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I took pictures today for my mom, who likes chicken updates every once in awhile (she loves chickens) Polish Crested. Her name is Sparkle and she is schitzo  Hercules the rooster, he's a bantam with a club foot. Super sexy  The Buffs and Barred Rocks. The white one is a mutt chicken, part Polish Crested and part Rhode Island Red   Hercules' daughter. Also a bantam, she's more speckled than she looks in this picture.  I really need to rake my lawn...
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Nov 9, 2011 21:04
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| # ? May 14, 2024 15:39 |
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Roostroyer 1-2 weeks ago, next to a lawn chair   godzilla's hearts! 
Chido fucked around with this message at 06:38 on Nov 11, 2011 |
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Nov 11, 2011 06:27
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Roostroyer is SO FLUFFY and handsome now I can't even believe.
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Nov 11, 2011 09:06
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Kerfuffle posted:Roostroyer is SO FLUFFY and handsome now I can't even believe.
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Nov 11, 2011 09:42
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Holy gently caress, it's so weird that he's GIGANTIC now. Bigger than some dogs I've had!
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Nov 11, 2011 12:50
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drat, that boy has grown since we saw him on chickam. Have you sent velvet any pictures of him?
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Nov 11, 2011 15:18
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c355n4 posted:drat, that boy has grown since we saw him on chickam. Have you sent velvet any pictures of him? I don't think I have lately, but I'll send her a link to my post here in a PM. He's so fluffy indeed and cuddly
Chido fucked around with this message at 19:20 on Nov 11, 2011 |
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Nov 11, 2011 18:31
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I like big butts and I cannot lie!
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Nov 11, 2011 19:27
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Chido, WHAT IN THE HELL ARE YOU FEEDING ROOSTROYER?! At this point, going by those pictures my first guess would be 'small children and Volkswagon Beetles'. Good lord, he's huge. He looks awesomely healthy by the way, we're so glad he has a great home with you.  The other Chickam chicks are getting big as well, Dinner is about twice the size of Phoenix (our Americaunas/Barred Rock mix Head Roo) and Weedcat is so damned laughably big, round and fluffy that all we want to do is snoodle him, which embarasses him no end. I'll try and get pics today, but it's threatening snow and they are in a barn, so it's kinda dim light in there. We're still househunting. 
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Nov 11, 2011 20:27
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Chido posted:godzilla's hearts!
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Nov 11, 2011 21:11
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What do people generally do for the times when they're not at home? Feeding and watering I can see working with the proper equipment, but if the coop needs to be cleaned at least twice a week that two-week vacation and even that six-day business trip look to be impossible. Do you guys have experience with this kind of situation?
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Nov 14, 2011 16:51
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Holy crap, the size of Roostroyer now. I remember watching him hatch and nap under the flamingo lamp, and now look at him-his one bare leg and the other covered in feathers is adorable! How heavy is a chicken that size anyway?
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Nov 14, 2011 17:31
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hey santa baby posted:What do people generally do for the times when they're not at home? Feeding and watering I can see working with the proper equipment, but if the coop needs to be cleaned at least twice a week that two-week vacation and even that six-day business trip look to be impossible. I just clean when I get back, granted I have a pretty big coop for the size of my flock and they have a larged fenced in area (I only clean once weekly anyway). Eggs are my biggest concern since I have hens that get broody, but you can always find someone willing to come collect free eggs.
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Nov 14, 2011 19:55
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Plus grab a couple of these and you never have to worry about running out of water provided your tanks are big enough. Best chicken-related investment ever. http://www.avianaquamiser.com/
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Nov 14, 2011 19:58
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Battle Pigeon posted:Holy crap, the size of Roostroyer now. I remember watching him hatch and nap under the flamingo lamp, and now look at him-his one bare leg and the other covered in feathers is adorable! How heavy is a chicken that size anyway? I don't know how heavy Roo is right now, I know fully grown brahma roosters can easily reach 12 pounds, so my guess is he's about 8 pounds? Also, I lured with o the wire fence with some bread to check his height. The fence is 2x4 welded wire, and Roo's height is about 5 spaces, would that be about 20 inches tall?
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Nov 14, 2011 23:38
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He's still got growing to do?! I had no idea chickens could get so big, never really thought about it before. He's a beautiful boy though
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Nov 15, 2011 01:35
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Yeah, he's pretty much done growing in height, he has to finnish developing muscle and more fluffiness. And if you think he's big, google Black Jersey Giant, the biggest chicken breed in the world
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Nov 15, 2011 01:58
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Rusty turned out to be really pretty  And who knows what kind of DNA cocktail Dust is, her feathers are pretty 
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Nov 15, 2011 09:24
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Chido posted:Yeah, he's pretty much done growing in height, he has to finnish developing muscle and more fluffiness. And if you think he's big, google Black Jersey Giant, the biggest chicken breed in the world My Jersey Giant hens never got that big...I actually think my Barred Rocks are bigger. The rooster on the other hand was as big as my dog, I had to get rid of him because he was seriously hurting the hens.
