Thought I’d start a new thread for the new year…

Going back to the old thread to check how old The Cisco Kid is…

The Cisco Kid will be 6 weeks old tomorrow…

I threw the last two eggs from that setting into the compost, yesterday, and broke them..sadly one of them did have a chicken in it…bummer when they die in the shell like that…

Dinetta said:

The Cisco Kid will be 6 weeks old tomorrow…

I threw the last two eggs from that setting into the compost, yesterday, and broke them..sadly one of them did have a chicken in it…bummer when they die in the shell like that…

at least it was dead. I threw some duck eggs out once thinking they were duds only to find one had a live duckling in it still.

bluegreen said:

at least it was dead. I threw some duck eggs out once thinking they were duds only to find one had a live duckling in it still.

Oh! What a shame! Bit hard to tell when the mother insists that she’s finished, tho’…

Is LinLin still inside in the cool?

Lavender would like to join the flock but they won’t let her. We’ve (Lavender and I) got this thing going where she goes into the nursery if she needs a feed (the other hens chase her away from the grain) and I shut the door on her and The Cisco Kid. Then I throw in the “good” grain and also lay out a sardine or two…when they’re ready I let them out again…

I’m thinking I might have to bring one of mine inside where it is cool. She has been in the broody breaker for almost a week but with temperatures being around or over 30 all week, she is not getting a chance to cool down!

Dinetta said:

Is LinLin still inside in the cool?

Lavender would like to join the flock but they won’t let her. We’ve (Lavender and I) got this thing going where she goes into the nursery if she needs a feed (the other hens chase her away from the grain) and I shut the door on her and The Cisco Kid. Then I throw in the “good” grain and also lay out a sardine or two…when they’re ready I let them out again…

No, she’s out in the nest box but I modified it..left the little door open and hung a hessian bag over it and wet it. The nest box is on the outside of the coop with a lid for ease of collecting eggs, so I’ve propped the lid open as well to allow a cross breeze. Her eggs are hatching and I don’t want to handle pipping eggs and wet chicks. Soon as her bubs are all hatched and dried off I will move her into a small pen at ground level.

A second broody also wont be broken.. I floated her in the azolla tank, several times a day, I think she loved it haha, got her all cooled and then she’d run like the wind dripping wet back to the nest.
She will get half the chicks.
You do have to feed the lower ranks separately or they can starve. The bigger hens wont accept the youngster until she is about their size.

Happy Potter said:

No, she’s out in the nest box but I modified it..left the little door open and hung a hessian bag over it and wet it. The nest box is on the outside of the coop with a lid for ease of collecting eggs, so I’ve propped the lid open as well to allow a cross breeze. Her eggs are hatching and I don’t want to handle pipping eggs and wet chicks. Soon as her bubs are all hatched and dried off I will move her into a small pen at ground level.

Sounds good…I didn’t realise the eggs were so close to hatching…hope it’s 100% hens for you…

Happy Potter said:

A second broody also wont be broken.. I floated her in the azolla tank, several times a day, I think she loved it haha, got her all cooled and then she’d run like the wind dripping wet back to the nest.
She will get half the chicks.

Haha sounds like a Disney animation!!

Happy Potter said:

You do have to feed the lower ranks separately or they can starve. The bigger hens wont accept the youngster until she is about their size.

Thanks for that bit of information. I’m doing it right, it seems…Pancho is not bothered by Lavender as in he’s not demanding her submission…such a gentleman…The Cisco Kid has learned not to look gift food in the mouth, duck in quick and grab it while you can…

It’s just the other hens , the Lohman Browns (LBs)…when I get the axe back it will be culling time, one hen a week (there’s six left) and they will go under the roses…I will keep Peggy as she walks up and demands to be cuddled…one hen can’t keep all the others away…

Undecided how to increase my flock, if I should pay for eggs fertilised by Pancho to be incubated…I know which hens he is boinking … These hens are his daughters so that should be OK at this stage…I don’t really understand the selection charts for crossing poultry…they make me cross-eyed…

It’s only 35C, rel hum = 39C but the chookens tongues are hanging out…so I have given them some frozen watermelon…the smart ones (including The Cisco Kid) are pecking out the seeds…hooray for seeded watermelons…and the others are chipping away, no doubt grateful for the little crystals of ice…

Lavender and The Cisco Kid obligingly walked into the nursery for me, so they are gated and will receive their own bed-time grain mix soon…Lavender looks like she is moulting but I“m wondering if she’s shedding because she feels hot…

Dinetta said:

It’s only 35C, rel hum = 39C but the chookens tongues are hanging out…so I have given them some frozen watermelon…the smart ones (including The Cisco Kid) are pecking out the seeds…hooray for seeded watermelons…and the others are chipping away, no doubt grateful for the little crystals of ice…

Lavender and The Cisco Kid obligingly walked into the nursery for me, so they are gated and will receive their own bed-time grain mix soon…Lavender looks like she is moulting but I“m wondering if she’s shedding because she feels hot…

What do you mean only? That’s hot in my books.

bluegreen said:

What do you mean only? That’s hot in my books.

37 C is hot in mine, but thankfully we don’t have the 48C (well not in the shade) temps that RoughBarked used to get…or my chookens would cark it every 12 months…

:P

Tink is clucky again I think…am going to try for four eggs from Netta (not related to Pancho), and two from Tink and two from Shellagh. The latter two are Pancho’s daughters.

Going off to check breeding line charts…again…hope I can get past the first two crossings without going to sleep…

I gave up on the wire bottomed cage for my broody. She seemed quite comfortable in there. Must have been the warm weather. So I kicked her out and shut the hen house door for the day. She went back in for that night then I kicked her out again the next day. She is back to normal and with the others now, after 3 weeks in the broody cage. Go figure.

Arghhhh.
I’ve had the weirdest experience involving a chicken.
Over a year ago an elderly lady got me to hatch out a doz eggs for her. The deal was they all go back to her but I could keep a female. So I incubated them and the result was all males. The lovely lady was nonplussed but promised me a female down the track. I told her while that would be nice, please don’t worry about it, I didn’t really want a lone one and I had enough hens. I’d forgotten all about it. Then yesty get a ph call, had to ask who it was as I didn’t recognize her voice. Well she was going to call in on me. Cool. I set the table for arvo tea.

She arrives with a little pet carrier containing one 3 week old araucana chick. What…..! She said it was about 8 weeks old. (no it’s not it’s just getting it’s secondary feathers)

She hadn’t forgotten about the female chick. I think the lady’s gone a bit funny taking a small chick from mumchook and siblings out of it’s nest and getting her friend to drive her halfway across Vic to bring this chick to me. They were quite late too as they’d gotten lost and had driven a long way. How do you say no? The chick had never been handled, nor had it ever seen a dog! It was screaming it’s little head off terrified and with heart beating wildly, I wrapped it up and shoved it under my shirt.

So I have a new chick. No where to put it or any others that I can put it with. So I’m it’s mum!

It does have ‘kind eyes’, a female sign in aras, but the amount of pink on it’s face indicates otherwise. We’ll see.

After cuddling and getting it calmed and getting vitamin drops into it, it adores me! It sits on my shoulder, de fleas my hair and plays with my earring.

How happy those photos have made me! An araucana! I think if you have tamed it at this age, it will most likely turn out to be fairly docile…

In my experience, the sexing of an araucana can tentatively be ascertained, from about 4 weeks onward, by the comb…nice pink comb = hen, nice rosy red comb = rooster. I read about this and confirmed with the araucanas that Goldie hatched for me last year.

The male will exhibit rooster tendencies, in particular “calling” the hens to food, after 8 weeks (I think, really pushing the memory buttons here, I may have recorded this in the 2014 thread about Gladstone). The Cisco Kid, who is about 3/4 araucana, has a definite pink comb and has only just finished re-feathering completely, he is 8 weeks old this week coming…being the only chicken of a very good nest mother, he is confident but not aggressive…

Araucanas are supposed to be particularly pet-like if you can tame them early…Shellagh and the late Maggie were both Pancho’s offspring, and they were handled daily, and appart from offering to peck Shadow’s nose if he got too close, they soon tamed and Shellagh still lets me pick her up…they were crosses tho’: leghorn (Shellagh) and Lohman Brown (Maggie).

Here is my post from Feb 2014, where I finally establish that Gladstone was indeed a rooster but my jury was deliberating about Netta (who hadn’t been named at that stage)

“From: Dinetta
ID: 488455
Subject: re: Poultry Prattle 2014

… …
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)…”

Gladstone definitely had a more rosy comb than the other two, but Netta just was (is) so big and confident…her comb was pink but still…I reckon with some breeds you can’t really tell until 20 weeks…others slip into their gender role easily at an early age…Happy to discuss…

Dinetta said:

Here is my post from Feb 2014, where I finally establish that Gladstone was indeed a rooster but my jury was deliberating about Netta (who hadn’t been named at that stage)

“From: Dinetta
ID: 488455
Subject: re: Poultry Prattle 2014

… …
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)…”

Gladstone definitely had a more rosy comb than the other two, but Netta just was (is) so big and confident…her comb was pink but still…I reckon with some breeds you can’t really tell until 20 weeks…others slip into their gender role easily at an early age…Happy to discuss…

Right, so I can be a little more confident that it’s a female :)

Happy Potter said:

Right, so I can be a little more confident that it’s a female :)

Yep, just a little…

Not sure why the neck feathers haven’t come in…but then I recall how A Button had feathered legs until about 3 – 4 weeks old, when the feathers disappeared…

Well that’s Tink moved to the Maternity Ward…she’s been dosed with FrontLine Plus (for kittens over 8 weeks). She has two of her own eggs, and I added yesterday’s and today’s layings from Shellagh and Netta. Tink has her own little squeak-trill.

