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Hixalot posted:Thank you. THIS WORKS. Not that I'm living proof or nuthin'...just sayin'...
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Nov 16, 2014 22:35
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I do not see any pictures of said bantam cochins, VS, so I don't know if I can believe you.  Does this mean that there should hopefully be bantam cochins in next year's chickam?
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Nov 16, 2014 22:39
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Hixalot, that banty blue hen is freakin' gorgeous. 
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Nov 16, 2014 23:23
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There's been a huge red tail hawk lurking around lately. No wonder my chickens are acting weird, I was wondering why they've been acting depressed and hiding constantly 
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Nov 17, 2014 01:26
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Chido posted:There's been a huge red tail hawk lurking around lately. No wonder my chickens are acting weird, I was wondering why they've been acting depressed and hiding constantly Red tails are always bad at this time of year it seems. I've had some friends report some success with hanging shiny reflective strips around their coops, or CD's (reflective side up) on strings etc to help repel Hawks. They don't like the erratic movement and odd reflections is the logic. Hopefully the birds are in a covered run though, much safer. Apathygirl, thank you very much. She is one of my favorites I've raised this year. Not sure what judge saw in the black that beat her but she's my pick.
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Nov 17, 2014 02:26
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Hixalot posted:Just got back from Washington Feather Fanciers show in Chehalis, WA. Wow, good work! I love the bantams - they're so dainty and their big black eyes are adorable  And the large fowl pullet looks so regal! These are some good chickens.
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Nov 17, 2014 08:15
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Hix, those are some fine chickens! Great work. Spooky, I love your success stories with the battery hens! They are so happy-looking now! You are a saint.
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Nov 17, 2014 17:37
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Crossposting chickens from PYF:Fuzz1138 posted:Here are some little baby chicks my mom recently incubated.
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Nov 17, 2014 18:21
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Alright, so my husband decided to let the chickens out in the pouring rain today and it took me hours to actually get them all back in the run. They're soaked to the skin. It's 40 degrees now, but the low tonight is going to be 25 and it's not going to get above freezing for the next two days (wind chill in the teens tomorrow). So how the hell am I going to get them dry enough that they won't freeze/get sick tonight in an unheated coop? Will they dry off enough on their own or so I have to go out there with a hair dryer? I know the standard answer is "they should be fine, just watch them for the next couple days" but this is complicated by the fact I'm having my first baby tonight. I'm a week overdue and scheduled to be induced tonight, so I won't be home for a minimum 2 days and my chicken sitter knows enough to feed them and pull eggs and that's it. To say I'm pissed/stressed out/freaking out is an understatement. Advice, please?
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Nov 17, 2014 19:16
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Get your hubby to take a couple of chickens into the house at a time and blow dry them with the hair dryer. How many chooks do you own?
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Nov 17, 2014 20:38
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Yeah, that's what we ended up doing. Thankfully only 8, and thankfully they were too confused to really put up a fight.
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Nov 17, 2014 21:05
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Glad to see that all got sorted out with the chooks! Good luck with the new baby! 
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Nov 17, 2014 21:59
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Inveigle posted:Glad to see that all got sorted out with the chooks! Good luck with the new baby!
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Nov 17, 2014 23:44
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Sorry guys, she's already named. Vivienne Amelia.
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Nov 17, 2014 23:58
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Congrats on your new baby, put your husband out in the rain/snow tonight as penance for the mortal sin of stressing out a very pregnant woman. :P Or, you know, make him get up when she cries.
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Nov 18, 2014 06:57
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Posted on imgur.com: chickens getting a breakfast of warm oatmeal with added mealworms. YUM!  
Inveigle fucked around with this message at 18:50 on Nov 18, 2014 |
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Nov 18, 2014 18:30
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Wow, it is cold. The lock on the feed door of the coop was frozen shut. I had to get a hammer to tap it open. Guess I'll be adding a hammer to my wintertime list of things to take down daily. Also bought a heated watering troth for them Saturday. 3 times in a row it has slowly leaked out overnight, going to take it back I guess. Lastly, when I was doing the chicken chores I spotted something odd on top of the fenced in run. What is it, a fuzz ball, a big poop? Nope, it was an owl pellet  Some owl decided to sit on one of the posts of the run and puke up it's last meal. Looked like a mouse, but I can't tell, frozen solid. Glad we put a top on the run in October.