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Nov 15, 2011 20:38
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Chido posted:Roostroyer 1-2 weeks ago, next to a lawn chair  I'm sure Roostroyer gives the hens a quick  and they swoon.
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Nov 15, 2011 22:55
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Gosh, every time I see new pictures of Chido's gang it's hard for me to believe that three of those gorgeous hens were once tiny little chicks she found out on the street who pooped down her shirt while trying to keep warm. And now they're SO BIG
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Nov 16, 2011 06:18
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necessary voodoo posted:Gosh, every time I see new pictures of Chido's gang it's hard for me to believe that three of those gorgeous hens were once tiny little chicks she found out on the street who pooped down her shirt while trying to keep warm. And now they're SO BIG Cuteness overload! Godzilla, Rusty, and Megatron sometime back in April.  Megatron, Rusty, and that's Godzilla's butt.  Megatron and Godzilla on the armchair, Rusty on my lap  My little raiders!  Not seen: the poop on the back of my neck   Awww  Sunbathing  ... yeah, raiding with them is a bit harder now.  7 months later, a couple of weeks ago. Rusty and Godzilla (please ignore the fat lady in the picture)  Megatron, she has already started to lay tiny pinkish eggs 
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Nov 16, 2011 06:52
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Aw. I dont know how I'd feel about eating my pet's eggs tho. Weird!
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Nov 16, 2011 11:36
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Chido posted:Why are your chickens so meme-able?
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Nov 16, 2011 16:30
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daggerdragon posted:Why are your chickens so meme-able? I don't know, but Megatron is kinda  so I guess that's explains it.
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Nov 16, 2011 17:13
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This thread made me dream of giant chickens, thanks! Chido, do yours actively seek you out for pettings and affection still? Has Megatron's beginning to lay affected her personality in that respect at all?
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Nov 16, 2011 17:28
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The chickens are weird. Rusty always runs away from you, but if you are sitting, specially in the afternoon, she will jump on you and perch on your shoulder. Godzilla likes the attention, runs away a bit, but then comes back to peck at your pants and demand petting. Megatron is like that. Dust the stray hen is very skittish so she always keeps her distance. Roo is not a lap chicken, but he gives up trying to get away once you grab him. Spaghetti the barred rock doesn't like being help much, but she walks near you. Flake, our newest white leghorn pullet, does run away from you, but stays close anyways.
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Nov 16, 2011 18:17
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I know I keep going back and forth on if I should get chickens or not. Chickens are not allowed in Boston, but if you get caught you are not punished if you get rid of them, so I’m at no risk of going to jail or anything. But for obvious reasons I don’t want to get caught. My next door neighbors would have no objections, but I am close to a train station so I don’t want anything too visible. Because of the noise from the trains, low flying planes going into Logan, my neighbors dog, wind blowing through the trees, I am not worried about noise. If you recall, I own a reasonably large stand alone garage (which can not be used as such because there is a 60 foot tall tree in front of it where one would drive in). I had asked if one could keep chickens entirely inside, or if they need an outside run. The consensus was yes, but….. I’m wondering how fair it would be to the chickens if I had a flock of 5 or 6 birds, gave them 200 square feet inside and built a privacy fence like this  around a run of another 150 feet? They would have space, fresh air, but not a heck of a lot of direct sunlight. Assuming their other material needs like food, water, and bedding were met, would they be happy birds?
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Nov 16, 2011 19:15
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Chickens do need some access to sunlight, but I guess as long as some of their run gets some sun, it should be ok. Here's a link to homemade coops that could give you an idea of what to build for your yard that wouldn't be too obvious. You could even make the coop look like a shed! http://www.backyardchickens.com/chicken-coop-medium.html
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Nov 17, 2011 05:22
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Chicken question! I started working at new place, and our office's next door neighbor (it's like an office duplex) has a chicken coop out back with 5 chickens. I'm totally  watching them when I come in/leave/take breaks. Wondering if there are any treats I can poke through the mesh to them that is yummy/healthy for chickens? The owner said worms, but uh, do chickens like any special fruits/veggies/grains that I might have lying around? Or dog kibble? Anything not live and gross? Hah.
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Nov 17, 2011 05:59
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I think dog and cat food isn't good for them. I know my chickens loooooove fresh cheese and bread, among other things like ham and cooked meat (yeah...). They also like cantelope and watermelon, so just bring different stuff and try. Here's a list of things you should and shouldn't feed them: http://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=2593-Treats_Chart
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Nov 17, 2011 07:12
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My chickens love pork rinds.
