|
For the benefit of people living outside the US, I thought I'd share one of our lesser-known holidays... The annual Torture Of The Pumpkins! First, introduce your Halloween jack-o-lanterns to a flock of suspicious chickens.  Your big, tough rooster will immediately run away screaming and hide in the coop for the next 10 minutes. Hens, being more practical, approach cautiously...after all, it MIGHT be food!  Sooner or later, you just know that someone is gonna stick their head in one of the pumpkins...  ...and Rose wins. Not to be outdone, others quickly follow suit.  Zipper, with Bloop watching in confusion. Pompadour is content with pecking out The Thing's eyes.  Gloria, the Brinkotter, goes at this 'eating' thing hammer & tongs while CM watches.  Sora and Pompadour are a bit concerned...  ...and Pomps makes use of The Thing's eyeholes again to watch her.  Bloop does, too.  As does Burger. Gloria was in there a long time.  After a while it got to be like some kind of weird 'stick-your-noggin-in-a-gourd' club.  It's hard to tell if the chicken is wearing the pumpkin, or the pumpkin is wearing a chicken. Sora, looking like a Christmas hat.  WILSON!! I'M SORRY, WILSON!!!  Chickens are so very predictably weird. 
|
#
?
Nov 2, 2012 05:37
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 21, 2024 10:16 |
|
|
VS: Thanks for the great photos! Chickspicion is always the best.  I see that Rose still has her beautifully-patterned feathers. I just love Rose's feathers.  And Bloop looks spectacular as a grown-up rooster -- could you sometime take some photos of Bloop? He looks so cool with his long, green-black tail. And C.M. Cluck's feather coloring looks so pretty out in the sunlight.I see that Burger looks a bit bedraggled. Is she still molting? And where was Weedcat in all this? Hiding in the coop? Tsk!
|
|
#
?
Nov 2, 2012 08:28
|
|
|
Velvet Sparrow posted:For the benefit of people living outside the US, I thought I'd share one of our lesser-known holidays... What percentage of the pumpkin do they end up eating?
|
|
#
?
Nov 2, 2012 15:51
|
|
|
We close up the coop at night since it's so cold at night now, as of this morning the one in the coop was about 1/3 gone. They fell on the other two when we let them out right away and were unpleasantly surprised at frozen pumpkin. We toss whatever is left into the compost pile after today. Also, none of these pumpkins had candles in them (we used little LED lights) and were carved on Halloween, so they aren't bacteria bombs. Yes, Weedcat considered them Terror Pumpkins and screamed & ran. Burger is still growing out feathers from when we had too many rooboys and not enough space and the girls all suffered by it, she's one of the last to feather out but she's almost there. I'll try and get some pics in the next few days, weather cooperating. BTW, in that first pic, the three gray Giant Cochins are, left to right: Pompadour, Kiev and Yoya. Yoya is the biggest & most elegant still, Kiev is quickly catching up to her in grace & stature, and Pomps is a bit smaller and a love muffin.
Velvet Sparrow fucked around with this message at 16:55 on Nov 2, 2012 |
|
#
?
Nov 2, 2012 16:49
|
|
|
VS THANK YOU for the photo update! You need to train your neighborhood about the whole Halloween thing, huh? The chickens all look so beautiful. Look forward to Chickam next year, hopefully? Hope Poof, Moet and Boots are doing well. It's hard with hour elderly pets. My cat is 18 and I think his end is near. Again, thanks for the great pictures! EDIT: Look at Linc! EDIT: Came across live backyard chicken video feeds!http://justin.tv/dumbassnicky and http://justin.tv/cockadoodlecam ENJOY! piscesbobbie fucked around with this message at 17:23 on Nov 3, 2012 |
|
#
?
