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A month ago, a raccoon managed to break into the large lean-to where the chickens live in winter. It was the middle of the night and it had killed the roosters (both bantams) before we got in and took it out. One of the roosters was actually quite old (I want to say around 8?) but the other was an accidental acquisition with last spring's new chicks. We were pretty sad about it, even though they died as bravely and with as much honor as a tiny rooster can. The next morning there was crowing in the lean-to. The biggest of our new Ameraucanas has been crowing every morning since, and has recently started sprouting enormous tailfeathers.
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Feb 2, 2023 00:35
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One dies, another is Chosen.
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Feb 2, 2023 18:51
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Hooray, my chickens are finally laying eggs! But they keep kicking all the shavings out of the nest boxes, boo! I don't think it's a comfort issue, they just seem to like hopping in and kicking all the shavings out, looking for bugs or something I guess.
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Feb 2, 2023 20:46
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PerniciousKnid posted:Hooray, my chickens are finally laying eggs! But they keep kicking all the shavings out of the nest boxes, boo! I don't think it's a comfort issue, they just seem to like hopping in and kicking all the shavings out, looking for bugs or something I guess. Nest making can result in much kicking of sawdust, plumes of it at times. Everything has to be just right and digging and kicking are all parts of it. Just keep topping the nests up.
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Feb 2, 2023 23:15
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Explosionface posted:We got our fluffy-headed visitor rehomed last night. We were sad to see her go, but since we're on the no chicken list, she definitely had to go. Of course, about half an hour later, we found out where she really came from. I'm pretty sure she went to a better home, to be honest. She seemed to have some minor neglect issues so I wonder if she really had a good home to start with. One detail I left out: we shared contact information between the original owners and the rehome owners we found, letting them sort it out as they see fit. The rehomers agreed to return her home. I may have been a little tough on the original owners, as they then left this for us:   Apparently her name is Taz. 
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Feb 2, 2023 23:20
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Explosionface posted:One detail I left out: we shared contact information between the original owners and the rehome owners we found, letting them sort it out as they see fit. The rehomers agreed to return her home. I may have been a little tough on the original owners, as they then left this for us:  i hope this incident teaches them to appreciate her
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Feb 3, 2023 01:00
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We haven't shared it anywhere on here yet, but the day we lost Kylo, Dienes found this little guy in our bushes out back, which was a weird coincidence (felt like the universe trying to balance out our loss).  We had the quail hospital cage, but he was clearly unhappy in a bare cage with no perches (especially with that long tail), so she picked up a quick jungle gym and some toys we could give to the quail after since they love mirrors and bells.   He was a chill little bird. Last night he seemed to have finally settled in and started making happy chirps and whistles while I was cooking. But there's a happy ending! We had called vets and posted in various places to find his family. This morning Dienes got a message on Nextdoor and was able to confirm this is their bird. He's back with his family and everyone is so happy
BaronVonVaderham fucked around with this message at 01:57 on Feb 3, 2023 |
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Feb 3, 2023 01:54
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spookygonk posted:Nest making can result in much kicking of sawdust, plumes of it at times. Everything has to be just right and digging and kicking are all parts of it. Just keep topping the nests up. Problem is they're emptying the next box before I've even gotten back into the house, so I might as well not have bedding at all. I'm thinking about stapling some curtains over the opening to maybe catch some of it.
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Feb 3, 2023 03:47
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this thread is always a rollercoaster. that budgie is absolutely gorgeous bvv, i'm so glad you found their owners. joburg, i desperately hope your luck turns around from here on in. i cannot even imagine how it must have felt to lose your entire flock. you did the right thing, but what an awful thing to have to do.  may it never happen to you again, or to any of us.my own personal tragedy is that all four of my ancona chicks turned out to be roosters! they have all gone on to happy homes. on a brighter note, this dignified meringue is doing okay and actually seems to be walking better than she was a few months ago. i don't expect a full recovery, but if she makes it to three (her birthday is in may) i'll be happy. the others still treat her with great respect despite her weakened condition, she's a special little bird. 
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Feb 3, 2023 09:48
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BIRD HACK: let them run around your toilet
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Feb 6, 2023 00:19
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I can barely handle the absolute sweetness of all the baby peeps being posted.
