know for sure until they start growing proper feathers to see if they have the black collar, tail and wingtips of the Light Sussex.

This will be interesting, but it sounds like they are 3/4 Sussex of some description?

What kind of comb does she have?

Quite possibly if that is what the mum is.

Regular comb.

bluegreen said:

After I got back from my daughter’s a week ago I noticed the next morning when I let out the chooks that one was missing. I blamed myself because I didn’t do a head count when I locked them up, just did a cursory glance around the yard for stragglers. I figured “fox dinner” and figured that was that.

I put the sprinkler on this morning in the front garden bed (outside the fence) and just before it was time to go to work I went out to turn it off and to put fresh water and ice blocks in the water tub for the chooks and ducks. Lo and behold there was the errant chook with THIRTEEEEEN!! little black eyed fluff balls. She obviously went missing about the time I left and the house sitter didn’t know any better.

I was late for work as I then had to catch thirteen little fluff balls that could and did go from one side of the fence to the other to get away from me while mum-chook was creating a racket, put them into a spare cage (thankfully I had one), encourage mum to go in too (to which she obliged), give them food (budgie seed until I can get some crumbles tomorrow) and water, by which time I was all hot and sweaty and had to have a shower again.

Now I hadn’t planned to set any clutches this season, and I wouldn’t have set her eggs because they will all be cross breeds, and I still don’t know where she was sitting although I strongly suspect somewhere in the garden I watered resulting in her being “flushed out” so to speak. They only look day old so the the timing was quite amazing really. And I am totally amazed that she didn’t end out a fox’s dinner after all!

So now my chicken count has doubled and I have no room!

Oh cool! Oh no! hahaha They are so cute :)

bluegreen said:

Dinetta said:

What breed is she, BlueGreen?

not sure. I bought a doz fertile eggs that were all supposed to be Light Sussex Bantams. Of the six that hatched I got two Light Sussex, two White Leghorn Bantams and two like her. She may be Buff Sussex or just some cross.

The rooster is Light Sussex and apart from a few that have some black markings on them it looks like these will have that colouring. Won’t know for sure until they start growing proper feathers to see if they have the black collar, tail and wingtips of the Light Sussex.

Obviously the rooster is working well then :)

Happy Potter said:

bluegreen said:

Dinetta said:

What breed is she, BlueGreen?

not sure. I bought a doz fertile eggs that were all supposed to be Light Sussex Bantams. Of the six that hatched I got two Light Sussex, two White Leghorn Bantams and two like her. She may be Buff Sussex or just some cross.

The rooster is Light Sussex and apart from a few that have some black markings on them it looks like these will have that colouring. Won’t know for sure until they start growing proper feathers to see if they have the black collar, tail and wingtips of the Light Sussex.

Obviously the rooster is working well then :)

hmmmm. yes.

I have Lucy lettucehead and her 5 × 2 week old chicks in a big dog crate inside. I didn’t like the look of those chicks laying on their sides and panting heavily. They had iced water and wet hessian bags over their pen, but it’s just too hot for them. I went to too much trouble to get the eggs and hatch them to lose them to this sudden heat.
They are sitting quietly watching us go about our day.
The man pushed a wedge of cold watermelon in the bars for them. The big softie.

I went out to hose chooks and put the sprinkler on veges and a blue tongue came out from a vege bed for a drink. I was so mesmerized I didn’t think to get the camera. It went under a gap under some old fence palings, then saw another so I put the sprinkler on low in the area. And got a cold apricot for them. Where they are there’s lots of shade from tall mountain pawpaw’s, thick yacon clumps, sage bush and a bed of tall tomatoes the other side.

I’m rapt to know my garden is healthy enough for them to be here :)

Happy Potter said:

I went out to hose chooks and put the sprinkler on veges and a blue tongue came out from a vege bed for a drink. I was so mesmerized I didn’t think to get the camera. It went under a gap under some old fence palings, then saw another so I put the sprinkler on low in the area. And got a cold apricot for them. Where they are there’s lots of shade from tall mountain pawpaw’s, thick yacon clumps, sage bush and a bed of tall tomatoes the other side.

I’m rapt to know my garden is healthy enough for them to be here :)

Keep an eye on your new-laid eggs…

Happy Potter said:

I have Lucy lettucehead and her 5 × 2 week old chicks in a big dog crate inside. I didn’t like the look of those chicks laying on their sides and panting heavily. They had iced water and wet hessian bags over their pen, but it’s just too hot for them. I went to too much trouble to get the eggs and hatch them to lose them to this sudden heat.
They are sitting quietly watching us go about our day.
The man pushed a wedge of cold watermelon in the bars for them. The big softie.

I went out to hose chooks and put the sprinkler on veges and a blue tongue came out from a vege bed for a drink. I was so mesmerized I didn’t think to get the camera. It went under a gap under some old fence palings, then saw another so I put the sprinkler on low in the area. And got a cold apricot for them. Where they are there’s lots of shade from tall mountain pawpaw’s, thick yacon clumps, sage bush and a bed of tall tomatoes the other side.

I’m rapt to know my garden is healthy enough for them to be here :)

nice. I am thinking of bringing my new brood inside too, at least the laundry. They are on the back porch in the shade with wet towels but the hot Nor-easterly is blowing straight through. I have put blocks of ice in the water for the others and the sprinkler on and they are sticking to the shade.

Happy Potter, chooks lose their body heat through their wattles, it’s a bit late in the day but what if you misted those, or are the chookens shocked by the heat?

Dinetta said:

Happy Potter, chooks lose their body heat through their wattles, it’s a bit late in the day but what if you misted those, or are the chookens shocked by the heat?

Yes and their legs too. I noticed paler and shrunken wattles after yesterdays heat and all have gone off the lay. The leghorns still run from the hose spray, but the silkies will stand there and allow me to soak them completely.

Well, my two girls seem to have done OK today. They’ve just had some wheat and chook muesli and they have some pellets in their feeder. No doubt they will invite every sparrow and his son in there to partake in the morning. I thought I had blocked up the sparrow burrows. But no, they made some more! They are up under a big bluegum and have water.

They had the run of the long run today:

There is no green up there at the moment, but I give them some silver beet leaves periodically.

buffy said:

Well, my two girls seem to have done OK today. They’ve just had some wheat and chook muesli and they have some pellets in their feeder. No doubt they will invite every sparrow and his son in there to partake in the morning. I thought I had blocked up the sparrow burrows. But no, they made some more! They are up under a big bluegum and have water.

They had the run of the long run today:

There is no green up there at the moment, but I give them some silver beet leaves periodically.

Looks cool from here…I buy iceberg lettuce and/or cabbage quarters, and give to the chookens as an interest…

LOL!! Mum looks stunned, love the chicky monopolising the feed dish…that’s a lot of floof-balls, isn’t it?

“A moment in time” photo, BlueGreen…

A lovely photo Bluegreen :)

Musical chook cage move on again. Bringing all in this time. I left a couple leghorns out yesty and they found ideal shelter but they were very heat stressed anyway. I kept hosing them but I got sunburnt going out a lot. More chooks lost at friends places overnight and there were calls from stressed people at work asking for someone to go check on theirs. Only to find them dead.
If I can avoid losses I will.

Max now on stronger meds for his one badly infected ear, and for min’ 10 weeks. His other side came good, no infection present, so his right ear can be like that too. With longer treatment.

Happy Potter said:

A lovely photo Bluegreen :)

Musical chook cage move on again. Bringing all in this time. I left a couple leghorns out yesty and they found ideal shelter but they were very heat stressed anyway. I kept hosing them but I got sunburnt going out a lot. More chooks lost at friends places overnight and there were calls from stressed people at work asking for someone to go check on theirs. Only to find them dead.
If I can avoid losses I will.

Max now on stronger meds for his one badly infected ear, and for min’ 10 weeks. His other side came good, no infection present, so his right ear can be like that too. With longer treatment.

That’s just horrible for the owners who lost their chookens…very good news about Max’s now-good ear, means there’s definitely hope for the other…

Happy Potter said:

A lovely photo Bluegreen :)

Musical chook cage move on again. Bringing all in this time. I left a couple leghorns out yesty and they found ideal shelter but they were very heat stressed anyway. I kept hosing them but I got sunburnt going out a lot. More chooks lost at friends places overnight and there were calls from stressed people at work asking for someone to go check on theirs. Only to find them dead.
If I can avoid losses I will.

Mine are coping, although they are stressed, but only I think because they can move freely around the yard to find the best shade and I have the sprinkler running under their favourite shade tree for hours every day and I am changing their water and adding blocks of ice hourly through the afternoons. The baby chickens and their mum and all the caged birds including Chester Galah are inside which makes for a rather crowded and smelly kitchen but I can cope with that.

I have been anxious about having to go to work this afternoon but even as I type my boss just rang and said I don’t have to come in if I don’t want and I can make it up next week. I work for some really nice people! I have an appointment in town this morning but that will only be a couple of hours before the worst of the heat so I can cope with that. Will take another 10 mins to get myself a big tub of icecream while I am there. Hopefully I can get it home before it melts!

bluegreen said:

I have been anxious about having to go to work this afternoon but even as I type my boss just rang and said I don’t have to come in if I don’t want and I can make it up next week.

Sounds sensible to me…

bluegreen said:

strewth! – that’s a big batch – congrats to mum and co.

Sight to gladden my heart…the neighbours next one over let their chookens (bantams) out for a scratch yesterday…I’ve never seen those chookens out of their cage before (except for Madam) and they were sticking close to their coop…

I’m wondering if Goldie is a buff Orpington X cochin? She’s a dear little thing, so pretty, I wish she’d last forever…

I lost 2 older chooks. I have Daphene (duck) sitting on about 7 eggs. All good there.

Lucky1 said:

I lost 2 older chooks. I have Daphene (duck) sitting on about 7 eggs. All good there.

Bummer that, about the older chooks. Love Daphne’s name…

Dinetta said:

Lucky1 said:

I lost 2 older chooks. I have Daphene (duck) sitting on about 7 eggs. All good there.

Bummer that, about the older chooks. Love Daphne’s name…

I named her after the lady on Fraiser.

I’m thinking I’ll move Goldie to the main roost tonight, give her a chance to go straight to the bottom of the pecking order before the heat hits again…will trim back her top knot first so she can see the pecks coming…the chicks are about 7 weeks old so they’ll cope…

Tink has put on another growth spurt…I notice that Hat is staying away from the main flock, don’t think she even made the bottom of the pecking order somehow…

This is really a question for RoughBarked, but those of you who know crows and chickens are welcome to add your input…

Unlike Hat, who just walked off, Goldie is still interested in “flocking” with her chickens, she is just sick of being cooped up in 4sq metres of shaded, watered and lots-of-mulch-to-dig-in, and wants out…so she is out…but she and the chickens line up at the maternity ward fence and cluck and cheep…

The problem is the crows: I’m worried they might cart off these $$$ chickens…there is lots of places to hide, fallen branches and also the temporary “coop” under the old dead mango…but the main flock is not congregating there, they are on the other side …

how determined would the crows be to cart off these chickens as take-away meals? I know they’re nesting as they are dunking food in the chookens water again…

I did read that crows, being territorial, drive away raptors…

Dinetta said:

This is really a question for RoughBarked, but those of you who know crows and chickens are welcome to add your input…

Unlike Hat, who just walked off, Goldie is still interested in “flocking” with her chickens, she is just sick of being cooped up in 4sq metres of shaded, watered and lots-of-mulch-to-dig-in, and wants out…so she is out…but she and the chickens line up at the maternity ward fence and cluck and cheep…

The problem is the crows: I’m worried they might cart off these $$$ chickens…there is lots of places to hide, fallen branches and also the temporary “coop” under the old dead mango…but the main flock is not congregating there, they are on the other side …

how determined would the crows be to cart off these chickens as take-away meals? I know they’re nesting as they are dunking food in the chookens water again…

I did read that crows, being territorial, drive away raptors…

I know crows will eat eggs, but I don’t know if they will take chickens except for maybe day olds? They don’t have the feet to carry them off. How big are your chicks now?

Dinetta said:

This is really a question for RoughBarked, but those of you who know crows and chickens are welcome to add your input…

Unlike Hat, who just walked off, Goldie is still interested in “flocking” with her chickens, she is just sick of being cooped up in 4sq metres of shaded, watered and lots-of-mulch-to-dig-in, and wants out…so she is out…but she and the chickens line up at the maternity ward fence and cluck and cheep…

The problem is the crows: I’m worried they might cart off these $$$ chickens…there is lots of places to hide, fallen branches and also the temporary “coop” under the old dead mango…but the main flock is not congregating there, they are on the other side …

how determined would the crows be to cart off these chickens as take-away meals? I know they’re nesting as they are dunking food in the chookens water again…

I did read that crows, being territorial, drive away raptors…

Give them more treats to keep them happy, silverbeet leaves, watermelon, apples, melons of every sort..any fruit really, except citrus. When the chicks are older they will be safe.
Lots of hiding places otherwise,. I have a large long piece of poly pipe chicks scarper into at mums distress call. It’s about 8” across the open end, I could put my whole arm into it.

bluegreen said:

I know crows will eat eggs, but I don’t know if they will take chickens except for maybe day olds? They don’t have the feet to carry them off. How big are your chicks now?

Without checking my diary, they are 7 weeks on this coming Tuesday…grew overnight they did…

That’s good info re the crows’ feet…

Happy Potter said:

Give them more treats to keep them happy, silverbeet leaves, watermelon, apples, melons of every sort..any fruit really, except citrus. When the chicks are older they will be safe.
Lots of hiding places otherwise,. I have a large long piece of poly pipe chicks scarper into at mums distress call. It’s about 8” across the open end, I could put my whole arm into it.

That’s a point, re the treats…I have some old apples that J1 didn’t want, cleaning out her fridge before departing anon…
I opened the gate but the chicks haven’t worked it out yet….spent all this time and effort preventing them from getting under the gate, and now they won’t use it…

Tink is now out. S/he got out last night and remembered where the A-frame was!! So I took it back to the maternity ward, moved Goldie into the main roost (I really need to create a roost for her, spending the night on flat hard plastic can’t be good for her feet), and the chicks over to the seat-less chair doubling up as a roost in the maternity ward…

Tink has discovered that when the hens (and Pancho) say “woo I have something good to eat”, they are not being maternal and inviting him/her to share…however s/he is happy on the peripheral and the flock is leaving it alone provided it keeps the expected distance…

Dinetta said:

Tink is now out. S/he got out last night and remembered where the A-frame was!! So I took it back to the maternity ward, moved Goldie into the main roost (I really need to create a roost for her, spending the night on flat hard plastic can’t be good for her feet), and the chicks over to the seat-less chair doubling up as a roost in the maternity ward…

Tink has discovered that when the hens (and Pancho) say “woo I have something good to eat”, they are not being maternal and inviting him/her to share…however s/he is happy on the peripheral and the flock is leaving it alone provided it keeps the expected distance…

chicken dynamics can get very complicated sometimes :)

bluegreen said:

chicken dynamics can get very complicated sometimes :)

Yes and I can understand why young children find watching a flock, fascinating…

The Dixies (chicks) have been let out early this morning…they are good at ducking pecks from the older hens and Pancho has accepted them, provided they don’t try to eat from his beak…lost of hiding places is a help…

Whew

Well aint they brave! The Dixies have put themselves to bed with the big girls (and Pancho), dodging the Run of Dozens of Pecks to get there…However I’ll be moving them back to the maternity ward later as they are too small (even hidden amongst the hens) to roost in an unlocked coop…

A neighbour’s new rooster has come over and fought with Pancho. Pancho is shocked and one eye is closed, he has cuts over his comb.

I have taken the rooster back and was delighted to note that the little sheet (Rodney) has a couple of nicks on his comb as well but Pancho (because of his lame foot) was definitely worse off.

Pancho was in a quiet spot, but moved when I came near…however I caught him (!) (shows how shocked he is) and put him back with his hens, near some water and he can hide under a low-lying shrub there…the hens were pleased to see him, you could hear it in their clucks, and one came and rubbed her head on his chest…

Should I see the vet about Pancho’s eye, I’m inclined to leave it until tomorrow?

Dinetta said:

A neighbour’s new rooster has come over and fought with Pancho. Pancho is shocked and one eye is closed, he has cuts over his comb.

I have taken the rooster back and was delighted to note that the little sheet (Rodney) has a couple of nicks on his comb as well but Pancho (because of his lame foot) was definitely worse off.

Pancho was in a quiet spot, but moved when I came near…however I caught him (!) (shows how shocked he is) and put him back with his hens, near some water and he can hide under a low-lying shrub there…the hens were pleased to see him, you could hear it in their clucks, and one came and rubbed her head on his chest…

Should I see the vet about Pancho’s eye, I’m inclined to leave it until tomorrow?

It may just be swollen about the area and I would be inclined to leave it a day too. Keep an eye on it though for signs of further swelling, heat or pus which may indicate an infection. If he’ll let you you could try bathing the area with some saline but I wouldn’t put him under any further stress than you need to. The comb should heal up fine but again watch for signs of infection.

Thanks BlueGreen…

:)

I’m glad I shifted him back to their normal area, he has been drinking lots of water and the hens are very happy…It’s nudging 39C at the moment so the hydration is important…the hens have all dug themselves into the area I soaked last night…nice damp earth…

Dinetta said:

Thanks BlueGreen…

:)

I’m glad I shifted him back to their normal area, he has been drinking lots of water and the hens are very happy…It’s nudging 39C at the moment so the hydration is important…the hens have all dug themselves into the area I soaked last night…nice damp earth…

:)

I know you’re rivetted…looked out the window when I woke up, to see Pancho yodel his usual gut-heaving, sounds-strangled-at-the-end-of-it crow…just now I was thrilled to see that his “closed” eye is now re-opening…every time he crows now, I say “Yeah! You tell Rodney (the Red Rooster) that you’ve got hens…nah nah!”…

Tink has joined the main flock, ducking and weaving the pecking…the Dixies are locked in the Nursery, they are very happy there, it’s right beside the main flock and they don’t have to fight for water, food or the treats…

Dinetta said:

I know you’re rivetted…looked out the window when I woke up, to see Pancho yodel his usual gut-heaving, sounds-strangled-at-the-end-of-it crow…just now I was thrilled to see that his “closed” eye is now re-opening…every time he crows now, I say “Yeah! You tell Rodney (the Red Rooster) that you’ve got hens…nah nah!”…

Tink has joined the main flock, ducking and weaving the pecking…the Dixies are locked in the Nursery, they are very happy there, it’s right beside the main flock and they don’t have to fight for water, food or the treats…

:)

Goldie, my little bantam Mother Hen, has some black spots on her legs…she is in splendid health otherwise…should I be concerned? None of the rest of the flock has these spots…she has had them about 2 weeks, they are getting neither better nor worse…

Dinetta said:

Goldie, my little bantam Mother Hen, has some black spots on her legs…she is in splendid health otherwise…should I be concerned? None of the rest of the flock has these spots…she has had them about 2 weeks, they are getting neither better nor worse…

got any photos? are they raised or sunken? any redness around them?

No photos, no, sorry…She doesn’t have much of a comb, I believe it’s called a pea-comb…nothing on there as near as I can tell…the spots on the legs do not appear either sunken or raised…they are flat…I will go down and have a look shortly…

On a cross-your-fingers note, Pancho does not appear to have any infection, especially in his eye…it’s closed most of the time but sometimes he opens it…his comb is healing remarkably well…

Tink has decided to roost upstairs…all the chickens had quiet time on the stairs today, not sure if that presages anything in regard to the weather…

I can see that chickens need to be nippy, in order to compete against the grown hens for goodies…nip in, grab, nip out…

The surprise chicks are now 2 1/2 weeks old and although in cooler weather I would have them outside with their mum, but in this hot weather they are still inside (in the laundry) and don’t spend much time under mum. I have been thinking of putting mum back outside with the rest of the flock and just keeping the chicks inside. I have one of those propagating heating pads if it cools down enough for them to need heat, but I think with 12 of them they can just snuggle up anyway. What do you think?

BTW. It looks like 2/3rds of them are male :(

My friend at the library said her mother brought home 4 new bantams, one of which is a Polish bantam, I thought that might be a d’uccle but apparently not…it’s got an afro, and with this rain the mother has brought the little darlings up on to the verandah and placed them in the old budgie cage…

Dinetta said:

My friend at the library said her mother brought home 4 new bantams, one of which is a Polish bantam, I thought that might be a d’uccle but apparently not…it’s got an afro, and with this rain the mother has brought the little darlings up on to the verandah and placed them in the old budgie cage…

Polish are cute!

My silver spangled Hamburg cockerel has been renamed from Spot to Goog Morgan, a sniffly muffled version of ‘good morning’ when you have a cold. Well he sounds like he has a cold going by his first attempts at crowing, lol.

He and one other of the SSH are going to Max’s vet on Thursday to register the fact that I have chickens, no charge to register, then if I ever need medications for my flock I only need to ring the vet and explain symptoms and will most likely be able to get the right meds fast. Like when I had chicks that came down with cocci about a year ago and I spent a day running about trying to find out what it was and then get the right medication for them, and lost four of the six in that short time.

Happy Potter said:

Like when I had chicks that came down with cocci about a year ago and I spent a day running about trying to find out what it was and then get the right medication for them, and lost four of the six in that short time.

I was reading on the pack of chicken starter, the antibiotics is for cocci…it’s great that you’ve got your chiccis registered for such an eventuality…I recall you had some other problem as well that took a few consults with chookie people, to sort…

With the A-frame coops, I found they’re really only good for setting hens and bedding of a night…too small for day-long cooping…

One hen is very quiet, she seems to be separate from the flock a lot, she does not appear to be very well…I’ll give her another week to get better…wonder if she’s laying the breaking eggs?

Happy Potter said:

He and one other of the SSH are going to Max’s vet on Thursday to register the fact that I have chickens, no charge to register, then if I ever need medications for my flock I only need to ring the vet and explain symptoms and will most likely be able to get the right meds fast. Like when I had chicks that came down with cocci about a year ago and I spent a day running about trying to find out what it was and then get the right medication for them, and lost four of the six in that short time.

That sounds like a great arrangement.

Dinetta said:

Happy Potter said:

Like when I had chicks that came down with cocci about a year ago and I spent a day running about trying to find out what it was and then get the right medication for them, and lost four of the six in that short time.