Then I went down to check the comb of The Cisco Kid…and I think it might be roseating…dratters…was hoping the chick would be a rooster…

What am I saying? If The Cisco Kid’s comb is reddening, that is a good indicator that this chick is really a rooster…and that’s good news…not for Pancho tho’…

Dinetta said:

What am I saying? If The Cisco Kid’s comb is reddening, that is a good indicator that this chick is really a rooster…and that’s good news…not for Pancho tho’…

Well you will know in time, when it crows. It might not though unless separated from the flock because a young roo will remain quiet in the presence of a dominant rooster.

I think the Golden Girl remembers her forest roots. I’ve been digging in the chook run and she has been helping me. Quite the little hunter she is.

:)

Happy Potter said:

Well you will know in time, when it crows. It might not though unless separated from the flock because a young roo will remain quiet in the presence of a dominant rooster.

Well Gladstone must have thought he was the dominant rooster, started crowing as soon as he could…the girls would have nothing to do with him and pecked him unmercifully…except for Goldie whom he hunted and boinked and hunted…I often think she was stressed into an early grave…no matter how much she tried to stay with Pancho, Gladstone would find her when Pancho was elsewhere…Gladstone was over-endowed with hormones…

buffy said:

I think the Golden Girl remembers her forest roots. I’ve been digging in the chook run and she has been helping me. Quite the little hunter she is.

:)

Foraging instincts to the fore…

Dinetta said:

Gladstone was over-endowed with hormones…

He grew a splendid show of roses this spring/summer just gone, tho’…no hard feelings I suppose…

Have been itching to candle Tink’s eggs but I see where she’s only been sitting on them for 7 days, so might leave it until Wednesday…my main aim is to dispose of those eggs obviously not developing…

Not sure what I should do if none are developing?

Still no sign of eggs from Lavender, however one Lohman Brown is laying again, the shell is quite respectable (not paper thin) so all the LBs have got a reprieve from the axe for the time being…

I notice that a couple of them don’t peck at Lavender, so if she wasn’t such a fraidy-cat she could integrate better…

Waiting for P to come out so I can give her another face muff trim, this is growing over her eyes again…

I managed to find a companion chick for Cindy, my lone ara pullet. It’s a male Maran with not quite right colouring that was surplus to the breeders needs. Well we need it. Until he starts crowing anyway.
Both snuggled in together and same size and age. The breeder confirmed that ara is only 4 weeks old. The Maran chick was taken from a clutch of 10, so the minute I popped it into the carrier, he ran to Cindy for company. I brought him home in my jacket pocket.

Earlier when I was busy making the plum leather, Cindy was on my pc chair seat, but the minute she couldn’t see me over in the kitchen she fluttered up to the top of the back of the chair and watched my every move. So glad I was able to get her a friend of her own kind :)

Happy Potter said:

I managed to find a companion chick for Cindy, .. … So glad I was able to get her a friend of her own kind :)

great that she’s accepting him…

Klinger only hatched out 2 chickens. I am hoping one or both are hens. Whoopie is happy siting on her eggs.

One of my ducks has gone to ground somewhere, no doubt with a batch of eggs. She was MIA at lock-up last night but out and about this morning when I let the others out. She is nowhere to be seen again now. I have plenty of potential nesting spots with areas overgrown and a brown duck in the shadows is nigh impossible to see. Trying to decide now whether to take the risk and let her be, or try and flush her out. I wasn’t really planning on setting either ducks or chickens this season as I am at capacity and don’t have the housing or energy to manage any more. I don’t have the energy to go through the yard and flush her out either. I have been sick all week with a cold, and that is on top of my usual fatigue (hence the overgrown yard.)

bluegreen said:

One of my ducks has gone to ground somewhere, no doubt with a batch of eggs. She was MIA at lock-up last night but out and about this morning when I let the others out. She is nowhere to be seen again now. I have plenty of potential nesting spots with areas overgrown and a brown duck in the shadows is nigh impossible to see. Trying to decide now whether to take the risk and let her be, or try and flush her out. I wasn’t really planning on setting either ducks or chickens this season as I am at capacity and don’t have the housing or energy to manage any more. I don’t have the energy to go through the yard and flush her out either. I have been sick all week with a cold, and that is on top of my usual fatigue (hence the overgrown yard.)

Gee thought is a tough one to decided. How many chooks and ducks do you have now BG???

Lucky1 said:

bluegreen said:

One of my ducks has gone to ground somewhere, no doubt with a batch of eggs. She was MIA at lock-up last night but out and about this morning when I let the others out. She is nowhere to be seen again now. I have plenty of potential nesting spots with areas overgrown and a brown duck in the shadows is nigh impossible to see. Trying to decide now whether to take the risk and let her be, or try and flush her out. I wasn’t really planning on setting either ducks or chickens this season as I am at capacity and don’t have the housing or energy to manage any more. I don’t have the energy to go through the yard and flush her out either. I have been sick all week with a cold, and that is on top of my usual fatigue (hence the overgrown yard.)

Gee thought is a tough one to decided. How many chooks and ducks do you have now BG???

6 bantam hens and 1 rooster, 5 ducks (4 layers) and 2 drakes. When I have the energy I am going to assess the bantams because I have gotten hardly any eggs from them. I think some have taken up eating them so I need to work out who the culprits are.

I might ask my friend to bring her retired sheep dog around. She uses her with her chooks and ducks and I am sure she will be able to find and flush out the culprit duck.

Did you find your duck, BlueGreen?

I candled the eggs under Tink on Wednesday night: both Netta’s are solid lumps, one of Tink’s might be good, and both of Shellagh’s may not have developed much at all. There areblobs floating around, and I mean floating, plus what looks like bubbles…I know she has been laying fertilised eggs but the tops of her eggs have a fault, very thin pin-holes in the shell, and I think this might be affecting the chick development.

Any suggestions from the egg-sperts…?

bluegreen said:

6 bantam hens and 1 rooster, 5 ducks (4 layers) and 2 drakes. When I have the energy I am going to assess the bantams because I have gotten hardly any eggs from them. I think some have taken up eating them so I need to work out who the culprits are.

Nice little number. I could be scoring a couple of young hand raised ducks. A quilting friend has some she is rearing. I get the odd egg from Klinger or Hot Lips. They are all I have left from those bantam eggs you gave me years ago.

bluegreen said:

I might ask my friend to bring her retired sheep dog around. She uses her with her chooks and ducks and I am sure she will be able to find and flush out the culprit duck.

LMAO…….. that is cheating….lol

Dinetta said:

Did you find your duck, BlueGreen?

I candled the eggs under Tink on Wednesday night: both Netta’s are solid lumps, one of Tink’s might be good, and both of Shellagh’s may not have developed much at all. There areblobs floating around, and I mean floating, plus what looks like bubbles…I know she has been laying fertilised eggs but the tops of her eggs have a fault, very thin pin-holes in the shell, and I think this might be affecting the chick development.

Any suggestions from the egg-sperts…?

All ducks present and accounted for and locked up for the night. Didn’t need my friend’s dog in the end. But one of my hens upped and died on me, and then the rooster attacked me and nearly got his neck wrung for his efforts, so I am a bit upset atm.

Early signs of developing eggs are a network of veins from a dark spot. Blobs floating around doesn’t sound good to me. Other than that I can’t help much as I tend to just leave them be myself.

bluegreen said:

All ducks present and accounted for and locked up for the night. Didn’t need my friend’s dog in the end. But one of my hens upped and died on me, and then the rooster attacked me and nearly got his neck wrung for his efforts, so I am a bit upset atm.

Early signs of developing eggs are a network of veins from a dark spot. Blobs floating around doesn’t sound good to me. Other than that I can’t help much as I tend to just leave them be myself.

Bummer when they do that…were there no warning signs?

I’ve never been able to see the network of veins, not sure why…however I do know from the last setting (that produced The Cisco Kid) that Netta’s “good” eggs go full-block opaque if there’s a developing chick…OK I’ll give them until day 18, and any that are clear I will remove from the nest…Tink has got off the nest and had a big drink and a big feed, she seems happy in the Maternity Ward as I haven’t seen her pacing the fence perimeters, trying to get out…

Thanks BlueGreen…

Dinetta said:

Bummer when they do that…were there no warning signs?

not really. She was a bit slow getting to the pen and I noticed she had a messy butt so I caught her and was going to snip the soiled feathers away. I think the shock of it gave her a heart attack, she just stopped breathing. I don’t usually handle them you see.

bluegreen said:

Dinetta said:

Bummer when they do that…were there no warning signs?

not really. She was a bit slow getting to the pen and I noticed she had a messy butt so I caught her and was going to snip the soiled feathers away. I think the shock of it gave her a heart attack, she just stopped breathing. I don’t usually handle them you see.