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Feb 7, 2023 17:03
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Our little Sky was taken to the vet this morning (she was due a new implant on Friday, but this morning was looking very unwell). Basically, due to her upper cross beak her sinuses aren't able to clear on one side and it had backed up something awful. So Sky was sedated and her sinuses cleaned out (won't show the photo of all the gunk that came out  ). A couple of x-rays also showed gaps in her skull, one below the eye and the other on the upper beak, which seems why her beak is curved over.She's home with loxicom and baytril, twice a day and looking like she's been in a fight. 
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Feb 7, 2023 21:25
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Poor Sky! I wish her a speedy recovery, sinus troubles are just the pits!
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Feb 7, 2023 21:45
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spookygonk posted:Our little Sky was taken to the vet this morning (she was due a new implant on Friday, but this morning was looking very unwell). thank you for taking such good care of her
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Feb 7, 2023 22:05
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Hopefully Sky recovers very quickly! We have our own quail in the recovery cage. They all graduated to outside on Saturday and one managed to wedge itself behind the big feeder somehow? Thankfully we were checking on them frequently and caught it before we had another Kylo on our hands, but I noticed that they didn't want to walk on their left foot. They seem to be recovering well, though! Soon they can go back outside with the rest of the flock again. EDIT: When we brought them out we went one by one and took photos and clipped wing feathers, if anyone wants to see the new batch: https://imgur.com/gallery/A2FSuzh
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Feb 7, 2023 22:36
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What a lovely bunch!
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Feb 8, 2023 00:37
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^^^Sky deserves piles of live mealworms. Okay guys, I need some advice, here. I don't want Chickam to be another chick deathfest this year. I've taken the ReptiPro apart and cleaned a LOT of dust out of it's innards, and I'm hoping that had something to do with the dismal chick survival rate the last couple of years. I'm looking for recommendations for a temperature alarm I can use with my ReptiPro 6000 incubator. The alarm should have a probe that goes inside the incubator, and I'd *like* to get one accurate to +/- one degree, and can track drops/spikes in temperature. I see lots of charting thermometers that are upwards of $400...anyone know of a good one under $100? I was looking for something like this: https://www.thomassci.com/Instruments/Digital-Thermometers/_/Thomas-Traceable-Big-Digit-Four-Alarm-Thermometers Annoying backstory: My little ReptiPro 6000 incubator has worked like a champ since 2013...except for the last two years. While embryo development has remained stable, my hatch rate has plummeted, and I'm getting at-term chicks dead in shell and chicks that hatch and then die. Last spring, out of 29 eggs I got 18 embryos, 6 hatched, 2 lived. I got similar results the year before. I DON'T depend on the ReptiPro controls for temperature, instead I have a seperate hygrometer and a Spot Check probe thermometer (used with a water weasel) to get accurate 'inside the egg' temperatures. One thing--I'm hatching at a high altitude--4,751 feet--which I already know puts a ding in my hatch rate because of low air pressure and a difference in eggshell pore size. But I've been hatching here, using this same equipment, since 2013, and only in the last couple of years has my hatch/living chick rate declined so badly. Here's what my current setup looks like:  Any advice or help would be REALLY appreciated, thanks!
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Feb 8, 2023 06:00
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Velvet Sparrow posted:
Not quite under $100, but maybe a smoker setup could work? ThermoWorks (not ThermoPro) is basically the standard for professional cooks. Not sure if this will do everything you want but there's a lot on their site. https://www.thermoworks.com/smoke-x/
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Feb 8, 2023 06:34
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Tricky Ed posted:Not quite under $100, but maybe a smoker setup could work? ThermoWorks (not ThermoPro) is basically the standard for professional cooks. Not sure if this will do everything you want but there's a lot on their site. Now, SEE--I *never* would have thought to check out BBQ equipment! But there seems to be several of these to choose from, so I'll check it out, THANK YOU! And if I find something to properly cook my chicken eggs to completed chicks on a *BBQ site*, I'll die laughing. I just need something that'll scream at me if the temperature drops below 98 degrees or goes over 100.5. Tracking any drops/spikes would be a bonus. EDIT--I just calibrated all of my existing assorted digital thermometers/hygrometers. The Spot Check probe is dead on, the temp feature for the digital hygrometer/thermometer (which I only use for the hygrometer) is only low by .4 degrees. Velvet Sparrow fucked around with this message at 07:46 on Feb 8, 2023 |
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Feb 8, 2023 07:35
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I have used a couple of Govee thermometer hygrometers and the alarm function (through the app) is really hit or miss but the charting is ok. They are pretty inexpensive too. https://a.co/d/7lQPmoM E: fixed my link code Joburg fucked around with this message at 18:38 on Feb 8, 2023 |
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Feb 8, 2023 14:20
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i also have a Govee (for the coop) and yeah, the alarm only works in Bluetooth range. maybe there's a better way i am not aware of
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Feb 8, 2023 16:57
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 Hello my wife has been really into getting chickens lately so she got a coop and some chickens and they came today and here they are enjoy the chickens
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Feb 8, 2023 21:24
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Our injured quail has recovered and rejoined their siblings outside!