Nov 2, 2012 17:42
|
|
|
Hey everyone! Thought I'd tout a cool magazine/book by Buddy Wakefield (who is normally famous for being a slam poet) called 'Henhouse' http://buddywakefield.com/merchandise/ You can also get it on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Henhouse-Raise-Chickens-International-Lovers/dp/1938912055/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1352168709&sr=8-1&keywords=henhouse I gave him permission to use a pic of our Jersey Giant, Liz in it (see the 'Henhouse Forum'--Liz apparantly wrote a letter!), so he very kindly sent me a copy. It's a gorgeous, heavy softcover book with TONS of pictures and great articles (the coop pictures are amazing!) and other fun stuff. Contributions by people from backyardyardchickens.com, United Poultry Concerns and ChickenRunRescue.org, among others. He says that if you want to order 4 or more copies to email him for a discount. I was amazed at the quality of the book, it's a real labor of love!
|
|
#
?
Nov 6, 2012 03:29
|
|
|
So, I might have a mink problem. Anyone have any experience with them? I just got back from vacation - my Mom told me when she got home yesterday, the dog was barking at something, but she wasn't sure what. She went out there and the dog had a mink cornered under some lawn chairs we have sitting out by the chicken run. When she went out there she distracted it long enough that the dog managed to grab it around the middle and he promptly killed it. This has me pretty concerned - the chicken run is definitely not mink proof (2x4 welded wire) and I'm not sure I could mink proof it without buying a bunch of hardware cloth. As long as the dog is out, he'd probably catch it, but there's no guarantee since he has 5 acres to run around in so if it was speedy it could get into the run before he caught it. Since they're mostly nocturnal, I'm hoping they won't be coming around in the day any more. Their chicken coop is pretty secure - the only point of entry besides the man-door is their chicken door. I have an automatic door I built for them out of a speed limit sign and it goes down past the opening so there is no surface to for an animal outside to lift up on. Does that sound mink-proof enough?
|
|
#
?
Nov 6, 2012 21:37
|
|
|
Google 'minks and chickens'. From backyardchickens.com (bolding mine): http://www.backyardchickens.com/a/mink-chicken-predators-how-to-protect-your-chickens-from-mink Methods of Kill Male minks run and hunt instead of rearing their young. Minks are vicious predators of chickens and other birds. They are known for their propensity to kill every chicken and bird in an area or pen. However, minks do not eat every chicken they prey on. They only want to drink the blood of their prey, and this is their motivation for killing every bird they can find. Despite their size, they have the quickness to surprise chickens. Their athletic prowess allows them to jump at chickens and grab the throat. With their long body and athletic ability, they can squeeze in any pen and attack on a bird easily. Minks can also attack anytime of the day and won’t hesitate to come back for more preys when it sees the opportunity to strike. Prevention & Treatment Using a live trap can help in catching a mink and preventing it from making any damage on a chicken pen. The holes of the trap should be tiny enough so that the mink will not be able to get through it. Minks can go into a cage with holes of 1 inch in diameter. Minks are also excellent in digging allowing them to go through the hen house and go through the basement. Thus, owners should make sure that their chicken cages are secured and the holes plugged up well enough for the minks not to pop in inside. Minks are sneaky bastards, and another reason why I personally crusade for 1/2 inch welded wire for chicken enclosures, even though it's pricey. There are many, many horror stories out there about chicken predation. 
|
|
#
?
Nov 6, 2012 21:55
|
|
|
Velvet Sparrow posted:Minks are sneaky bastards, and another reason why I personally crusade for 1/2 inch welded wire for chicken enclosures, even though it's pricey. There are many, many horror stories out there about chicken predation. I read that earlier - I guess I'll start pricing welded wire for the run. The run itself is 10x15 and seven feet high, plus the top is covered too for protection against hawks. Plus I'll need to cover the area under their coop and my concern is there that the fence isn't buried like around the run. Amazon actually has pretty decent prices but I'm going to need enough that it might be worth talking to a company about a large order. I can't use "standard" mink traps because there are other animals outside I don't want to catch - live traps sound tricky with mink, so I'll have to do some more research. I would prefer live traps if at all possible.
|
|
#
?
Nov 6, 2012 22:57
|
|
|
LordOfThePants posted:I can't use "standard" mink traps because there are other animals outside I don't want to catch - live traps sound tricky with mink, so I'll have to do some more research. I would prefer live traps if at all possible. Some trappers use certain types of animal scent to draw specific animals into live traps. You might see if there's a scent for minks used for trapping. At least with live traps, the animal isn't harmed and you can simply release the incorrect trapped animal.
|
|
#
?
