Any one want to join me in waiting for eggs, posting and comparing notes?

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USVIyardbird said:
After being away for so long. I feel like a newbie again.
frow.gif
All is well on the home front. Last time I posted was about the cat the killed my hen, yesterday I saw it again.
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He was gone for a while but seems like its back again. Got to deal with him ASAP because I don't want to lose another.
I also had eggs incubating in my home made incubator. Well here is the good news out of 7 eggs, 2 hatched
jumpy.gif
; one had really bad legs and the other had curled toes. I did try to fix the one with the legs but it doesnt seem to be getting better. The temperature in the incubator fluctuated to much and while incubating I had 2 power outages. The other little one that had curled toes is all better. I made shoes for it to wear, wore them for 2 days and toes are so much straighter and its walking fine. I will post a picture of it with the shoes one and one with out the shoes. You guys do enjoy.
Click to expand...
I know this sounds weird but have you tried, um, "marking" your territory? I ask because when I was a kid we lived on a canyon. Lots of wildlife, but we had an old nuetered cat that was getting constantly beat up by a neighborhood tom who was out all the time. So after trying everything else we could think of my dad went out early one morning and "marked" the yard. Cats are very territorial and if this one has declared your yard his he will keep coming back. I know it sounds gross but it actually worked.
 
kdwag said:
Hi all, good to hear from you USVI, we were a little worried about you and your girls . LOVE those chicken shoes, I got a great laugh. So, i was reading the posts about what to do with the hens when they stop laying. I think about that often, however, after my day today I think I'll be culling one of my barred rocks soon. As I suspected, my second barred rock has started pecking at everyone, however, my partridge, Liza, came to greet me tonight with a huge chunk of her back missing, bloody bald, etc. So, I quickly soaked it good with some Blue Kote and watched them foraging when I saw Clara, my former victim, being the bully. Seriously ya all, this is crazy. I quickly put Clara into a run and closed her in while I watched the others. No one else seemed to bother Liza. At first I couldn't decide who to sequester--- Clara or poor Liza. So, I ended up putting Clara in the barn. MB, you have barred rocks, do you have this problem??? Yes, they are nice to me, but I'd take my Partridge and my RIR over the barreds any day. So, not sure what I'll do but for sure, need to get Liza's back healed up. in the mean time, Clara is isolated----
he.gif
Any suggestions on what to cover Liza's back with? It's on the side of her tail, that famous spot.
Click to expand...
kd,
I was watching my flock today, trying to figure out who is head hen. I can clearly see who is low on the totem pole, both of my RIR's, and between them they pick on each other. The only pecking I see is over food, and who gets to eat first in the morning, and when I give a treat, I try to put it out in 3 or 4 places so that they all aren't fighting. One BA, and the Barred Rocks seem to be the strongest most confident girls, but not in a bullying way, they move around without anyone getting in their way, but don't seem to bother anyone past a peck on the head. Forgive me but I can't remember if you have a roo, do you? I do think he breaks up a lot of the squabbles when he notices it gets a bit too much. The ones that are the lower ones quickly get out of the way. I have read that a roo does sort of act like coach of the flock in that way. Luckily, so far, I haven't had to deal with this past the first sequester session I did.

I have also read that when you do seperate one bird, it changes the pecking order dynamic, which is why Clara may seem to be the dominate one now. When you say Liza's back is bald, so you mean the area around her vent, under her tail, or on her back? I know they have those sadde covers a lot of people have success with. Funny, when my girls forage, they don't worry about the pecking thing... they are too busy looking around for something to eat. I am so sorry you have to go through this again, I was hoping that that was all in the past! Are they all getting enough protein? Just throwing out some ideas....This must be so frustrating for you! Keep us posted... sorry kd!
 
Hey everyone - Just checking in. So glad to see USVI back again. and Catsol, great pix - thanks for sharing.
No great big news on the chicken front. My EE is still holding out. 2 beautiful light green eggs last week
(light olive color) and nothing since. My RIR is the smallest of the 3 and she lays the biggest egg. She is
also lowest on the pecking order.

My meaties are hanging in there. They sure are smelly little things. I don't remember my three girls making
their brooder so offensive. I have been keeping the meaties in the garage so it's not a terrible problem. Thought
I could get away with changing the bedding once a week but doesn't look like that's gonna work.

My fruits and veggies are starting to take off. The girls got ahold of the watermelon I planted and now I have
nothing showing. Not sure if they pulled stuff out by the root or not. I have chicken wire in different places
around the yard and ran out before I could protect the watermelon.