She can’t have been very well at all…

Dinetta said:

bluegreen said:

Dinetta said:

Bummer when they do that…were there no warning signs?

not really. She was a bit slow getting to the pen and I noticed she had a messy butt so I caught her and was going to snip the soiled feathers away. I think the shock of it gave her a heart attack, she just stopped breathing. I don’t usually handle them you see.

She can’t have been very well at all…

Yes I’d say she was not at all well. I’m no chook whisperer but messy cloaca on a budgie is serious.

bluegreen said:

Dinetta said:

Bummer when they do that…were there no warning signs?

not really. She was a bit slow getting to the pen and I noticed she had a messy butt so I caught her and was going to snip the soiled feathers away. I think the shock of it gave her a heart attack, she just stopped breathing. I don’t usually handle them you see.

Sorry to hear BG. I hope the roo calms down and doesn’t attack again. They only need to do that once here and they’re gone.

Worms? re the dead hen ?

Happy Potter said:

Sorry to hear BG. I hope the roo calms down and doesn’t attack again. They only need to do that once here and they’re gone.

Worms? re the dead hen ?

It hasn’t been the first time. He’s on borrowed time. The only reason I didn’t do it there and then is that I didn’t want to make that decision while upset. He’s the one I got from you. Started off nice and friendly, but then the hormones kicked in.

I will get some worming solution and treat the flock. I don’t know if it was that but it has been a while since I did them and seeing as I am not getting any eggs from them I might as well.

Happy Potter said:

Sorry to hear BG. I hope the roo calms down and doesn’t attack again. They only need to do that once here and they’re gone.

Worms? re the dead hen ?

I found with Pancho, his warning growls were defensive…a long story and I’m not sure of the facts as to how he came to regard me as co-protector of the flock…unless it’s because there’s a couple of hens that step on my feet and cast beseeching glances up at me until I pick them up for a cuddle…

Well Maggie died of intestinal cancer…which was either hand in hand or concurrent with a kind of avian influenzia…it was a leukaemia (F7), the vet said…

Embarrassed to admit that I think The Cisco Kid is a hen…

That little “hen hump” of feathers they get where their tails start, is more pronounced, and the comb is refusing to redden any more…

Found the broody duck’s nest and raked out a dozen eggs with a garden implement. She was in quite a good spot all things considered. A part of the yard that used to have a hardenbergia grown over a some wire netting which formed a small tunnel. The hardenbergia is gone and kikuyu has taken its place.

bluegreen said:

Found the broody duck’s nest and raked out a dozen eggs with a garden implement. She was in quite a good spot all things considered. A part of the yard that used to have a hardenbergia grown over a some wire netting which formed a small tunnel. The hardenbergia is gone and kikuyu has taken its place.

oh they’re good…for birdbrains they are good…

Made the decision and did the deed. No more rooster. Causing too much angst for me. I was thinking that the hen that died was at least 6 years old as I brought her up with me 4 years ago and was maybe a couple of years old then. One more at the same age and the other 4 are about 18 months and 2 1/2 years old.

How old is Klinger, Lucky? She must be a ripe old age by now.

6 is a grand age for a hen, BlueGreen…

Vale the little rooster but not good if you get broken skin on your shin, or similar…

Chatting over the fence today, Mrs B’s daughter from the coast (the friendly daughter) has happily announced that DotCom, son of Pancho and brother of Shellagh, is a Daddy to at least 8 hens…out of 10 eggs I think she was saying…she’s the one who did the silk hanky through the wedding ring thing, to see if they were hens or roosters whilst still forming in the shell…

She took a cutting of a floribunda that was her Aunty’s (father’s sister) rose, the aunty has passed away and B has managed to get the cutting not only to strike but also to flower…quite a zippy rose pink, a hint of blue kind of pink if you know what I mean…B was saying she’s not successful with the “single bloom” cuttings but floribundas tend to take OK…anyway long story short, B was potting up the cutting to take to her Mum at the local Golden Oldies Lodge…

B is going to keep the rooster from that last setting, it’s the first clutch of DotCom’s “eggs” she’s hatched since she got him…loses her hens to dingoes and other dogs, from time to time…

The Cisco Kid is ten weeks now, time for him/her to show feather development one way or the other…

Annnnnd I have a new chicken.
This fellow, grrr, bought a beautiful white hen from a breeder at nearly $50, pol, and put it straight in with Isa Browns. They bluddy near shredded the poor thing. Half her comb torn and wounds near her eyes and several on her abdomen, so she’d given up and was on her back or side with the Isa’s attacking. She couldn’t defend herself as she’d been debeaked. She was brought to me and I set about washing the blood off, checking wounds and spraying them with centrigen. Now in the fernery in a large rabbit cage in quarantine, vitamin water and some chick crumbles. She is incredibly subdued.
I’ll get her confidence back.

Lin Lin and her wyandotte chicks make me laugh all the time. Those chicks are little houdinis and Lin Lin is constantly calling them. Today I took their temp pen away so they’d have the wider yard to play in and within 10 minutes mum was going off her nut calling them. Well they’d found the Myna bird trap and managed to get themselves into it. Well and truly trapped lol. Silly little chicks!

Happy Potter said:

Annnnnd I have a new chicken.
This fellow, grrr, bought a beautiful white hen from a breeder at nearly $50, pol, and put it straight in with Isa Browns. They bluddy near shredded the poor thing. Half her comb torn and wounds near her eyes and several on her abdomen, so she’d given up and was on her back or side with the Isa’s attacking. She couldn’t defend herself as she’d been debeaked. She was brought to me and I set about washing the blood off, checking wounds and spraying them with centrigen. Now in the fernery in a large rabbit cage in quarantine, vitamin water and some chick crumbles. She is incredibly subdued.
I’ll get her confidence back.

What was the problem, we’re red and you’re white? $50 worth of chicken, tho’… what was he thinking of?
Happy Potter said:

Lin Lin and her wyandotte chicks make me laugh all the time. Those chicks are little houdinis and Lin Lin is constantly calling them. Today I took their temp pen away so they’d have the wider yard to play in and within 10 minutes mum was going off her nut calling them. Well they’d found the Myna bird trap and managed to get themselves into it. Well and truly trapped lol. Silly little chicks!

Well at least they were in one spot where she could rouse on them…

Dinetta said:

Happy Potter said:

Annnnnd I have a new chicken.
This fellow, grrr, bought a beautiful white hen from a breeder at nearly $50, pol, and put it straight in with Isa Browns. They bluddy near shredded the poor thing. Half her comb torn and wounds near her eyes and several on her abdomen, so she’d given up and was on her back or side with the Isa’s attacking. She couldn’t defend herself as she’d been debeaked. She was brought to me and I set about washing the blood off, checking wounds and spraying them with centrigen. Now in the fernery in a large rabbit cage in quarantine, vitamin water and some chick crumbles. She is incredibly subdued.
I’ll get her confidence back.

What was the problem, we’re red and you’re white? $50 worth of chicken, tho’… what was he thinking of?
Happy Potter said:

Lin Lin and her wyandotte chicks make me laugh all the time. Those chicks are little houdinis and Lin Lin is constantly calling them. Today I took their temp pen away so they’d have the wider yard to play in and within 10 minutes mum was going off her nut calling them. Well they’d found the Myna bird trap and managed to get themselves into it. Well and truly trapped lol. Silly little chicks!

Well at least they were in one spot where she could rouse on them…

The hens completely different colour did come into it, but even if she was the same colour as the others, you don’t ever just put a new one straight in an established flock.
She is going well, so far. Warm and dry. She has black splashes through her feathers so her actual breed is a mystery. I wouldn’t pay that much for a hen unless it was really special, or something I was specifically looking for.

Happy Potter said:

Dinetta said:

Happy Potter said:

Annnnnd I have a new chicken.
This fellow, grrr, bought a beautiful white hen from a breeder at nearly $50, pol, and put it straight in with Isa Browns. They bluddy near shredded the poor thing. Half her comb torn and wounds near her eyes and several on her abdomen, so she’d given up and was on her back or side with the Isa’s attacking. She couldn’t defend herself as she’d been debeaked. She was brought to me and I set about washing the blood off, checking wounds and spraying them with centrigen. Now in the fernery in a large rabbit cage in quarantine, vitamin water and some chick crumbles. She is incredibly subdued.
I’ll get her confidence back.

What was the problem, we’re red and you’re white? $50 worth of chicken, tho’… what was he thinking of?
Happy Potter said:

Lin Lin and her wyandotte chicks make me laugh all the time. Those chicks are little houdinis and Lin Lin is constantly calling them. Today I took their temp pen away so they’d have the wider yard to play in and within 10 minutes mum was going off her nut calling them. Well they’d found the Myna bird trap and managed to get themselves into it. Well and truly trapped lol. Silly little chicks!

Well at least they were in one spot where she could rouse on them…

The hens completely different colour did come into it, but even if she was the same colour as the others, you don’t ever just put a new one straight in an established flock.
She is going well, so far. Warm and dry. She has black splashes through her feathers so her actual breed is a mystery. I wouldn’t pay that much for a hen unless it was really special, or something I was specifically looking for.

and Isa Browns have a reputation for being particularly nasty.

bluegreen said:

Dinetta said:

Did you find your duck, BlueGreen?