I was reading on the pack of chicken starter, the antibiotics is for cocci…it’s great that you’ve got your chiccis registered for such an eventuality…I recall you had some other problem as well that took a few consults with chookie people, to sort…

With the A-frame coops, I found they’re really only good for setting hens and bedding of a night…too small for day-long cooping…

One hen is very quiet, she seems to be separate from the flock a lot, she does not appear to be very well…I’ll give her another week to get better…wonder if she’s laying the breaking eggs?

I would separate her well away form the others.

Back when, I had chooks with a respiratory infection and it took quite a bit of researching to find out what it was, the cause, spread, prevention and treat. I didn’t lose any though. I haven’t seen it since.

The A frame coops we are going to make are at least twice the size of the ones you see in pet shops.

Happy Potter said:

I would separate her well away form the others.

Back when, I had chooks with a respiratory infection and it took quite a bit of researching to find out what it was, the cause, spread, prevention and treat. I didn’t lose any though. I haven’t seen it since.

The A frame coops we are going to make are at least twice the size of the ones you see in pet shops.

How do you know if it’s respiratory? Any hints?

And your A-frames will probably be more solid…mine doesn’t like being moved, I have found out, and it does not like being rained on…

Dinetta said:

Happy Potter said:

I would separate her well away form the others.

Back when, I had chooks with a respiratory infection and it took quite a bit of researching to find out what it was, the cause, spread, prevention and treat. I didn’t lose any though. I haven’t seen it since.

The A frame coops we are going to make are at least twice the size of the ones you see in pet shops.

How do you know if it’s respiratory? Any hints?

And your A-frames will probably be more solid…mine doesn’t like being moved, I have found out, and it does not like being rained on…

Sneezing, sounds like a little ‘snick’ noise, opening their beaks to breathe, discharge from their nose, and if it’s an advanced infection, a bluddy awful smell.

Happy Potter said:

Dinetta said:

How do you know if it’s respiratory? Any hints?

Sneezing, sounds like a little ‘snick’ noise, opening their beaks to breathe, discharge from their nose, and if it’s an advanced infection, a bluddy awful smell.

OK, I think I did see one hen sneeze, but it’s a bit hard to tell most of the red hens from each other…no discharge, no breathing through open mouth…bluddy awful smell is the humidity extracting the last of the pong from the egg that exploded into the earth under Hat, not much I can do about that…but the smell is going…

Thanks for the tips, tho’…

I’m happy to say that the unwell hen appears to have recovered…yay…however am somewhat dismayed that a feather at the end of Tink may be a “sickle” feather…Tink is 11 weeks this week…s/he does not have tailfeathers as such, this could be the “rumpless” feature that they speak of with Araucanas?

Had a browse of the WWW, and apparently pointy feathers are the “go”…last week it was the colour of the comb…

It’s been a chook day today.

Firstly, the nasty chook lost his head and is now cooling his heels in the fridge. Slow cooked in some stock and veges may make him tender, but if not I will have the base for some yummy soup. His replacement, the sweet little friendly rooster that I got from HP, has been crowing the past week and I don’t particularly want a crowing competition at 5am every morning, and I am sure the neighbours across the road don’t either. This will also give the hard done by chickens a chance to re-grow some feathers on their backs before the young fellow gets active.

The baby chicks and their mum have been moved out into the nursery cage (read rabbit hutch) outside. I am sure they will be fine. I can’t help it if I am a bit of a worry wart when it comes to my feathered friends. My friend who grew up here and on a farm all her life can’t understand the fuss I make over them. When I mentioned I had the chicks inside she asked if she should bring her cows inside too! lol!

I’ve swept the laundry floor of all the scattered chicken crumbles but I am too pooped to do a proper job of it so will leave that for tomorrow. I will have to empty shelves and get behind cupboards and give everything a wash down to get rid of all the dust.

bluegreen said:

It’s been a chook day today.

Firstly, the nasty chook lost his head and is now cooling his heels in the fridge. Slow cooked in some stock and veges may make him tender, but if not I will have the base for some yummy soup. His replacement, the sweet little friendly rooster that I got from HP, has been crowing the past week and I don’t particularly want a crowing competition at 5am every morning, and I am sure the neighbours across the road don’t either. This will also give the hard done by chickens a chance to re-grow some feathers on their backs before the young fellow gets active.

The baby chicks and their mum have been moved out into the nursery cage (read rabbit hutch) outside. I am sure they will be fine. I can’t help it if I am a bit of a worry wart when it comes to my feathered friends. My friend who grew up here and on a farm all her life can’t understand the fuss I make over them. When I mentioned I had the chicks inside she asked if she should bring her cows inside too! lol!

I’ve swept the laundry floor of all the scattered chicken crumbles but I am too pooped to do a proper job of it so will leave that for tomorrow. I will have to empty shelves and get behind cupboards and give everything a wash down to get rid of all the dust.

Sounds good! Others just don’t understand how much you care. I say that and leave it at that. Glad the sweet little rooster is friendly :)

Happy Potter said:

bluegreen said:

It’s been a chook day today.

Firstly, the nasty chook lost his head and is now cooling his heels in the fridge. Slow cooked in some stock and veges may make him tender, but if not I will have the base for some yummy soup. His replacement, the sweet little friendly rooster that I got from HP, has been crowing the past week and I don’t particularly want a crowing competition at 5am every morning, and I am sure the neighbours across the road don’t either. This will also give the hard done by chickens a chance to re-grow some feathers on their backs before the young fellow gets active.

The baby chicks and their mum have been moved out into the nursery cage (read rabbit hutch) outside. I am sure they will be fine. I can’t help it if I am a bit of a worry wart when it comes to my feathered friends. My friend who grew up here and on a farm all her life can’t understand the fuss I make over them. When I mentioned I had the chicks inside she asked if she should bring her cows inside too! lol!

I’ve swept the laundry floor of all the scattered chicken crumbles but I am too pooped to do a proper job of it so will leave that for tomorrow. I will have to empty shelves and get behind cupboards and give everything a wash down to get rid of all the dust.

Sounds good! Others just don’t understand how much you care. I say that and leave it at that. Glad the sweet little rooster is friendly :)

I can accept that sometimes there are losses, but not if it was preventable.

My young silver spangled hamburg pullet has broken her hip joint and will be put down asap. My heart is breaking, she is so friendly for a breed that is listed as nervous, flighty and avoids human contact. It took me a long while to find the problem joint. I would say she has jumped off something high, probably the fence, and hurt herself. In the meantime she stays sitting and I’m putting foods and watermelon pieces in front of her. I stand over her to let her eat some before the others come over. I will feel her loss greatly.

The young cockerel though is shaping up very nicely. Goog Morgan, as he is now named, will do well when the young ssh poults are grown.

bluegreen said:

Happy Potter said:

bluegreen said:

It’s been a chook day today.

Firstly, the nasty chook lost his head and is now cooling his heels in the fridge. Slow cooked in some stock and veges may make him tender, but if not I will have the base for some yummy soup. His replacement, the sweet little friendly rooster that I got from HP, has been crowing the past week and I don’t particularly want a crowing competition at 5am every morning, and I am sure the neighbours across the road don’t either. This will also give the hard done by chickens a chance to re-grow some feathers on their backs before the young fellow gets active.

The baby chicks and their mum have been moved out into the nursery cage (read rabbit hutch) outside. I am sure they will be fine. I can’t help it if I am a bit of a worry wart when it comes to my feathered friends. My friend who grew up here and on a farm all her life can’t understand the fuss I make over them. When I mentioned I had the chicks inside she asked if she should bring her cows inside too! lol!

I’ve swept the laundry floor of all the scattered chicken crumbles but I am too pooped to do a proper job of it so will leave that for tomorrow. I will have to empty shelves and get behind cupboards and give everything a wash down to get rid of all the dust.

Sounds good! Others just don’t understand how much you care. I say that and leave it at that. Glad the sweet little rooster is friendly :)

I can accept that sometimes there are losses, but not if it was preventable.

Absolutely.

Dinetta said:

I’m happy to say that the unwell hen appears to have recovered…yay…however am somewhat dismayed that a feather at the end of Tink may be a “sickle” feather…Tink is 11 weeks this week…s/he does not have tailfeathers as such, this could be the “rumpless” feature that they speak of with Araucanas?

Glad to hear she is well again :)

A single sickle feather? could be male.

I don’t know much about araucanas but I’m going to have to learn. I am getting a trio of rare bantam splash araucanas from a person who is going o’seas and offloading his entire flock. He couldn’t find anyone who would pay the exorbitant fee he is asking for the aras, but then rang me and said stuff it, you can have them. Wow. he isn’t leaving until april, so I have time to set up an area just for them.

Happy Potter said:

I don’t know much about araucanas but I’m going to have to learn. I am getting a trio of rare bantam splash araucanas from a person who is going o’seas and offloading his entire flock. He couldn’t find anyone who would pay the exorbitant fee he is asking for the aras, but then rang me and said stuff it, you can have them. Wow. he isn’t leaving until april, so I have time to set up an area just for them.

Knows that you will care for them.

Happy Potter said:

I don’t know much about araucanas but I’m going to have to learn. I am getting a trio of rare bantam splash araucanas from a person who is going o’seas and offloading his entire flock. He couldn’t find anyone who would pay the exorbitant fee he is asking for the aras, but then rang me and said stuff it, you can have them. Wow. he isn’t leaving until april, so I have time to set up an area just for them.

I’m JEALOUS…

With Tink, I will be anxiously monitoring the neck hackle feathers as well as the saddle feathers, if the neck hackle feathers go shiny and pointy I’ll have to dispose of Tink…drat…

The other brown chook has gone broody. I DON’T want any more chicks thank you very much! Going to have to debrood her somehow. An airy cage somewhere usually does the trick. Sitting in the back of the coop in a small enclosed space is not a good idea on 40°C days which we are expecting on the weekend.

The three young chooks from HP and the other young cockerel have learned to jump the fence and now have one wing clipped. Hopefully that will be enough of a deterrent.

Ah chickens! The ducks are being quite well behaved in comparison.

bluegreen said:

The other brown chook has gone broody. I DON’T want any more chicks thank you very much! Going to have to debrood her somehow. An airy cage somewhere usually does the trick. Sitting in the back of the coop in a small enclosed space is not a good idea on 40°C days which we are expecting on the weekend.

The three young chooks from HP and the other young cockerel have learned to jump the fence and now have one wing clipped. Hopefully that will be enough of a deterrent.

Ah chickens! The ducks are being quite well behaved in comparison.

Replace her eggs with an ice brick. I’ve discovered this works the fastest! lol

Happy Potter said:

Replace her eggs with an ice brick. I’ve discovered this works the fastest! lol

Something in that…

Happy Potter said:

bluegreen said:

The other brown chook has gone broody. I DON’T want any more chicks thank you very much! Going to have to debrood her somehow. An airy cage somewhere usually does the trick. Sitting in the back of the coop in a small enclosed space is not a good idea on 40°C days which we are expecting on the weekend.

The three young chooks from HP and the other young cockerel have learned to jump the fence and now have one wing clipped. Hopefully that will be enough of a deterrent.

Ah chickens! The ducks are being quite well behaved in comparison.

Replace her eggs with an ice brick. I’ve discovered this works the fastest! lol

Now that is an idea! lol! When I let them out this morning I went to pick her up off the nest to chuck her out and she skooted off. I will check later to see if she has gone back. Hopefully she is not yet so set that she can’t be easily put off.

Bleeding crows pecked holes in 3 eggs…sods…so I will use them in the chookens porridge in a minute…I need to outwit these devils…

Got home from my unsuccessful attempt to do a few laps at the local pool (it closed early) and Shadow was keen on something in the workshop…sniffing at a box…lifted it and there was Goldie…starving and thirsty…she had been looking for safe nesting places, no dogs no crows, and this box tipped off the shelf when she jumped into it…serves me right for not doing my usual head count…errr, comb count…

Only 3 eggs yesterday, I could cry…

Dinetta said:

Got home from my unsuccessful attempt to do a few laps at the local pool (it closed early) and Shadow was keen on something in the workshop…sniffing at a box…lifted it and there was Goldie…starving and thirsty…she had been looking for safe nesting places, no dogs no crows, and this box tipped off the shelf when she jumped into it…serves me right for not doing my usual head count…errr, comb count…

Only 3 eggs yesterday, I could cry…

Yay for Shadow! Poor Goldie. They really can get themselves into a fix sometimes. I’m not getting any eggs from my chooks at all despite activity in the nest box and only 3/5 from the ducks. I think the heat is too much for them. Might fix up some electrolytes for them as apparently all that panting affects egg shell development.

Dinetta said:

Got home from my unsuccessful attempt to do a few laps at the local pool (it closed early) and Shadow was keen on something in the workshop…sniffing at a box…lifted it and there was Goldie…starving and thirsty…she had been looking for safe nesting places, no dogs no crows, and this box tipped off the shelf when she jumped into it…serves me right for not doing my usual head count…errr, comb count…

Only 3 eggs yesterday, I could cry…

At least you found her :)

bluegreen said:

Dinetta said:

Got home from my unsuccessful attempt to do a few laps at the local pool (it closed early) and Shadow was keen on something in the workshop…sniffing at a box…lifted it and there was Goldie…starving and thirsty…she had been looking for safe nesting places, no dogs no crows, and this box tipped off the shelf when she jumped into it…serves me right for not doing my usual head count…errr, comb count…

Only 3 eggs yesterday, I could cry…

Yay for Shadow! Poor Goldie. They really can get themselves into a fix sometimes. I’m not getting any eggs from my chooks at all despite activity in the nest box and only 3/5 from the ducks. I think the heat is too much for them. Might fix up some electrolytes for them as apparently all that panting affects egg shell development.

What I did too, mixed some vit c into canned cat sardines and they’re all laying again.

Some chook pics.

Blondie and Lottie at the cucumber self serve salad bar. The man forgot to put back the wire mesh to block their access, but there’s heaps of cucs so they can have the lower ones.

Then more find out about the fresh food..

Caption: White hen to the others ‘She’s just showing off her long legs!’

Goog Morgan has started crowing. He is a lovely gentle friendly boy.

lovely pics and comments HP :)

Happy Potter said:

At least you found her :)

Oh Heavens yes, and thank goodness for Shadow…as you might be aware, Goldie and Pancho are an item, real little Darby and Joan they are, and Goldie is my “broodie”…

Happy Potter said:

What I did too, mixed some vit c into canned cat sardines and they’re all laying again.

Where do you source the vit c from, Happy Potter? Mine get canned cat sardines / fish every other day in their porridge…not so much when the ground is nice and damp and breeding bugs…

Isn’t Lottie just beautiful…

Dinetta said:

Isn’t Lottie just beautiful…

She looks like one of those formidable ladies dressed for the races…

One of my hens laid an odd egg yesterday, the shell was the consistency of silicone, it was clear, and there was a squiggle coming out of it that could have been the yolk trying to form…

It smelt OK…

Any ideers?

The hen that’s a bit crook, her comb has keeled over…kind of folded in half…this comb is the normal height, same as the others, unlike Marion Mary whose comb folded over because it grew rather long…

Dinetta said:

One of my hens laid an odd egg yesterday, the shell was the consistency of silicone, it was clear, and there was a squiggle coming out of it that could have been the yolk trying to form…

It smelt OK…

Any ideers?

The hen that’s a bit crook, her comb has keeled over…kind of folded in half…this comb is the normal height, same as the others, unlike Marion Mary whose comb folded over because it grew rather long…

might need more calcium, or if it has been hot (where hasn’t it?) and the chickens have been panting a lot this raises the acidity levels in the system preventing the shell from forming properly. There is a recipe for electrolytes on the Backyard Poultry Forum somewhere that you can give to balance that. I will try to find it.

bluegreen said:

There is a recipe for electrolytes on the Backyard Poultry Forum somewhere that you can give to balance that. I will try to find it.

One teaspoon per litre of water of the following:

Electrolytes – Home made

1 cup water

• 2 tsp sugar
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp baking soda
• (this formula gives needed electrolytes & some sugar for energy)

Combine all ingredients and warm slightly.

It may only be a one off though and I wouldn’t be too worried unless it happens consistently.

bluegreen said:

One teaspoon per litre of water of the following:

Electrolytes – Home made

1 cup water

• 2 tsp sugar
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp baking soda
• (this formula gives needed electrolytes & some sugar for energy)

Combine all ingredients and warm slightly.

It may only be a one off though and I wouldn’t be too worried unless it happens consistently.

Thanks BlueGreen…there has been a hen laying soft eggs in nearly every nest…I thought it was Lynda but her eggs, although the shell looks dented, have a decent shell…she kind of only lays twice a week now…she’s a Leghorn cross and about 2.5 years old…

I’m wondering if that particular hen became more heat-affected than the others and isn’t going to make a proper recovery?

There can be an issue with soft shelled eggs if it ruptures inside the chicken which can lead to peritonitis. Is the chicken concerned an older one and could be that she is reaching the end of her laying life? I did have a duck who only laid soft eggs and I never did work out why. I still have her actually but she doesn’t lay at all any more. She is the only one of the originals I brought up with me so I have a bit of a soft spot for her.

She’s the same age as the other red hens but with Lohman Browns one doesn’t really know what part of the heritage will come out in the hens…well that’s what I reckon…

Dinetta said:

She’s the same age as the other red hens but with Lohman Browns one doesn’t really know what part of the heritage will come out in the hens…well that’s what I reckon…

True. If she was in a commercial situation she would be quickly culled.

She’s getting “culled” tonight…not even eating but I don’t like to do anything whilst the others are watching…

The deed has been done, to my surprise P hewed with the axe, I thought he would prefer to hold the chook…he did make one last ditch effort to “save” her: “do you think if you put her away for a few days she might get better?”….nup, the damage is irreversible I’m afraid, and she was so thin!!!!

She’s currently in the freezer whilst the hose is dripping on the rose she’s to be buried beside…

Dinetta said:

The deed has been done, to my surprise P hewed with the axe, I thought he would prefer to hold the chook…he did make one last ditch effort to “save” her: “do you think if you put her away for a few days she might get better?”….nup, the damage is irreversible I’m afraid, and she was so thin!!!!

She’s currently in the freezer whilst the hose is dripping on the rose she’s to be buried beside…

Sounds like she was on the way out anyway and you have saved her from some suffering.

bluegreen said:

Sounds like she was on the way out anyway and you have saved her from some suffering.

As I said to her (you know what I mean) she was crook and I couldn’t fix it…

I do think you are right about the acid???? thing: some of the hens got it and were OK, she just never recovered…

Bleeding crows!!!

grrrrr

I’m going to name the little white araucana, Lavender, because I noticed last night that her legs are lavender.

Another busted egg today, but the hen I bumped off was sick so no regrets there…I need to get up early and listen for the egg songs, they are laying somewhere else, drat them…

Dinetta said:

I’m going to name the little white araucana, Lavender, because I noticed last night that her legs are lavender.

Another busted egg today, but the hen I bumped off was sick so no regrets there…I need to get up early and listen for the egg songs, they are laying somewhere else, drat them…

They obviously don’t want their nests found! lol.

My feathered lot are penned for a week so I can clean up the yard and poop off the paths. Their coops have been cleaned out and deep litter bases replaced with fresh eucy mulch. It’s been a two day hard slog. All the adult hens are laying now, some just started and they have to learn to use one nest box! It’s a big one with a divider, but for the more timid first time layers, I have placed a couple little covered nest boxes in the yard for them.

It looks like my six silver spangled hamburg poults are four male and one female, but the remaining plain black one I just can’t quite tell. Another week I should be able to sex it. The latter lives either way. It’s missing white spangles have generated a lot of interest from those dealing in genetics.

Praise and Hallelujah, I thought it was something I said and all have been driven away…

You’re busy, busy with chookens…with 100% free range it’s a lot easier (except for finding the eggs) but one still needs to cast an eye over them…

I definitely have a rooster amongst the new araucanas, he’s staying out of Pancho’s way but then Pancho is not making a dive for him…the little feller’s name is Gladstone cos he kind of looks like a whiskery british prime minister from the Victorian era…so that’s Lavender and Gladstone…the third one is starting to look more pullet-y than rooster…does not have the top-knot but the face has bigger muffs than the other two (who have top-knots)…

Has the weather cooled off down your way?

Happy Potter said:

Dinetta said:

I’m going to name the little white araucana, Lavender, because I noticed last night that her legs are lavender.

Another busted egg today, but the hen I bumped off was sick so no regrets there…I need to get up early and listen for the egg songs, they are laying somewhere else, drat them…

They obviously don’t want their nests found! lol.

That’s what I thought, but now I’m wondering if they’ve gone off the lay? They are lohman browns, POL at Christmas 2012…the two pullets of Pancho’s, Shellagh and Maggie, are both happily laying but are about 8 weeks younger than the lohman browns…

Heaps cooler! thank goodness.

Loman browns are the same as Hi Line browns and Isa browns, hybrids, and are a rather ‘disposable’ breed. Horrible word I know, but after two years their laying life is at an end. Pure breeds live and lay much longer.

Free ranging is great for them, but not you if it’s eggs you want. There’s just too many other animals that also want the eggs. Can they be penned or yarded for the morning and let out to forage every afternoon?

Happy Potter said:

Heaps cooler! thank goodness.

Loman browns are the same as Hi Line browns and Isa browns, hybrids, and are a rather ‘disposable’ breed. Horrible word I know, but after two years their laying life is at an end. Pure breeds live and lay much longer.

Free ranging is great for them, but not you if it’s eggs you want. There’s just too many other animals that also want the eggs. Can they be penned or yarded for the morning and let out to forage every afternoon?

I tried penning but then there was the crow issue. I can’t pull wire netting over the coop yard, there is not enough support for it so to protect their eggs, the hens were laying under the house. Will keep an eye on them early in the mornings, see if I can’t pick up a pattern…Da Boyz are going to come and help me “clean up” the back block…a bit…I have had a letter from the council…

If Goldie gets clucky again (she’s been searching for a “safe” spot) I’ll get some more araucana eggs over the internet, hopefully the other chap will take 6 off my hands again if he’s not too busy planting or mustering or anything…but I may get them from a different breeder this time…

How long will Pancho be “good” for? His hens just love him to bits and ever since I put him straight back with his girls after that other rooster beat him up, he’s decided I’m OK…I think he’s about 3 now…

Dinetta said:

Happy Potter said:

Heaps cooler! thank goodness.

Loman browns are the same as Hi Line browns and Isa browns, hybrids, and are a rather ‘disposable’ breed. Horrible word I know, but after two years their laying life is at an end. Pure breeds live and lay much longer.