Nov 6, 2012 23:05
|
|
|
I'm horrible and didn't stream the very successful hatching I had two weeks ago so have a photo of scruffy baby quail cuddle pile instead.
|
|
#
?
Nov 7, 2012 12:52
|
|
|
AWWWWW they are adorable Paradalis! Are these the ones for consumption? I wish I was sleeping in a fluffy pile o' feathers!
|
|
#
?
Nov 7, 2012 14:09
|
|
|
Pardalis posted:I'm horrible and didn't stream the very successful hatching I had two weeks ago so have a photo of scruffy baby quail cuddle pile instead. Were you able to fix the temperature problems this time around? How many eggs did you start with?
|
|
#
?
Nov 7, 2012 18:59
|
|
|
This inc actually went very smoothly because she found the perfect spot (inside the bathroom) that kept it from being moved or bothered too much. I don't remember how many eggs but I think all or almost all of them hatched. piscesbobbie posted:AWWWWW they are adorable Paradalis! Are these the ones for consumption? I wish I was sleeping in a fluffy pile o' feathers! The bigger stripey guys are the Coturnix, those are for eating (well, a happy life of egg-laying and eating stuff for the girls, a happy life quickly ended for the boys) and the smaller whitish ones are the Button quail, and those are just for pets/tiny eggs. Snuggles and Charmin are doing well and enjoying the life of spoiled chickens who get to roam around their spacious pen area during the day and demand to be let into the cozy warm house at night. They constantly get 'chicken zoomies' and flap around like idiots and they loooove grapes. Would murder your mother for grapes. ETA: since I'm editing anyway, have a blurry phone pic of the quail chicks when they were much tinier. 
Captain Foxy fucked around with this message at 19:14 on Nov 7, 2012 |
|
#
?
Nov 7, 2012 19:10
|
|
|
Captain Foxy posted:ETA: since I'm editing anyway, have a blurry phone pic of the quail chicks when they were much tinier. What are those round green things in the small dish in the center?
|
|
#
?
Nov 7, 2012 21:11
|
|
|
Marbles. To give them something to step on in case they fall in the water dish; baby birds are incredibly easy to drown. They've got a regular chick waterer and are upgraded from the cardboard box now.
|
|
#
?
Nov 7, 2012 21:31
|
|
|
Can I ask for a little chicken advice? My sister and her husband just bought a small organic farm in Southern California. One of the things the farm produces are eggs, but I guess they need more hens. They're looking to maximize both egg production and friendliness because these chickens will basically be pets that do a little work on the side. Anyone have any breed suggestions?
|
|
#
?
Nov 7, 2012 22:57
|
|
|
newts posted:Can I ask for a little chicken advice? Certain sex-link breeds (so called because at hatch males & females have different colors/markings so you can tell who the girls are) can be very friendly while still being egg laying machines and are very hardy...Red Stars, Black Stars, Brinkotters, Cinnamon Queens, etc. Americaunas and Easter Eggers lay pretty blue/green eggs and are VERY fun, comical and friendly. Certain breeds are considered 'dual purpose' in that they are good layers AND good for dinner. Dual purpose breeds were very popular in America in the late 19th-early 20th centuries. Some dual-purpose breeds are: Plymouth Rocks, Wyandottes, New Hampshires & Australorps, and are great choices, too. All of these breeds are pretty docile, calm and like humans. I'd avoid Rhode Island Reds, in my experience they tend to 'pack up' like wolves when kept in groups and can bully & peck other birds. White Leghorns are terrific layers but can be flighty & skittish, not terribly bright and don't have much personality. Good chicken breed chart here: http://www.ithaca.edu/staff/jhenderson/chooks/chooks.html feathersite.com is a great source of breed pics and a lot of fun to look at. In southern California you won't have to worry about cold temps much but heat can be a problem with chickens, so maybe avoid heavy breeds with thick suits of feathers (Cochins, Brahmas, Orpingtons, etc.) Even though the big, fat, fluffy breeds are my favorites!
|
|
#
?
Nov 8, 2012 00:28
|
|
|
Thank you! That's very helpful information. I'll let the thread know what they've chosen once they decide.
|
|
#
?
