Australia - Six states..and that funny little island.

[scoopy82]

Quote:
Go right ahead!

I should have added something about ducks being welcome too sorry! Will go and change that now

Feel free to post about your brand new babies!!!
My OH and I were at a feed store the other day and they were selling several different breeds of ducks - my OH desperately wanted one and I would have agreed except the living conditions weren't the greatest, the young chickens in the next pen were obviously over crowded, pecking each other and walking over a dead body in the middle of their enclosure! I was not impressed

 

[RareBreedFancier]

scoopy82 I liked your facebook page.

I'm not really in the area but I visit regularly enough for me to keep an eye on it.

How dark were the eggs the Marans chicks came from? I'm interested in getting a roo to put over my assorted brown egglayers. Of course the other half would not be amused but I'd sure like one.

I'd be interested in some girls down the track depending on price, I do like those pretty eggs.

Edit: That experience would scare me too Ducky.

I took my roos to an auction mainly so I could avoid having people tromping around here. I don't like strangers around at my place.

 

[scoopy82]

Thanks RareBreedFancier

Everyone is welcome even if they dont live in the immediate area, I suppose if its within driving distance or you travel there often then it is definitely worth keeping an eye on.
The Maran boys hatched out of eggs that on the colour chart were 4's, 5's and 6's, cant be sure exactly who hatched out of which egg, but they were all good dark eggs. They are all so cute at the moment and cant wait to see how hansom they grow up to be, I had 3 boys and 2 girls hatch (the girls were pre-ordered so sold already) and I am going to keep one of the boys for myself. I have another 11 FWM eggs under a broody now, due around christmas and I plan to keep 2 or 3 girls from that hatch to breed with the roo i keep, and sell the rest.
I also have a broody sitting on 14 Plymouth Rock eggs and another on 6 Silver Spangled Hamburgs. I plan on keep 2/3 of the girl Rocks to keep in the breeding pen with the Marans, so the dark eggs laid will be fertile purebred Marans and the lighter eggs will be Maran cross Plymouth Rock so should breed black sexlink chicks.
Thats the plan anyway

 

[Ma Noob]

Poo Bum Bugger Bugger!!! I killed a chicken

Decided that it was time for broody hen to go back outside. She was starting to get a bit restless on the nest, I wondered if she was wanting to hop off but didnt want to cause she wasnt "home" And her 3 little ones were getting more active, especially since they are a whole 3 days old now!

So i decided to pull her off the nest before we went outside, just to check, and there was no more movement on the eggs, listened to a couple and couldtn hear and pips or peeps. And a couple smelt a bit, but i wasnt sure if that was the egg or the poo, also a couple felt pretty cold. So I decided it was time for them to go outside and see what she did. Settled her in, and not long after she hopped off the nest and sat on another pile of eggs in the corner that had been layed by other chickens.

So I thought well that must be it, she is done with this lot and i removed all the eggs, the ones from the nest, and the new ones she sat on. cleaned out her nest, put in some new bedding, made a nice cosey home, and the hen and her 3 babes settled in nicely.

Tonight i decided to candle the eggs and see where they got too. And they were all black, couldnt see any air cells, although I didnt look that hard for them either. So i thought i would crack them open and see what happened. 1st egg, nothing, must had died early on. 2nd egg cracked it, very very dry membrane inside. Peel back the outer membrane and I see pooling blood.

I knew as soon as i saw the pooling blood the chick was alive, Well not for much longer though. Poor thing took a couple of breaths before it died in my hand. The yolk wasnt properly absorbed, and the egg and chick was quite cold, Im guessing it probably had another day or so before hatching. Needless to say i decided not to crack any more eggs open!

I was surprised with the large amount of days between the eggs. She had been sat on them for at least 22 days. And when we saw the chicks on sunday for the first time, they were very fluffy and one was quite active so im guessing it was probably a day old already. And all 3 were out by sunday then nothing since. So not quite sure why the big gap in delivery. She was only pulled off the nest for about a minute or two when we first saw the chicks because the nest had been invaded by ants and i was worried they may be in a hatching chick. Thankfully not, and thats when i moved her inside, so unless the change of environment has done it, she was on a bathroom floor which probably lowered the heat a little, but she was in her nest too which is off the ground. And i wouldnt have thought by that stage it would slow it as much.

the outer membrane was white and dry, i wonder if it would have even got through that. And we have already had 9 hatch from the incubator. 3 with the hen outside is a nice number, plus we have the 9 inside too. I feel terrible though, I wonder if i should have just left her inside for a couple more days, I should have trusted her instincts more.

If nothing else its a learning experience. A sad one, but a lesson. Thats one thing i will say about this whole hatching experience, It has been a great teaching tool for my kids and myself. will NOT be doing it again for a long time, but has been great!

 

[satay]

Sorry about your chick MAnoob. Hatching eggs is always an experience and some of them we learn the hard way. Don't let it put you off trying again.

 

[wooklet]

Hi Manoob, You wouldn't be the first nor will you be the last to open an egg to see what is happening! I have even dropped and broken eggs while candling them.

As Satay says,don't let it put you off,the successes make everything worth while, you are right in thinking of it as a learning curve.

 

[duckyfromoz]

Just days after I posted about home security- I today feel even less secure in my own home. Sadly last night the man who owns the local post office was killed at the rear of the building just after he closed up for the night. I didnt hear of it until this morning at work and was utterly shocked. To have something so tragic and violent happen so close to my own front door is a sad sign of the times and how vulnerable we really all are.

Still waiting to hear motive- but with police tape up less than 100 metres away from my driveway I dont think I will sleep particularly well tonight.

My thoughts go out to the family,

 

[wooklet]

Oh I am so sorry,Ducky. I did hear about that on Foxtel news and wondered if it was anywhere near you. But SO close,it would give you a very nasty shock. It has happened to me,twice actually,and it does make you realise how fragile life is and how quickly things can turn around. Lock up tight,cuddle your duckies and Courtney,and try not to think about things too much. I'm sure a lot of people are here for you! Thought also for the mans family. They think that it may have been a robbery last I heard.

 

[duckyfromoz]

The police have a suspect in custody already. Good that this has happened so fast and the people in the neighborhood can rest a little easier. Although no less tragic for the family- to know that the murder was not robbery motivated after all is a relief to know.

I accidently left the hose on yesterday and I was trying to calculate just how much water got wasted. I was amazed actually that the ducks had not made a complete mud puddle in the pool of water in a low lying area of the yard. I guess this means some very stringent water rules in my house for a while to try and make up for what was used.

 

[duckyfromoz]

I wish the media could wait to break a story until they have enough " correct " information... Seems that there was robbery involved afterall with the amount of $12,000 mentioned.


Feels like summer has finally arrived here over the last few days - but of course..

rain and storms forecast for the weekend.