Colorado

[COChix]

COChix,

That looks like a likely mix there for sure. Super cute little one. I wonder what color eggs you will get.......

You and me both, hopefully some shade of blue, green or olive. They are super cute and some just look buffish colored nothing to say stands out about certain ones. Been trying to spend time with them as based on where we will be going we can only take 11 total. As far as full grown hens, 11 is the max. Where we are going there are already older chickens (4 ) some that haven't laid is months. It will be interesting to see how all of that plays out. So I am watching and observing trying to make mental notes of behaviors both good and bad from these hybrids. I am also making notes on who I think are males, I believe we have 4 for sure and maybe as many as 6.

I got a call from my daughter friday that our matriarck cochin turned her nose up at food and was a bit listless. When i got home whe was not looking good at all. She was sitting on the shed floor with her head down bearly breathing. I went out a dug a deep hole in preparation for the inevitable. When i entered the shed to wait on what i knew was going to happen, her head was up and she was a lot more cohearant. All weekend she has not been herself. Just sitting away from the rest of the chickens and resting. We have managed to get some food and water in her and she is actually on the roost again. She had spent the past two nights on the shed floor.
I really have no clue as to why the sudden turn for the worse and then for the better other than food. She seldomely passes up food. She is about 5 years old as best as i can tell. We got her shortly after the Haymen fire, she was a rescue from a bear attack. She was the only survivor. Any ideas other than being a bit old?
None of my other chickens are acting like this at all. She did go broody for about 10 days before hand. I am thinking a combination of being broody and just not eating on getting any water while she was sitting may be the cause. She is notoriously a bad broody but a great mother.

Oh gosh poor girl, do you think it was a touch of heat stroke, both myself and my Anatolian suffered from that on Wednesday. Is she still doing better.

Can I ask your option? You seem to have a lot of knowledge of genetics and such. So we have a nine week old young cockerel, who started crowing at week 7 and I have observed him rather brutally chasing down his pullets flock mates and mounting them. Isn't this early for all of this? Or is it just because he has been observing his dad in action since he was 2-3 weeks old. He just seems aggressive, when you go to pick him up he comes at you. Also Rocco our roo has taken to chasing me some and trying to spur me or peck at my feet or legs. This behavior started after he saw me round up 16 of his hens and ship them off and left him with 6 hens. Since we have integrated the Fifteen he hasn't been as bad. I do notice that basically the littles are co-existing with the adult flock but seem to have their own flock. I know that is not good for integration purposes. I will be blocking the nest boxing that they have been sleeping in, to force them to roost with the adults, probably just below them. I just observed 10 of them on the roosts the adults use do they can roost. So given all that you do with breeding and such, maybe you or anyone else can provide advice. As far as how to handle things with the young roo and Rocco's threats, he has pecked me, he spurred me but his spurs are dull, on purpose. I have stopped walking when I first come in the run and he always come over and does the tid-biting near my feet. If I continue to try and just pass by is when he usually goes for it. I have taken to picking him up, feeding him seeds from my hand, which he loves. So now I stop and allow the hens to come over to see what he has found and then I saunter off. That seems to be going better I do jump or step towards him like I might pick him up, just trying to keep him on his toes and away from my space.

Thanks in advance, I know that is a lot to take in.....

I am glad she is feeling better.  Extra food and water is really all that you can do without a noticeable cause.  Tuna sprinkled with probiotics seems to be a favorite of my injured or ill chickens.  Sometimes they like yoghurt but I just give them some choices and hope for the best. 
I was almost chilly this am.  Cool breeze blowing through the house at 52 degrees.  Hot coffee was in order! 

Ha, chilly, I wouldn't go that far for North Boulder, but cooler indeed.

We have begun our packing and purging of our household items, trying to be proactive and be prepared. Each day we make progress, but we are super busy this year with our gardens. Man things are loving life!

Oh and just a heads up, if anyone is interested, we will have some young pullets, young mixed cockerels, maybe some 1 year old egg layers and a beautiful BO roo who is really a great roo. He has been alpha from day one. If nobody on here is interested, we will try to sell. This will all be happening later in the summer, maybe August/September. Things could change, but that allows us to determine who to keep and who out of the pullets are males vs. females.

Sorry in advanced for my long rambling post but I haven't been on BYC much lately so trying to just get caught up with my threads,

 

[21hens-incharge]

samsr,

I hope she is feeling better. I agree it could be to hot for her in her advancing age. Poor dear.