Nov 8, 2012 03:07
|
|
|
Nettle Soup posted:I have collected a ton of feathers off my chickens the past couple of days, I never realised how many they lose! On that note, I have TONS of polka dot Guinea feathers. PM me if interested, I'll mail 'em for free.
|
|
#
?
Nov 8, 2012 14:50
|
|
|
SolanaSkyes posted:On that note, I have TONS of polka dot Guinea feathers. PM me if interested, I'll mail 'em for free. Have you thought about selling the feathers on ebay? Guinea feathers are VERY popular with everyone from crafters to fishermen, especially with the current feather hair extention craze.
|
|
#
?
Nov 8, 2012 20:01
|
|
|
Captain Foxy posted:Snuggles and Charmin are doing well and enjoying the life of spoiled chickens who get to roam around their spacious pen area during the day and demand to be let into the cozy warm house at night. They constantly get 'chicken zoomies' and flap around like idiots and they loooove grapes. Would murder your mother for grapes. Dare I ask how the dog is getting along with them?
|
|
#
?
Nov 9, 2012 01:45
|
|
|
Keeper investigated, got pecked once and was like 'gently caress this poo poo'. He'll periodically charge at them when he's let out and they're roaming, but since they just stand there looking at him he doesn't get much out of it. Spice loves them because they are alive and he is a collie. Derp. I will point out that my dog is roughly the same size as a bantam chicken, but I will not feel proud about it.
|
|
#
?
Nov 9, 2012 04:45
|
|
|
Captain Foxy posted:I will point out that my dog is roughly the same size as a bantam chicken, but I will not feel proud about it.
|
|
#
?
Nov 9, 2012 04:55
|
|
|
AcetylCoA! posted:I dunno Cap'n, I may need photographic proof. Absolutely. We demand to see this bantam pup. Alongside a chicken.
|
|
#
?
Nov 9, 2012 06:40
|
|
|
I'm in North Idaho and winter is starting to hit. Anything obvious that I might overlook with winterizing our chicken setup? We are planning on doing the following this weekend: Closing a couple of the windows in the coop and making sure they aren't drafty (the others are staying as is for ventilation). Setting up windbreaks for the run. Heating the waterer so it doesn't freeze. Adding a solid roof to the run so snow/ice doesn't collect in it. We aren't planning on doing any supplemental light or heat. We've got three EEs and a Silver Laced Wyandotte so nothing with a big comb and only the Wyandotte has any wattles. They hens don't seem fussed about the cold though they aren't fond of all the rain we've been having. I can't imagine they will be thrilled about snow, though surprisingly they were still hanging out in the yard when it started snowing yesterday and only went in when it got dark. Temps are starting to get below freezing overnight and hover at freezing or just above during the day. It tends to stay like that off and on (with breaks where we go into the 40s during the day) until at least March. We do occasionally get a serious cold snap with temps down to -10F or so. Should I consider doing anything special for those days? Do I need to provide anything extra in terms of food for them while it's cold? As it is they have access to layer pellets, grit, and calcium every day and we give them cracked corn as scratch a couple times a week and treats from our leftover food 1-2 times a week.
|
|
#
?
Nov 10, 2012 00:07
|
|
|
I'd say make sure and offer some fresh greens once in a while--spinach or other stuff from the market. Your food treats should maybe include a protein boost every so often--we got an order of giant mealworms directly from Rainbow mealworms mailed to us, we keep 'em in the fridge and the chickens get a handfull or two about once a week. Make sure your roosts are going to protect feet from freezing and allow the birds to snuggle up with each other. It wouldn't be a bad idea to HAVE a heat lamp ready to go if needed, they aren't expensive (maybe about $20) and hang up quickly. Also, since the cold, dry air dries out skin and feet, a bit of oil in their diet. I found a supplement called 'Kickin' Chicken' that I mix a little bit of in the chickens' ration about once a week or so--it's got fatty acids, vitamins, etc. in it. http://www.jefferspet.com/product.asp?pn=iw-k1&camid=liv http://www.jefferspet.com/images/label/0031631.htm It really seems to help with dry skin and whatnot. As for our flock, we're in northern Nevada and get the cold temps that you get, but since most of our flock are OLD ladies, we've insulated the coop (which has ventilation at the top of the walls but no drafts), have a heat lamp, keep their water thawed and the run has a solid roof. During the day we open one of the coop double doors so they can come and go as they please, but the ones who stay inside have lots of protection from the elements. I've found that the oldsters stay in the coop mostly, while the 1-4 year olds are out and about more during the day. The old ladies like to sit in there and be ready to GLARE at me when I go out to see how they are doing. Or, heck--you've only got four chickens, bring 'em inside to make s'mores and lounge by the fire while you peel them grapes when it gets cold! 