I'm also planning to add to our "flock" if you can call 3 chickens a flock. Probably will wait until October. The
girls will be one year old then. I am asking DH to help me build a bator to experiment with our grandson. Not
sure what I'll be able to get my hands on as far as fertile eggs but am getting excited and October is another
season away already. Don't want to push past spring and summer especially for our friends in cold country.

Love this thread and touching base with you all. Have a great night.
 
kacklinkelly said:
Hey everyone - Just checking in. So glad to see USVI back again. and Catsol, great pix - thanks for sharing.
No great big news on the chicken front. My EE is still holding out. 2 beautiful light green eggs last week
(light olive color) and nothing since. My RIR is the smallest of the 3 and she lays the biggest egg. She is
also lowest on the pecking order.

My meaties are hanging in there. They sure are smelly little things. I don't remember my three girls making
their brooder so offensive. I have been keeping the meaties in the garage so it's not a terrible problem. Thought
I could get away with changing the bedding once a week but doesn't look like that's gonna work.

My fruits and veggies are starting to take off. The girls got ahold of the watermelon I planted and now I have
nothing showing. Not sure if they pulled stuff out by the root or not. I have chicken wire in different places
around the yard and ran out before I could protect the watermelon.

I'm also planning to add to our "flock" if you can call 3 chickens a flock. Probably will wait until October. The
girls will be one year old then. I am asking DH to help me build a bator to experiment with our grandson. Not
sure what I'll be able to get my hands on as far as fertile eggs but am getting excited and October is another
season away already. Don't want to push past spring and summer especially for our friends in cold country.

Love this thread and touching base with you all. Have a great night.
Click to expand...
I admire you trying the meaties thing... I bet that will be a lot of work, but short lived right? Are you going to process them yourselves? I have signed up for a chicken processing class in May, wondering if I will be up to the task... I'll let you know! I also dream of getting in flower and vegetable beds,, and I know that means fencing. Still trying to get all my horse fencing repaired around my six acres. I save up my extra $ and buy a load of oak boards.. Expensive stuff,, just like the welded wire I put in the run for the peeps! I need to win Powerball for all my lofty plans!

So glad you touched base... I love all the update from everyone! Night!

MB
 
Melabella said:
kd,
I was watching my flock today, trying to figure out who is head hen. I can clearly see who is low on the totem pole, both of my RIR's, and between them they pick on each other. The only pecking I see is over food, and who gets to eat first in the morning, and when I give a treat, I try to put it out in 3 or 4 places so that they all aren't fighting. One BA, and the Barred Rocks seem to be the strongest most confident girls, but not in a bullying way, they move around without anyone getting in their way, but don't seem to bother anyone past a peck on the head. Forgive me but I can't remember if you have a roo, do you? I do think he breaks up a lot of the squabbles when he notices it gets a bit too much. The ones that are the lower ones quickly get out of the way. I have read that a roo does sort of act like coach of the flock in that way. Luckily, so far, I haven't had to deal with this past the first sequester session I did.

I have also read that when you do seperate one bird, it changes the pecking order dynamic, which is why Clara may seem to be the dominate one now. When you say Liza's back is bald, so you mean the area around her vent, under her tail, or on her back? I know they have those sadde covers a lot of people have success with. Funny, when my girls forage, they don't worry about the pecking thing... they are too busy looking around for something to eat. I am so sorry you have to go through this again, I was hoping that that was all in the past! Are they all getting enough protein? Just throwing out some ideas....This must be so frustrating for you! Keep us posted... sorry kd!
Click to expand...
No roostser. Liza's sore is on her back to the right side of her tail. Nasty. Yes, I thought free ranging would keep the pecking at bay, but it didnt' matter with Clemi either, she would stalk the other one and then attack. I saw the saddle thilngs, not sure it would go down her back far enough to cover the sore, but may be worth trying. I was thinking it could be food as well, but just seems weird that it's the barreds. Clem has joined in just fine and I haven't had any problems with her. Lucy, my RIR I thought was the chick in charge, I've seen her give Clemi a few pecks to the head now and then. I do think that it's that fight for the 3rd ranking space. Liza typically is the 3rd or 4th in line. She was with Lucy at the bottom, but now I think Lucy has moved up, Clem may be 2nd and then it appeared dto have been Liza and Clara, which is why I think Clara is so focuesd on Liza. Too much drama. Separating them this time is a challenge. Not sure what I'm going to do with them. Clara spent the night in the barn, seriously not sure what I should do with Liza, worried that sore will not heal fast enough and praying the others will leave it alone, but also concerned that she'll dust bath and get debris in it leading to inefection or something. Ohy vey.
 

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