I candled the eggs under Tink on Wednesday night: both Netta’s are solid lumps, one of Tink’s might be good, and both of Shellagh’s may not have developed much at all. There areblobs floating around, and I mean floating, plus what looks like bubbles…I know she has been laying fertilised eggs but the tops of her eggs have a fault, very thin pin-holes in the shell, and I think this might be affecting the chick development.

Any suggestions from the egg-sperts…?

All ducks present and accounted for and locked up for the night. Didn’t need my friend’s dog in the end. But one of my hens upped and died on me, and then the rooster attacked me and nearly got his neck wrung for his efforts, so I am a bit upset atm.

Early signs of developing eggs are a network of veins from a dark spot. Blobs floating around doesn’t sound good to me. Other than that I can’t help much as I tend to just leave them be myself.

What sort of rooster is he BG??? Sorry to read a chookie had died.

roughbarked said:

Dinetta said:

bluegreen said:

not really. She was a bit slow getting to the pen and I noticed she had a messy butt so I caught her and was going to snip the soiled feathers away. I think the shock of it gave her a heart attack, she just stopped breathing. I don’t usually handle them you see.

She can’t have been very well at all…

Yes I’d say she was not at all well. I’m no chook whisperer but messy cloaca on a budgie is serious.

I hugged “Ruffles” my large sussex hen years ago and he dropped dead hen I put her down. It was such a gentle hug too. Then BG sent me some of her Light Sussex eggs and the rest is history.

Dinetta said:

Embarrassed to admit that I think The Cisco Kid is a hen…

That little “hen hump” of feathers they get where their tails start, is more pronounced, and the comb is refusing to redden any more…

LMAO

Denzil Washington is a hen
Cate Blanchet is a rooster
Mammy is a rooster

Well that is the way its looking at the moment. Cate and Mammy are doing a lot of play fighting. :(

bluegreen said:

Made the decision and did the deed. No more rooster. Causing too much angst for me. I was thinking that the hen that died was at least 6 years old as I brought her up with me 4 years ago and was maybe a couple of years old then. One more at the same age and the other 4 are about 18 months and 2 1/2 years old.

How old is Klinger, Lucky? She must be a ripe old age by now.

Yes Klinger is from the eggs you dropped off here. Hot Lips has only 1 eye now. Klinger is a good mum and lets me pick her up and pop her outside her housing area with the two chicks. I pop them back in later in the day. Just had a look and they have a hatching date of 2006.

Dinetta said:

The Cisco Kid is ten weeks now, time for him/her to show feather development one way or the other…

LOl the names we call our feather kids.

Lucky1 said:

roughbarked said:

Dinetta said:

She can’t have been very well at all…

Yes I’d say she was not at all well. I’m no chook whisperer but messy cloaca on a budgie is serious.

I hugged “Ruffles” my large sussex hen years ago and he dropped dead hen I put her down. It was such a gentle hug too. Then BG sent me some of her Light Sussex eggs and the rest is history.

proof read Lucky!!! Proof read.

Lucky1 said:

I hugged “Ruffles” my large sussex hen years ago and he dropped dead hen I put her down. It was such a gentle hug too. Then BG sent me some of her Light Sussex eggs and the rest is history.

Wow, just waiting for the last cuddle from you, Lucky…I always feel better if I can give them a hug first, even Gladstone…

Lucky1 said:

LMAO

Denzil Washington is a hen
Cate Blanchet is a rooster
Mammy is a rooster

Well that is the way its looking at the moment. Cate and Mammy are doing a lot of play fighting. :(

Well Maggie and Shellagh did lots of playfighting, I thought I had two roosters and one hen. The “hen” turned out to be DotCom, for whom I found a home, he has such a lovely nature, and he has now fathered 8 more hens…not sure how many more roosters, but his owner is keeping one of his rooster offspring…

So the playfighting was misleading up until DotCom found his crow and Pancho started tracking him…

Lucky1 said:

Yes Klinger is from the eggs you dropped off here. Hot Lips has only 1 eye now. Klinger is a good mum and lets me pick her up and pop her outside her housing area with the two chicks. I pop them back in later in the day. Just had a look and they have a hatching date of 2006.

2006? Wonderful…

Lucky1 said:

Dinetta said:

The Cisco Kid is ten weeks now, time for him/her to show feather development one way or the other…

LOl the names we call our feather kids.

Somebody on another forum put me up to it because of Pancho’s name…I’d never heard of the tv show…

Getting egg-sited here, the eggs may not hatch as early as the last batch because it hasn’t been as hot…will lift Tink tonight for a peek, no candling the eggs tho’…

Lucky1 said:

bluegreen said:

Made the decision and did the deed. No more rooster. Causing too much angst for me. I was thinking that the hen that died was at least 6 years old as I brought her up with me 4 years ago and was maybe a couple of years old then. One more at the same age and the other 4 are about 18 months and 2 1/2 years old.

How old is Klinger, Lucky? She must be a ripe old age by now.

Yes Klinger is from the eggs you dropped off here. Hot Lips has only 1 eye now. Klinger is a good mum and lets me pick her up and pop her outside her housing area with the two chicks. I pop them back in later in the day. Just had a look and they have a hatching date of 2006.

I’m pretty sure that I don’t have any of that vintage any more. Way to go Klinger and Hot Lips!

Lucky1 said:

What sort of rooster is he BG???

WAS a Light Sussex Bantam like the others. The first couple of roosters I had of this breed were as gentle as, but not having much luck with them now.

Dinetta said:

Lucky1 said:

LMAO

Denzil Washington is a hen
Cate Blanchet is a rooster
Mammy is a rooster

Well that is the way its looking at the moment. Cate and Mammy are doing a lot of play fighting. :(

Well Maggie and Shellagh did lots of playfighting, I thought I had two roosters and one hen. The “hen” turned out to be DotCom, for whom I found a home, he has such a lovely nature, and he has now fathered 8 more hens…not sure how many more roosters, but his owner is keeping one of his rooster offspring…

So the playfighting was misleading up until DotCom found his crow and Pancho started tracking him…

Thanks for that. I am not getting them new homes until they crow.

Dinetta said:

Lucky1 said:

Yes Klinger is from the eggs you dropped off here. Hot Lips has only 1 eye now. Klinger is a good mum and lets me pick her up and pop her outside her housing area with the two chicks. I pop them back in later in the day. Just had a look and they have a hatching date of 2006.

2006? Wonderful…

Yeah I thought so too. Good living in my backyard.

Dinetta said:

Lucky1 said:

Dinetta said:

The Cisco Kid is ten weeks now, time for him/her to show feather development one way or the other…

LOl the names we call our feather kids.

Somebody on another forum put me up to it because of Pancho’s name…I’d never heard of the tv show…

Collie WA named my duck Bundy and Bundy is still kicking around the backyard. Even survived a fax attack a few years back.

bluegreen said:

Lucky1 said:

bluegreen said:

Made the decision and did the deed. No more rooster. Causing too much angst for me. I was thinking that the hen that died was at least 6 years old as I brought her up with me 4 years ago and was maybe a couple of years old then. One more at the same age and the other 4 are about 18 months and 2 1/2 years old.

How old is Klinger, Lucky? She must be a ripe old age by now.

Yes Klinger is from the eggs you dropped off here. Hot Lips has only 1 eye now. Klinger is a good mum and lets me pick her up and pop her outside her housing area with the two chicks. I pop them back in later in the day. Just had a look and they have a hatching date of 2006.

I’m pretty sure that I don’t have any of that vintage any more. Way to go Klinger and Hot Lips!

Even Oprah was YEARS old hen she fell off the perch (pun intended)

bluegreen said:

Lucky1 said:

What sort of rooster is he BG???

WAS a Light Sussex Bantam like the others. The first couple of roosters I had of this breed were as gentle as, but not having much luck with them now.

Hhmmm that is sad. Thought it was one of those breed as I know you like them.

eeek! squeee!

A chicken has hatched in the last hour or so, I think it might be a lavender (quite the throwback)…I have moved it and Tink and other eggs into a cat cage, and they are in the dining room of the house with a cotton throw over them to keep it dark…

There are rats in the Maternity Ward…Nerfititi has them baled up under some bags of potting mix etc…heh heh…Opened up the A’frame that Sonny Jim made me and here’s two rats blinking at me…as I don’t trust rats not to eat dear little newly-hatched chicks, the chicks and Tink are now where they are…

Dinetta said:

eeek! squeee!

A chicken has hatched in the last hour or so, I think it might be a lavender (quite the throwback)…I have moved it and Tink and other eggs into a cat cage, and they are in the dining room of the house with a cotton throw over them to keep it dark…

There are rats in the Maternity Ward…Nerfititi has them baled up under some bags of potting mix etc…heh heh…Opened up the A’frame that Sonny Jim made me and here’s two rats blinking at me…as I don’t trust rats not to eat dear little newly-hatched chicks, the chicks and Tink are now where they are…

hope the rest of the hatch goes well for you :)

Dinetta said:

eeek! squeee!