It has been very humid with this heat and I know it is not only my gardens that are suffering in it. My chickens have shade, clean water, and yet they pant relentlessly. My older hens seem to be harder hit then the young pullets. They are sitting with their wings out from their bodies and panting even at 9:30 at night.
Tomorrow I am putting up more shade in the form of shade cloth from Lowes. They sell it by the linear foot. It will let water through if it rains and air if a breeze does blow which a tarp does not.

I feel really sad for the broodies in this heat. Sitting in those nest boxes all day must be torture.

I hope she recovers for you.

 

[samsr]

You and me both, hopefully some shade of blue, green or olive. They are super cute and some just look buffish colored nothing to say stands out about certain ones. Been trying to spend time with them as based on where we will be going we can only take 11 total. As far as full grown hens, 11 is the max. Where we are going there are already older chickens (4 ) some that haven't laid is months. It will be interesting to see how all of that plays out. So I am watching and observing trying to make mental notes of behaviors both good and bad from these hybrids. I am also making notes on who I think are males, I believe we have 4 for sure and maybe as many as 6.
Oh gosh poor girl, do you think it was a touch of heat stroke, both myself and my Anatolian suffered from that on Wednesday. Is she still doing better.

Can I ask your option? You seem to have a lot of knowledge of genetics and such. So we have a nine week old young cockerel, who started crowing at week 7 and I have observed him rather brutally chasing down his pullets flock mates and mounting them. Isn't this early for all of this? Or is it just because he has been observing his dad in action since he was 2-3 weeks old. He just seems aggressive, when you go to pick him up he comes at you. Also Rocco our roo has taken to chasing me some and trying to spur me or peck at my feet or legs. This behavior started after he saw me round up 16 of his hens and ship them off and left him with 6 hens. Since we have integrated the Fifteen he hasn't been as bad. I do notice that basically the littles are co-existing with the adult flock but seem to have their own flock. I know that is not good for integration purposes. I will be blocking the nest boxing that they have been sleeping in, to force them to roost with the adults, probably just below them. I just observed 10 of them on the roosts the adults use do they can roost. So given all that you do with breeding and such, maybe you or anyone else can provide advice. As far as how to handle things with the young roo and Rocco's threats, he has pecked me, he spurred me but his spurs are dull, on purpose. I have stopped walking when I first come in the run and he always come over and does the tid-biting near my feet. If I continue to try and just pass by is when he usually goes for it. I have taken to picking him up, feeding him seeds from my hand, which he loves. So now I stop and allow the hens to come over to see what he has found and then I saunter off. That seems to be going better I do jump or step towards him like I might pick him up, just trying to keep him on his toes and away from my space.

Thanks in advance, I know that is a lot to take in.....
Ha, chilly, I wouldn't go that far for North Boulder, but cooler indeed.

We have begun our packing and purging of our household items, trying to be proactive and be prepared. Each day we make progress, but we are super busy this year with our gardens. Man things are loving life!

Oh and just a heads up, if anyone is interested, we will have some young pullets, young mixed cockerels, maybe some 1 year old egg layers and a beautiful BO roo who is really a great roo. He has been alpha from day one. If nobody on here is interested, we will try to sell. This will all be happening later in the summer, maybe August/September. Things could change, but that allows us to determine who to keep and who out of the pullets are males vs. females.

Sorry in advanced for my long rambling post but I haven't been on BYC much lately so trying to just get caught up with my threads,

I would definately keep picking up him and haldi g him when he shows agression. This shows him that you are in charge. Two years ago i had a roo that just didnt get it amd ended up in freezer camp. He is just tryin to protect his hens at this point he just considers you the animal that makes his hens disapear(a threat). Picking him up and giving him some treats is a good thing at this point. Agressive roos around my place dont last long now.
My cochin seems to be doing better as she has been on the roost the past two nights. Her comb and wattles are still a bit pale but she is doinv better. I would consider her more of a pet now than anything else. A 5 years of age she doesnt lay many eggs at all. She is just the hen in charge of keeping the peace in the flock.
On a different note. I received a call from the hatchery this morning. Meat chicks are being shipped this morning. I need to get the brooder and feed set up tonight in preparation for their arrival. At least i still have time to get the temporary run up. They got shipped a week early. This will be my first time with meaties. These are the cornish cross. I am located just at the point of no return as far as elevation. 5400 feet. So this will be a good experiment to see how they will do. I am going to try nongmo and a less agressive feed schedule in hopes of not having leg issues. My poultry shrink bags came in yesterday so i think i am right on track so far.
Does anyone know if any place in colorado springs sells that electrified flock fence? I may go with that in order to keep out predators also.