|
|
#
?
Nov 10, 2012 01:34
|
|
|
Velvet Sparrow posted:It wouldn't be a bad idea to HAVE a heat lamp ready to go if needed, they aren't expensive (maybe about $20) and hang up quickly. I have a heat lamp in the basement pointing at my water meter. It's literally a heat bulb in a reflector shield with clamps on the ends. edit: Exactly this thing: Designers Edge 10.5 in. Brooder Clamp Light and, what, $10 for the bulb?
|
|
#
?
Nov 10, 2012 02:10
|
|
|
We do have a room in the basement they can go into if we really need to bring them in (the one I had the brooder in when they were chicks) but we'd have to move some stuff out so we'd rather avoid it. Also, I'm pregnant and my husband would probably go nuts about the salmonella risk or something if I brought them inside. We've got a heat lamp if we end up needing it, I just don't want them to be dependent on it since I want them still out using the run and whatnot and that area is going to be cold. Also, running electricity out there is kind of a pain in the rear end (though doable if we decide we need it). They are all young (hatched Feb 28th) and healthy so I don't have any reason to think they wouldn't tolerate the cold. And the roost in their coop is nice and wide so that they can keep their feet warm. Plus they all love to snuggle together on it and have ever since they figured out it existed, so I imagine they keep each other warm pretty well. Thanks for the diet suggestions! I'll make sure to give them some extra protein at least once a week!
|
|
#
?
Nov 10, 2012 05:42
|
|
|
Well, this year's youngsters experienced their first snow this morning. Their reaction: None.  
|
|
#
?
Nov 10, 2012 20:54
|
|
|
Piper, one of our four ex-batts has been put on the Suprelorin implant to stop her egg production. She's been laying daily, since we got her (and the other three) on December 30th, but the shells have been getting paper thin. So now, as with all first applications of the implant, she's going into a full moult. Which is good, as she still has all her old broken & attacked feathers from her time in the battery cage. Dora, was put on the implant five months ago, laid her first egg today (which was a surprise). This means her implant has run out and she's going back to the vets on Monday for another implant. Other noticeable difference is her comb is getting larger and wobbling when she walks. When a hen is put on Suprelorin another side effect is that their combs shrink. Dora's is much larger than it has been for some time now.
|
|
#
?
Nov 10, 2012 21:38
|
|
|
spookygonk posted:Piper, one of our four ex-batts has been put on the Suprelorin implant to stop her egg production. She's been laying daily, since we got her (and the other three) on December 30th, but the shells have been getting paper thin. So now, as with all first applications of the implant, she's going into a full moult. Which is good, as she still has all her old broken & attacked feathers from her time in the battery cage. Spookygonk, is this standard treatment for the ex-batt hens? Combs that wobble are adorable, like Chido's leghorn BaBa. Adorable how it bounces back and forth, to and fro when she moves her head/body! Not a lot of ex-batt rescues here in the US, I think it's wonderful what you do in the UK for these hens.
|
|
#
?
Nov 11, 2012 02:32
|
|
|
spookygonk posted:Piper, one of our four ex-batts has been put on the Suprelorin implant to stop her egg production. She's been laying daily, since we got her (and the other three) on December 30th, but the shells have been getting paper thin. So now, as with all first applications of the implant, she's going into a full moult. Which is good, as she still has all her old broken & attacked feathers from her time in the battery cage. Can you tell us more about this? I understand how you'd want to give Piper a break from laying in order for her to have time grow feathers and rest & recover from battery life, but with Dora why continue the implant if she is now healthy...?
|
|
#
?