A chicken has hatched in the last hour or so, I think it might be a lavender (quite the throwback)…I have moved it and Tink and other eggs into a cat cage, and they are in the dining room of the house with a cotton throw over them to keep it dark…

There are rats in the Maternity Ward…Nerfititi has them baled up under some bags of potting mix etc…heh heh…Opened up the A’frame that Sonny Jim made me and here’s two rats blinking at me…as I don’t trust rats not to eat dear little newly-hatched chicks, the chicks and Tink are now where they are…

Oooh, fluffballs :D
Good move on getting them away from the rats. The rodents do love a hatchling snack.

2 chickens…pretty sure they’re both Nettas…left them in the cat cage with the lid off, save handling the eggs again…

Dinetta said:

2 chickens…pretty sure they’re both Nettas…left them in the cat cage with the lid off, save handling the eggs again…

:)

That is definitely two of Netta’s…still hoping for one of Tink’s eggs to hatch…I’ll bring them up into the house again after dark…pretty sure Tink will leave the setting tomorrow…

How many times a year can you let a hen set clutches?

Tink is still sitting, but I think today she will get off the unhatched eggs…

She’s off, and I have uploaded some photos to my new Photobucket album…

Now how do I show them here?

Dinetta said:

She’s off, and I have uploaded some photos to my new Photobucket album…

Now how do I show them here?

you could try right clicking on them and select “Copy image location” and then paste here between two exclamation marks. Not sure if everyone would be able to see them if they don’t have a facebook page though.

bluegreen said:

Dinetta said:

She’s off, and I have uploaded some photos to my new Photobucket album…

Now how do I show them here?

you could try right clicking on them and select “Copy image location” and then paste here between two exclamation marks. Not sure if everyone would be able to see them if they don’t have a facebook page though.

Not in/on facebook, BlueGreen…will try anyway…

Bit big, hey?

Now what…

I think if you can click on the image, you might get into my ChickenScratch album, and you can browse through that?

Let me know…

In the top right corner of the photo in your album if you run your cursor there a sort of cogwheel appears. Click on the option of “Share Links”. I use HTML thumb. When you click on that option, it copies the link and then you can come back to your post here and paste it in.

You may need to enable the thumbnails. Click on the little silhouette head at the top right of the album page. Go to Albums tab and tick all the link boxes.

I think my photobucket page may be different to yours, Buffy…it says “Photobucket 2015”, there is no cogwheel and the silohuette is on the top left hand corner..

Any way, my album is public so if you double-click on my picture, you should be able to see the rest of the photos in my photobucket?

Dinetta said:

bluegreen said:

Dinetta said:

She’s off, and I have uploaded some photos to my new Photobucket album…

Now how do I show them here?

you could try right clicking on them and select “Copy image location” and then paste here between two exclamation marks. Not sure if everyone would be able to see them if they don’t have a facebook page though.

Not in/on facebook, BlueGreen…will try anyway…

DOH! You said photobucket, not facebook!

Dinetta said:

Bit big, hey?

Now what…

top right hand corner is a profile picture or icon. when you put your cursor over it some options appear.
Click settings
Click Albums tab
Scroll down
Under Links you can select which codes your want available. Easy linking mode will display the links under the image thumbnails in your folders
Scroll down to Upload Options
Click on Customize Upload Options
You will see different image sizes that determine how big the photo is when you upload it. The largest recommended size is OK for storing higher quality images but if you only upload to share images I recommend 640×480. This will then apply to any new photos you upload.
Scroll down and click on save changes.

Aww cuties!

bluegreen said:

top right hand corner is a profile picture or icon. when you put your cursor over it some options appear…. …

I can see it now, it wasn’t there before…I must have done something different …

“Success! That click paid off!”

Thanks BlueGreen (and Buffy)…

:D

Happy Potter said:

Aww cuties!

I know…they are again in the cat carrier in the dining room…Shadow comes over all protective every now and then and sleeps beside it…

Have been looking at the “bitches box” under the house, this has weldmesh fencing concreted in…timber stump and steel posts in the corners…so I thought perhaps some aviary wire inside the box, with wood footings or whatever they’re called…skirtings? (from the pallets) and this will be secure from the rats of a night…also won’t hurt the chickens to be handled every morning and evening, I’ll put them back into the Maternity Ward during the day…

Happy Potter said:

Aww cuties!

Fangs…did you see all the photos? The Maternity Ward and all?

Dinetta said:

Happy Potter said:

Aww cuties!

Fangs…did you see all the photos? The Maternity Ward and all?

Only the one photo. Any on FB?

None on fb…I’ll have another go in the morning, my eyes are blurry now…

Cogwheels all over the place now…

That’s that lot deleted, going to upload to PB again with the new settings…

Sorry, which Photo Link do I use to upload to this Forum, again?

Testing 1 2 3 testing

This is the Maternity Ward from the north east, with the AFrame Sonny Jim made me, to the right

Good shot of the “lavender” colour

Looks like I’ve got the hang of this?

(Y)

Dinetta said:

Good shot of the “lavender” colour

sweet :)

Yep, you’ve got it. I prefer to put the thumbnails into the forums as they don’t take a lot to load for people on slow connections. People can always click on the thumbnail to go to the full picture and gallery if they like.

Yay…does power boogie

Can you also click on the photo and see the series I have on my PhotoBucket?

Dinetta said:

Yay…does power boogie

Can you also click on the photo and see the series I have on my PhotoBucket?

Yes, I can. Well done!

Goodie!

bluegreen said:

Dinetta said:

Good shot of the “lavender” colour

sweet :)

Very :)

found the latest hidden nest. there was a bantam egg and a couple of duck eggs. I noticed a duck fussing around there and that is how I found it. Went out later and there was another duck and another bantam egg. So I know at least one bantam is laying! Cute they are sharing the nest.

bluegreen said:

found the latest hidden nest. there was a bantam egg and a couple of duck eggs. I noticed a duck fussing around there and that is how I found it. Went out later and there was another duck and another bantam egg. So I know at least one bantam is laying! Cute they are sharing the nest.

Bet the bantam is having words to the duck…Fusspot! Now we’re sprung!

I notice Lavender has been dithering between the house and her old nesting spot…she may be laying again, it’s been a while, 10 weeks next week I think, since The Cisco Kid was hatched…+

Gave Lavender her facial “muff” cut last night…I really need another person with this…nearly scalped her on the side I couldn’t see properly…but she’s looking more confident this morning now that she can see front and side…

Dinetta said:

eeek! squeee!

A chicken has hatched in the last hour or so, I think it might be a lavender (quite the throwback)…I have moved it and Tink and other eggs into a cat cage, and they are in the dining room of the house with a cotton throw over them to keep it dark…

There are rats in the Maternity Ward…Nerfititi has them baled up under some bags of potting mix etc…heh heh…Opened up the A’frame that Sonny Jim made me and here’s two rats blinking at me…as I don’t trust rats not to eat dear little newly-hatched chicks, the chicks and Tink are now where they are…

Whoopie’s eggs are due out Thursday this coming week. Very excited. Klinger and her 2 are hooning around the backyard.

Dinetta said:

That is definitely two of Netta’s…still hoping for one of Tink’s eggs to hatch…I’ll bring them up into the house again after dark…pretty sure Tink will leave the setting tomorrow…

How many times a year can you let a hen set clutches?

Dunno, but Whoopie was only a couple of months if that between both clutches.

bluegreen said:

Dinetta said:

bluegreen said:

you could try right clicking on them and select “Copy image location” and then paste here between two exclamation marks. Not sure if everyone would be able to see them if they don’t have a facebook page though.

Not in/on facebook, BlueGreen…will try anyway…

DOH! You said photobucket, not facebook!

LOL

I have a new giggle pig/rabbit hutch coming hopefully this week. Its second hand for $40.00. Reason its in this thread is…….Peppermints bigger hutch is being uses for broody chooks.

Dinetta said:

Testing 1 2 3 testing

This is the Maternity Ward from the north east, with the AFrame Sonny Jim made me, to the right

Good on Sonny Jim. He must be an age now.

Dinetta said:

Good shot of the “lavender” colour

nnnnaaawwwww so cute. Pretty colour

bluegreen said:

Dinetta said:

Yay…does power boogie

Can you also click on the photo and see the series I have on my PhotoBucket?

Yes, I can. Well done!

awesome….going back for a tour of the place.

bluegreen said:

Dinetta said:

Yay…does power boogie

Can you also click on the photo and see the series I have on my PhotoBucket?

Yes, I can. Well done!

Gee mum is so pretty. Love that colour

Lucky1 said:

Good on Sonny Jim. He must be an age now.

25 this year, Lucky…Fashionista is 29 this year, now that is scarey…she is the eldest…

Lucky1 said:

I have a new giggle pig/rabbit hutch coming hopefully this week. Its second hand for $40.00. Reason its in this thread is…….Peppermints bigger hutch is being uses for broody chooks.

Sounds like Pettermint’s hutch is a multi-function centre…

Dinetta said:

Lucky1 said:

Good on Sonny Jim. He must be an age now.