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Nov 18, 2014 21:11
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Inveigle posted:Posted on imgur.com: chickens getting a breakfast of warm oatmeal with added mealworms. YUM! Our first three hens adored a bowl of warm poridge. In fact when they would camp out on the back door mat and start howling for treats &/or attention, porridge was the best thing to shut them up. They'd stuff their beaks, settle down for some serious preening and then fall asleep in a carb coma. Silly hens.
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Nov 18, 2014 22:32
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Any recommendations for cold-weather hardiness? I've got two golden comets and it's supposed to be a rougher winter (18-25F, it's GA). They're in a wooden coop but it's not too insulated. Was thinking about moving the coop closer to the house and throwing a heat lamp in there to turn on. Is there anything else I can do to help keep heat in the coop? Maybe more straw and pad the crevices in the walls. Haven't had them through a winter before
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Nov 18, 2014 23:06
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Analogical posted:Any recommendations for cold-weather hardiness? I've got two golden comets and it's supposed to be a rougher winter (18-25F, it's GA). They're in a wooden coop but it's not too insulated. Was thinking about moving the coop closer to the house and throwing a heat lamp in there to turn on. Is there anything else I can do to help keep heat in the coop? Maybe more straw and pad the crevices in the walls. Haven't had them through a winter before Honestly cold isn't the enemy. Moisture is. Make sure the coop is well ventilated. If you go out in early morning and there is condensation on roof of coop, you need more ventilation, not having this will cause frost bite. My birds coops are completely open air on one side with three sides to shield wind and even last winter with multiple weeks of single digit temps they thrived, including the large comb leghorns. Edit: you can include some supplemental feeding of whole grains, maybe wild bird seed, especially before nightfall as it takes longer to digest and helps keep body temp up.
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Nov 19, 2014 01:35
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I've heard and read awful stories about heat lamps YIKES! They can be so very dangerous.
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Nov 19, 2014 01:41
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piscesbobbie posted:I've heard and read awful stories about heat lamps YIKES! They can be so very dangerous. Bingo. I shake my head every time I see someone using a heat lamp. Risk is too high and benefit is almost nonexistent.
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Nov 19, 2014 02:10
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I've always wondered if those passive ceramic heaters weren't the better choice for animal enclosures since they never get really hot. But on the other hand I don't own or know chickens so what the hell am I doing wondering about it? I mean, seriously.
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Nov 19, 2014 07:03
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Tricky Ed posted:I've always wondered if those passive ceramic heaters weren't the better choice for animal enclosures since they never get really hot. But on the other hand I don't own or know chickens so what the hell am I doing wondering about it? I use a 150 watt version of that in my coop. The coop top is open welded wire with a 5 inch gap and a tin roof above that. We set it over the roost so that they can huddle underneath it, mine is about 2 feet wide so they can all get under it of they need to. They seem to love it and it keeps their combs from getting frostbite at night. Sine it doesn't touch wood or shavings so there is no fire risk and since there isn't any light they don't stay active.
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Nov 19, 2014 07:17
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Grape Soda posted:I do not see any pictures of said bantam cochins, VS, so I don't know if I can believe you. OK, ok, here!  The little black one is a full bantam Cochin, the other is half Sicillian Buttercup. No names yet for either, although we're thinking of Sophie for the Buttercup/Cochin cross and Molly for the black hen. They are still shy of all of the other chickens, so we're thinking of cooping them during the day together with Mushroom (bantam Cochin roo) and Olive for a few days to see if a little bantam Cochin gang forms. Maybe with three hens and a roo we'll get bantam Cochins next Spring!
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Nov 19, 2014 11:12
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Velvet Sparrow posted:OK, ok, here! Molly is a perfect name for the black bantam.
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Nov 19, 2014 13:18
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Velvet Sparrow posted:OK, ok, here! The black cochin is so pretty! The gold one is very cute and has obviously settled in already. Since those tiny cochins don't take up much room, you can easily keep all four in the kitchen this winter! Where did Olive and Mushroom come from again? Let's see a picture of all four of them together! 