Free ranging is great for them, but not you if it’s eggs you want. There’s just too many other animals that also want the eggs. Can they be penned or yarded for the morning and let out to forage every afternoon?

I tried penning but then there was the crow issue. I can’t pull wire netting over the coop yard, there is not enough support for it so to protect their eggs, the hens were laying under the house. Will keep an eye on them early in the mornings, see if I can’t pick up a pattern…Da Boyz are going to come and help me “clean up” the back block…a bit…I have had a letter from the council…

If Goldie gets clucky again (she’s been searching for a “safe” spot) I’ll get some more araucana eggs over the internet, hopefully the other chap will take 6 off my hands again if he’s not too busy planting or mustering or anything…but I may get them from a different breeder this time…

How long will Pancho be “good” for? His hens just love him to bits and ever since I put him straight back with his girls after that other rooster beat him up, he’s decided I’m OK…I think he’s about 3 now…

Pancho should be good for a few more years yet. I think most people retire them around age 5 or 6.

My lot are not happy about the lock up. There’s been one egg today. I haven’t gotten the bantam Ara trio yet, their owner had a death in the family and has gone away for a week or two.

There’s not a raven silly enough to land in my backyard for the nasty dog..Max has brought us quite a pile of carcasses today, instant kills and duly dispatched on the back door mat. Mynas, sparrows 2 doves and even one rat. Ew.

Happy Potter said:

Pancho should be good for a few more years yet. I think most people retire them around age 5 or 6.

Dinetta said:

Oh that’s such good news…!

Whew!

Happy Potter said:

My lot are not happy about the lock up. There’s been one egg today. I haven’t gotten the bantam Ara trio yet, their owner had a death in the family and has gone away for a week or two.

Can they withhold eggs just like that? I thought they laid no matter what, it’s a kind of compulsion for them?

Happy Potter said:

There’s not a raven silly enough to land in my backyard for the nasty dog..Max has brought us quite a pile of carcasses today, instant kills and duly dispatched on the back door mat. Mynas, sparrows 2 doves and even one rat. Ew.

Lucky you, Shadow lives and lets birds live…Shadow (but not Nefertiti) would like Max to come help him deal with our resident rats…

Do you recycle the carcasses as blood and bone?

Mine free range during the day but I don’t think any are hiding eggs, I just think they haven’t been laying. Not being bred for daily eggs it is not unusual for any one chook to only lay every two or three days with the odd spurt of every day for short periods of time. But until this morning when I found an egg in the box I have not been getting any for some time. I have put some of that home made electrolytes in their water so perhaps that has helped. Also it is cooling down some so that might help also. The other thing I have read elsewhere is that the layer food should compromise about 80% of their diet and too much scraps and free range will reduce that and therefore affect their intake of protein and whatever else they need for egg production. That doesn’t bother me though as I get enough eggs anyway to keep me happy and I am not that fussed on getting an egg each every day.

Dinetta said:

Happy Potter said:

There’s not a raven silly enough to land in my backyard for the nasty dog..Max has brought us quite a pile of carcasses today, instant kills and duly dispatched on the back door mat. Mynas, sparrows 2 doves and even one rat. Ew.

Lucky you, Shadow lives and lets birds live…Shadow (but not Nefertiti) would like Max to come help him deal with our resident rats…

Do you recycle the carcasses as blood and bone?

I throw one into the pond for the yabbies’, rest get buried. Not the rat though, it may have ingested poison.

The egg cycle takes slightly longer than 24 hours – so each day they lay an egg slightly later in the day until it gets too late in the day so they skip a day- (I find if my girls have laid a late egg- lunchtime- 2pm they will skip a day and then lay a very early egg the next day they lay). As the days get shorter their window gets shorter so they skip more.

Happy Potter said:

I throw one into the pond for the yabbies’,

Gawd!

bluegreen said:

Mine free range during the day but I don’t think any are hiding eggs, I just think they haven’t been laying. Not being bred for daily eggs it is not unusual for any one chook to only lay every two or three days with the odd spurt of every day for short periods of time. But until this morning when I found an egg in the box I have not been getting any for some time. I have put some of that home made electrolytes in their water so perhaps that has helped. Also it is cooling down some so that might help also. The other thing I have read elsewhere is that the layer food should compromise about 80% of their diet and too much scraps and free range will reduce that and therefore affect their intake of protein and whatever else they need for egg production. That doesn’t bother me though as I get enough eggs anyway to keep me happy and I am not that fussed on getting an egg each every day.

Just as a matter of interest for discussion, I thought free-range was “good” in that they can dig up and otherwise forage for protein in the form of bugs? Mine get almost no scraps, which go to the compost or the worm farm, but they do get oat porridge with fish cat food (canned) mixed in, about 5 days a week…no chicken cat food, no beef cat food…

Happy Potter said:

The egg cycle takes slightly longer than 24 hours – so each day they lay an egg slightly later in the day until it gets too late in the day so they skip a day- (I find if my girls have laid a late egg- lunchtime- 2pm they will skip a day and then lay a very early egg the next day they lay). As the days get shorter their window gets shorter so they skip more.

Yes, this is what Shellagh does, not so much Maggie…so I have no egg from Shellagh (or Goldie come to that) today but I’m sure she’ll be first cab off the ranks tomorrow…Shellagh and Maggie are heading for their first birthdays…!

I’m seriously looking at lavender araucanas…just because they look so pretty…I had lavender guinea fowl and they were the cutest…

How long should I let the red hens go before recycling them as chicken stock and chicken bits?

A month? 2 months?

Dinetta said:

but they do get oat porridge with fish cat food (canned) mixed in, about 5 days a week…

Snappy Tom…

Dinetta said:

bluegreen said:

Mine free range during the day but I don’t think any are hiding eggs, I just think they haven’t been laying. Not being bred for daily eggs it is not unusual for any one chook to only lay every two or three days with the odd spurt of every day for short periods of time. But until this morning when I found an egg in the box I have not been getting any for some time. I have put some of that home made electrolytes in their water so perhaps that has helped. Also it is cooling down some so that might help also. The other thing I have read elsewhere is that the layer food should compromise about 80% of their diet and too much scraps and free range will reduce that and therefore affect their intake of protein and whatever else they need for egg production. That doesn’t bother me though as I get enough eggs anyway to keep me happy and I am not that fussed on getting an egg each every day.

Just as a matter of interest for discussion, I thought free-range was “good” in that they can dig up and otherwise forage for protein in the form of bugs? Mine get almost no scraps, which go to the compost or the worm farm, but they do get oat porridge with fish cat food (canned) mixed in, about 5 days a week…no chicken cat food, no beef cat food…

Free range in terms of quality of life = very good
Free range in terms of finding food is variable. I would say there is little quality forage for mine atm because of the hot dry season.
I still prefer mine to free range but I mentioned what others say as a point of interest. It could be why I don’t get so many eggs, but that doesn’t bother me. The people that hold to this are show breeders and have a different agenda. E.G. lots of eggs to hatch into lots of chicks in search of the perfect show bird.

bluegreen said:

Free range in terms of quality of life = very good
Free range in terms of finding food is variable. I would say there is little quality forage for mine atm because of the hot dry season.
I still prefer mine to free range but I mentioned what others say as a point of interest. It could be why I don’t get so many eggs, but that doesn’t bother me. The people that hold to this are show breeders and have a different agenda. E.G. lots of eggs to hatch into lots of chicks in search of the perfect show bird.

I agree that hot and dry drought conditions are hard on free range, the feed just disappears…so when the nice soaking rains come, the flock gets busy and doesn’t hang around so much…yes I see what you mean, the show breeders are a different agenda altogether…and I’m not worried about the loss of an egg or two here and there, but en masse, if they’re not laying at all, well I can’t afford to be buying feed for so many…

I’ve got an egg-eater

:(
‘
‘
‘

Saw her just now, she’s one of the red hens but which one?

Thoughts?

It’s a bit hard to tell some of them apart, I thought of buying some leg rings, grabbing her whilst she’s nesting, putting a leg ring on and then pick her out on the roost during the night…

Maybe I need to grab the eggs earlier and more frequently…she seems to be attacking an egg laid earlier rather than her own egg…

…or maybe the egg was busted before she got in the nest? Some of them have very very thin shells, and sometimes I pick up an egg that’s had a hen toe crack it slightly…

Dinetta said:

I’ve got an egg-eater

:(
‘
‘
‘

Saw her just now, she’s one of the red hens but which one?

Thoughts?

It’s a bit hard to tell some of them apart, I thought of buying some leg rings, grabbing her whilst she’s nesting, putting a leg ring on and then pick her out on the roost during the night…

If you have some cable ties they make good leg rings as long as you don’t make them too tight. Alternatively seeing it is just going to be temporary you could put a dab of texta or paint on the back of her neck feathers.

bluegreen said:

Dinetta said:

I’ve got an egg-eater

:(
‘
‘
‘

Saw her just now, she’s one of the red hens but which one?

Thoughts?

It’s a bit hard to tell some of them apart, I thought of buying some leg rings, grabbing her whilst she’s nesting, putting a leg ring on and then pick her out on the roost during the night…

If you have some cable ties they make good leg rings as long as you don’t make them too tight. Alternatively seeing it is just going to be temporary you could put a dab of texta or paint on the back of her neck feathers.

Good ideas, thanks BlueGreen…

bluegreen said:

Dinetta said:

I’ve got an egg-eater

:(
‘
‘
‘

Saw her just now, she’s one of the red hens but which one?

Thoughts?

It’s a bit hard to tell some of them apart, I thought of buying some leg rings, grabbing her whilst she’s nesting, putting a leg ring on and then pick her out on the roost during the night…

If you have some cable ties they make good leg rings as long as you don’t make them too tight. Alternatively seeing it is just going to be temporary you could put a dab of texta or paint on the back of her neck feathers.

Coloured cable ties are great, but not red, or food dye, preferably green or blue or purple, again not red.

Another of the hens, one of my favourites, is taking cat naps … she just stops and has a nap…I also saw her shake her head a lot, and then stretch forward with an open beak as if she was trying to regurgitate…worse than kids, animals are…

Sadly I think Pancho’s damaged eye no longer works. It does not look infected but the eye has lost it’s colour and the eyeball looks sunken.

Chookie musings..
I went out to refresh chooks waterers between oven beepings and also fill their food dishes. I lifted the lid of a broody pen with two big girls on some dud eggs, cleaned their dishes and filled the waterer, closed the lid, saw a chick, went to walk out and stopped dead in my tracks.

A chick? Where the hell did that come from!
Ok, so obviously not all those eggs were duds! Crikey, an unexpected chick.. I quickly candled the other eggs and one was live and about to hatch. Another 3 eggs were clear so I tossed them out.

I grabbed the chick to have a look at it..all white with yellow legs….and 5 toes. Which makes sense as the only roo that was here was a silkie. But I’m amazed..the roo was long gone by the time the eggs were laid. Then the heatwave hit and the hens left the nest to cool down under trees. Or brought inside on the 44c day.

So this chick and the other about to hatch has managed to make it this far on sheer luck. So mum is either a leghorn or a plymoth rock. It’s very healthy! Named ‘Mong’ lol.

Dinetta said:

Another of the hens, one of my favourites, is taking cat naps … she just stops and has a nap…I also saw her shake her head a lot, and then stretch forward with an open beak as if she was trying to regurgitate…worse than kids, animals are…

Sadly I think Pancho’s damaged eye no longer works. It does not look infected but the eye has lost it’s colour and the eyeball looks sunken.

Oh, poor old one eyed Poncho. Glad to hear he is ok though.

Dinetta said:

Another of the hens, one of my favourites, is taking cat naps … she just stops and has a nap…I also saw her shake her head a lot, and then stretch forward with an open beak as if she was trying to regurgitate…worse than kids, animals are…

Sadly I think Pancho’s damaged eye no longer works. It does not look infected but the eye has lost it’s colour and the eyeball looks sunken.

Forgot to add, if the hen is shaking her head and opening her beak a lot, it just may be gape worm. I would worm for it just in case. I’ve never seen a gapeworm but apparently if you open their beak wide enough the worm can be seen.

Personally I think I would regurgitate if I saw one, but looking into their throat now and then is part of their health check.

Happy Potter said:

Dinetta said:

Another of the hens, one of my favourites, is taking cat naps … she just stops and has a nap…I also saw her shake her head a lot, and then stretch forward with an open beak as if she was trying to regurgitate…worse than kids, animals are…

Forgot to add, if the hen is shaking her head and opening her beak a lot, it just may be gape worm. I would worm for it just in case. I’ve never seen a gapeworm but apparently if you open their beak wide enough the worm can be seen.

Personally I think I would regurgitate if I saw one, but looking into their throat now and then is part of their health check.

Thanks Happy Potter, I’ll get some garlic in their water tomorrow, also what’s the ratio for apple cider vinegar…can you put the cider vinegar and garlic in at the same time? It would be the wild birds I should imagine, not much I can do about them…

What wormer do you use?

Dinetta said:

Happy Potter said:

Dinetta said:

Another of the hens, one of my favourites, is taking cat naps … she just stops and has a nap…I also saw her shake her head a lot, and then stretch forward with an open beak as if she was trying to regurgitate…worse than kids, animals are…

Forgot to add, if the hen is shaking her head and opening her beak a lot, it just may be gape worm. I would worm for it just in case. I’ve never seen a gapeworm but apparently if you open their beak wide enough the worm can be seen.

Personally I think I would regurgitate if I saw one, but looking into their throat now and then is part of their health check.

Thanks Happy Potter, I’ll get some garlic in their water tomorrow, also what’s the ratio for apple cider vinegar…can you put the cider vinegar and garlic in at the same time? It would be the wild birds I should imagine, not much I can do about them…

What wormer do you use?

Ivermectin, its prohibitively expensive but any pet/ poultry/ parrot supply place will decant it into small bottles for around $12 for 30 mls. You only need a couple drops on the skin at the back of their neck so you only need a little bit and it works well. It works for mites and lice too.

ps..the bantam araucanas arrive tomorrow :)

Happy Potter said:

invermectin, its prohibitively expensive but any pet/ poultry/ parrot supply place will decant it into small bottles for around $12 for 30 mls. You only need a couple drops on the skin at the back of their neck so you only need a little bit and it works well. It works for mites and lice too.

ps..the bantam araucanas arrive tomorrow :)

Please define prohibitively expensive, I’ll do some phone calls this morning… at the back of the neck, is that where the neck meets the body or anywhere on the neck itself?

Also, you didn’t advise how much acv to water ratio…

I think I can see where I may have gone wrong: I have not been emptying a watering bucket because it hasn’t been “dirty”… previously it was emptied out daily…this bucket is a square basin and I think it holds at least 2 gallons, if not 4….

Awaiting pictures of the bantam araucanas, at your convenience…

:)

I C, about a tablespoon to the gallon, which is 4.5 litres…so 2 tablespoons to the 2 litre bucket…and do not use metal waterers if using ACV…

Now for the garlic…

I think I might have worked out the egg eating. Found an egg this morning, fresh laid, it is fully shelled but on the top you can see the little air bubbles in the egg (transparent tip). My guess is the next hen jumps in, accidentally breaks this egg, eats it (why waste it) and there’s my “egg eating”…

Happy Potter said:

Chookie musings..
I went out to refresh chooks waterers between oven beepings and also fill their food dishes. I lifted the lid of a broody pen with two big girls on some dud eggs, cleaned their dishes and filled the waterer, closed the lid, saw a chick, went to walk out and stopped dead in my tracks.

A chick? Where the hell did that come from!
Ok, so obviously not all those eggs were duds! Crikey, an unexpected chick.. I quickly candled the other eggs and one was live and about to hatch. Another 3 eggs were clear so I tossed them out.

I grabbed the chick to have a look at it..all white with yellow legs….and 5 toes. Which makes sense as the only roo that was here was a silkie. But I’m amazed..the roo was long gone by the time the eggs were laid. Then the heatwave hit and the hens left the nest to cool down under trees. Or brought inside on the 44c day.

So this chick and the other about to hatch has managed to make it this far on sheer luck. So mum is either a leghorn or a plymoth rock. It’s very healthy! Named ‘Mong’ lol.

I have heard that a rooster’s sperm can remain viable in the hen for a month. How long before did you get rid of the rooster? The hot weather would have been enough to keep the eggs going too.

bluegreen said:

Happy Potter said:

Chookie musings..
I went out to refresh chooks waterers between oven beepings and also fill their food dishes. I lifted the lid of a broody pen with two big girls on some dud eggs, cleaned their dishes and filled the waterer, closed the lid, saw a chick, went to walk out and stopped dead in my tracks.

A chick? Where the hell did that come from!
Ok, so obviously not all those eggs were duds! Crikey, an unexpected chick.. I quickly candled the other eggs and one was live and about to hatch. Another 3 eggs were clear so I tossed them out.

I grabbed the chick to have a look at it..all white with yellow legs….and 5 toes. Which makes sense as the only roo that was here was a silkie. But I’m amazed..the roo was long gone by the time the eggs were laid. Then the heatwave hit and the hens left the nest to cool down under trees. Or brought inside on the 44c day.

So this chick and the other about to hatch has managed to make it this far on sheer luck. So mum is either a leghorn or a plymoth rock. It’s very healthy! Named ‘Mong’ lol.

I have heard that a rooster’s sperm can remain viable in the hen for a month. How long before did you get rid of the rooster? The hot weather would have been enough to keep the eggs going too.

Appropriate name! Obviously a survivor…

Dinetta said:

Happy Potter said:

invermectin, its prohibitively expensive but any pet/ poultry/ parrot supply place will decant it into small bottles for around $12 for 30 mls. You only need a couple drops on the skin at the back of their neck so you only need a little bit and it works well. It works for mites and lice too.

ps..the bantam araucanas arrive tomorrow :)

Please define prohibitively expensive, I’ll do some phone calls this morning… at the back of the neck, is that where the neck meets the body or anywhere on the neck itself?

Also, you didn’t advise how much acv to water ratio…

I think I can see where I may have gone wrong: I have not been emptying a watering bucket because it hasn’t been “dirty”… previously it was emptied out daily…this bucket is a square basin and I think it holds at least 2 gallons, if not 4….

Awaiting pictures of the bantam araucanas, at your convenience…

:)

Sorry..it’s actually for larger animals, sheep I think? so it’s sold to farmers in litre bottles, but for chickens you need mere drops. I hadn’t mentioned putting it in their water because I don’t; I much prefer to dose each individually then I know each has gotten the right dose.
Chicks up to six weeks, 2 drops per bird on the skin on the back of the neck. It has to be on the skin, not on the feathers. 6 wk to 12 wk it’s 3 drops, adult bantams, 5 drops. Full grown large breed, 10 drops per bird.

bluegreen said:

Happy Potter said:

Chookie musings..
I went out to refresh chooks waterers between oven beepings and also fill their food dishes. I lifted the lid of a broody pen with two big girls on some dud eggs, cleaned their dishes and filled the waterer, closed the lid, saw a chick, went to walk out and stopped dead in my tracks.

A chick? Where the hell did that come from!
Ok, so obviously not all those eggs were duds! Crikey, an unexpected chick.. I quickly candled the other eggs and one was live and about to hatch. Another 3 eggs were clear so I tossed them out.

I grabbed the chick to have a look at it..all white with yellow legs….and 5 toes. Which makes sense as the only roo that was here was a silkie. But I’m amazed..the roo was long gone by the time the eggs were laid. Then the heatwave hit and the hens left the nest to cool down under trees. Or brought inside on the 44c day.

So this chick and the other about to hatch has managed to make it this far on sheer luck. So mum is either a leghorn or a plymoth rock. It’s very healthy! Named ‘Mong’ lol.

I have heard that a rooster’s sperm can remain viable in the hen for a month. How long before did you get rid of the rooster? The hot weather would have been enough to keep the eggs going too.

The roo had been gone over a week, about 10 days. I thought those searing temps would have cooked the eggs, so each night I took away the old eggs for that days fresh lot. I was medicating them at the time and not eating the eggs anyway. Obviously I missed taking these two eggs.

Awaiting pictures of the bantam araucanas, at your convenience…
————————————
Will get them.. gees they are noisy!

But emergencies abound, again. All managed by phone conversations though so that made it so much easier. The new orders regarding GS, what to do and who to contact, definitely work.

Then tonight at g’sons birthday party, I felt a crunch in my mouth and spat out a filling and half a molar tooth. Silent scream. Dentist in the morning. No pain yet but hell it’s sensitive. Lukewarm tea only until I can see them.

At least at my optometrists check all went well and my eyes are healthy. New prescription though. Check out the colour of my next frames. Nanna purple :)

Happy Potter said:

At least at my optometrists check all went well and my eyes are healthy. New prescription though. Check out the colour of my next frames. Nanna purple :)

Specs are so much fun these days, and thankfully the ‘orrible “name game” is left to those who think it’s important…

You are so lucky to get that tooth seen to right away…waiting lists only out here for the most part…

Dinetta said:

Happy Potter said:

At least at my optometrists check all went well and my eyes are healthy. New prescription though. Check out the colour of my next frames. Nanna purple :)

Specs are so much fun these days, and thankfully the ‘orrible “name game” is left to those who think it’s important…

You are so lucky to get that tooth seen to right away…waiting lists only out here for the most part…

Nah the brand is not important. They are cheap, 60, after health ins and family discount. I need to wear a certain shape and after that I look for nice colours. There’s another cool pair I like, red frame but yellow on the inside and yellow arms, they are very retro, but are ‘high st’ end and you need to add a few more zeros to the cost. I have fun in the shop trying them all on.

Urgent dental appt only if you wave the health ins card, otherwise you go to the dental hosp in the city. I would rather wait in pain than go there.

Aracauna and other chook pics

Dad Diego and mum Henny and their pullet

Henny

Little Diego was in fights with large breeds and lost a lot of feathers, but he is a tough little roo and held his own. He will come good here.

With his anti crow collar on. It only muffles their crow from deafening to ‘amusing’, they can still eat, forage and drink
src=“http://i173.photobucket.com/albums/w56/happypotter07/th_Diagowithcollar_zps2654ec6d.jpg” border=“0” alt=” photo Diagowithcollar_zps2654ec6d.jpg” style=”“>

Splash with her chick, rear end. Chicks breed unknown. There was this lone chick hatch and I happened to have a handy broody….

Front end.

My pretty blue girl, un named.

