Arizona Chickens

[girlchick]

here is a link to a youtube vid of the chick I had to help hatch. It loves to tickle me, lol. Enjoy:

AWWWW, too cute!!!!!

I candled my remaining eggs tonight. The 3 Ameracaunas were quitters.

No doubts on those. The remaining BCMs are iffy.. Hard to candle those and one I couldn't see a thing. I did the float test as a last resort and all floated like viable eggs. No wiggles tho. I put them back in the incubator for a couple more days, just in case. I'm not optimistic tho.

Since this was my first time ever attempting this, and, thankfully, have 4 adorable chicks that did hatch, I'm happy.

 

[Timskins]

What would cause a hens wings to be featherless? I was at someone's house tonight and she said their hens used to be in with the Roos but they were rough so she separated them. Is this the cause? Will they come back in?

Is it possible or anyone have experience training a flock to go into a pen? A few times a day is what I'm really asking about. For instance could I seperate 2 flocks and let them free range at different times of the day? It's a fairly unique situation so it's hard to ask the correct question. Anyone have to put their birds up before letting the dogs out? How do you get them in the run each time?

Keep them in their respective coops for a week or so without letting them out. They get comfy and learn where the food and water is. Then let them out separately and when it's time to put them back whatever routine you do, do it the same each time. As dumb as chickens are they will learn the routine. If you just leave them out until dusk more than likely they will go in to the coop to roost on their own. I have turkey's and hens that graze together but when I start the routine everyone knows where home is and they go to their respective coops.

 

[LadyKotaDoria]

Kpgoldstar, the spotty hen is so cool looking!  I wonder why some of her feathers have come in lighter?

Can I ask what is up with all the @whomever ?  It's a new thing...and super distracting to read all the time.  I'll get over my curmudgeoness over it, don't mind me. 

Haven't processed those 4 meaties yet.  Still growing.   I never could get them to convert over to fermented, so their poops are still rather large and splattery.  At least they shoot way out and don't have messy vent feathers.  They are far more active when they arrived.  This morning I kept hearing a strange sound, and looked over and one fattie was trying to balance on a 5-gallon plant bucket that had been knocked over.  Picture a lumberjack on a log in the water.  It was hilarious, but she managed pretty well!  They don't seem too stressed by the heat, but that huge pan of water in their coop has been amazing for them.  So freaking gross to dump that thing every day though. 

The flies here are insane.  I'm keeping things clean, but it doesn't matter.  It's like, like I live next to a body farm or something.  Hordes of flies.  I put down more predator wasps this week, so I hope that helps some.  I'm in suburbia, with neighbors that keep things pretty clean...I feel like a horrible neighbor since it's my handful of chickens creating the mass fly situation.  Ugh.  Hope those predators kick in asap. 

I used a lot of DE for flys. (Bugs). It seems to help with flys a notes able amount most of the time. DE in their dust bath area a must. But some times for a couple weeks everything seems not to help.

 

[City farm]

I plan to candle later tonight.  No expecting good news tho', but I'll keep hoping.

I agree with City Farm, give it a few days you still might get more hatch out.

I also like your girl with the lighter color fearhers, very pretty!
Good luck with your hatch!

I am sure you have already seen this article.. if not here is one..
https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/hatching-eggs-101

Edit,, here is another one..
https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/step-by-step-guide-to-assisted-hatching

You mentioned a sticky chick.. Here is another article
https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/mushy-chick-disease-yolk-sack-infection-omphalitis

 

[City farm]

here is a link to a youtube vid of the chick I had to help hatch. It loves to tickle me, lol. Enjoy: 

That is so fun.. Why do we laugh at people laughing? Have your people get back to my people on that one

 

[City farm]

What would cause a hens wings to be featherless? I was at someone's house tonight and she said their hens used to be in with the Roos but they were rough so she separated them. Is this the cause? Will they come back in?

Is it possible or anyone have experience training a flock to go into a pen? A few times a day is what I'm really asking about. For instance could I seperate 2 flocks and let them free range at different times of the day? It's a fairly unique situation so it's hard to ask the correct question. Anyone have to put their birds up before letting the dogs out? How do you get them in the run each time?