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Nov 19, 2014 16:25
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awwww VS, they are so ADORABLE! Now, how are you going to set up the housekeeping for the shorties? Bloop and Mushroom both small guys.... who will get bragging rights to the new gals!?! Will you set up a separate area for the 4 new kids or put them in with Bloop and his gals?
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Nov 20, 2014 01:34
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Right now the entire flock is together. The new girls are still shy and Cowbell and Buzzard won't leave them alone.  Once everyone settles down I'm sure the new girls will learn the 'run to Weedcat' trick like the other hens do when being bothered by young rooboys. Come Spring, when things warm up and we are wanting pure bantam Cochin eggs, we'll separate the cochins for a few weeks.
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Nov 20, 2014 06:42
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d'awwwwww. :3 I can't wait for Chickam in the spring!
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Nov 20, 2014 08:01
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Due to the hooting that is going on outside my bedroom window every night, I've found that we have a Great Horned owl out there who is serenading us.  And on that subject...here, have an adorable Saw-Whet owl vid: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kRnk3vEEMqs I freakin' guarantee you'll be melting in the first 5 seconds of watching.
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Nov 20, 2014 11:05
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Anyone know any tricks for getting chooks to change where they roost? My hutch at the moment has only one upper level to stand on, and the new girls wont let them anywhere near it, so they've taken to camping out on my windowsill, which means every night I have to pluck them off and drop them onto the ground of the nice safe hutch. Also I'm peeved that the older girls are still henpecking, you think they would be used to them.
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Nov 20, 2014 11:11
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Velvet Sparrow posted:Due to the hooting that is going on outside my bedroom window every night, I've found that we have a Great Horned owl out there who is serenading us. I bet that Great Horned owl knows that there are tasty chickens around. I love Great Horned owls though, as well as their distinctive hoot.
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Nov 20, 2014 12:25
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Velvet Sparrow posted:Due to the hooting that is going on outside my bedroom window every night, I've found that we have a Great Horned owl out there who is serenading us. Hah, can I borrow him for a couple of weeks? We're having big time rat trouble now that the weather's gotten cold... Does anyone have any recommendations for dealing with small, unwelcome visitors to the coop?
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Nov 20, 2014 14:58
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I'd loan you Haterade but her rat murdering beady eyed face is necessary here. She and my barred rock destroyed a rat that dared put it's paw in the coop. I've never seen chickens play tug of war.
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Nov 20, 2014 15:06
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Griffball posted:Anyone know any tricks for getting chooks to change where they roost? My hutch at the moment has only one upper level to stand on, and the new girls wont let them anywhere near it, so they've taken to camping out on my windowsill, which means every night I have to pluck them off and drop them onto the ground of the nice safe hutch. Out another roost slightly, ower the pan the first one. Begin placing them on that at night,mas long as the older girls have their higher spot they won't care if the new girls have a roost slightly lower.
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Nov 20, 2014 18:19
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Errant Gin Monks posted:Out another roost slightly, ower the pan the first one. Begin placing them on that at night,mas long as the older girls have their higher spot they won't care if the new girls have a roost slightly lower.
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Nov 20, 2014 18:23
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spookygonk posted:Either you're typing with your other hand or you've been on the sauce. I pictured Errant Gin Monks trying to type while holding a flapping chicken.
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Nov 20, 2014 18:50
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Inveigle posted:I pictured Errant Gin Monks trying to type while holding a flapping chicken. In HIS food truck, handling the lunch rush. Suspect Bucket fucked around with this message at 23:47 on Nov 21, 2014 |
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Nov 20, 2014 19:48
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Micomicona posted:Hah, can I borrow him for a couple of weeks? We're having big time rat trouble now that the weather's gotten cold... Does anyone have any recommendations for dealing with small, unwelcome visitors to the coop? Our owl comes around late at night and is clearly after mice, although come to think of it I haven't seen our squirrel around lately... For rats/mice, make a bucket trap. You can fill the bottom of the bucket with water to drown them, or don't and instead do catch and release the mousies somewhere out in a field. The nice part about bucket traps is that you can catch multiple mice every night. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aSk79YcuIRQ Griffball, I make my roosts all at one level, like a bench. Then there IS no fighting over a higher or lower roost, they all snuggle together or spread out as they like.
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Nov 20, 2014 22:51
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