25 this year, Lucky…Fashionista is 29 this year, now that is scarey…she is the eldest…

Crikey…… they have grown…lol

Dinetta said:

Lucky1 said:

I have a new giggle pig/rabbit hutch coming hopefully this week. Its second hand for $40.00. Reason its in this thread is…….Peppermints bigger hutch is being uses for broody chooks.

Sounds like Pettermint’s hutch is a multi-function centre…

At the moment it is….lol. His new one is a two story one.

Lucky1 said:

At the moment it is….lol. His new one is a two story one.

All that space to rattle around in, he’ll need a friend…

Lucky1 said:

Crikey…… they have grown…lol

I’ve been trying to work it out the last couple of weeks…can you remember when you first joined the original GA Forum? I recall CQGem talking about his penis plant and that sure broke the ice…that was when I first found the Forum and you were right behind me…

Dinetta said:

Lucky1 said:

At the moment it is….lol. His new one is a two story one.

All that space to rattle around in, he’ll need a friend…

I know….:)

Dinetta said:

Lucky1 said:

Crikey…… they have grown…lol

I’ve been trying to work it out the last couple of weeks…can you remember when you first joined the original GA Forum? I recall CQGem talking about his penis plant and that sure broke the ice…that was when I first found the Forum and you were right behind me…

Goodness that would be over 10 years ago now.

Lucky1 said:

Dinetta said:

Lucky1 said:

Crikey…… they have grown…lol

I’ve been trying to work it out the last couple of weeks…can you remember when you first joined the original GA Forum? I recall CQGem talking about his penis plant and that sure broke the ice…that was when I first found the Forum and you were right behind me…

Goodness that would be over 10 years ago now.

My baby turned 30 in January.

bluegreen said:

Lucky1 said:

Dinetta said:

I’ve been trying to work it out the last couple of weeks…can you remember when you first joined the original GA Forum? I recall CQGem talking about his penis plant and that sure broke the ice…that was when I first found the Forum and you were right behind me…

Goodness that would be over 10 years ago now.

My baby turned 30 in January.

Mine in June and she and Mr. A are of to Las Vegas and leaving the kids home with me and the outlaws. I didn’t go anywhere for my 30th.

Shadow is driving me nuts because he wants Tink and her two chickens brought up…the cat caught another rat last night, they are dead by the time she gets them upstairs but my! they are plump!

Hoping to tame the chickens somewhat by picking them up of a night and morning, when I move them between the Maternity Ward and upstairs, for safety…I’m wondering if araucanas need this handling when chickens to avoid the flighty mentality they develop when older…

Was chatting to the lady down the back who has the light sussex, and she was saying she’s thinking of getting rid of the chookens, they are digging up her garden. Her husband is a welder but they haven’t worked out how to protect the garden beds. which are free form.

I was wondering, if she gets desparate, would the light sussex rooster (a very nice rooster) get along with Pancho? Some reading has indicated that as long as the hens stick to their roosters, they should co-habit OK…

Dinetta said:

Was chatting to the lady down the back who has the light sussex, and she was saying she’s thinking of getting rid of the chookens, they are digging up her garden. Her husband is a welder but they haven’t worked out how to protect the garden beds. which are free form.

I was wondering, if she gets desparate, would the light sussex rooster (a very nice rooster) get along with Pancho? Some reading has indicated that as long as the hens stick to their roosters, they should co-habit OK…

I wouldn’t chance it. You could try one in a separate pen where they can see each other..

Dinetta said:

Was chatting to the lady down the back who has the light sussex, and she was saying she’s thinking of getting rid of the chookens, they are digging up her garden. Her husband is a welder but they haven’t worked out how to protect the garden beds. which are free form.

I was wondering, if she gets desparate, would the light sussex rooster (a very nice rooster) get along with Pancho? Some reading has indicated that as long as the hens stick to their roosters, they should co-habit OK…

roosters will fight, only rarely will they get along if they have grown up together.

How long should Hamburghs usually live? One of my girls up and died the other day. I don’t think she was two yet.

buffy said:

How long should Hamburghs usually live? One of my girls up and died the other day. I don’t think she was two yet.

Oh sorry to hear this buffy.

buffy said:

How long should Hamburghs usually live? One of my girls up and died the other day. I don’t think she was two yet.

Longer than that, if she was otherwise healthy. Sometimes it just happens though or she was sick and hid it well.

I’m not sentimental about my chooks. They die when they die. I was a bit surprised though. She was just dead in the yard in the mid afternoon. She is not in the compost. I was expecting the raggedy looking Speckled Sussex girls to be next to go. They are presently without tail feathers and looking very moth eaten. I think those ones are 4 or 5 now so they won’t last a lot longer.

Whoops, not=now in the compost.

buffy said:

How long should Hamburghs usually live? One of my girls up and died the other day. I don’t think she was two yet.

Sorry to hear! I have 2 four year old hamburgs. The other are from one to three years old. She was probably unwell, they hide illness so they aren’t driven out or attacked for being weak and sick. Most of the time the cause can’t be found without an autopsy. It could be one or more of several things.

Happy Potter said:

buffy said:

How long should Hamburghs usually live? One of my girls up and died the other day. I don’t think she was two yet.

Sorry to hear! I have 2 four year old hamburgs. The other are from one to three years old. She was probably unwell, they hide illness so they aren’t driven out or attacked for being weak and sick. Most of the time the cause can’t be found without an autopsy. It could be one or more of several things.

With any sort of bird, by the time they show symptoms it’s often too late. That’s why avian vets recommend pet birds have 6 monthly checkups.

I picked up these two little d’uccle cuties today. The hen is a mille fleur, the roo a white mottled. I have two black mottled hens that have started laying. I underestimated their eggs, they are beautiful eating. Small eggs of course, about 25 g, three fit on a slice of toast, but what a taste sensation! It just seems the smaller the egg the tastier it becomes. I preferred Silkies eggs over any large breeds but d’uccle eggs are even better.

Ooh, I’m on the list to get a couple of Barnevelder pullets sometime in the next year. One of my patients breeds Hamburgs, and I have bought some of them from him, and the other day he offered me Barnevelders when he breeds up. At the moment he only has a cockerel. These pictures are (obviously) not his:

http://www.backyardpoultry.com/old/index.php?page=./breeds/bar.html

Aren’t they handsome! He was at a show, one of the Barnevelders laid an egg and the fellow said R could have it. He hatched a cock. So last weekend he was off to a sale to see if he could get a couple of ladies.

:)

Picked up a gold spangled Hamburgh (Gytha) and a silver spangled Hamburgh (Esme) today. I wasn’t too sure about just putting them into the yard with the other girls. But I went in. The two Speckled Sussex and the two older Hamburghs had gone to bed as it was starting to get dull. But White Wings (Speckled Sussex) heard me and came out. The new girls made a few little noises (they are both under 6 months of age) and she called them in to the chooktractor. They wandered around each other and she herded them into the ‘house’ and onto the perch. I checked about half an hour later and the youngest is snuggled up underneath White Wings. The others are snuggled together on the perch.

I think it was a successful introduction. I’ll watch them in the morning and see how they go when everyone is actually awake and not half asleep.

buffy said:

Picked up a gold spangled Hamburgh (Gytha) and a silver spangled Hamburgh (Esme) today. I wasn’t too sure about just putting them into the yard with the other girls. But I went in. The two Speckled Sussex and the two older Hamburghs had gone to bed as it was starting to get dull. But White Wings (Speckled Sussex) heard me and came out. The new girls made a few little noises (they are both under 6 months of age) and she called them in to the chooktractor. They wandered around each other and she herded them into the ‘house’ and onto the perch. I checked about half an hour later and the youngest is snuggled up underneath White Wings. The others are snuggled together on the perch.

I think it was a successful introduction. I’ll watch them in the morning and see how they go when everyone is actually awake and not half asleep.

t would seem that you picked the best time of day to introduce them. Would like to hear how they fared in the daylight.

There is a bit of mutual segregation going on at the moment. The new girls are standing right up at the far end of the run. I did see The Ghost chase Esme at one stage, but there wasn’t much malice in it. The new Hamburghs are actually larger than the old girls, even allowing for my old girls are in moult and presently bobtailed.

buffy said:

There is a bit of mutual segregation going on at the moment. The new girls are standing right up at the far end of the run. I did see The Ghost chase Esme at one stage, but there wasn’t much malice in it. The new Hamburghs are actually larger than the old girls, even allowing for my old girls are in moult and presently bobtailed.

They’ll establish a pecking order reasonably quickly by the sounds.

Right up the back are Gytha (gold spangled with black witches britches) and Esme (silver spangled)

That chook tractor looks stuck in the one spot.

You can’t see the chook tractor in that photo. It’s t-ing into the left hand side. That’s the long run….20mx1.5m. Actually the chook tractor has been out on the ‘grass’ for the last couple of weeks but as we were getting the new girls yesterday we moved it back to where it could be opened into the long run to give the establishment of a new pecking order a bit of room to move.

In the bottom left side of this photo you can see the chook tractor door opened into the long run:

buffy said:

In the bottom left side of this photo you can see the chook tractor door opened into the long run:

The setup looks good. :)

The long run is a drainage easement, so can’t be built on…..but can be wired in for the chooks. I’ve had to string bird netting over the top the stop the flighty Hamburghs from flying out for some excitement, but it also serves to discourage the ravens from going in. The ravens aren’t game to actually go into the tractor and into the enclosed section to get the eggs though – they are wary of getting caught in an enclosed area. And fortunately my chooks generally don’t just drop eggs out in the run, they go inside for some privacy.