Nov 11, 2012 05:18
|
|
|
Velvet Sparrow posted:Can you tell us more about this? I understand how you'd want to give Piper a break from laying in order for her to have time grow feathers and rest & recover from battery life, but with Dora why continue the implant if she is now healthy...? The trouble with ex-batts is they're pretty much worked laying eggs until they're nearly worn out before the whole contents of the barn is shipped out to be minced animal feed (and the system restarts over with new hens). The lucky few that get rescued come out in a terrible state and, hopefully, with love and care they can get their health and feathers back. Once the egg laying starts to fail, it pretty much never returns to normality and that's when sterile peritonitis sets in; albumen falls into the stomach cavity, rather than the normal oviduct and it all starts building up. The pressure builds in the abdominal cavity, the hen has trouble sitting or even breathing and becomes, understandably listless. If a hen then goes into a natural (eg Winter) moult, when she naturally stops laying eggs, the fluids can be reabsorbed, and the symptoms decrease. If bacteria gets into liquid then it becomes septic peritonitis and that is more than likely a death sentence for a hen. We had to have one of our hens drained by the vet when this happened, he took about 300ml of yellow liquid from her swollen belly and diuretics helped remove the rest along with the antibiotics to prevent infection. Of the original three hens, we definitely lost one to peritonitis, possibly two. The third who had the above treatment by the vet made a full recovery, but six months later was diagnosed with liver cancer and we had her put to sleep. For us, looking after ex-batts is not about the eggs, so now any hen that shows definite signs that their egg production is failing we get them the implant. It allows them to do all the running, digging and mooching for treats they want (in what was left of our back garden) without having to worry about their insides. We still have two hens, Boo & Pip (alpha hen) still laying normally. Hope this made sense.
|
|
#
?
Nov 11, 2012 21:17
|
|
|
spookygonk posted:The trouble with ex-batts is they're pretty much worked laying eggs until they're nearly worn out before the whole contents of the barn is shipped out to be minced animal feed (and the system restarts over with new hens). The lucky few that get rescued come out in a terrible state and, hopefully, with love and care they can get their health and feathers back. Once the egg laying starts to fail, it pretty much never returns to normality and that's when sterile peritonitis sets in; albumen falls into the stomach cavity, rather than the normal oviduct and it all starts building up. The pressure builds in the abdominal cavity, the hen has trouble sitting or even breathing and becomes, understandably listless. If a hen then goes into a natural (eg Winter) moult, when she naturally stops laying eggs, the fluids can be reabsorbed, and the symptoms decrease. If bacteria gets into liquid then it becomes septic peritonitis and that is more than likely a death sentence for a hen. Wow. All the more reason that you are a saint for doing this. I take it that the hens are just so broken by their intense situation at the farm that their poor bodies just can't take it any more. I'm glad that you have the compassion and ability to give them the life that they deserve.
|
|
#
?
Nov 12, 2012 04:29
|
|
|
I didn't realize that it was a problem for hens that were still relatively young, poor babies. I had a very old hen that built up fluid in her abdomen like that, the vet drained her & put her on diuretics just like yours, and afterwards we'd just drain her once in a while to keep her comfortable...but she was almost 11 years old and had reached the point where she was a housechicken and when she wanted to rest, had her own little spot on a cushion next to the couch. She spent her final months mooching treats and watching TV. And yes, you are a good heart for providing a lovely home for ex-batts.  Edit: We have another househen at the moment for a total of 2--Boots, our bantam partridge Cochin is keeping Poof, our blind Polish, company the last two nights. It got down to 12 degrees last night & tonight, and while the other old ladies were snuggling together in the nest boxes in groups, Boots refused to and felt too cold to the touch, so in she came. She's sharing Poof's sleeping box right now, they are both happy as clams.
Velvet Sparrow fucked around with this message at 09:30 on Nov 12, 2012 |
|
#
?