This is ‘Orrible’, bantam splash astralorp cockerel, so named because he is head roo, or trying to be, at 8 weeks old. Can already fly and leap tall buildings…

As close as I can the camera to some resting silver spangled chicks and the oddball all black sibling. We think it’s a sport. Still can’t tell the sex but looking like a pullet.

Odd, this pic didn’t show.

With his anti crow collar on. It only muffles their crow from deafening to ‘amusing’, they can still eat, forage and drink

And this one..

This is ‘Orrible’, bantam splash astralorp cockerel, so named because he is head roo, or trying to be, at 8 weeks old. Can already fly and leap tall buildings…

Some more pics. lets hope I’ve uploaded these right.

The silkie cross leghorn chicks.
‘Mong’ has 5 toes on each foot and yellow legs.

‘Monger’, Mongs nest mate, has 4 toes on one foot and 5 on the other and black legs.

Pretty black silkie hen.

Another of the SSH sitting on a roof tile. The tiles heat up in the sun and provide a warm spot for chicks on cold days.

Lovely! Thanks for putting them up…my Tink was in your photos! The black larger chicken…

She’s the one in the photo where the silver-grey silkie is rubbing it’s head in the dirt: the black feathered chicken between the silkie and the spotty…that’s my Tink…

You have some weird chickens, 4 and 5 toes on the one chick! Who’d‘a thunk it? Maybe some hybrid vigour there, hopefully in the egg-laying department…

Dinetta said:

She’s the one in the photo where the silver-grey silkie is rubbing it’s head in the dirt: the black feathered chicken between the silkie and the spotty…that’s my Tink…

This black one is a young silver spangled hamburg poult that is supposed to be spotty. The breeder who supplied the eggs to me has never seen a plain black one hatch from her breedings and others she’s sold eggs to. The parent birds are both pure bred and never mixed, so it could be a sport.

Is your Tink the same breed?

Happy Potter said:

Dinetta said:

She’s the one in the photo where the silver-grey silkie is rubbing it’s head in the dirt: the black feathered chicken between the silkie and the spotty…that’s my Tink…

This black one is a young silver spangled hamburg poult that is supposed to be spotty. The breeder who supplied the eggs to me has never seen a plain black one hatch from her breedings and others she’s sold eggs to. The parent birds are both pure bred and never mixed, so it could be a sport.

Is your Tink the same breed?

Who knows what breed Tink is…Pancho is her father, and his daughter Maggie (her mother was a Lohman Brown) is her mother. Tink looked exactly like the black araucana chicks at the first couple of weeks, however she does not have the pea/rose comb that goes with the blue-shelled eggs…Tink’s mother Maggie is white with black markings on some parts of her…well I am certain she is not Lynda’s daughter, Lynda being what I’ve always thought is a Leghorn (altho’ her eggshells are a beautiful cream) and Lynda was the only white hen for that lot of eggs that were hatched then…Shellagh, however, is snow-white but has the comb for blue shelled eggs, and there’s no doubt Lynda is her mother…the temperaments mateh: Maggie for the Lohman Browns and Shellagh for Lynda …

It’s a bit like humans I guess…who knows what the offspring will throw back to?

Dinetta said:

Happy Potter said:

Dinetta said:

She’s the one in the photo where the silver-grey silkie is rubbing it’s head in the dirt: the black feathered chicken between the silkie and the spotty…that’s my Tink…

This black one is a young silver spangled hamburg poult that is supposed to be spotty. The breeder who supplied the eggs to me has never seen a plain black one hatch from her breedings and others she’s sold eggs to. The parent birds are both pure bred and never mixed, so it could be a sport.

Is your Tink the same breed?

Who knows what breed Tink is…Pancho is her father, and his daughter Maggie (her mother was a Lohman Brown) is her mother. Tink looked exactly like the black araucana chicks at the first couple of weeks, however she does not have the pea/rose comb that goes with the blue-shelled eggs…Tink’s mother Maggie is white with black markings on some parts of her…well I am certain she is not Lynda’s daughter, Lynda being what I’ve always thought is a Leghorn (altho’ her eggshells are a beautiful cream) and Lynda was the only white hen for that lot of eggs that were hatched then…Shellagh, however, is snow-white but has the comb for blue shelled eggs, and there’s no doubt Lynda is her mother…the temperaments mateh: Maggie for the Lohman Browns and Shellagh for Lynda …

It’s a bit like humans I guess…who knows what the offspring will throw back to?

Confusing, lol. Sounds like she is a cross. Egg shape and colour is often a way to tell the main breed in the cross. I had a large breed lavender Ara cross rhode isle red hen and she was black as pitch and laid dark olive green eggs. Cross a brown egg layer with a blue egg layer = green eggs.
Be aware if siblings mate… big no no. The offspring often have problems such as wry neck, crossed beaks, leg problems, brittle bones and there’s other abnormalities that can happen.

How do you tell the back from the front with those silkies? lol!

The LSB cockerel I got from you has stepped up to his duties as top rooster now the nasty one has gone. He has a deeper crow which is more pleasing to the ear and is quick with no fuss with the ladies so hopefully that will mean less feather damage with him than the last fellow.

Did I mention that out of the 12 surprise chicks, 9 of them are boys? I have a home for any girls but looks like I will be right for chicken dinners for a while. They are all black and white which strengthens my conviction that the mum, although brown with black collar, might in fact be half LS with the chicks being 3/4 LS.

Happy Potter said:

Confusing, lol. Sounds like she is a cross. Egg shape and colour is often a way to tell the main breed in the cross. I had a large breed lavender Ara cross rhode isle red hen and she was black as pitch and laid dark olive green eggs. Cross a brown egg layer with a blue egg layer = green eggs.
Be aware if siblings mate… big no no. The offspring often have problems such as wry neck, crossed beaks, leg problems, brittle bones and there’s other abnormalities that can happen.

It is confusing if you don’t know them, that’s true. I am very certain Tink is 3/4 Araucana, her mother being Pancho’s daughter ….

I don’t plan to match siblings, and I certainly do not plan to breed from Tink and Pancho (Grandaughter / Father-Grandfather)…however I thought that in the animal world a father over a daughter, or a mother to a son, was OK? I did find a chart somewhere and really should have printed it off…I read a pamphlet by someone who bred his own line of Araucana from one rooster, he put the rooster over faverolles (F7) and bred the araucana characteristics from that….it took a few years and he knew what he was doing…

The araucana rooster (Gladstone) is beautiful, his tail feathers have come in and they are that lovely jewel-green sheen on black. I’m still hoping the white one (Lavender) is a hen, her tail still sticks out like a book mark…

So BlueGreen, you got 9 hens out of the last clutch?

Goldie has found somewhere to lay … it’s a secret and she’s not telling…

Dinetta said:

So BlueGreen, you got 9 hens out of the last clutch?

No. I got 9 cockerels, 3 hens.

bluegreen said:

Dinetta said:

So BlueGreen, you got 9 hens out of the last clutch?

No. I got 9 cockerels, 3 hens.

Must have this clutch mixed up with the one from your old place, the hen that sprung 18 chicks on you…

Bought plain “coarse grain mix” for the chookens instead of the usual layer “mash”…sadly this lot doesn’t have the sunflower seeds the last couple of bags have had…it runs better through the Grandpa’s Feeder, tho’…the usual layer “mash” has dried pellets of greens and I certainly don’t need greens just now…however the chookens are happy just to have grains so we’ll see how it goes…

Was talking to Mrs B’s daughter the other day, she bought a Grandpa’s Feeder also, and she finds that it doesn’t automatically refill like the advertisements say…so we shall see…

The silkies in the incubator are hatching :) I’ve been watching intently as I’ve never actually seen one burst out of the eggshell. I did tonight :)

Happy Potter said:

The silkies in the incubator are hatching :) I’ve been watching intently as I’ve never actually seen one burst out of the eggshell. I did tonight :)

:)

Happy Potter said:

The silkies in the incubator are hatching :) I’ve been watching intently as I’ve never actually seen one burst out of the eggshell. I did tonight :)

Amazing, hey?

Dinetta said:

Happy Potter said:

The silkies in the incubator are hatching :) I’ve been watching intently as I’ve never actually seen one burst out of the eggshell. I did tonight :)

Amazing, hey?

Very!
Six are dried off and bouncing about and the last three eggs are lagging, so I’ve set up the brooder box to give the fluffballs a drink and some crumbles.

Eight chicks all up, so cute. There’s a real variety of colours in this lot. I love the pearly one at the back second from the right. Apologies re the dirty paper. I would have changed it for a pic but they’re not staying inside long. I’m about to go pop them under a broody hen.

Happy Potter said:

Eight chicks all up, so cute. There’s a real variety of colours in this lot. I love the pearly one at the back second from the right. Apologies re the dirty paper. I would have changed it for a pic but they’re not staying inside long. I’m about to go pop them under a broody hen.

too cute :)

bluegreen said:

Happy Potter said:

Eight chicks all up, so cute. There’s a real variety of colours in this lot. I love the pearly one at the back second from the right. Apologies re the dirty paper. I would have changed it for a pic but they’re not staying inside long. I’m about to go pop them under a broody hen.

too cute :)

Operation chick to mum transfer done and it went very well. Lin Lin heard them and perked up, even saw me putting them in the nest. She tucked them all in and with a wiggle, settled back down. Normally you must try and hide them and slide them one by one under the hens wing so they get her scent on them but she knows I’m giving her what she wants most and she trusts me implicitly :)

Happy Potter said:

bluegreen said:

Happy Potter said:

Eight chicks all up, so cute. There’s a real variety of colours in this lot. I love the pearly one at the back second from the right. Apologies re the dirty paper. I would have changed it for a pic but they’re not staying inside long. I’m about to go pop them under a broody hen.

too cute :)

Operation chick to mum transfer done and it went very well. Lin Lin heard them and perked up, even saw me putting them in the nest. She tucked them all in and with a wiggle, settled back down. Normally you must try and hide them and slide them one by one under the hens wing so they get her scent on them but she knows I’m giving her what she wants most and she trusts me implicitly :)

too cute x2 :D

Happy Potter said:

Operation chick to mum transfer done and it went very well. Lin Lin heard them and perked up, even saw me putting them in the nest. She tucked them all in and with a wiggle, settled back down. Normally you must try and hide them and slide them one by one under the hens wing so they get her scent on them but she knows I’m giving her what she wants most and she trusts me implicitly :)

Those bantams, they just “know”, don’t they?

I watch Goldie sometimes when she’s got chickens and she just knows what to do…

I’m pleased to advise that Tink looks more of a pullet than ever, Pancho is casting an experienced eye over her (literally, his other eye is now sightless)…

Gladstone stays well away from Pancho…I figure that if Lavender was going to grow sickle and saddle hackle feathers by now, she would have, so that’s 3 pullets laying in another 10 weeks time…crossed fingers…

This is Bluey, a beautiful red silkie rooster. He is a lovely boy. He’s been in quarantine and time to come out and meet the girls. The grey hen Splash in the background, with her single chick, attacked Bluey at first sight. She really hoed into him. But he held her down by her head, as I’ve noticed they do when hens attack and now she knows he’s there to protect her. I watched as he alerted her to an apple I tossed in there. She went over to eat it. He is doing his job and Splash is happy.

Happy Potter said:

This is Bluey, a beautiful red silkie rooster. He is a lovely boy. He’s been in quarantine and time to come out and meet the girls. The grey hen Splash in the background, with her single chick, attacked Bluey at first sight. She really hoed into him. But he held her down by her head, as I’ve noticed they do when hens attack and now she knows he’s there to protect her. I watched as he alerted her to an apple I tossed in there. She went over to eat it. He is doing his job and Splash is happy.

a beautiful boy there!

Happy Potter said:

This is Bluey, a beautiful red silkie rooster.

Handsome little hunk…

One of my girls looks like her top beak is growing. She’s not young. Can chooks get long top beaks that curl under?

I’ve not seen it but Happy Potter might know more about it…

buffy said:

One of my girls looks like her top beak is growing. She’s not young. Can chooks get long top beaks that curl under?

I haven’t seen this but I know others have said their beaks can be trimmed with nail clippers. A little at a time.

This young silkie hen was offered free last night to be rehomed asap as she was getting picked on by a bunch of isa browns. They said she has a sore on her back that the big hens were pecking at.
My name was tagged so I went and got her. Another lady wanted her but up north vic and couldn’t get here for a week or two.

But when I got her home, saw this. I’m not sure if it’s a tumor. It’s slightly weepy but not an open wound, feels kind of leathery and really thickened. She is otherwise well, eats and drinks ok, has had some vitamins and acv, and betadine on her sore. So I need to find out. The lighter grey skin around the bumpy sore is her normal black skin.

Happy Potter said:

This young silkie hen was offered free last night to be rehomed asap as she was getting picked on by a bunch of isa browns. They said she has a sore on her back that the big hens were pecking at.
My name was tagged so I went and got her. Another lady wanted her but up north vic and couldn’t get here for a week or two.

But when I got her home, saw this. I’m not sure if it’s a tumor. It’s slightly weepy but not an open wound, feels kind of leathery and really thickened. She is otherwise well, eats and drinks ok, has had some vitamins and acv, and betadine on her sore. So I need to find out. The lighter grey skin around the bumpy sore is her normal black skin.

At least one of my Lohman/Isa Browns is doing that now, pecking on the neck of others…I would say that little hen was being pecked to death…Would be interested to hear if I should rid myself of the pecker? She probably is one of the layers but I don’t like to see bullying in the flock and am wondering if morale is important to egg laying?

Happy Potter said:

But when I got her home, saw this. I’m not sure if it’s a tumor. It’s slightly weepy but not an open wound, feels kind of leathery and really thickened. She is otherwise well, eats and drinks ok, has had some vitamins and acv, and betadine on her sore. So I need to find out. The lighter grey skin around the bumpy sore is her normal black skin.

Looks nasty, whatever it is :(

I’m wondering, young Gladstone (he of the Araucana-from-Canberra eggs) has got a distinct red feather, just the one that I can see, on either side of his back. When P gets here I’ll see if I can get a photo. Otherwise Gladstone is a black rooster with a jewel green sheen…I’ve tried looking it up on the internet…rather sniffily, as only the Brits can do it, I’ve read where mine might be crossed way back in their lineage somewhere, but I don’t care…

Lavender still looks like a hen but I see where Araucanas take 6 MONTHS to come to point of lay….waaaaah!

Happy Potter said:

This young silkie hen was offered free last night to be rehomed asap as she was getting picked on by a bunch of isa browns. They said she has a sore on her back that the big hens were pecking at.
My name was tagged so I went and got her. Another lady wanted her but up north vic and couldn’t get here for a week or two.

She’s such a gorgeous little fluff…

Dinetta said:

I’m wondering, young Gladstone (he of the Araucana-from-Canberra eggs) has got a distinct red feather, just the one that I can see, on either side of his back. When P gets here I’ll see if I can get a photo. Otherwise Gladstone is a black rooster with a jewel green sheen…I’ve tried looking it up on the internet…rather sniffily, as only the Brits can do it, I’ve read where mine might be crossed way back in their lineage somewhere, but I don’t care…

Lavender still looks like a hen but I see where Araucanas take 6 MONTHS to come to point of lay….waaaaah!

Similar to the solid black chick I got from silver spangled hamburg parents, a throwback. I don’t care either, it’s really cute and friendly.

Apparently chickens are bred “to type” rather than by pedigree like dogs and cats. That is, if it has all the right characteristics then it is called that breed no matter the parentage. Pedigreed animals can trace their ancestry back through the breed but chickens can have all sorts in its makeup and it doesn’t matter as long as it looks right.

Happy Potter said:

Dinetta said:

I’m wondering, young Gladstone (he of the Araucana-from-Canberra eggs) has got a distinct red feather, just the one that I can see, on either side of his back. When P gets here I’ll see if I can get a photo. Otherwise Gladstone is a black rooster with a jewel green sheen…I’ve tried looking it up on the internet…rather sniffily, as only the Brits can do it, I’ve read where mine might be crossed way back in their lineage somewhere, but I don’t care…

Lavender still looks like a hen but I see where Araucanas take 6 MONTHS to come to point of lay….waaaaah!

Similar to the solid black chick I got from silver spangled hamburg parents, a throwback. I don’t care either, it’s really cute and friendly.

When I was throwing dried, crushed egg-shells to the flock just now, I realised that 20 weeks is close to 6 months …. my brian is so derrrrr when it comes to maths…

Just having a good time surf’n’ the net looking at chook breeds, do you think they could be a throwback to a cochin somewhere, not necessarily a buff cochin but the feather pattern looks similar…

As long as they lay a regular egg…

bluegreen said:

Apparently chickens are bred “to type” rather than by pedigree like dogs and cats. That is, if it has all the right characteristics then it is called that breed no matter the parentage. Pedigreed animals can trace their ancestry back through the breed but chickens can have all sorts in its makeup and it doesn’t matter as long as it looks right.

Just looking through the araucana breeders site in the UK, they’re very strict about looks…quite frankly, in my ignoramus, I reckon a bit of cross-breeding is probably a good thing…keeps the lineages fresh…my two bob’s worth…

just had to put down one of my hens :(

was putting them to bed when I noticed she had a significant amount of black sticky mess on her backside and a close inspection showed a swelling below the vent and the mess was stinky and starting to get maggots. Sure she was not like that yesterday and I thought it was a prolapse then realised that the vent itself was clean and healthy looking. Perhaps a tumour that was interfering with her gut resulting in peritonitis? Don’t know. She was one of the older ones that I originally brought up with me so could be any number of years old.

She is no longer suffering and will be buried tomorrow morning.

bluegreen said:

just had to put down one of my hens :(

was putting them to bed when I noticed she had a significant amount of black sticky mess on her backside and a close inspection showed a swelling below the vent and the mess was stinky and starting to get maggots. Sure she was not like that yesterday and I thought it was a prolapse then realised that the vent itself was clean and healthy looking. Perhaps a tumour that was interfering with her gut resulting in peritonitis? Don’t know. She was one of the older ones that I originally brought up with me so could be any number of years old.

She is no longer suffering and will be buried tomorrow morning.

Good on you BlueGreen…sad though for you…

My little mother hen, the bantam Goldie, is crook. How can you tell if they are egg bound? She has been nesting as if laying but there is no egg…

Dinetta said:

My little mother hen, the bantam Goldie, is crook. How can you tell if they are egg bound? She has been nesting as if laying but there is no egg…

How crook? what signs? Could she be broody again? How old are her chicks? Eggbound I think, is when they are sitting and pumping their tail up and down. I’ve never had an eggbound hen.

Happy Potter said:

Dinetta said:

My little mother hen, the bantam Goldie, is crook. How can you tell if they are egg bound? She has been nesting as if laying but there is no egg…

How crook? what signs? Could she be broody again? How old are her chicks? Eggbound I think, is when they are sitting and pumping their tail up and down. I’ve never had an eggbound hen.

Well she’s gone very quiet, just sitting on the ground under the low branches of a tree, beside the worm farm and water /feed. This is the normal “camping” spot for the flock, but she is not eating…I tried separating her but neither she nor Pancho thought that was a good idea…

Last night she was in a nesting box so I put her in the A frame in case she was broody, she was totally disgusted about this arrangement this AM…will check to see if she wants to continue nesting in the other box…have almost identified 2 of the “bullies”…every time I pick her up they head for her with a gleam in their eye (and it’s not friendship) so I swipe at them with my hand…

Dinetta said:

Last night she was in a nesting box so I put her in the A frame in case she was broody, she was totally disgusted about this arrangement this AM…will check to see if she wants to continue nesting in the other box…have almost identified 2 of the “bullies”…every time I pick her up they head for her with a gleam in their eye (and it’s not friendship) so I swipe at them with my hand…

Are they bullying her at other times? They might just think you come bearing treats..

I can’t walk out the back with something in my hands to take to the shed freezer and I get mobbed.

Happy Potter said:

Are they bullying her at other times? They might just think you come bearing treats..

I can’t walk out the back with something in my hands to take to the shed freezer and I get mobbed.

Yes I’ve seen them bullying her at other times, that’s why she has a haircut…

She’s not improving, just hiding under shrubs, I’m not sure if she’s even eating…

Dinetta said:

She’s not improving, just hiding under shrubs, I’m not sure if she’s even eating…

:(

Update on Goldie, I know she’s drinking and can only assume she is eating as well…she was last to the roost tonight and Gladstone rooted her twice in two minutes…I put him out of that coop and shut the door…and then “top hen” pecked on Goldie as she reached the top of the roost…so Top Hen got a swipe from me and Goldie ducked her head through the back of Pancho’s legs…which he was Ok about…then Goldie drooled…not sure what that means…

Anyway after Gladstone, Lavender and Muffles settled down for the night, I re-opened the gate to the main coop…if Gladstone is not careful I will be offering him to a home willing to grow him out for chicken soup…he is only 15 weeks old, no need for vicious boinking at that age…

Goldie is a bit better today, I think…she has been seeking protection with the other hens…Gladstone will not go near them as they peck him, but Goldie is the shy, peaceable type…so here’s hoping…

Dinetta said:

Goldie is a bit better today, I think…she has been seeking protection with the other hens…Gladstone will not go near them as they peck him, but Goldie is the shy, peaceable type…so here’s hoping…

hope so too.

I sold some of chooks today to a friend. The two brown ones that were supposed to be Light Sussex but weren’t and the three pullets from the surprise clutch. They are going to go spend their days foraging in an orchard. This brings my main flock back to pure Light Sussex bantams plus nine cross breed cockerels for the pot.

bluegreen said:

Dinetta said:

Goldie is a bit better today, I think…she has been seeking protection with the other hens…Gladstone will not go near them as they peck him, but Goldie is the shy, peaceable type…so here’s hoping…

hope so too.

I sold some of chooks today to a friend. The two brown ones that were supposed to be Light Sussex but weren’t and the three pullets from the surprise clutch. They are going to go spend their days foraging in an orchard. This brings my main flock back to pure Light Sussex bantams plus nine cross breed cockerels for the pot.

I had to chuckle about your chookhouse stories Dinetta. They’re sorting their order.

BG, are the 2 light Sussex bantam girls you got from me laying yet? I think it was two anyway, but might have been one?? I can’t remember. But anyways, of the others from the same clutch that I sold or gave, this other lady I know bought two girls, one died in the heatwave, but the other isn’t laying yet. She was asking me if it should be and I think it is, so I am trying to help her work out why it’s not. She has since got other buff Sussex’ from the poultry auction and they are laying.