Looks great Buffy, and the chooks :)

I’ve just lost my gold spangled Hamburgh pullet that I only bought on Saturday.

Bloody, bloody, bloody wandering cats……

I’ve got the top of the run netted, but somehow she got spooked out – either the cat ripped the net, or she did in a panic. Then she sat in the top of a tree for an hour or so. I shooed off the cat a couple of times, pulled back the netting – after locking up the rest of the girls – and put out some food to entice her back into the run. Unfortunately she flew too far, into where the dogs were…..things that go squeak and squark……..

buffy said:

I’ve just lost my gold spangled Hamburgh pullet that I only bought on Saturday.

Bloody, bloody, bloody wandering cats……

I’ve got the top of the run netted, but somehow she got spooked out – either the cat ripped the net, or she did in a panic. Then she sat in the top of a tree for an hour or so. I shooed off the cat a couple of times, pulled back the netting – after locking up the rest of the girls – and put out some food to entice her back into the run. Unfortunately she flew too far, into where the dogs were…..things that go squeak and squark……..

oh! I am so sorry to hear that.

:(

buffy said:

I’ve just lost my gold spangled Hamburgh pullet that I only bought on Saturday.

Bloody, bloody, bloody wandering cats……

I’ve got the top of the run netted, but somehow she got spooked out – either the cat ripped the net, or she did in a panic. Then she sat in the top of a tree for an hour or so. I shooed off the cat a couple of times, pulled back the netting – after locking up the rest of the girls – and put out some food to entice her back into the run. Unfortunately she flew too far, into where the dogs were…..things that go squeak and squark……..

Oh no :( Sorry to hear.

First chicks for the year, silver spangled hamburgs. Six hatched from 8 eggs. Little cuties. I was waiting for Lin Lin to go broody while they were in the incubator- she was long overdue and laying an egg daily. Finally she is broody but only just started sitting. The chicks are 3 days old.. I am going to see if she will take them. It’s a risk but I reckon the chances are good. We shall see.

Happy Potter said:

First chicks for the year, silver spangled hamburgs. Six hatched from 8 eggs. Little cuties. I was waiting for Lin Lin to go broody while they were in the incubator- she was long overdue and laying an egg daily. Finally she is broody but only just started sitting. The chicks are 3 days old.. I am going to see if she will take them. It’s a risk but I reckon the chances are good. We shall see.

Lin Lin is the one that regularly adopts other chicks, yes?

bluegreen said:

Happy Potter said:

First chicks for the year, silver spangled hamburgs. Six hatched from 8 eggs. Little cuties. I was waiting for Lin Lin to go broody while they were in the incubator- she was long overdue and laying an egg daily. Finally she is broody but only just started sitting. The chicks are 3 days old.. I am going to see if she will take them. It’s a risk but I reckon the chances are good. We shall see.

Lin Lin is the one that regularly adopts other chicks, yes?

Yes. And we have a success once again :D

Propping up the chook thread. Lin Lin and her adopted chicks are going great. They are nearly three weeks old and love a little play on the lawn on sunny days. My hamburgs are looking good, almost finished moulting and are starting to look shiny new again. No eggs being laid though, but that’s ok.

A pet shop friend gave me some meal worm beetles in a bucket to grow some beaut grubs for the chooks. Goodness me, I read and read on how to breed these things but, it’s so confusing. Sift these, remove those, etcetera. So I’ve ended up with a row of small buckets with goodness knows what’s in them, lol! I managed to get the beetles out into one bucket, gave them fresh oat bran bedding and a sliced apple for moisture. The other buckets have an assortment of big and little grubs. I draw my finger across the top of the matter and the whole thing moves with crawlers. Now I have to work out how to pick out the biggest meal worms then place them into a container and keep in the fridge, hoping no one gets a fright, or thinking mums gone completely bonkers lol!

Happy Potter said:

or thinking mums gone completely bonkers lol!

too late for that, surely?

bluegreen said:

Happy Potter said:

or thinking mums gone completely bonkers lol!

too late for that, surely?

I already got the ‘oh for Gods sake, mums got caterpillars in the fridge!’ hahahaha!

Happy Potter said:

bluegreen said:

Happy Potter said:

or thinking mums gone completely bonkers lol!

too late for that, surely?

I already got the ‘oh for Gods sake, mums got caterpillars in the fridge!’ hahahaha!

:D :D

Ginger Fluff died last night. She was one of my Speckled Sussex. She would have been 6 years old, I think. So I only have one left of the 4 I got in 2009 – White Wings is still here. But she is getting doddery. I’ll be down to three Hamburghs only soon. Still, that will be enough eggs for me, when they get laying.

A pot of peepers and some flattened spring onions.

I haven’t caught that white cat yet. I think the trap cage has scared it off. Long as it stays away, then that’s good. My other hens have their nice new feathers back on, they should start laying again, within a month or so anyway.
Lin Lin and her chicks are going great. Of the chicks, there’s three boys and three girls. The three boys are going to a friends Seymour property, she has a giant pen and a series of smaller pens. The best hamburg roo will be chosen to service my older hamburg girls and the eggs will be brought back here to incubate. The three girls will stay here to replace three/four older hens going to Seymour. Otherwise the fertile eggs of the breed are becoming cost prohibitive for me, 50 to 70 dollars a doz. Given that half or more, are male, makes them even more exxy.

Happy Potter said:

A pot of peepers and some flattened spring onions.

cute :)

the spring onions will get over it.

First Hamburgh egg of the season today.

:)

I’m pretty sure it was The Ghost. She has the reddest comb. White Wings (the last of the Speckled Sussex) is also combed up, but the egg is too small, too white, and I reckon she is too old, at 6 or 7 years.

buffy said:

First Hamburgh egg of the season today.

:)

I’m pretty sure it was The Ghost. She has the reddest comb. White Wings (the last of the Speckled Sussex) is also combed up, but the egg is too small, too white, and I reckon she is too old, at 6 or 7 years.

smack bang on the solstice! (Or near enough)

looking forward to my ducks coming into lay again. I have missed my duck eggs for breakfast.

I don’t really expect the eggs until around August, around the time the asparagus start popping up.

:)

And now we have had 3 eggs this week. And an asparagus spear this morning. Asparagus really is messed up!

Today we are building a platform for the chook tractor to sit on. This should stop the wallowing in the mud and kicking up the dust that goes on and spoils food and water. Just waiting for the battery packs for the drill to recharge at the moment.

I have had 2 eggs this week :)

Got another egg today.

Got the chook tractor up onto the platform this afternoon:

And did we have some tanties about that! Of course, the chooks are in the tractor while it is wheeled across the yard, they have to run along and keep up. The dogs were locked away, they like to “help”. So we run up the boards onto the platform and all hell breaks loose. They panicked into the shed. Then they wouldn’t get off the roost and go out the door into the Long Run. Don’t make us walk on that wood! Don’t make us walk on that wood!

But later they found their way back in there to roost, so all is well.

buffy said:

And did we have some tanties about that! Of course, the chooks are in the tractor while it is wheeled across the yard, they have to run along and keep up. The dogs were locked away, they like to “help”. So we run up the boards onto the platform and all hell breaks loose. They panicked into the shed. Then they wouldn’t get off the roost and go out the door into the Long Run. Don’t make us walk on that wood! Don’t make us walk on that wood!

But later they found their way back in there to roost, so all is well.

lol! Is this to be a permanent arrangement?

Permanent for when they have access to the big run. But sometimes we will still bring them out onto the grass. The point of the tractor, of course, is that you can move it. For a few weeks they can be up there, but when we go away for holidays or such they will come out onto the grass. Easier for our friends to feed them there, and they don’t have to be let out and locked up each day.

buffy said:

Got the chook tractor up onto the platform this afternoon:

And did we have some tanties about that! Of course, the chooks are in the tractor while it is wheeled across the yard, they have to run along and keep up. The dogs were locked away, they like to “help”. So we run up the boards onto the platform and all hell breaks loose. They panicked into the shed. Then they wouldn’t get off the roost and go out the door into the Long Run. Don’t make us walk on that wood! Don’t make us walk on that wood!

But later they found their way back in there to roost, so all is well.

Chooks are a bit like bees. If you are going to make changes they should be made at night. Chooks don’t seem to be comfortable with changes before they go to bed. Happier to wake up to them and get used to them during the day.

Love the chook tractor :) They are funny creatures; mine are always making me laugh.

I’ve upset ‘the order’ though and they aren’t too happy about it. I put a large POL aracauna that was supposed to be a bantam, into the big layers pen. She is missing her tiny d’uccle friends and spends the day pacing the pen calling them. And they calling her.
It’ll settle though. The d’uccles now have Lin Lin back, and her hamburg chicks. They get along just fine. The ara was roosting on the fence at dusk and would take off when I approached. I can’t have her doing that. The more wild she becomes, the harder it is to manage her.

I haven’t had an egg in weeks, but some combs are reddening, so should start laying soon. That’s great because we are really missing the good eggs.