Nov 12, 2012 09:26
|
|
|
Thank you both. Dora has laid two good eggs the last couple of days (though they were a little rough on the outside). Today, she was mostly hunkered down looking very sorry for herself and trying to hide away. What finally came out was again a separate yolk, white and shell. She's going back on the implant tonight and for the rest of her days with us. Will also speak to the vet about the option of getting her spayed rather than an implant every five months or so, even though we'd rather not put her through a full operation. We consider the ex-batts rescue hens when we get them home until the next morning, when they become retired hens. Love the story of the house hens VS. Edit: Just brought Dora home with the new implant fitted. Tired and disorientated due to being out in the night time, she still didn't turn down a handful of dried mealworms. We also took Pip along for the journey as the last time we saw our vet we mentioned her right wing still didn't have full range of motion after the fox attack a couple of months ago. The vet checked her over and said both wings have good range of motion, there was no sign of infection, scar tissue or a badly set bone. He suggested the restricted movement was possibly due to scar tissue or nerve damage from the attack, but said as she was getting around and doing all other things fine, there was no need to put her through the stress of an x-ray or operation. Good news, just hope the both of them don't give us the stink eye tomorrow morning when we let them out for messing with their sleep. spookygonk fucked around with this message at 22:49 on Nov 12, 2012 |
|
#
?
Nov 12, 2012 17:59
|
|
|
Well we failed to get all the winterizing done over the weekend because keeping the water from freezing took longer to manage than we expected. It started snowing yesterday morning and the hens were highly displeased about the whole situation. I went ahead and got the extra windows on the coop (the ones right next to their roost) boarded up and covered with insulation to prevent drafts and they were much happier by the time I came home, so that seems to have been successful. The only thing we still need to do at this point is add the windbreaks to the run, but it hasn't actually been windy yet, so I don't think it's a big deal if it takes a few more days. This morning it had switched over to rain (with temps still in the mid 30s) and they seemed to think that was far preferable and were actually out wandering the yard, despite there still being a couple of inches of snow on the ground. Chickens are funny creatures.
|
|
#
?
Nov 13, 2012 21:09
|
|
|
First I want to say, I love you all for being such wonderful chicken people and Thank you so much for all of these wonderful posts. I have been reading this thread for a long time and living vicariously through you. I got to babysit a couple chicks a few years ago and while they were doomed from the start (dyed Easter chicks as pets for preteen boys) they gave me a small taste of what it would be like with a brooder box in the house giving off faint peeps all day long. I have been trying to talk my mother in law into getting chickens since she lives in the country but she wouldn't hear of it. But my husband and I have since moved from the city to another house on her property and I can have chickens if I do the work! I just happened to read a thread at BackyardChickens.com and ended up at craigslist with someone who has a wonderful farm about 20 miles from here, many birds of all kinds and lots of other animals. I couldn't wait until the feed store had them in the spring and he had babies right now! I wanted 4 but of course, chicken math got me before I even saw them, and ended up with all 6 of the black copper marans he had. They look like there are a few days' difference between them, 2 are super tiny but they all have wing feathers already. I have them in a rectangular plastic box for now, and am constructing a taller brooder a la Velvet Sparrow <3 for when they start flapping upwards. They will live in my kitchen/living room until it gets warm enough outside, 3 months or so, and we have that long to build them a proper tractor. We haven't chosen names yet, still thinking on them and we may wait until they show more personality. Ok enough with the wall of text, here are the pics.         I think the one with the white spot on its head will be a rooster. I hope it's the only roo! (Edited for huge pics!) Hyper J fucked around with this message at 21:58 on Nov 13, 2012 |
|
#
?
Nov 13, 2012 21:44
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 21, 2024 10:16 |
|
|
Hyper J posted:I couldn't wait until the feed store had them in the spring and he had babies right now! I wanted 4 but of course, chicken math got me before I even saw them, and ended up with all 6 of the black copper marans he had. They look like there are a few days' difference between them, 2 are super tiny but they all have wing feathers already. Awww. These babies are so adorable! I like the photo of them all heads-in together. I can only assume they are eating something yummy. Some of these pics really remind me of VS's Peepsquire when she was a baby. The chicks with the white chests.  Now if we could just convince you to add a streaming webcam so we can watch the babies grow up. 
|
|
#
?
Nov 13, 2012 22:32
|
|