My silver spangled hamburg roo Goog Morgan isn’t mating with his girls and has stopped crowing. I cannot figure out why as he is very healthy and there seems nothing else wrong. I did notice though the girls chase him away, so it could just be that he’s a wuss and scared of them. He tends to stay over the other side of the yard while the silky roo Bluey is busy jumping his girls. This is new behavior I’m not used to seeing in a bigger male. Even when I left them in separate pens, Goog wasn’t interested in the hens. I have a younger ssh cockerel that I was going to give/cull, so I might just hang onto him.

My attempts to breed SSH is being thwarted at every corner, it seems. I was to pick up two pol pullets from another breeder, but then they got sick and are being medicated so I’m waiting to hear how they are going. Then the breeder I got eggs from last time, and I got 5 males and one female, was in town and she gave me 6 eggs. It’s day 4 in the incubator for them and only two are fertile. She also gave me 6 standard breed white wyandottes. I thought I’ll hatch and sell them off. They are also clear.

I will get my pen of SSH one day, lol.

I’ve joined the Araucana Breeders Society (or summink) as it’s been difficult to access info re Australian araucanas…

Happy Potter said:

BG, are the 2 light Sussex bantam girls you got from me laying yet? I think it was two anyway, but might have been one?? I can’t remember. But anyways, of the others from the same clutch that I sold or gave, this other lady I know bought two girls, one died in the heatwave, but the other isn’t laying yet. She was asking me if it should be and I think it is, so I am trying to help her work out why it’s not. She has since got other buff Sussex’ from the poultry auction and they are laying.

I got two from you and they are not laying yet. Georgous the rooster is well accepted by all the girls from what I can see and I am not sure but I think he might think I am one of his girls because he likes hang around me and drops bits of dry grass like he is offering up a tidbit, lol!

Happy Potter said:

My silver spangled hamburg roo Goog Morgan isn’t mating with his girls and has stopped crowing…. Goog wasn’t interested in the hens. I have a younger ssh cockerel that I was going to give/cull, so I might just hang onto him.

Could be a dud – not enough testosterone?

bluegreen said:

Happy Potter said:

My silver spangled hamburg roo Goog Morgan isn’t mating with his girls and has stopped crowing…. Goog wasn’t interested in the hens. I have a younger ssh cockerel that I was going to give/cull, so I might just hang onto him.

Could be a dud – not enough testosterone?

Could be. I have heard of dud roosters. He is so beautiful looking, maybe all his energy has gone into putting on condition and has lovely long tail feathers.

Giggles, re your LS rooster. A bit too tamed methinks lol.

Dinetta said:

I’ve joined the Araucana Breeders Society (or summink) as it’s been difficult to access info re Australian araucanas…

Any in Qld? Bantam aras are hard to come by I’m told. I’ll hang onto the little family of them and incubate eggs. I won’t post them though, they get too jostled about and it’s just not worth it.

I wonder if I could take some chicks or eggs with me when I go to Toowoomba in Sept. On a bus…yeh shove a couple in an overnight bag for you, hehe.

bluegreen said:

I got two from you and they are not laying yet. Georgous the rooster is well accepted by all the girls from what I can see and I am not sure but I think he might think I am one of his girls because he likes hang around me and drops bits of dry grass like he is offering up a tidbit, lol!

What a darling!

Happy Potter said:

Dinetta said:

I’ve joined the Araucana Breeders Society (or summink) as it’s been difficult to access info re Australian araucanas…

Any in Qld? Bantam aras are hard to come by I’m told. I’ll hang onto the little family of them and incubate eggs. I won’t post them though, they get too jostled about and it’s just not worth it.

I wonder if I could take some chicks or eggs with me when I go to Toowoomba in Sept. On a bus…yeh shove a couple in an overnight bag for you, hehe.

Yes the message board co-ordinator is in Qld. I had to apply and wait about a week. It’s become kind of like a closed message board on the internet, I think there may have been fights.

There’s araucanas in Qld but they are mostly down south…like the Gold and Sunshine Coast and hinterland…probably at Toowoomba as well…A long way to go for chickens and chooks…

Going up to visit the daughter? Is she in WoombaWoomba or a bit west of there? You’re gonna die if you’re in TwoWoomba in September, I’m told the gardens are stunning…

Dinetta said:

Happy Potter said:

Dinetta said:

I’ve joined the Araucana Breeders Society (or summink) as it’s been difficult to access info re Australian araucanas…

Any in Qld? Bantam aras are hard to come by I’m told. I’ll hang onto the little family of them and incubate eggs. I won’t post them though, they get too jostled about and it’s just not worth it.

I wonder if I could take some chicks or eggs with me when I go to Toowoomba in Sept. On a bus…yeh shove a couple in an overnight bag for you, hehe.

Yes the message board co-ordinator is in Qld. I had to apply and wait about a week. It’s become kind of like a closed message board on the internet, I think there may have been fights.

There’s araucanas in Qld but they are mostly down south…like the Gold and Sunshine Coast and hinterland…probably at Toowoomba as well…A long way to go for chickens and chooks…

Going up to visit the daughter? Is she in WoombaWoomba or a bit west of there? You’re gonna die if you’re in TwoWoomba in September, I’m told the gardens are stunning…

Yes visiting her, and they are right in ‘Woomba Woomba, lol, works at the pvt hossy between uni days.
Yep that’s why I’m going in Sept..a birthday treat as well attending the Carnival of Flowers, so I’m going for a week. The girl and her husband will both be working so I get her car to run around in.

Dinetta said:

bluegreen said:

I got two from you and they are not laying yet. Georgous the rooster is well accepted by all the girls from what I can see and I am not sure but I think he might think I am one of his girls because he likes hang around me and drops bits of dry grass like he is offering up a tidbit, lol!

What a darling!

That he is, I remember this cockerel was the sweetest to the girls. But BG doesn’t look like a chicken :)

Happy Potter said:

Yes visiting her, and they are right in ‘Woomba Woomba, lol, works at the pvt hossy between uni days.
Yep that’s why I’m going in Sept..a birthday treat as well attending the Carnival of Flowers, so I’m going for a week. The girl and her husband will both be working so I get her car to run around in.

Start planning…there should be brochures and stuff already?

Happy Potter, can you ask your chook eggspert from me (others welcome to respond of course) two questions?

(1) Would Goldie be hiding from Gladstone, considering he boinks her madly when he gets a chance? The other hens peck him and keep him in his place but Goldie doesn’t have that nature and is much smaller;

(2) One hen lays eggs that have a weak shell at one end, and lately the shell has not been closing over at that end and there’s either a hole (about 3mm) or albumen coming out of it like a tail. When the shell is closed, the weak end has transparent shell and sometimes you can see the bubbles in the albumen through it…

Dinetta said:

Happy Potter, can you ask your chook eggspert from me (others welcome to respond of course) two questions?

(1) Would Goldie be hiding from Gladstone, considering he boinks her madly when he gets a chance? The other hens peck him and keep him in his place but Goldie doesn’t have that nature and is much smaller;

(2) One hen lays eggs that have a weak shell at one end, and lately the shell has not been closing over at that end and there’s either a hole (about 3mm) or albumen coming out of it like a tail. When the shell is closed, the weak end has transparent shell and sometimes you can see the bubbles in the albumen through it…

It sounds like Goldie has a lower status, according to chook friends, and Gladstone wants to protect her, plus she’s close by then for mating. Hens that peck the Roo are bullies. Separate them for a short time, a few days, then re introduce. They will come back in on a lower footing.

Egg not formed properly could be anything, weather, moulting, coming back into lay after moulting or raising chicks, age, inadequate uptake of calcium..hen may have a problem in her egg tract, passage of egg too fast to finish the calcium layer. Being chased out of the nest ?

Happy Potter said:

Dinetta said:

Happy Potter, can you ask your chook eggspert from me (others welcome to respond of course) two questions?

(1) Would Goldie be hiding from Gladstone, considering he boinks her madly when he gets a chance? The other hens peck him and keep him in his place but Goldie doesn’t have that nature and is much smaller;

(2) One hen lays eggs that have a weak shell at one end, and lately the shell has not been closing over at that end and there’s either a hole (about 3mm) or albumen coming out of it like a tail. When the shell is closed, the weak end has transparent shell and sometimes you can see the bubbles in the albumen through it…

It sounds like Goldie has a lower status, according to chook friends, and Gladstone wants to protect her, plus she’s close by then for mating. Hens that peck the Roo are bullies. Separate them for a short time, a few days, then re introduce. They will come back in on a lower footing.

Egg not formed properly could be anything, weather, moulting, coming back into lay after moulting or raising chicks, age, inadequate uptake of calcium..hen may have a problem in her egg tract, passage of egg too fast to finish the calcium layer. Being chased out of the nest ?

Gladstone is not the main rooster, Pancho is…and he keeps an eye out for Goldie so she can access water, food etc and not get pecked by the other hens…Gladstone is the “new” araucana rooster, 3 – 4 months old…

Goldie has status with Pancho but not with the hens, although I think she has one friend…she has only laid one egg in 5 months (that I can find) and if she was well I would consider putting some eggs under her even tho’ she is not broody at present…if you think that would work…

Thanks for the replies, any how…this unfinished/soft shelled at one end egg has been occurring since October…the hen seems to follow the other hens around the nests …

Only 4 eggs today (the squashed one makes 5) out of the 7 possibles…couldn’t even find Maggie’s and Shellagh’s daily result…grrrr…

Ha! that’s why Goog Morgan isn’t mating… he’s being bullied. I also learnt a lot asking about the general hen and roo behaviors. The three leghorn hens are bullying Goog unmercifully. Right, they’re out. Sold and will be picked up Monday. I sat and watched for a good long while, then watched them go to the coop on dark and go to their spot on the perch. Poor Goog was squashed up in a corner with his head low so the leghorns couldn’t reach his head to peck it. So they pecked his legs and toes, then he jumped off and sat on the ground. Then he jumped back up between the two bigger silver spangled hens. They’re fine with him. Blondie the pure leghorn is also fine with him. She stays.
I’ve separated the three nasty’s in a smaller pen in the chook yard so Goog can get some peace.

Wow, have those 3 leghorn hens been a problem before? It sounds like Goog will be a lovely boy once he matures and all…Pancho was a very quiet rooster when he first started: yes Ma’m, no ma’am…beg your pardon ma’am…he still has a quiet way of sorting things out…

My goodness, those are serious headlights on that cattle train that just went by…if the bitumen has melted I’ll be able to tell them why…

Happy Potter said:

… so Goog can get some peace.

He may bring you some offerings? lol!

Dinetta said:

Happy Potter said:

… so Goog can get some peace.

He may bring you some offerings? lol!

Hehe. Well Goog is a lot better for not being hen pecked by those hens.

While I was standing there watering the vege beds and munching on scarlet runner beans, the sun must have got to me because I was wondering if those bullies were human females and Goog a handsome young man, I wondered what he must have done for them to pick on him…….

Way back when, out of 4 possible roosters, the hens chose Pancho….he was the meekest in fact I thought he was a wuss, but he’s assertive and quietly manly. The other roosters were aggressive to the hens, so I guess the hens knew what was best for them…the hens had the other 3 roosters boxed in a corner, every morning, and I had to slip down and let these 3 out of the coop as an act of mercy…

I am delighted to report that Goldie seems to be on the mend. Her backside was never grungy, still clean and fluffy, and this is why I thought “just leave her alone”. She is even looking for a nesting spot…needs a top-knot trim, tho’ as it’s getting past her eyes again…

All seems well with the flock, still only getting 4 eggs out of a possible 7, and haven’t found Shellagh’s eggs for 2 days . She has been getting over into Mrs B’s place, so I need to get the sprinkler out as they are going over for the worms in her damp patches (she has a dripper come on along our fence, every afternoon – a timer affair)…

$100 for a chook!!
gasp

Arvo, busy as.
Here’s some bantam araucanas chick pics

And a few of the silkie hens scratching about.

Cute as! Are the araucana chicks lavender?

Dinetta said:

Cute as! Are the araucana chicks lavender?

Yes they are and a pretty silvery purple. There’s two splash bantam aras pipping in the incubator at the moment :D

I was just munching on a roasted, home reared cockerel and it occurred to me that I might have just eaten my one ticket to fame and fortune. You see, I have never heard this cockerel crow. He is just a tad younger than Georgeous who I got from HP and who has been crowing lustily for some time now, and the January surprise babies have started crowing now too, but this young fellow nary a peep (other than hen like clucks.) It didn’t really seem much of a matter as I just assumed he was a late developer but it has occurred to me that when I gutted him there was a lack of a noticeable trachea which is usually quite obvious. Obviously he had one as he wouldn’t be able to breathe but perhaps abnormal which meant no crowing. So although he was very yummy, he may have been the long sought after crow-less rooster!!

bluegreen said:

I was just munching on a roasted, home reared cockerel and it occurred to me that I might have just eaten my one ticket to fame and fortune. You see, I have never heard this cockerel crow. He is just a tad younger than Georgeous who I got from HP and who has been crowing lustily for some time now, and the January surprise babies have started crowing now too, but this young fellow nary a peep (other than hen like clucks.) It didn’t really seem much of a matter as I just assumed he was a late developer but it has occurred to me that when I gutted him there was a lack of a noticeable trachea which is usually quite obvious. Obviously he had one as he wouldn’t be able to breathe but perhaps abnormal which meant no crowing. So although he was very yummy, he may have been the long sought after crow-less rooster!!

Oh no! lol…
Breed from his siblings?

I may have one too. Goog Morgan does crow, but it’s so quick and quiet it sounds like a chirp and that’s it. Fingers crossed he doesn’t discover ‘loud’.

Eek, I’m still trying to catch up.
I’ve rehomed quite a few of my chickens so I’m restocking with some new bubs.

Incubator on lockdown with 3 each of silver spangled eggs and white wyandottes. I have a half -hearted broody, sits on the eggs all day but leaves them for her coop friends at night. She has a couple days to make up her mind.

In the other incubator there’s a dozen lavender bantam araucanas. Yep got another lot given to me. They are only 5 days in.

Then, when the aforementioned eggs have cleared out, I have two dozen silkie eggs to go in it. Then that’s it for the year. I did have one of the doz sold, but then the person couldn’t get here because of a broken down car and by the time they could get them, the eggs would no longer be viable. So they will get the day old chicks from me after hatching.

Happy Potter said:

bluegreen said:

I was just munching on a roasted, home reared cockerel and it occurred to me that I might have just eaten my one ticket to fame and fortune. You see, I have never heard this cockerel crow. He is just a tad younger than Georgeous who I got from HP and who has been crowing lustily for some time now, and the January surprise babies have started crowing now too, but this young fellow nary a peep (other than hen like clucks.) It didn’t really seem much of a matter as I just assumed he was a late developer but it has occurred to me that when I gutted him there was a lack of a noticeable trachea which is usually quite obvious. Obviously he had one as he wouldn’t be able to breathe but perhaps abnormal which meant no crowing. So although he was very yummy, he may have been the long sought after crow-less rooster!!

Oh no! lol…
Breed from his siblings?

I may have one too. Goog Morgan does crow, but it’s so quick and quiet it sounds like a chirp and that’s it. Fingers crossed he doesn’t discover ‘loud’.

no siblings, he was an only chick, and the father was the nasty chook that is gone now too.

Not sure what’s happening in my flock but I am getting 4/7 eggs steady from the Lohman Browns, 2/2 from Pancho’s little pullets…the LBs have moved their nest again…why one has to jump in a nest where the other is trying to lay, I don’t know…would larger nests be the answer?

Gladstone is now minding his manners, Goldie makes this easy for Pancho by sticking close to P which means Gladstone literally cannot get a leg over her without being run away by Pancho…thankfully P is not the fighting kind…

Well after all that rain the juniors were ankle deep in pooey mud so I finally got around to doing what I have been putting off for a while, transferring them to another cage from where I can let them have escapades into the yard on alternate days to the other chooks. The original cage was not suitable as it is top opening which would have made it more difficult to put them away again. They have a deep layer of clean, dry straw to scratch around in now, which hopefully will help clean the muck off their feet and feathers. Except for one which managed to escape and is too fast for me to catch again so is exploring the yard. Should be able to catch him tonight when it is lock up time.

bluegreen said:

Except for one which managed to escape and is too fast for me to catch again so is exploring the yard. Should be able to catch him tonight when it is lock up time.

LOL so did you catch him after the sun went down?

I need to prepare the Maternity Ward, convert it to a coop. Gladstone has discovered his crow: it’s a nice musical one, clear as a bell and it’s a pleasure to listen to his young strong voice. He’s still exercising his adolescent hormonal urges on Goldie, and she’s taken to hiding again, and I really don’t want for Gladstone and Pancho to come to blows. So I’m putting Gladstone, Lavender and unnamed aracauna pullet in the Maternity Ward, plenty of room to scratch and Trevor…need to rename the coop tho’, also need a name for the other araucana pullet. Thought of naming her after myself, but my real name or my forum log-in?

Could I get some advice from you lot with lots of chooks. I presently have two old ladies (Speckled Sussex) in full moult, looking very bedraggled. They are quiet girls, but I don’t handle them, so they are not tame. In a couple of weeks I will be picking up three Hamburg pullets. I’m intending to just pop the pullets in the yard with the old ladies and see what happens. Do you think that will be safe? I can separate them, but ideally it will just be one flock.

Dinetta said:

bluegreen said:

Except for one which managed to escape and is too fast for me to catch again so is exploring the yard. Should be able to catch him tonight when it is lock up time.

LOL so did you catch him after the sun went down?

He was so keen to join his mates I just opened the door and he walked in :D

buffy said:

Could I get some advice from you lot with lots of chooks. I presently have two old ladies (Speckled Sussex) in full moult, looking very bedraggled. They are quiet girls, but I don’t handle them, so they are not tame. In a couple of weeks I will be picking up three Hamburg pullets. I’m intending to just pop the pullets in the yard with the old ladies and see what happens. Do you think that will be safe? I can separate them, but ideally it will just be one flock.

It is best to pen them separate for a week or so for a couple of reasons. Firstly to quarantine the new hens to make sure they are not introducing any parasites or disease, and to allow the original chooks to get used to them being around. If you are not worried about quarantine then you could give it a go but be prepared for some fighting. They may just have a bit of a spat or there might be some serious fighting in which case you might have to separate them again.

bluegreen said:

Dinetta said:

bluegreen said:

Except for one which managed to escape and is too fast for me to catch again so is exploring the yard. Should be able to catch him tonight when it is lock up time.

LOL so did you catch him after the sun went down?

He was so keen to join his mates I just opened the door and he walked in :D

Sweet!

Thanks. I’m happy about foregoing quarantine, I know the provenance. I’ll just try monitored flock melding.

bluegreen said:

buffy said:

Could I get some advice from you lot with lots of chooks. I presently have two old ladies (Speckled Sussex) in full moult, looking very bedraggled. They are quiet girls, but I don’t handle them, so they are not tame. In a couple of weeks I will be picking up three Hamburg pullets. I’m intending to just pop the pullets in the yard with the old ladies and see what happens. Do you think that will be safe? I can separate them, but ideally it will just be one flock.

It is best to pen them separate for a week or so for a couple of reasons. Firstly to quarantine the new hens to make sure they are not introducing any parasites or disease, and to allow the original chooks to get used to them being around. If you are not worried about quarantine then you could give it a go but be prepared for some fighting. They may just have a bit of a spat or there might be some serious fighting in which case you might have to separate them again.

What BG said :)

I separated the araucanas last night…they are OK but I’m hoping they’ll get even better because they were missing out on a lot of the treats (left over oat porridge, left over whites of eggs from poached eggs, apple peelings…)

It’s about 25 m2 of area, an old chair for a roost,

what did I hit there?

…plenty of green panic to hide and scratch under…time will tell if Goldie will “miss” Gladstone…

Also, one of my LBs was pooping and she had a pink thing, like a bag, hanging from her backside whilst this was in progress…does this mean anything?

Dinetta said:

Also, one of my LBs was pooping and she had a pink thing, like a bag, hanging from her backside whilst this was in progress…does this mean anything?

possible prolapse or hemorrhoids? Doesn’t sound good anyway. I am assuming it retracted again? Keep an eye on her to make sure that it doesn’t get worse or stays out. Vet advice may be needed.

bluegreen said:

Dinetta said:

Also, one of my LBs was pooping and she had a pink thing, like a bag, hanging from her backside whilst this was in progress…does this mean anything?

possible prolapse or hemorrhoids? Doesn’t sound good anyway. I am assuming it retracted again? Keep an eye on her to make sure that it doesn’t get worse or stays out. Vet advice may be needed.

Thanks for the response BlueGreen…it did retract again, but she is easy to ID as she has a very dirty bum… She seems in rude good health otherwise but I will keep an eye on her. If it stays out then she will get the axe.

Dinetta said:

bluegreen said:

Dinetta said:

Also, one of my LBs was pooping and she had a pink thing, like a bag, hanging from her backside whilst this was in progress…does this mean anything?

possible prolapse or hemorrhoids? Doesn’t sound good anyway. I am assuming it retracted again? Keep an eye on her to make sure that it doesn’t get worse or stays out. Vet advice may be needed.

Thanks for the response BlueGreen…it did retract again, but she is easy to ID as she has a very dirty bum… She seems in rude good health otherwise but I will keep an eye on her. If it stays out then she will get the axe.

OK. Another thing to watch for is fly blow. One of mine had a dirty bum which got worse suddenly. She had a prolapse and had become fly blown. It was not pretty and stank too. Had to put her down.

I know it sounds weird but a fellow chook-a-holic will understand: I check my hens backsides all the time, p

Dinetta said:

I know it sounds weird but a fellow chook-a-holic will understand: I check my hens backsides all the time, p

What am I pressing?!?!?

…pervert that I am…

Dinetta said:

Dinetta said:

I know it sounds weird but a fellow chook-a-holic will understand: I check my hens backsides all the time, p

What am I pressing?!?!?

…pervert that I am…

Pressing? I must have missed some posts. Check for poopy bums, similarly check chicks often for pasty bum and if there’s lice on them they will gather right at the base of the tail under the popes nose.

Happy Potter said:

Pressing? I must have missed some posts. Check for poopy bums, similarly check chicks often for pasty bum and if there’s lice on them they will gather right at the base of the tail under the popes nose.