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Feb 8, 2023 21:25
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Demon Of The Fall posted:
nice chickens, what are their names?
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Feb 8, 2023 23:29
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Demon Of The Fall posted:
I am currently enjoying the chickens. Thank you.
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Feb 8, 2023 23:32
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Demon Of The Fall posted:
Thank you i enjoyed the chickens and would like to know the name of the white one with the gold head thanks in advance
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Feb 8, 2023 23:44
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Demon Of The Fall posted:
You appear to have become infested with two Rhode Island Reds, a Barred Plymouth Rock, and an Americaunas. Congratulations. Welcome to the Dark Side, BTW...Morehens Disease isn't far behind. 
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Feb 9, 2023 02:57
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We had Rhode Island Reds when I was a kid in Massachusetts. I hope my mom has some photos she can send me, I loved those birds.
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Feb 9, 2023 03:05
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City of Glompton posted:nice chickens, what are their names? Light red is Stacy, darker red is Death Valley, black and white is Henrietta and gray is Estelle. (subject to change) Demon Of The Fall fucked around with this message at 05:30 on Feb 9, 2023 |
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Feb 9, 2023 05:26
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those are great name (i share a name with one of the haha) 
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Feb 9, 2023 06:48
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City of Glompton posted:those are great name (i share a name with one of the haha) 
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Feb 9, 2023 07:29
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Demon Of The Fall posted:Light red is Stacy, darker red is Death Valley, black and white is Henrietta and gray is Estelle.
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Feb 9, 2023 10:35
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So I've been seeing this whole "They're putting something in or leaving something out of the feed and my chickens stopped laying!" thing for a while. Not surprisingly, the people saying it don't really show any proof except "Mine stopped, I changed feed and they started back up", with others saying "Yup". Some claim it's this feed from Purina, another says Tractor Supply. Not surprisingly, they all also seem to be into "Our borders are open!" and "They're weaponizing our food supply to control the population! Gates! Sorts! NWO!" I just get the layer pellets at the local feed n tractor store, and my girls have been plopping out eggs. No problem, even with the shorter days. I'm 99.99% sure this is just some chemtrails level, uncle works at Sony bullshit. Has anyone else run into this?
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Feb 9, 2023 14:56
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i left our local chicken FB group because they are completely in thrall to that conspiracy bullshit
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Feb 9, 2023 15:36
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Can't believe chickens stopped laying during a very cold time in the year. This must be a conspiracy.
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Feb 9, 2023 19:28
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This is also about the time chickens bought at the start of covid might start slowing down their production naturally.
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Feb 9, 2023 19:56
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anybody else's birds been leaving white stuff that smells like poo poo around their enclosures? i'm thinking it's some kind of solid chemtrail
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Feb 10, 2023 00:54
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City of Glompton posted:i left our local chicken FB group because they are completely in thrall to that conspiracy bullshit I called it a right wing conspiracy and got deleted for mentioning politics, thanks liberals.
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Feb 10, 2023 01:19
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Death Valley has been renamed Redneck, I’m sorry. But this still made me lol
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Feb 10, 2023 01:22
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Demon Of The Fall posted:Death Valley has been renamed Redneck, I’m sorry. But this still made me lol Death Valley is actually a pretty perfect name for a Rhodie... 
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Feb 10, 2023 01:45
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