We have a few dogs that like chicken for dinner.. They go inside or their kennel.. When we let them out back.. When they are out front, we always have a dog, "Sammy", female, out with them. She is a border collie.. It is her job to watch them.. She needs a job.. Her ther job is to carry her own water on walks..
Yes, you can train them.. I use two word's. Bug & treat.. They come running.. Sometimes this works & sometimes not.. We let them free range closer to bed time. We invite the neighbors to join in & hang out front. 5-6 pm is when we open up the gates for the front yard.. We usually have evening tea & enjoy the weather, pet's & wonderful neighbors.. You could have them all out at the same time right before dinner. That way they will put themselves to bed..

 

[Beckyhsinglsc]

What would cause a hens wings to be featherless? I was at someone's house tonight and she said their hens used to be in with the Roos but they were rough so she separated them. Is this the cause? Will they come back in?

Is it possible or anyone have experience training a flock to go into a pen? A few times a day is what I'm really asking about. For instance could I seperate 2 flocks and let them free range at different times of the day? It's a fairly unique situation so it's hard to ask the correct question. Anyone have to put their birds up before letting the dogs out? How do you get them in the run each time?

You need to teach them to come when you call. You can even have a different call for each flock if you want to.
Every time you give them treats, call them first. They'll catch on pretty fast. Then just call them in and give them treats when you want them to go in.
All of my chickens learn to come when called. It's safer for them too because you can put them up quickly if you see a hawk or some other danger.

 

[ChuskaMtns]

What would cause a hens wings to be featherless? I was at someone's house tonight and she said their hens used to be in with the Roos but they were rough so she separated them. Is this the cause? Will they come back in?

Is it possible or anyone have experience training a flock to go into a pen? A few times a day is what I'm really asking about. For instance could I seperate 2 flocks and let them free range at different times of the day? It's a fairly unique situation so it's hard to ask the correct question. Anyone have to put their birds up before letting the dogs out? How do you get them in the run each time?

Yup, that is the rooster's nails & spurs causing the feather loss on the hens. I have aprons that cover the back & upper wings on my hens. The feathers will grow back. I have some hens that are more favored by their roos than others & other hens I don't have to put aprons on because the roos can't catch them!

When you want your birds back in the run, what I do is shake the bag of mealworms in the run & once everyone is in I throw a handful down then shut the door with them inside.

 

[girlchick]

I am sure you have already seen this article.. if not here is one..
https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/hatching-eggs-101

Edit,, here is another one..
https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/step-by-step-guide-to-assisted-hatching

You mentioned a sticky chick.. Here is another article
https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/mushy-chick-disease-yolk-sack-infection-omphalitis

Hi, yes, I read all of those, thanks.

I think the problem was me, not the eggs.

Temp was steadly, but the humidity was all over the place.

I'll give the Marans eggs another day or 2, but I think they are goners..

My sticky chick is doing fine, feisty little fuzzball now.

So, assuming the last 3 eggs are not viable, my hatch rate for the 15 shipped eggs is 26.7%. Bummer, but at least I have 4 adorable chickies.

 

[pipemum]

another thing with the @pipemum is that you get a notification from BYC when somebody mentions you in a post, You will get one anyway this time because I quoted you, but if I hadn't quoted you, you would get a notification.
You have almost convinced me to start some meaties.
When I rinse out the water trays, there are usually some small cockroaches hiding underneath, so my barred rock follows me around when I'm flipping and rinsing them. No escapees yet!

I do recommend trying the meaties! I've done a several small batches now, and nary a bad experience. Well, except that one time a coyote ate them before I could. These 4 I have now are the worst, but that's because they were already practically raised for me by the feed store. Raise them like regular chickens, and they pretty much act like regular (but VERY HUNGRY) chickens. And the fermented feed helps ton. I wish these 4 would take to it, because the squirty poop really is gross.

The flies. Ugh. I've gone through POUNDS and POUNDS of DE this summer. If it's actually helping...well, maybe my neighbors really are hiding some festering bodies because we can't even enjoy being outside due to the fly hordes. Holding out hope the the predator wasps are going to be doing some damage soon!

In fact, all the DE recommendations that goes on here at BYC and the gardening forum I'm part of....I'm just like, really? It has been so extremely ineffective for everything I've tried it for (pest control, ants and flies), I probably should stop wasting money on buying bags of it.