I was pressing some wrong keys on the lap top and it was a wild ride, and I was submitting posts before I had finished with them…

Only one has the poop down it’s backside, tomorrow night I’ll check for lice.

We have 3 dogs on the back deck tonight so watch out fox…

Today the bachelor mob have their first day free ranging while the main flock stay in their coop. It will be alternate days from now on until the bachelors have been dealt with.

How old will they be when you deal with them, BlueGreen? I think I will deal with Gladstone, have not had a response to re-home him and he’s just too lovely as a meat bird to waste as blood and bone. He drives the pullets away from the food so he would not be a good flock rooster. That clutch is about 15 – 16 weeks now, not very big but I don’t think they will be a leghorn size, for instance.

Not sure if Tink is laying yet but she can’t be far off…about 17 – 18 weeks now…

Dinetta said:

How old will they be when you deal with them, BlueGreen? I think I will deal with Gladstone, have not had a response to re-home him and he’s just too lovely as a meat bird to waste as blood and bone. He drives the pullets away from the food so he would not be a good flock rooster. That clutch is about 15 – 16 weeks now, not very big but I don’t think they will be a leghorn size, for instance.

Not sure if Tink is laying yet but she can’t be far off…about 17 – 18 weeks now…

I won’t be doing them all at once. They are about 11 weeks old now but still pretty skinny so will try and fatten them up some more. However they only have a small pen atm so some might get knocked off sooner to make room. Doesn’t matter if there is not a lot of meat on them as it is only me that will be eating them.

Dinetta said:

How old will they be when you deal with them, BlueGreen? I think I will deal with Gladstone, have not had a response to re-home him and he’s just too lovely as a meat bird to waste as blood and bone. He drives the pullets away from the food so he would not be a good flock rooster. That clutch is about 15 – 16 weeks now, not very big but I don’t think they will be a leghorn size, for instance.

Not sure if Tink is laying yet but she can’t be far off…about 17 – 18 weeks now…

If Tink is pol now, she may hold off until spring, which is not a bad thing though you don’t get eggs, but come spring she will be bigger, accepted by the flock and have a good weight on her to start her laying life well.
I try to get chicks so they are pol just before winter, for this reason.

Happy Potter said:

If Tink is pol now, she may hold off until spring, which is not a bad thing though you don’t get eggs, but come spring she will be bigger, accepted by the flock and have a good weight on her to start her laying life well.
I try to get chicks so they are pol just before winter, for this reason.

How encouraging! Lavender and Netta (aras) are a week or 10 days behind Tink, so maybe they will feel the same way. Definitely not much body weight to Lavender and Netta, Tink however is filling out. I have to pick her up every night and take her down to the coop, she thinks her roost is the back deck.

Chick pic :)

Two white wyandottes, three silver spangled hamburgs and the cheeky hungry one is a silver spangled hamburg cross silkie.

Happy Potter said:

Chick pic :)

Two white wyandottes, three silver spangled hamburgs and the cheeky hungry one is a silver spangled hamburg cross silkie.

Nobody is allowed to groan: I think you are clucky, Happy Potter!

I appear to have a hen that’s reluctant to roost with the others tonight…she’s hiding in boxes under the house…

Dinetta said:

I appear to have a hen that’s reluctant to roost with the others tonight…she’s hiding in boxes under the house…

got eggs under there?

bluegreen said:

Dinetta said:

I appear to have a hen that’s reluctant to roost with the others tonight…she’s hiding in boxes under the house…

got eggs under there?

Nooo, I picked her up and put her in the A-frame for the night, with a saucepan of water and food in the lid…she was doing watery poops where she was before…

It would appear that if I’m going to “process” Gladstone, he’s of a good age for this (15 weeks or so). Is it OK to do this at night? I find there’s less fuss and I really hate the other chooks seeing what’s happening.

Dinetta said:

bluegreen said:

Dinetta said:

I appear to have a hen that’s reluctant to roost with the others tonight…she’s hiding in boxes under the house…

got eggs under there?

Nooo, I picked her up and put her in the A-frame for the night, with a saucepan of water and food in the lid…she was doing watery poops where she was before…

If she is doing watery poops then she might not be well and is being picked on. Best to keep her separate until that is sorted in case it is contagious anyway.

Dinetta said:

It would appear that if I’m going to “process” Gladstone, he’s of a good age for this (15 weeks or so). Is it OK to do this at night? I find there’s less fuss and I really hate the other chooks seeing what’s happening.

you can do it when it suits you best. Recommended to “fast” them for 8 hours prior to minimise gut contents contamination.

bluegreen said:

Best to keep her separate until that is sorted in case it is contagious anyway.

I tried that but she got anxious, she is hiding where they all go when they feel miserable…thanks anyway…

Dinetta said:

bluegreen said:

Dinetta said:

I appear to have a hen that’s reluctant to roost with the others tonight…she’s hiding in boxes under the house…

got eggs under there?

Nooo, I picked her up and put her in the A-frame for the night, with a saucepan of water and food in the lid…she was doing watery poops where she was before…

Possibly sick?

bluegreen said:

Dinetta said:

bluegreen said:

got eggs under there?

Nooo, I picked her up and put her in the A-frame for the night, with a saucepan of water and food in the lid…she was doing watery poops where she was before…

If she is doing watery poops then she might not be well and is being picked on. Best to keep her separate until that is sorted in case it is contagious anyway.

What BG said :)

P is reluctant to turn Gladstone into coq au vin or similar and I am to try one more time to find him a home…

The new girls are here. Flighty, scared and hiding in the shed bit of the tractor. The old Speckled Sussex girls are having a holiday in the big aviary where the cockatiel boys live. Wonderful new ground to scratch in there. I’ve put the new girls where they can see the old girls. Might put them together on Monday and see how they go. The Hamburghs might be fliers though – may need some wing clipping done.

Hamburgs are listed as fliers, however I’ve never clipped a wing and none have shown any flying tendencies.

My SSH roo Goog Morgan is mating now and crowing, properly.. roo collar on him now and he goes back to a little squeak. None of the hens are laying atm, they’re all moulting. I might cook them up a savory mince with loads of veges today. I have some frozen but out of date mince.

The tree SSH pullets I bought have assimilated well, except for the littlest one. She is only 8 weeks, the others 12 weeks, and she ends up crying in a corner of a night, and cold, when I go check. So, she’s spending her nights in a comfy little cat carrier inside. Well half the time on my lap being fussed over, and loves it. She was never handled and about as wild as you can get. Not any more :)

Next lot of baby bantam lavender araucanas hatching. No matter how pretty they are, araucanas just aren’t my cup of tea and I will be rehoming the lot. Splash silkie hen is sitting away on dud eggs. She will get this lot tonight.

The young ladies are now making some chook noises and venturing out of the house bit. But racing back inside when the dogs bound past. I think it might take a week of acclimatisation rather than the couple of days I was thinking of. I’ll see how things are going tomorrow.

buffy said:

The young ladies are now making some chook noises and venturing out of the house bit. But racing back inside when the dogs bound past. I think it might take a week of acclimatisation rather than the couple of days I was thinking of. I’ll see how things are going tomorrow.

I’m sure they’ll get used to the dogs within a month: we never had trouble with Shadow but the hens object to Puta following them around and Pancho objects to being chased off during “service”…

OK, what’s the story here…Pancho raced up to one of his girls this arvo, she squatted down to accept him, he gave her neck a bit of a peck and then didn’t go ahead with the “service”…

Altho’ Gladstone is corralled, do you think he is putting Pancho off his stride? I still think Pancho is the pick of the two. For a start he does not fight his hens for food, choosing to make sure they’re all eating before he tucks in…and if they “decline” his wooing, well that’s OK, no big deal…

Dinetta said:

OK, what’s the story here…Pancho raced up to one of his girls this arvo, she squatted down to accept him, he gave her neck a bit of a peck and then didn’t go ahead with the “service”…

Altho’ Gladstone is corralled, do you think he is putting Pancho off his stride? I still think Pancho is the pick of the two. For a start he does not fight his hens for food, choosing to make sure they’re all eating before he tucks in…and if they “decline” his wooing, well that’s OK, no big deal…

maybe he just got distracted?

bluegreen said:

maybe he just got distracted?

You’re tongue-in-cheek, right? A rooster distracted from his afternoon ritual of servicing his harem????

Dinetta said:

bluegreen said:

maybe he just got distracted?

You’re tongue-in-cheek, right? A rooster distracted from his afternoon ritual of servicing his harem????

Lol.. he’s just perfecting his approach :)

My young ladies are spending more time out in the run part of the tractor. They are making more chooky noises now. And they managed seemed to enjoy stripping the flesh from the leaves from the old broccoli plant that I’d left for the cabbage moths to colonize. I guess the leaves were yummy and the attendant protein was probably pretty OK too.

Flock melding in progress here. The old ladies are herding the young ladies away from the seed. But there is no fighting or chasing going on.

I’ll go up there in the chook run now – yes, another old chook – and do some tidying work so the young ones get the hang of me being near them.

The chooks seem to be well integrated. The big ones have an occasional run at one of the young ones, but the young ones are game birds and fast. They are not flying when I walk around near them, although so far I’ve only walked very slowly, not at normal pace. And they are very interested in the area I have been digging in. I think I can trust them to level out the ground now.

And a couple of pictures:

White Wings is getting whiter and whiter with each moult. Ginger Fluff is also a lot lighter than she started out.

buffy said:

And a couple of pictures:

White Wings is getting whiter and whiter with each moult. Ginger Fluff is also a lot lighter than she started out.

Looking good :)

Love a chooky photo…

I think we may be in for lots of rain, the chookens are chilling out on my back steps…seeking the higher ground?

Dinetta said:

I think we may be in for lots of rain, the chookens are chilling out on my back steps…seeking the higher ground?

They like it there obviously :)

Mine loved a small strip of fake grass I used for a doormat on the patio. Funny sight with them all trying to fit on it. Precious piece of chook real estate!

Vale Gladstone. We did the deed last night. Such a shame I couldn’t find a home for him, he was so handsome (for an Araucana), his feathers were like smooth velvet and his flesh felt meaty and tender. Anyway he is being buried later today and Lavender and Netta don’t miss him one iota.

I admire that you can eat what you’ve raised. I just can’t do it.

Well we’ll see about that soon. I have 15 day old meat chicks coming early May and they grow quickly and are slaughtered at 6 weeks if allowed to just eat at will. But having them grow out a bit slower and allowed to free range they will be ready at 12 weeks, so I’ll do it this way.

An alternative is to swap birds with others getting meaties from the same batch raised at their place. Yep I could do that. My son in law Critter is excited about it all and wants a hand in raising them and he will do the kill and dress.

Well, that cricket made a mistake. Came inside the house. Captured. Released in the chook run…..White Wings -> Yumm!!!

buffy said:

Well, that cricket made a mistake. Came inside the house. Captured. Released in the chook run…..White Wings -> Yumm!!!

That’s why mine follow the mower around…

Happy Potter said:

I admire that you can eat what you’ve raised. I just can’t do it.

I was going to eat him but the menfolk got upset so I’m not eating him now…

Tink was sprung wandering around looking at nests. The araucana pullets might take a bit longer to reach POL, because of their breed, but Tink has Lohman Brown in her…wants to get cracking on the job ASAP. Sadly Goldie is no longer laying so I’m going to have to work out how to arrange a clutch under incubation. Reckon if I put new chickens under her she’ll go maternal.

Two of the Hamburghs found their wings today. Tomorrow morning I will be covering the top of the run with that netting you use for fruit trees. That should discourage them. I don’t really want something as permanent as chicken wire across the top.

Good idea!

Yep netting is a good idea. My hamburgs can fly but don’t. I clip their wing early on and they seem to learn from that. The pickings are good here anyway, there’s no reason to fly the coop. Neighbours gardens aren’t green.

Because the run is long and thin…..1.2m wide, 20m long, putting up the tree netting will be easy. I don’t really want to permanently cover it with chook wire. I’m not quite sure why they decided to fly up to the top of the fence, except that I was quietly trying to persuade them into the night tractor. Once up there they discovered that the tree in the neighbour’s has lovely insects in it. They are very flighty compared to my old Speckled Sussex girls.

All done. I had to fuss about with some remnant bits to make the full length, but it is all now tied to the fence wire with Quite a Lot of freezer bag ties. And where two bits meet I have “sewn” the edges together with thin rope. I’m glad we put up 6ft fences…I’m 5’4”, so I fit in there easily.

Well that’s two hairstyles done and dusted. Goldie was not at all happy with the process, I thought she was going to pass away from shock, put her back on the roost with Pancho and she calmed down. Lavender was more robust and is eating a lot better now that she can see where she is going. The ara’s seem to have a lot of cheek fluff: I trimmed the crest but Lavender was still woolly under the eyes. Netta (also Araucana) has no crest but her cheek feathers aren’t as pouffee (you know what I mean) as Lavender’s…

Lavender is still wary of me, walked into Shadow yesterday, so I have observed her and have come to the conclusion that she has fluff in front of her eyes that prevent 180C vision (from each eye). She can see sidewards but not forwards. When P comes back I will cut away the “forward fluff” and this will enable, I hope, Lavender to forage better when I’m broadcasting grain or porridge. At the moment she stays well away on these occasions as some of the Lohman Browns are very “peckish”…however she’s roosting comfortably with the “rejects” and is dustbathing with Goldie and Lynda…

Chooks, goodness, they’re everywhere. I’ve had some dramas..cocci struck in the little pen of 6 five week olds. Lost the two white wyandottes and 2 silver spangle hamburgs despite my rapid response but the remaining two are going well, with some tlc.

And another ssh pullet I put down as she had all the signs of mareks. I was heartbroken. Then searching for the reasons these things happen, it’s not like my pens are filthy or anything, I find out later on it wasn’t that, it was botulism from eating the maggoty contents of a fly trap. An antibiotic would have saved her. Kicking myself.

Now I have an aggressive araucana cockerel. The little shyte, will be gone by this evening. He was particularly picking on a younger ara from a later hatching and the littler one had a sore on the back of it’s neck. I sprayed her, and my hand, with purple centrigen antiseptic spray, but shock got her and she died :(

Now I am hardening off my latest, and last, batch of silkie chicks with a spell daily on the lawn in a temp pet pen where they can have a scratch in some grass in the sunshine.

My meat chicks are going well and they are fat..2 weeks old now and I’ve restricted their food and put it further away to make them walk, otherwise they will just sit and eat at the food dish. I don’t like how they grow so fast, they have to have a life first.

I’m sorry about your araucana rooster: after my experience I believe they need LOTS of room as the breed is naturally foraging…such a shame about the little ara pullet…and the cocci…and the mareks…J1 was throwing mouldy bread to my chickens, asked did they eat bread? and I said “they’re too well fed on grains and weren’t much interested” (which was true)…and collected the rest of the bread and put it in the compost bin.

Feller down the back and across the road has Light Sussex! I was astonished! His was the little dog that used to chase my flock, I think it may have been rehomed as it kept wandering…they are lovely healthy looking chooks…when we were discussing the dog chasing my hens, he said that he had had chickens but dogs kept getting them so he gave up, so it was lovely to see those hens running around.

I think Pancho may be racist, never notice it until you mentioned it Happy Potter…he has a tendency to chase the white feathered hens away from the foods…Lavender is still avoiding any conjugal relations with him, I think she had enough bother with Gladstone…

Happy Potter said:

My meat chicks are going well and they are fat..2 weeks old now and I’ve restricted their food and put it further away to make them walk, otherwise they will just sit and eat at the food dish. I don’t like how they grow so fast, they have to have a life first.

They are not designed to have a life. I have issues with chooks been bred for a particular purpose but have inherent health problems as a result. IMO this is a animal cruelty at its worst.

bluegreen said:

Happy Potter said:

My meat chicks are going well and they are fat..2 weeks old now and I’ve restricted their food and put it further away to make them walk, otherwise they will just sit and eat at the food dish. I don’t like how they grow so fast, they have to have a life first.

They are not designed to have a life. I have issues with chooks been bred for a particular purpose but have inherent health problems as a result. IMO this is a animal cruelty at its worst.

That’s why I keep pure breeds and while the cockerels have short lives, at least they have had a proper life doing what normal chickens do. I do have the meatballs up and walking, gave them a cucumber and they all came over for a look and a peck. I won’t be getting this sort again. I’d rather stick to slower growing cockerels that I seem to get a lot of.

I look at the chicken breasts available in the butcher’s and the supermarkets, and think “p

I look at the chicken breasts available in the butcher’s and the supermarkets, and think “poor bliddy bird”… and then I look at my Lohman Browns, all shapes and sizes, some with personality issues and egg shell issues, and I think stuff that, sticking to pure breds or my own crosses from now on…my original flock, whilst loaded with personality, had nowhere near the picky-ness that some of these L-B’s have…

Vale Goldie, my little mother hen…

Dinetta said:

Vale Goldie, my little mother hen…

:(

What happened

bluegreen said:

Dinetta said:

Vale Goldie, my little mother hen…

:(

What happened

She wasn’t that old, I think that until I got the Maternity Ward up and running, she didn’t get enough of a break or even food when she was setting…the other chooks (the L-Bs) peck on any hen that’s setting…after her first clutch she was only skin and bone, and her feathers cracked and broke when I picked her up…I think she aged fairly quickly for that reason, and that stupid Pekin top-knot meant she had trouble holding her own with the L-Bs, food wise and all…she has not laid an egg since Christmas…with the Maternity Ward, she was able to get off the nest and dust bathe, eat and drink in security…

I went down to pick her off the roost, she was having trouble getting down, she didn’t like it much and flew out of my arms half way back to the house, I put her in the Cluck Med A-frame but she started flapping and her head was pecking in the dirt, so I picked her up and she breathed her last…I went and sat on the stump and cried whilst nursing her for ten minutes…

Dinetta said:

bluegreen said:

Dinetta said:

Vale Goldie, my little mother hen…

:(

What happened

She wasn’t that old, I think that until I got the Maternity Ward up and running, she didn’t get enough of a break or even food when she was setting…the other chooks (the L-Bs) peck on any hen that’s setting…after her first clutch she was only skin and bone, and her feathers cracked and broke when I picked her up…I think she aged fairly quickly for that reason, and that stupid Pekin top-knot meant she had trouble holding her own with the L-Bs, food wise and all…she has not laid an egg since Christmas…with the Maternity Ward, she was able to get off the nest and dust bathe, eat and drink in security…

I went down to pick her off the roost, she was having trouble getting down, she didn’t like it much and flew out of my arms half way back to the house, I put her in the Cluck Med A-frame but she started flapping and her head was pecking in the dirt, so I picked her up and she breathed her last…I went and sat on the stump and cried whilst nursing her for ten minutes…

I’m so sorry :(

I’m grateful I didn’t have to hasten her end … I will miss her…think I’ll keep her in the freezer whilst I work out where to bury her…I know that last bit sounds a bit callous but she’s a hen of sentimental value so I want to choose the “right” spot…thanks for the sympathy BlueGreen :)

Dinetta said:

bluegreen said:

Dinetta said:

Vale Goldie, my little mother hen…

:(

What happened

She wasn’t that old, I think that until I got the Maternity Ward up and running, she didn’t get enough of a break or even food when she was setting…the other chooks (the L-Bs) peck on any hen that’s setting…after her first clutch she was only skin and bone, and her feathers cracked and broke when I picked her up…I think she aged fairly quickly for that reason, and that stupid Pekin top-knot meant she had trouble holding her own with the L-Bs, food wise and all…she has not laid an egg since Christmas…with the Maternity Ward, she was able to get off the nest and dust bathe, eat and drink in security…

I went down to pick her off the roost, she was having trouble getting down, she didn’t like it much and flew out of my arms half way back to the house, I put her in the Cluck Med A-frame but she started flapping and her head was pecking in the dirt, so I picked her up and she breathed her last…I went and sat on the stump and cried whilst nursing her for ten minutes…

Oh no! Sorry to hear.
I won’t be hearing about any more Goldie adventures :(

I’d just twice this week spoke to others getting hens for the backyard for the first time and recommended same size/similar breeds/ colours to keep. I tell them about how in the past my two silkies Lin Lin and Golda were in the same pen with 4 Isa browns and they all got along great, until Lin Lin went broody and I popped her on some eggs in a separate little pen and the browns suddenly attacked poor Golda without mercy. I saw it and got her out of there.

Chickens have a strict hierarchy and if that order is upset in any way, it can cause mayhem as they try to re- establish a new one.

Another of the lavender araucanas is a bit aggressive, this time a pullet and it will attack any other youngie that happens by, not just to warn, but to injure. I’ve had enough of these chickens- I won’t be hatching any of them again. This particular one copped a stick I just happened to have in my hand as it went for a silkie chick, then attacked again, then I caught it with the net and locked it in a small A frame pen I keep for any bullies. I let it out after an hour and it seemed calmer then.

This last lot of silkie chicks I hatched are the tamest and friendliest to date, and if I sit on a log to watch them have a play on the lawn they will clamber all over me. One, a female a cross silkie and hamburg, Sparkles, is super friendly and loves a cuddle. She has a great home to go to in the next month or so with one of her nest mates.

Happy Potter said:

Oh no! Sorry to hear.
I won’t be hearing about any more Goldie adventures :(

Aww thanks…just shed another tear…sniff

I’m sure you’ll all understand when I say she’s in the freezer: I know where I want to bury her but need a bit of time to prepare…was thinking of a cumquat tree to shade the Maternity Ward…

I’m thinking the ara’s need a lot of space ,,, as in lots and lots as they are essentially a foraging breed…Gladstone was fine with his two little nest mates, until he became an adolescent and began to boink poor Goldie until she hid from him…Putting him in the Maternity Ward with his two pullets was not a good idea for Lavender as she then bore the brunt of his hormones…when he started chasing the pullets away from food I knew he was a goner…

With the overhanging shrubs from Mrs B’s yard, the hens can essentially find hidey places to get away from each other. I notice, tho’, that Pancho tends to be rascist at feed times (he’s black ) and if he chases any hens from the food (half-heartedly, just the once per feed) it’s the white feathered ones. I’d still be trying to work out the racism if Happy Potter hadn’t told me about it…Netta and Tink are both black feathered and he doesn’t chase them, except for a service…

My araucanas are still not laying that I can see…Tink is a week older annnnnd…(drum roll) she may be broody…I’ll give her a couple of days…I’ve got your over-winter advice in the back of my mind, Happy Potter, and as Lavender isn’t much larger than a bantam this may be a good thing. Give her time to fill out and finish growing before she starts laying…

If Tink is Pancho’s grand-daughter, I shouldn’t be putting her eggs under her, should I? Could lead to defects?