I went to the bush today. Mr buffy ran the slasher over some of the tracks, and we realigned a couple of spots where getting a trailer around was very challenging. Then I cut back bracken from the fence. With secateurs. I’m just mad. But I then cut the fronds into bits into a chookfood bag and brought them home. There is now a mix of bracken and paper shreds in the nesting box. I previously brought home bracken as a trial and put it on the floor of the chook tractor – when it was a dirt floor. And the girls chose to make a nest and lay in it in preference to the boxes. I’ve put some on the floor again too, but also some in the boxes this time. And I still have about half a bag left for next week.

buffy said:

I went to the bush today. Mr buffy ran the slasher over some of the tracks, and we realigned a couple of spots where getting a trailer around was very challenging. Then I cut back bracken from the fence. With secateurs. I’m just mad. But I then cut the fronds into bits into a chookfood bag and brought them home. There is now a mix of bracken and paper shreds in the nesting box. I previously brought home bracken as a trial and put it on the floor of the chook tractor – when it was a dirt floor. And the girls chose to make a nest and lay in it in preference to the boxes. I’ve put some on the floor again too, but also some in the boxes this time. And I still have about half a bag left for next week.

You aren’t mad // at all. ;)

roughbarked said:

buffy said:

I went to the bush today. Mr buffy ran the slasher over some of the tracks, and we realigned a couple of spots where getting a trailer around was very challenging. Then I cut back bracken from the fence. With secateurs. I’m just mad. But I then cut the fronds into bits into a chookfood bag and brought them home. There is now a mix of bracken and paper shreds in the nesting box. I previously brought home bracken as a trial and put it on the floor of the chook tractor – when it was a dirt floor. And the girls chose to make a nest and lay in it in preference to the boxes. I’ve put some on the floor again too, but also some in the boxes this time. And I still have about half a bag left for next week.

You aren’t mad // at all. ;)

What RB said :)

I use different plants for nest boxes. My preference is wormwood small leafy branches. It’s soft and warm and the chooks love it. If I spread wormwood leaves on the coop floor and pile dry leaf matter in their nest box, they will scratch the wormwood up and lay their eggs in that instead. Added bonuses, repels creepy crawlies and it smells nice.

Happy Potter said:

roughbarked said:

buffy said:

I went to the bush today. Mr buffy ran the slasher over some of the tracks, and we realigned a couple of spots where getting a trailer around was very challenging. Then I cut back bracken from the fence. With secateurs. I’m just mad. But I then cut the fronds into bits into a chookfood bag and brought them home. There is now a mix of bracken and paper shreds in the nesting box. I previously brought home bracken as a trial and put it on the floor of the chook tractor – when it was a dirt floor. And the girls chose to make a nest and lay in it in preference to the boxes. I’ve put some on the floor again too, but also some in the boxes this time. And I still have about half a bag left for next week.

You aren’t mad // at all. ;)

What RB said :)

I use different plants for nest boxes. My preference is wormwood small leafy branches. It’s soft and warm and the chooks love it. If I spread wormwood leaves on the coop floor and pile dry leaf matter in their nest box, they will scratch the wormwood up and lay their eggs in that instead. Added bonuses, repels creepy crawlies and it smells nice.

Yes, I use wormwood too. I have a lot at the moment too, so they’ll have a mix. And I quite like the smell myself.

Woohoo, the great egg hiatus is over! Two in the nest box this morning. We have been waiting patiently for the good eggs :)

Happy Potter said:

Woohoo, the great egg hiatus is over! Two in the nest box this morning. We have been waiting patiently for the good eggs :)

I have had one faithful bantam that has been producing an egg every two days right through, but I have been hanging out for my ducks to come back into lay.

I think it’s still only one of the Hamburghs laying. I’m getting around 5 eggs a week at the moment. I fogot to let them out into the run today, so they spent the day in the chook tractor on the wooden floor, but it wasn’t a nice day anyway, so they may have huddled on the perches anyway for most of the day.

buffy said:

I think it’s still only one of the Hamburghs laying. I’m getting around 5 eggs a week at the moment. I fogot to let them out into the run today, so they spent the day in the chook tractor on the wooden floor, but it wasn’t a nice day anyway, so they may have huddled on the perches anyway for most of the day.

I’ve done that. Gone to lock up the chooks and ducks only to find they are still in there from the night before! Doesn’t hurt them for one day.

bluegreen said:

buffy said:

I think it’s still only one of the Hamburghs laying. I’m getting around 5 eggs a week at the moment. I fogot to let them out into the run today, so they spent the day in the chook tractor on the wooden floor, but it wasn’t a nice day anyway, so they may have huddled on the perches anyway for most of the day.

I’ve done that. Gone to lock up the chooks and ducks only to find they are still in there from the night before! Doesn’t hurt them for one day.

Yes, that’s how I found out…went to lock them in.

:)

Those green plastic baskets you get with 2 kilogram cottage cheese, turns out to be the prefect sifter for separating mealworms from the bran bedding. Two big handfuls out to the hens. And oh my, chook pandemonium, they were squealing and jumping over one another to stuff as many as they could in, lol.

Chookies now sunning themselves on the rock border and dozing. The sun is warm after the icy morning :)

Happy Potter said:

Those green plastic baskets you get with 2 kilogram cottage cheese, turns out to be the prefect sifter for separating mealworms from the bran bedding. Two big handfuls out to the hens. And oh my, chook pandemonium, they were squealing and jumping over one another to stuff as many as they could in, lol.

Chookies now sunning themselves on the rock border and dozing. The sun is warm after the icy morning :)

:)

I’d never noticed my chooks calling to me before – well, only the once, when they were fretting about a koala in the tree over their pen. But when we got home yesterday after being a way for a week, they called and called until I went and talked to them. Then they settled down. They are still Wild Things, I can’t touch or hold them. But apparently they know who I am!

:)

buffy said:

I’d never noticed my chooks calling to me before – well, only the once, when they were fretting about a koala in the tree over their pen. But when we got home yesterday after being a way for a week, they called and called until I went and talked to them. Then they settled down. They are still Wild Things, I can’t touch or hold them. But apparently they know who I am!

:)

:D

buffy said:

I’d never noticed my chooks calling to me before – well, only the once, when they were fretting about a koala in the tree over their pen. But when we got home yesterday after being a way for a week, they called and called until I went and talked to them. Then they settled down. They are still Wild Things, I can’t touch or hold them. But apparently they know who I am!

:)

Nice to have a welcome back :)

I now have one eating confidently from my hand and another tentatively, but I still can’t pat or hold them.

I give them a gentle pat across the back when I lock them in at night if they are settled into the roost, which I can reach from the access door. But during the day, no hope. I did have one very inquisitive Hamburg last year who would come to me and almost take greens from my hand but she died young of unknown cause.

A damn magpie is now making life hell for me and my hens. It’s actively swooping and attacking my hens. Egg laying is scarce. I watched it thru the kitchen window just now fly into the hens and try to grab one. Thats what it looked like anyway. Chooks dove under a tree, magpie followed. Why?
I chased it off. I have no choice now but to put the hens back in their pen and not let them out. This is war. I get that the magpie is territorial and my black and white hens might resemble magpies at a distance, but I don’t get why it’s attacking them when it could see clearly close up that the hens are not a threat.

Happy Potter said:

A damn magpie is now making life hell for me and my hens. It’s actively swooping and attacking my hens. Egg laying is scarce. I watched it thru the kitchen window just now fly into the hens and try to grab one. Thats what it looked like anyway. Chooks dove under a tree, magpie followed. Why?
I chased it off. I have no choice now but to put the hens back in their pen and not let them out. This is war. I get that the magpie is territorial and my black and white hens might resemble magpies at a distance, but I don’t get why it’s attacking them when it could see clearly close up that the hens are not a threat.

Nesting nearby. For some reason it has decided they are a threat. Why, I don’t know. Once the fledglings have left the nest it should stop.

The magpie attacks on my chooks has stopped. Either it’s eggs have hatched and they are busy looking after the chick or it’s been culled. Some particularly aggressive magpies in the area were culled after causing eye injuries to people. Either way it’s good to be able to let my hens out to forage without fear of it.

We made a little access door in the pen into the mini orchard area and the hens wait around the doorway to be let out. The fruits are in leaf and the shade is great for them. The idea was a good one, working perfectly. There was no panting chickens on the recent hot days, all resting under the lime.

Old girl Lin Lin has her seven chicks and on warmish days I pop her and brood into a little pen on the lawn. Hessian cover on one end for shade. A few days ago she was in the little pen and suddenly let out the danger sound. All the chooks went to ground, the big hens tore back to their coop and her chicks all jammed under her. I could see neither cat nor bird of prey above, nothing at all..but she wouldn’t stop growling. I followed her stare to an overgrown garden bed with a rock border full of weeds, spring onions, ground cover daisy flowers, geraniums and hundreds of bulbs. If I put my hand in front of her face she moved her head to look around at the same spot. So I assumed it was either a lizard, or even a snake. I didn’t find anything though and put her and chicks back into their main pen and thoroughly watered the area. Knee high gumboots are now my daily gardening attire. As well as making a fair bit of noise in the area I’m working in.