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Nov 17, 2011 15:25
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They like dry oatmeal and it's cheap. I actually make my chickens hot oatmeal during the winter once in awhile, they love it. I like to get marshmallows, throw 2-3 in with them and watch them play chicken soccer, it's more like chicken football really since they run around with them in their beaks. I know lots of sugar isn't great for them but really it's fine once in awhile.
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Nov 17, 2011 16:43
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My mom just sent me pictures of my two retard birds eating yogurt.  We honestly didn't know what to call the Americauna one so it's temporary name is Frankie. Suggestions?  Edit: can't spell. Maximusi fucked around with this message at 21:09 on Nov 17, 2011 |
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Nov 17, 2011 20:33
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Chido posted:Chickens do need some access to sunlight, but I guess as long as some of their run gets some sun, it should be ok. Here's a link to homemade coops that could give you an idea of what to build for your yard that wouldn't be too obvious. You could even make the coop look like a shed! I don’t need to build a coop that looks like a shed. I have a shed.   drat, I need to clean out my gutters. You kind of look at things every day and get use to them, but take a picture? This is embarrassing. But if I got chickens I would block off part of the inside, build appropriate roosts and nesting boxes in there, cut a hole in the wall so they can go outside. I would surround the run with the privacy fence. You see that big building in the background? That is the train station. The chickens would be 5 feet away from MBTA property. Am I brain dead?
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Nov 17, 2011 21:18
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Why not just fence in your whole backyard, and let the chickens run amok? Build the coop in the shed and open the doors at dawn. I don't even have a run and I've had no problems with hawks so far (I live in slightly foresty/mountainy area). No one will know. Chickens are pretty quiet. The only thing is chickens poop a hell of a lot, but if you have a vegetable garden that could be a good thing for the soil. Man living right next to a train station must be a pain, though.
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Nov 17, 2011 21:56
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Maximusi posted:Why not just fence in your whole backyard, and let the chickens run amok? Build the coop in the shed and open the doors at dawn. I don't even have a run and I've had no problems with hawks so far (I live in slightly foresty/mountainy area). No one will know. Chickens are pretty quiet. The only thing is chickens poop a hell of a lot, but if you have a vegetable garden that could be a good thing for the soil. Nah, I bought the house, its my own doing. Its extremely convenient. It was a construction site for years, and that was a pain, but the station is finally done. They put a special soundproof pane of glass between the station and the neighborhood so its not that loud. I bought a 2 family house and being next to public transit makes it easier to rent out. I would put the fence around the entire back yard except part of the yard is visible from the platform and with the exception of the area in front of the shed, all of the back yard is visible by MBTA workers. I do have a vegetable garden and have done a lot of landscaping out front too, but my soil isn’t that great, so lots of poop is a huge plus.
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Nov 17, 2011 22:20
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That shed would make a great coop! I would also suggest fencing in the entire backyard, but then using two sides of the fence for two of the walls for the chicken run. You'd have to add another side (running back down to the shed) made of posts with wirecloth or chicken wire with a door for you to use. That way the chickens could see something more than a boring old fence and sky and you could watch them through the wire without having them running (and pooping) all over the backyard. You could also add a top made of chicken wire to keep the chickens in their run (unless you want to clip their wings). A wire top would also help keep cats and hawks out in the daytime. Naturally you would want to shut the chickens into their shed/coop at night for safety from rats, raccoons and other night predators.
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Nov 17, 2011 22:34
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Also if you live in an area that gets really cold in winter, or even snows, think of getting brahmas. They don't have to be the standard ones like Roostroyer, there is a bantam version, but brahmas are really quite and tame. Roo isn't nearly as loud in the morning as my neighbors' rooster. Now since you wanna keep the chickens a secret, don't get a rooster, you don't need one if you aren't planning on breeding chickens, and if you cover the run you plan on adding with welded wire, then the hens would be ok . Edit: Or get these chickens! I don't know what they are, but the look like tiny toys running around, so adorable! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JUhc5YZZjTY http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m0ermdzzQX8&feature=mfu_in_order&list=UL http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zj8gL8lj-Yg&feature=BFa&list=ULm0ermdzzQX8&lf=mfu_in_order Chido fucked around with this message at 03:00 on Nov 18, 2011 |
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Nov 18, 2011 02:37
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I think each chicken is different on whether or not they're loud. Our New Hampshire squawks every time she sees a person or hears our cars come home from work or sees a light come on the kitchen in the morning... Our orpington only squawks if she's expecting to be fed and our barred rock hardly makes any noise.
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Nov 18, 2011 03:08
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