Happy Potter said:

I’d just twice this week spoke to others getting hens for the backyard for the first time and recommended same size/similar breeds/ colours to keep.

Starting to agree with you there, especially for first timers.

Happy Potter said:

Chickens have a strict hierarchy and if that order is upset in any way, it can cause mayhem …

This may be the case when Lin Lin removes herself to set a clutch? She sounds like her size belies her confidence … enough for two chookens!

Happy Potter said:

Another of the lavender araucanas is a bit aggressive, this time a pullet and it will attack any other youngie that happens by, not just to warn, but to injure. I’ve had enough of these chickens- I won’t be hatching any of them again.

Your polka dot chickens look and sound more suitable to your backyard situation…I call them your Grand Dame chickens as they look like ladies dressed for the races in their black and white with dashing red hat (comb).

Happy Potter said:

This last lot of silkie chicks I hatched are the tamest and friendliest to date, and if I sit on a log to watch them have a play on the lawn they will clamber all over me. One, a female a cross silkie and hamburg, Sparkles, is super friendly and loves a cuddle. She has a great home to go to in the next month or so with one of her nest mates.

Love a happy chooky story…

:D

Dinetta said:

Happy Potter said:

Oh no! Sorry to hear.
I won’t be hearing about any more Goldie adventures :(

Aww thanks…just shed another tear…sniff

I’m sure you’ll all understand when I say she’s in the freezer: I know where I want to bury her but need a bit of time to prepare…was thinking of a cumquat tree to shade the Maternity Ward…

I sure do. My favourites aren’t just chooks to me. Special chookie needs a nice area for burial.

Dinetta said:

I’m thinking the ara’s need a lot of space ,,, as in lots and lots as they are essentially a foraging breed…Gladstone was fine with his two little nest mates, until he became an adolescent and began to boink poor Goldie until she hid from him…Putting him in the Maternity Ward with his two pullets was not a good idea for Lavender as she then bore the brunt of his hormones…when he started chasing the pullets away from food I knew he was a goner…

With the overhanging shrubs from Mrs B’s yard, the hens can essentially find hidey places to get away from each other. I notice, tho’, that Pancho tends to be rascist at feed times (he’s black ) and if he chases any hens from the food (half-heartedly, just the once per feed) it’s the white feathered ones. I’d still be trying to work out the racism if Happy Potter hadn’t told me about it…Netta and Tink are both black feathered and he doesn’t chase them, except for a service…

My araucanas are still not laying that I can see…Tink is a week older annnnnd…(drum roll) she may be broody…I’ll give her a couple of days…I’ve got your over-winter advice in the back of my mind, Happy Potter, and as Lavender isn’t much larger than a bantam this may be a good thing. Give her time to fill out and finish growing before she starts laying…

If Tink is Pancho’s grand-daughter, I shouldn’t be putting her eggs under her, should I? Could lead to defects?

I know next to nothing about their genetics but breeding relateds is called line breeding. I know you can put son over mother or father over daughter, but best to search the topic for the correct info.

Re chickens racist nature, really just a word to describe poultry’s inbuilt desire to keep their gene pool secure.

It goes the same for many animals in the wild to drive out intruders that will muddy their breed. But mankind puts them in together and expects them to get along. Some do, some don’t.

Dinetta said:

I’m sure you’ll all understand when I say she’s in the freezer: I know where I want to bury her but need a bit of time to prepare…was thinking of a cumquat tree to shade the Maternity Ward…

I’ve done that myself.

Just been to the local Show, had a look at the chookens…Gladstone would have knocked the socks off some of those roosters…Champion Hen of show knows she’s special…real little show-off she was…some Hamburgs (but not Spangled) were there, only Light Sussex were a breeding pair…broke my heart to leave the breeding pair of Guinea Fowl behind ($12 the pair) but they’d drive the neighbours nuts…a pen of drop-dead gorgeous roosters for sale, had to leave them behind too…no Araucanas…

My Hamburgh man has offered me a black and white. He isn’t selling this year, but he says he’ll let me have one. I didn’t even ask. So I’ll have a brown, a white, a black and a black and white. Hang on, I think that’s gold spangled, silver pencil and a black. Sorry, I don’t know the terminology.

OK, so I got all the colour names wrong….this is what I’ve got:

buffy said:

OK, so I got all the colour names wrong….this is what I’ve got:

:)

buffy said:

OK, so I got all the colour names wrong….this is what I’ve got:

Pretty :)
Silver penciled and gold spangled? I’ve only kept the silver spangled, and the plain black sport that turns out to be a blue. Your black one looks like my hen. I am waiting for them to start laying after moulting.

>>Silver penciled and gold spangled? <<

I think that might be what Robin called them. They are pullets. They haven’t combed up yet, so I think I’ll be waiting a while for eggs yet.

Blue shelled egg!! Woo woo! That would be Netta.

Not sure if Lavender is laying and if she is I want to find the nest before Manu (egg-eating Kelpie) does…

Tink has been sitting solidly for 5 days now, so I will move her to the maternity ward tonight but not put eggs under her until tomorrow night…

Just checked my diary, that’s 4 days on the nest for Tink, which is “tight” in my books…Tink is 28 weeks today and The Dixies (araucanas) were 27 weeks on Tuesday just gone.

Blasted crows nicked the nest egg from down the coop, I’ll have to get back into the habit of going down to check, several times a day.

Dinetta said:

Just checked my diary, that’s 4 days on the nest for Tink, which is “tight” in my books…Tink is 28 weeks today and The Dixies (araucanas) were 27 weeks on Tuesday just gone.

Blasted crows nicked the nest egg from down the coop, I’ll have to get back into the habit of going down to check, several times a day.

You need to net the coop from crows stealing eggs. I’d be livid. I’m getting one egg a day from a black silkie, other silkie hens are broody, sitting on nothing. And my hamburgs are still not laying. The days are shorter so they may take a while to resume/start laying yet.

I’ve given 10 of my meat chicks away, free. The remaining 5 are going this week. They were still not feathered enough to go out on sunny days, but too big for the brooder box. I would much rather go the slow road and hatch out some large breeds for meat.

Only 2 eggs today. Total. May be a new nest somewhere. Drat.

I need help here: Tink must have left the nest for some R & R but got lost, went to roost on the back deck instead, so I put her back in her nesting box. She now has 3 eggs, so she laid the third either Friday or yesterday (Saturday). Do I continue to let her sit or should I discourage her until she’s a bit older?

Dinetta said:

I need help here: Tink must have left the nest for some R & R but got lost, went to roost on the back deck instead, so I put her back in her nesting box. She now has 3 eggs, so she laid the third either Friday or yesterday (Saturday). Do I continue to let her sit or should I discourage her until she’s a bit older?

Hmm, I think if she got off the nest she wasn’t ready to brood. They go broody in their first year of laying but not usually at the start.

Happy Potter said:

Dinetta said:

I need help here: Tink must have left the nest for some R & R but got lost, went to roost on the back deck instead, so I put her back in her nesting box. She now has 3 eggs, so she laid the third either Friday or yesterday (Saturday). Do I continue to let her sit or should I discourage her until she’s a bit older?

Hmm, I think if she got off the nest she wasn’t ready to brood. They go broody in their first year of laying but not usually at the start.

Yes, I was wondering if she was getting misdirected signals with her hormones…I’ve left her on the nest, she was wandering around in circles later this afternoon…took the plastic egg from under her on Friday night and she is easily the least savage hen I’ve dealt with in this respect…Goldie wasn’t savage but her peck was definite…

I think the problem with her getting off the nest that day, was the other hens were wanting somewhere to lay their eggs and may have disturbed Tink like they do when they really wanna lay but there’s another hen already settled…she’s been good ever since, yesterday and today she growled at Sonny Jim when he was making “her” A-frame…(another story) he dropped a Milk Arrowroot into the nest because he was concerned that he hadn’t seen her get off to feed and drink (and poop)…

The A-frame is ready and Tink has been moved in. Sonny Jim did not measure the height of the A-frame and consequently it will not fit under the “hut” in the maternity ward. Oh well the hut will do for when it rains, if it ever does again…It seemed rather cold out there so I collected some soil and lifted Tink out of the box (so I could put the soil in) still sitting on her eggs and on the shredded paper nest, but dratters, one fell down out of the nest. It’s not broken and I hope it’s still viable.

Tried candling with my bike light, the shape is too big to be a yolk and this is the case for all 3 eggs. I’m very hopefull that at least 2 will produce. Tink was a marvel to work with: she did not peck, just made the growly noises, and when I put her back in the box on top of the soil, I had taken the eggs out so they wouldn’t drop again, and she pulled them in with her beak, one by one. Gosh she’s got the nesting instinct strongly!

So she is all snug, I’ve got her closed in to one end of the A-frame, and tomorrow morning bright and early I’ll go down and let the inside hatch door down so she can access her feed and water without being chased away from them.

Here’s hoping for some cute little fluff balls :)

Yes, I hope we get to see pics of little fluffy chicks Dinetta :) The dropped one should be ok.

Aww thanks for the good wishes Happy Potter and BlueGreen…

Been chilli here so last night I shut up the hatch door to the enclosed area, broke the “tie” (thin piece of running wire that’s supposed to raise and lower the hatch door) as the door is very stiff on it’s brand-new hinges…had to crawl into the structure to shut the door, also shut the end door to the wire area for Justin…be awkward for a fox to get in without Manu and Shadow hollering, but the second part of my brief – a rat-proof enclosed area – did not quite eventuate. Not complaining, heck why would I? So this morning I opened both the hatch doors and the inside one (to the timber-enclosed area) is propped open with a piece of timber…

Have replaced that nesting box with another, on the work bench.

Netta (araucana) is certainly a dominant hen where Pancho is concerned: follows him everywhere and is keen as mustard for his attentions…Lavender hides at “those” times of day: I hope her aversion to Pancho’s manliness is not permanent…cooping her with a very frustrated Gladstone was not a good idea but I didn’t know it at the time…she needs another “muff” cut: it sure grows back quickly.

I can’t believe I did that yesterday: I held a handful of mixed grains in front of Tink and she ate (most of) them! So I organised a fresh handful and she ate most of that too. Just a very small handful, basically what fitted in my palm without going up the fingers…I also put a small cup of water in one corner of the box and I think she drank that as the level is lower. This dark and bit shrivelled comb of hers gives me the willies…

Have just been down to hand feed Tink a feed and a drink. She does not look like she’s been leaving the nest to poop so I lifted her out, and she has been pooping in the nest. Up the back in a corner, the eggs are clean.

I’m not keen on this situation, and would like to replace the shredded paper that’s there, with fresh.

Am wondering if she’s not leaving the nest because she doesn’t “know” where she is and she’s staying put to protect the eggs?

Not sure what stage the eggs are at, they could be due next Monday or next Friday. Friday would be 3 weeks for the third egg: one presumes that she commenced incubating once she felt all her eggs had been laid?

Dinetta said:

Have just been down to hand feed Tink a feed and a drink. She does not look like she’s been leaving the nest to poop so I lifted her out, and she has been pooping in the nest. Up the back in a corner, the eggs are clean.

I’m not keen on this situation, and would like to replace the shredded paper that’s there, with fresh.

Am wondering if she’s not leaving the nest because she doesn’t “know” where she is and she’s staying put to protect the eggs?

Not sure what stage the eggs are at, they could be due next Monday or next Friday. Friday would be 3 weeks for the third egg: one presumes that she commenced incubating once she felt all her eggs had been laid?

By the sounds of it she would let you change the poopy paper as it won’t disturb the eggs. I guess she is one that likes to stay put, which they will do when it is getting close to hatching time anyway.

Thanks BlueGreen, I’ll change the poopy bit tonight…that will be peace of mind for me at least…

Dinetta said:

Have just been down to hand feed Tink a feed and a drink. She does not look like she’s been leaving the nest to poop so I lifted her out, and she has been pooping in the nest. Up the back in a corner, the eggs are clean.

I’m not keen on this situation, and would like to replace the shredded paper that’s there, with fresh.

Am wondering if she’s not leaving the nest because she doesn’t “know” where she is and she’s staying put to protect the eggs?

Not sure what stage the eggs are at, they could be due next Monday or next Friday. Friday would be 3 weeks for the third egg: one presumes that she commenced incubating once she felt all her eggs had been laid?

She will come out for a break when she wants. Don’t stress :)

Happy Potter said:

She will come out for a break when she wants. Don’t stress :)

I won’t stress, no, but information is a good thing…will shred some newspaper and replace the soiled corner with that. It’s just that her comb was going black on the tips (besides shrinking and going a dark colour) …sometimes I was opening the door and holding my breath that she was still alive…don’t want to lose a keen broodie…

Dinetta said:

Happy Potter said:

She will come out for a break when she wants. Don’t stress :)

I won’t stress, no, but information is a good thing…will shred some newspaper and replace the soiled corner with that. It’s just that her comb was going black on the tips (besides shrinking and going a dark colour) …sometimes I was opening the door and holding my breath that she was still alive…don’t want to lose a keen broodie…

I will clean the nest of any dino size poops. I put a lot of hay in the nest to begin with so I only have to grab out that bit and not disturb the hen. Generally though as they age they don’t soil the nest as much that I have observed anyway.

Hens combs will shrink whenever they’re not laying. Mine had dark shriveled combs while moulting. Also happens when they’re sick. The hamburgs combs are just starting to redden up after theirs went a horrible dark colour and almost disappeared during moulting. They are almost ready to come back into the lay with bright red combs again. I can’t wait. I had 3 laying but now there’s 7 hens gearing up.

My Hamburgh pullets haven’t reddened up much yet. But R (their breeder) tells me a couple of his have started intermittent laying. So it shouldn’t be too long now.

This probably explains why Lynda’s comb is dodgy looking, she’s finished her laying life…

No fluffs yet…wait wait wait wait

Dinetta said:

No fluffs yet…wait wait wait wait

When are they due? :)

Hard to say, Happy Potter. Tink started “setting” on Monday 26th (?) May and by that I meant she sat on the nest all that day and all the next. She ended out with two eggs under her at Tuesday’s end. Thursday I took out the plastic nest egg and Tink laid another egg either Friday or Saturday. So I’m thinking, if she knew what she was doing, the real due date is this coming Friday or Saturday.

The chookens loved their pollard with warm water this morning…Tink was not fussed (I can’t believe I“m doing this) so I brought her a cup of fresh water with stones in (in case the chickens hatch, so they won’t drown) and a cup of the Darling Downs Layer Mash mix…she loved the Mash Mix, and to my surprise was not only keen on the cracked corn, the sunflower and wheat seeds, but also the green pellets (I think lucerne?) …she hasn’t pooped for a couple of days, what’s there has dried out so it’s not so pong-y, but I do need to remove those droppings…

Also, whilst purchasing the pollard yesterday (another town, another produce store), I was able to obtain the name and number of a lady “in the district” (read: about 1hour 40 minutes away) who has araucana!! She also has pekin silkies and frizzles. On another note, I resisted the urge (no $$$) to purchase a Rogz “Spice Pod” bed for Manu. These are very good beds for dogs and worth every cent.

Not real keen on the pollard this morning…some hens love it and some are “meh” about it…wondering if I should boil a bone or two then mix the pollard in the water, make it more appetising? It certaiinly fills them up and they are more contented if they eat it first thing in the morning….

Dinetta said:

Not real keen on the pollard this morning…some hens love it and some are “meh” about it…wondering if I should boil a bone or two then mix the pollard in the water, make it more appetising? It certaiinly fills them up and they are more contented if they eat it first thing in the morning….

Some yoghurt or vegemite or unprocessed bran, oats, or all :)

Any cheeping chick sounds yet?

I went to friends with apple trees to pick up windfalls for my chickens. They are attacking the fruit. Also got some good apples an I’m about to make a load of puff pastry o make some apple turnover.
It’s the weather for having the oven on :)

Happy Potter said:

Dinetta said:

Not real keen on the pollard this morning…some hens love it and some are “meh” about it…wondering if I should boil a bone or two then mix the pollard in the water, make it more appetising? It certaiinly fills them up and they are more contented if they eat it first thing in the morning….

Some yoghurt or vegemite or unprocessed bran, oats, or all :)

Any cheeping chick sounds yet?

Noooo, she’s eating and drinking from the cups I have placed in her box. Not catatonic but determined to sit on the eggs. Ok I’ll try the yoghurt or vegemite …it’s making the $$$ grain go further…

No bitty fluffs yet…I need to construct a ladder type thing to go to the top of the box as I will be away tomorrow and if the chickens fall out they’ll need something to get back to the top of the archive box which has the nest…

Dinetta said:

No bitty fluffs yet…I need to construct a ladder type thing to go to the top of the box as I will be away tomorrow and if the chickens fall out they’ll need something to get back to the top of the archive box which has the nest…

Little chicks can’t climb back up a ladder. If they’re quite high up I would put something across the doorway to prevent them falling out, but that which allows mumchook to come and go. I’ve had little ones that couldn’t get back into a 2 inch high nest and alerted the whole neighbourhood with their loud chirping. When they first hatch mum keeps them in the nest for a day or two before she brings them out to drink and eat.

Happy Potter said:

Dinetta said:

No bitty fluffs yet…I need to construct a ladder type thing to go to the top of the box as I will be away tomorrow and if the chickens fall out they’ll need something to get back to the top of the archive box which has the nest…

Little chicks can’t climb back up a ladder. If they’re quite high up I would put something across the doorway to prevent them falling out, but that which allows mumchook to come and go. I’ve had little ones that couldn’t get back into a 2 inch high nest and alerted the whole neighbourhood with their loud chirping. When they first hatch mum keeps them in the nest for a day or two before she brings them out to drink and eat.

what she said :)

So if they don’t hatch until tomorrow, this is a good thing, by the sounds of it…

No chickies at sundown, it doesn’t feel very warm under Tink but I did read somewhere where it’s better for the eggs to be a degree or two too cool than too warm…

Off to find my other jogger, Manu likes to take my shoes to sleep with but I can’t work out which spot it’s got to…

No chickies yet, I’m not sure there will be any? Three and a half weeks tomorrow…I’m not sure what’s going on, the eggs are full…no point in asking if I can hear pipping…was wondering if I should rid myself of those eggs and slip some of Jeanette’s under her (formerly known as Netta) … or should I just give up and let Tink have a break from egg-sitting…

Pancho seems to be tired lately and I would like another rooster on the way …

Also, what do chook lice look like? I can’t see any on the combs but there is something that crawls up my arms and through my hair…it is not head lice, I have treated myself for that…

Dinetta said:

No chickies yet, I’m not sure there will be any? Three and a half weeks tomorrow…I’m not sure what’s going on, the eggs are full…no point in asking if I can hear pipping…was wondering if I should rid myself of those eggs and slip some of Jeanette’s under her (formerly known as Netta) … or should I just give up and let Tink have a break from egg-sitting…

Pancho seems to be tired lately and I would like another rooster on the way …

Also, what do chook lice look like? I can’t see any on the combs but there is something that crawls up my arms and through my hair…it is not head lice, I have treated myself for that…

Mites? Eek. Are they tiny and reddish brown. If so they are worse than lice, blood suckers. I treat mine for mites lice and common worms with ivomec drops on the skin, back of the neck. It’s exxy stuff but most poultry supply placed decant it into 20 ml bottles for around $12. Just to or three drops depending on weight to each bird. If it’s mites then you need to spray the coop too, walls crevices, nest boxes, roost, the lot with coopex. Or a surface spray. They hide during the day and come out at night to prey on the chickens. Horrible things.

I wouldn’t give her more eggs, just discard hers and pop her back in with the main flock.

Tink left her nest earlier today so I took the eggs away. She was most keen to return to the flock but I’m not sure where she’s roosting tonight…The eggs did not develop at all…one had black sludge and the other two were just runny yolks…(running jokes? sorry, my bad…)

Dinetta said:

Tink left her nest earlier today so I took the eggs away. She was most keen to return to the flock but I’m not sure where she’s roosting tonight…The eggs did not develop at all…one had black sludge and the other two were just runny yolks…(running jokes? sorry, my bad…)

You’re lucky it’s cold or they could have exploded. Yuk. Poor Tink. I hope she’ll become a mumchook one day.

Oh, and a hamburg hen finally laid an egg! Now to see if the others follow her lead and start laying again, and the younger ones start laying for the first time.

Happy Potter said:

Oh, and a hamburg hen finally laid an egg! Now to see if the others follow her lead and start laying again, and the younger ones start laying for the first time.

Maybe they’re wired to tune in to the winter solistice?

Happy Potter said:

You’re lucky it’s cold or they could have exploded. Yuk. Poor Tink. I hope she’ll become a mumchook one day.

She was confused last night, went back to the nesting box for the night, and this morning she is back on her old perch on a rail on top of the back deck,,, she is being hen pecked by Jeanette (formerly Netta)…I need to get going with that mite treatment…when you say “back of the neck”, do you mean anywhere between the comb and where the neck joins the body? And do you reckon Coopex for spraying the nesting areas, etc?

Dinetta said:

Happy Potter said:

You’re lucky it’s cold or they could have exploded. Yuk. Poor Tink. I hope she’ll become a mumchook one day.

She was confused last night, went back to the nesting box for the night, and this morning she is back on her old perch on a rail on top of the back deck,,, she is being hen pecked by Jeanette (formerly Netta)…I need to get going with that mite treatment…when you say “back of the neck”, do you mean anywhere between the comb and where the neck joins the body? And do you reckon Coopex for spraying the nesting areas, etc?

Yes but at the base, the one place chickens can’t peck at, just at the base of the neck. Part the feathers so you get the drops on their skin, not on the feathers. Mites are blood suckers and can make them weak fairly quickly, causing them to become anemic and vulnerable to other illnesses and death can result.
I use a surface spray for their roost and the crevices of the coop, any wood and joins. The mites hide in tiny holes in wood, underneath and metal joins etc. My big coop is tin with an outside nest box attached. There’s lots of hiding places for pin tip size mites.

I’m allergic to the bites and treat for mites regularly. The bites look like common mozzie bites, but don’t go away for weeks!

Dinetta said:

Happy Potter said:

Oh, and a hamburg hen finally laid an egg! Now to see if the others follow her lead and start laying again, and the younger ones start laying for the first time.

Maybe they’re wired to tune in to the winter solistice?

Well I think if someone fed me hot layer mash mixed with olive oil, tinned cat food sardines and cinnamon and garlic, I would lay an egg too!

Happy Potter said:

Dinetta said:

Happy Potter said:

You’re lucky it’s cold or they could have exploded. Yuk. Poor Tink. I hope she’ll become a mumchook one day.

She was confused last night, went back to the nesting box for the night, and this morning she is back on her old perch on a rail on top of the back deck,,, she is being hen pecked by Jeanette (formerly Netta)…I need to get going with that mite treatment…when you say “back of the neck”, do you mean anywhere between the comb and where the neck joins the body? And do you reckon Coopex for spraying the nesting areas, etc?

Yes but at the base, the one place chickens can’t peck at, just at the base of the neck. Part the feathers so you get the drops on their skin, not on the feathers. Mites are blood suckers and can make them weak fairly quickly, causing them to become anemic and vulnerable to other illnesses and death can result.
I use a surface spray for their roost and the crevices of the coop, any wood and joins. The mites hide in tiny holes in wood, underneath and metal joins etc. My big coop is tin with an outside nest box attached. There’s lots of hiding places for pin tip size mites.

I’m allergic to the bites and treat for mites regularly. The bites look like common mozzie bites, but don’t go away for weeks!

Coopex is generally recommended.

Happy Potter said:

Dinetta said:

Happy Potter said:

Oh, and a hamburg hen finally laid an egg! Now to see if the others follow her lead and start laying again, and the younger ones start laying for the first time.

Maybe they’re wired to tune in to the winter solistice?

Well I think if someone fed me hot layer mash mixed with olive oil, tinned cat food sardines and cinnamon and garlic, I would lay an egg too!

I’d like to see that! lol!

I was down to usually two, on occasion one, duck egg a day leading up to the solstice. About a week ago another duck started again so I am getting three now. Now that the days are getting longer I am looking forward to more duck eggs and the bantams coming in to lay. The bantams have had a nice long rest so hopefully they will be quite productive. The extreme summer really knocked them around and they knocked off earlier than usual.

Happy Potter said:

Dinetta said:

Happy Potter said:

Oh, and a hamburg hen finally laid an egg! Now to see if the others follow her lead and start laying again, and the younger ones start laying for the first time.

Maybe they’re wired to tune in to the winter solistice?

Well I think if someone fed me hot layer mash mixed with olive oil, tinned cat food sardines and cinnamon and garlic, I would lay an egg too!

I serve garlic hot mash once a week, on it’s own…cinnamon I didn’t know about but find it a strange combo with sardines…personally…as a yu-man…

bluegreen said:

Coopex is generally recommended.

Thanks BlueGreen…was surf’n for items of interest in this line and Coopex caught my attention…

Whichever of my Hamburghs has started to lay has now laid three eggs. I don’t get to see them from Tuesday to Friday, so I’ll have a good look tomorrow and see who has redded up in the comb. Maybe two are on the go. I’m pretty sure the little black lady is not laying, her comb is very pale. I don’t know if the old Speckled Sussex ladies will lay this year. They are getting whiter and whiter with every moult, and I think they might be 4 years old or so now. They aren’t a long living breed anyway. I bought another tennis ball scoop (for throwing for the dog) yesterday as they are great for picking up eggs that are out of reach. And the new layer is laying on the ground in the tractor, not in the nest.

buffy said:

Whichever of my Hamburghs has started to lay has now laid three eggs. I don’t get to see them from Tuesday to Friday, so I’ll have a good look tomorrow and see who has redded up in the comb. Maybe two are on the go. I’m pretty sure the little black lady is not laying, her comb is very pale. I don’t know if the old Speckled Sussex ladies will lay this year. They are getting whiter and whiter with every moult, and I think they might be 4 years old or so now. They aren’t a long living breed anyway. I bought another tennis ball scoop (for throwing for the dog) yesterday as they are great for picking up eggs that are out of reach. And the new layer is laying on the ground in the tractor, not in the nest.

If you don’t mind tipping a chook bum side up and taking a look, a laying hens cloaca will be moist looking. Non layers vents will look dry and thinner.

Dinetta said:

Happy Potter said:

Dinetta said:

Maybe they’re wired to tune in to the winter solistice?

Well I think if someone fed me hot layer mash mixed with olive oil, tinned cat food sardines and cinnamon and garlic, I would lay an egg too!

I serve garlic hot mash once a week, on it’s own…cinnamon I didn’t know about but find it a strange combo with sardines…personally…as a yu-man…

Look up the health benefits of cinnamon, or pure cassia bark what it is, for man and animals. It’s an eye opener. Turmeric is another spice I put in their mash now and then. Rosemary is another.

Happy Potter said:

Look up the health benefits of cinnamon, or pure cassia bark what it is, for man and animals. It’s an eye opener. Turmeric is another spice I put in their mash now and then. Rosemary is another.

I will…also I have stopped feeding my hens hot mash twice per day, it fattens their livers apparently..much of the rest of it I am doing right, apparently…as they have all this space to forage and fossick. I didn’t know that their tummies are only small and so they only eat a small amount at a time, which is where the Grandpa’s Feeder comes into it’s own…altho’ it’s not as effective at keeping the grains contained as claimed, the chookens still manage to “beak” it everywhere…

About how much cinnamon, Happy POtter, and turmeric?

buffy said:

I bought another tennis ball scoop (for throwing for the dog) yesterday as they are great for picking up eggs that are out of reach.

Might have to get me one of them. I have used an aquarium net in the past but the netting rots out because I leave it outside.

Dinetta said:

Happy Potter said:

Look up the health benefits of cinnamon, or pure cassia bark what it is, for man and animals. It’s an eye opener. Turmeric is another spice I put in their mash now and then. Rosemary is another.

I will…also I have stopped feeding my hens hot mash twice per day, it fattens their livers apparently..much of the rest of it I am doing right, apparently…as they have all this space to forage and fossick. I didn’t know that their tummies are only small and so they only eat a small amount at a time, which is where the Grandpa’s Feeder comes into it’s own…altho’ it’s not as effective at keeping the grains contained as claimed, the chookens still manage to “beak” it everywhere…

About how much cinnamon, Happy POtter, and turmeric?

Oh, about a rounded dessertspoon into a 3 lt tub of mash. Each, or all.

>>Non layers vents will look dry and thinner.<<

My chooks are pretty wild. They are not handled. I think I’ll look at the combs from a distance…

:)

I can still see little bugs, they are round and reddish brown, and I have come out in some spots. Also it feels like something has dug into my skin at the bottom of my hair line at the top of my neck…nobody is here to check my head but if they’re all over me they would not be head lice? I feel like jumping into a cattle dip, the old ones where they had to swim about 10 metres…

Dinetta said:

I can still see little bugs, they are round and reddish brown, and I have come out in some spots. Also it feels like something has dug into my skin at the bottom of my hair line at the top of my neck…nobody is here to check my head but if they’re all over me they would not be head lice? I feel like jumping into a cattle dip, the old ones where they had to swim about 10 metres…

Mites! yikes :( To avoid more bites on yourself, while you are treating the chooks and coop, I would strongly suggest using a personal insect repellant. Just a shower will get rid of them off you.
The rotten things hide where there’s no bare skin, hairline, inside clothing, bra, knickers, socks, they hide in your underarms, elbow crease, neck folds, behind knees, feet, etc etc. I hate them with a passion. The first time I saw them I ended up getting so badly bitten I looked like I had chicken pox, times 10.

Happy Potter said:

Mites! yikes :( To avoid more bites on yourself, while you are treating the chooks and coop, I would strongly suggest using a personal insect repellant. Just a shower will get rid of them off you.
The rotten things hide where there’s no bare skin, hairline, inside clothing, bra, knickers, socks, they hide in your underarms, elbow crease, neck folds, behind knees, feet, etc etc. I hate them with a passion. The first time I saw them I ended up getting so badly bitten I looked like I had chicken pox, times 10.

Thanks for that Happy Potter, I never thought of the insect repellent idea…and misery loves company…

Mad chook outside (Tink) … wants to come and roost on top of the kitchen cupboards…as soon as I think she’s settled I’ll start taking her back to the main roost…

Chookens are in a bit of a shock as I have fixed the ladder to the second roost …. this will mean they won’t get so much exercise flying, and I have a nice stable ladder that I can move out when I want to clean under that roost…

We had about 2 degrees this morning and now it is 6 at the back door (where the thermometer sits. I expected it to go lower, as that 2 was at 6.30am when the dogs asked for breakfast. Perhaps it did go lower….I went back to bed and didn’t get out again until almost 8.00am. I think I have switched into Winter hibernation mode.

I seem to have two Hamburghs on the lay now. Looking at comb colour I’d say it’s the Golden Girl and the Ghost. Still waiting on the black one, her comb is still very pale. White Wings (one of the Speckled Sussex) is combing up now, so maybe she will lay another day. I think she is probably too geriatric really.

Hardly laid anything yesterday, not sure if they’re upset about us mucking around in the workshop under the house or having a collective day off…

Dinetta said:

Hardly laid anything yesterday, not sure if they’re upset about us mucking around in the workshop under the house or having a collective day off…

My chooks still haven’t started laying yet but I am still getting two, sometimes three, duck eggs a day.

Laying better this morning, I think a crow got Lavender’s first egg…

http://www.funny-google.com/?name=Natural_Chicken

You can personalize it with a name you choose. With the same results of Google.
Use it as your homepage with your own name on it!

Happy Potter said:

http://www.funny-google.com/?name=Natural_Chicken

You can personalize it with a name you choose. With the same results of Google.
Use it as your homepage with your own name on it!

Mine’s DirtUnderMFingernails….there is a character limit…

:D

That’s
DirtUndrMFingernails
20 character limit…

Fun!!

Dinetta said:

That’s
DirtUndrMFingernails
20 character limit…

Fun!!

:D

The daily egg count is going up slightly but the Silkies are still out performing the bigger layers.

I have a little white silkie girl that has a humongous hernia, I think that’s what it is anyway. I can’t find any images to compare and my online chookie friends all seem absent, other just don’t know what it is. There’s a lot of fluffy feathers hiding it, I only saw it when she was head down eating. In the pick I am holding her leg up. This ‘thing’ is huge, wont be ‘pushed back up’, feels squishy but not solid. It’s not affecting her in any way that I can tell. I took the scrap bucket out and she dove in between large hens for a baked bean and took off across the yard with her prize to eat it in peace. Poops all normal.

Happy Potter said:

I have a little white silkie girl that has a humongous hernia, I think that’s what it is anyway. I can’t find any images to compare and my online chookie friends all seem absent, other just don’t know what it is. There’s a lot of fluffy feathers hiding it, I only saw it when she was head down eating. In the pick I am holding her leg up. This ‘thing’ is huge, wont be ‘pushed back up’, feels squishy but not solid. It’s not affecting her in any way that I can tell. I took the scrap bucket out and she dove in between large hens for a baked bean and took off across the yard with her prize to eat it in peace. Poops all normal.

-Whatever it is, let’s hope it’s non-malignant…

Could be a peck by another chook (but I doubt it, not in that spot still you never know) that’s kind of come up like a blister. I would worry, yes, but if she’s happy and pooping OK and grooming well, then nature might sort it out for you…hope so…

Dinetta said:

Happy Potter said:

I have a little white silkie girl that has a humongous hernia, I think that’s what it is anyway. I can’t find any images to compare and my online chookie friends all seem absent, other just don’t know what it is. There’s a lot of fluffy feathers hiding it, I only saw it when she was head down eating. In the pick I am holding her leg up. This ‘thing’ is huge, wont be ‘pushed back up’, feels squishy but not solid. It’s not affecting her in any way that I can tell. I took the scrap bucket out and she dove in between large hens for a baked bean and took off across the yard with her prize to eat it in peace. Poops all normal.

-Whatever it is, let’s hope it’s non-malignant…

Could be a peck by another chook (but I doubt it, not in that spot still you never know) that’s kind of come up like a blister. I would worry, yes, but if she’s happy and pooping OK and grooming well, then nature might sort it out for you…hope so…

This little chick is happy and healthy enough, strong and eats well. I checked that ‘bag’ thing over and over, no peck signs or sores, no infected feather follicle, nothing. I’m starting to think it’s a fault, assuming her gut wall or a membrane, I’m only guessing of course, hasn’t formed and her intestine has ‘fallen’ into a sack. Like a hernia, but not. The vet I go to wont know and the only one that may know what it is, avian vet who specializes in exotic species, is way across town and has an almost two hundred up front charge. Apparently chickens are an exotic species.

I’m guessing too that her problems might start when she is older and starts laying.

Did I tell you that Tink is snow roosting with the main flock…and I mean the main, not the secondary roost beside it? This means I can clean the sheet off the back deck… Sonny Joe found a little spring from somewhere and attached it to some wire, so now I can close the back gate to the decking…even less p-o-o-p on the deck…

Lynda is showing signs of age, spent most of the day upstairs (outside) just sitting down and clucking quietly to herself…

Another broken egg today, shell too thin…haven’t had one for a few weeks now…

Lavender is laying!!! She looks so cuuuute, in the mower catcher up with the nesting boxes in the coop…still not accepting Pancho, but Jeanette is … I think if I get another setting hen, I will organise for Jeanette’s eggs to be incubated and then put them under the setting hen…after they’ve hatched…

Lynda has got a distended crop..it’s huge…she’s not eating all that much… any ideas? Is this an old age condition?

Dinetta said:

Lynda has got a distended crop..it’s huge…she’s not eating all that much… any ideas? Is this an old age condition?

does her breath smell sour? Is it full in the mornings? The crop should fill during the day then pass through and empty during the night so if it is not emptying, which it sounds like seeing as she has lost appetite, she has a problem.

Here is a post at Backyard Poultry Forum with a whole lot of information about crop problems and treatments.

bluegreen said:

does her breath smell sour? Is it full in the mornings? The crop should fill during the day then pass through and empty during the night so if it is not emptying, which it sounds like seeing as she has lost appetite, she has a problem.

Here is a post at Backyard Poultry Forum with a whole lot of information about crop problems and treatments.

Thanks BlueGreen…it was full this morning which is why I noticed it…she’s still keen to feed but has slowed down a lot in her gait, which has become a little ungainly, like we’d walk if we had arthritis or something…

At least 5 of my hens are doing the gaping thing…they seem well otherwise…sometimes they do this and it goes away…I think it’s the dry feed, they need more (naturally occurring) green pick…

I’ve still got two Hamburghs laying. The Golden Girl and the Ghost. The black girl – who is so far nameless – hasn’t even combed up properly yet. And the old Speckled Sussex girls (Ginger Fluff and White Wings) are combed up but not producing. They are pretty old for SS now though.

buffy said:

I’ve still got two Hamburghs laying. The Golden Girl and the Ghost. The black girl – who is so far nameless – hasn’t even combed up properly yet. And the old Speckled Sussex girls (Ginger Fluff and White Wings) are combed up but not producing. They are pretty old for SS now though.

My girls’ combs are getting redder and redder but no signs of eggs yet.

Picked up a tiny egg yesterday, about the size of a bantam’s, and cracked it into the chookens mash…it had no yolk so I guess that hen is just about run out of eggs to lay…bit sad as it was the shell with chocolate speckles and I loved collecting it for the visuals…

Dinetta said:

Picked up a tiny egg yesterday, about the size of a bantam’s, and cracked it into the chookens mash…it had no yolk so I guess that hen is just about run out of eggs to lay…bit sad as it was the shell with chocolate speckles and I loved collecting it for the visuals…

So this is an old hen? How old? I’ve only seen these eggs when a young silkie had laid her first egg, but not all first eggs, some had a little yolk and some were prefect but smaller. My experience with old hens is soft shelled eggs.

My hamburgs are picking up the pace and another has started laying. 3 eggs a day from those six, and another 3 from the silkies.

Old lohman brown, Happy Potter…about 2 years old…

7 mystery eggs in the incubator. I broke all my own rules about not incubating anything until summer..they’re due on the 3th aug. No broody at the time of setting them, but now have one sitting. I moved her to the broody pen after cleaning it thoroughly and putting in food and water dishes. It’s completely shut off to the others. There’s 3 roosters, Isa brown, silver spangled hamburg and a plymoth rock. The hens were cochins, Sussex, hamburgs and an ara.

Happy Potter said:

7 mystery eggs in the incubator. I broke all my own rules about not incubating anything until summer..they’re due on the 3th aug. No broody at the time of setting them, but now have one sitting. I moved her to the broody pen after cleaning it thoroughly and putting in food and water dishes. It’s completely shut off to the others. There’s 3 roosters, Isa brown, silver spangled hamburg and a plymoth rock. The hens were cochins, Sussex, hamburgs and an ara.

mystery eggs, hey? (hee hee)

Looking forward to the hatchings…

Lynda might not be with us much longer, she is about the same age as Pancho but she seems to be crippling up…lost her balance when another hen dashed for some food…couldn’t really get back to the coop (40 metre walk) so I carried her and you would have thought I was a fox attempting to cart her off…she can’t fly up to the roost and I don’t know if she could grip it…will go down shortly and see if she’s made herself comfortable on the ground…her toes are turning inward and she waddles…

Bumping up the chook thread too.

Polka continues to have difficulty breathing, apon activity. At night there’s a soft mewing sound. There’s no infection, been treated for gape worm and antibiotic-ed for anything respiratory, but no change. She is lively, eating and drinking fine, but this noisy bark she does has me stumped. I can see her trachea clearly for a long way down with the torch and it’s as a healthy trachea should look, no blood or mucus, nothing. So it’s in her lungs, whatever it is. I’m so curious as to consult the bird vet, and I would hate to lose her, but it will have to be next week now.
Next thing on the list is a crop needle so I can get some liquid nutrition into her. If I can’t get one from my vet there’s several others about, and various bird supply places.

I take it that Polka is one of your Spangled Hamburgs?

Happy Potter said:

Bumping up the chook thread too.

Polka continues to have difficulty breathing, apon activity. At night there’s a soft mewing sound. There’s no infection, been treated for gape worm and antibiotic-ed for anything respiratory, but no change. She is lively, eating and drinking fine, but this noisy bark she does has me stumped. I can see her trachea clearly for a long way down with the torch and it’s as a healthy trachea should look, no blood or mucus, nothing. So it’s in her lungs, whatever it is. I’m so curious as to consult the bird vet, and I would hate to lose her, but it will have to be next week now.
Next thing on the list is a crop needle so I can get some liquid nutrition into her. If I can’t get one from my vet there’s several others about, and various bird supply places.

If she is eating and drinking, why would you need to use a crop needle?

Found Lynda in one of the erstwhile nesting boxes, will put some paper shreddings in there tomorrow, make it comfortable, and work out an easier way for her to get up there…

bluegreen said:

Happy Potter said:

Bumping up the chook thread too.

Polka continues to have difficulty breathing, apon activity. At night there’s a soft mewing sound. There’s no infection, been treated for gape worm and antibiotic-ed for anything respiratory, but no change. She is lively, eating and drinking fine, but this noisy bark she does has me stumped. I can see her trachea clearly for a long way down with the torch and it’s as a healthy trachea should look, no blood or mucus, nothing. So it’s in her lungs, whatever it is. I’m so curious as to consult the bird vet, and I would hate to lose her, but it will have to be next week now.
Next thing on the list is a crop needle so I can get some liquid nutrition into her. If I can’t get one from my vet there’s several others about, and various bird supply places.

If she is eating and drinking, why would you need to use a crop needle?

Eating but about half what she used to, should have added. I would like to get some high calorie liquid into her. And yes Dinetta she is a hamburg. One of the prettiest ones I’ve seen too.

Update on Polka..she has started improving. But…now her bestie Cleo is sick. This is not a negative thing really, it tells me a lot and gives them hope. That it is an infection after all, and they will get better. Big relief on my part. No specialist vet needed.
They have both been inside an quarantined from the rest and all the others are fine.

Meanwhile, the incubated eggs are hatching. Here’s ‘Uno’ number one, feisty and looking for sustenance so I’ve popped her into the warmed brooder box. Then the next one a few hours later, a black/brownish, once dried it went in too.

Hello :)

C’mon! wake up, it’s playtime!

This is the licorice all-sorts clutch you were speaking of?

I do hope Clio and Polka get better very soon…

Dinetta said:

This is the licorice all-sorts clutch you were speaking of?

I do hope Clio and Polka get better very soon…

Yes..an eclectic mix of breeds including Isa brown, plymouth rock, araucana, pekin, cochin, hamburgs, leghorn, golden sebright and a speckled sussex. Another two black out, one with black legs and the other with a white tummy and slate legs. They will make some pretty and some weird looking chickens.

Happy Potter said:

Yes..an eclectic mix of breeds including Isa brown, plymouth rock, araucana, pekin, cochin, hamburgs, leghorn, golden sebright and a speckled sussex. Another two black out, one with black legs and the other with a white tummy and slate legs. They will make some pretty and some weird looking chickens.

As long as they have a good temperament and lay eggs regularly…

Wow you got 100% hatch rate? Egg-sellent…

I need to head to the supplier down the back, buy another bag of feed to go in the Grandpa’s Feeder…need to clear up where the feeder was normally kept, under the temporary roost, as the galahs and cockatoos have become used to it…

I’ve been cleaning buckets and things, had to do a shed rummage to find them first, half filling with chook whole grains to make fermented feed for my feathered lot. Apparently it slashes the feed bill and it’s healthier for them. Using a splash of apple cider vinegar as the starter.

Polka is getting better and will go back outside in a day or two. But we lost Cleo :( Heart is breaking for this comical little companion pullet, but it was almost like she was there to tell us it was an infection after all and not just something wrong with Polka. Rip little birdy, we will miss you heaps.

Happy Potter said:

Polka is getting better and will go back outside in a day or two. But we lost Cleo :( Heart is breaking for this comical little companion pullet, but it was almost like she was there to tell us it was an infection after all and not just something wrong with Polka. Rip little birdy, we will miss you heaps.

Sad…some of these chookens just grab you by the short and curlies don’t they…did you open Cleo to check the problem? I think I’ll do that with Lynda…might persuade P to help me “do the deed” tonight as I will be away for a day or so as of tomorrow…

Happy Potter said:

Polka is getting better and will go back outside in a day or two. But we lost Cleo :( Heart is breaking for this comical little companion pullet, but it was almost like she was there to tell us it was an infection after all and not just something wrong with Polka. Rip little birdy, we will miss you heaps.

:(