 

[COChix]

I would definately keep picking up him and haldi g him when he shows agression. This shows him that you are in charge. Two years ago i had a roo that just didnt get it amd ended up in freezer camp. He is just tryin to protect his hens at this point he just considers you the animal that makes his hens disapear(a threat). Picking him up and giving him some treats is a good thing at this point. Agressive roos around my place dont last long now.
My cochin seems to be doing better as she has been on the roost the past two nights. Her comb and wattles are still a bit pale but she is doinv better. I would consider her more of a pet now than anything else. A 5 years of age she doesnt lay many eggs at all. She is just the hen in charge of keeping the peace in the flock.
On a different note. I received a call from the hatchery this morning. Meat chicks are being shipped this morning. I need to get the brooder and feed set up tonight in preparation for their arrival. At least i still have time to get the temporary run up. They got shipped a week early. This will be my first time with meaties. These are the cornish cross. I am located just at the point of no return as far as elevation. 5400 feet. So this will be a good experiment to see how they will do. I am going to try nongmo and a less agressive feed schedule in hopes of not having leg issues. My poultry shrink bags came in yesterday so i think i am right on track so far.
Does anyone know if any place in colorado springs sells that electrified flock fence? I may go with that in order to keep out predators also.

Ok thanks, I kinda figured the same that I am a threat due to him seeing me round up his hens. In hind sight, I should have locked him up while I did it. He never once tried to get in the way or attack me when I was rounding them up. He has always been a non aggressive roo with a mild disposition towards people. In fact, last night I witnessed him chasing that young aggressive son of his off after he was being rather rough mounting a flock mate. He has made nests for the older hens when they are in their panick mode about trying to lay an egg. Anyway, I have no doubt he will come around, his personality isn't typically aggression first. We will hang onto him until we need to move and then we will try to get rid of him. I will definitely miss him, but what a great experience to raise him and see his babies!

Hope everyone stays cool suppose to be 95 today, blech I will be adding frozen water bottles to all the bucket waters mid day and adding the frozen gallon jugs in the coop tonight.

Last night I blocked the nest boxes from the littles and put some solar lights in the coop so they could see where the bottom roosts were. Of course they were pretty upset, those brats! Anyway, they all kept going in and out of the coop chirping and carrying on. The adults on the highest roosts were not amused. One brave little thought she would be smart and get up to the top roosts, of which she was swiftly evicted. They finally settled on the ladder up to the high roosts, the perch along the next box row and another roost the same height on the opposite side of the coop. Took them a bit but they got it!

PS - when does a mom typically fledge her chicks? Ours will be 1 month soon. Mom and chicks are separate from flock and I was wondering when she will fledge them. Is it possible she is waiting until she rejoins the flock and roosts with them? I have been waiting for her to fledge the babies and then those babies will be going elsewhere and I have NO plans to integrate them with our flock. They are not big enough to be out free ranging yet so they have been in the run and small coop with mama. Thanks

 

[21hens-incharge]

SO HOT today. My place saw a high of 97. OMG 97 is way to hot. We have a little cloud cover and I am showing 87 right now. Took the chickens a whole watermelon cut up of course. I do not think it is to much for 43 chickens.
Poor girls.

I did have a funny thing happen here the other day.....
One of my silver laced bantam cochins was in with the 18 pullets. She was NOT in there when I went to work but was in there when I got home. There is only one area any of them could possibly get through..... Above the door between sections of the coop. Nothing to stand on to take THAT leap with and being a cochin it is far out of her capabilities.
Not sure how it happened but she is fine and they did not seem to mind her being in there with them.
I really need to get the older ladies processed. I need that space and out of 19 hens 5 are broody and the others do not lay much at all anymore. I got 3 eggs yesterday.
Stupid truck is broken (something wrong with the injection system) so I cannot take them to get processed like I planned. I will have to fix the truck and then see when the next processing date is.
(or have the neighbor that hunts all the time give me a hand and do them here)

Hope everyone had a good day and was able to find ways to beat the heat.

 

[suncatcher]

Was hot here too, stayed indoors is how I beat the heat today!!!! I am going to put up a sheet or towel soaked in cold water in the coop tomorrow, just thought of that as I did laundry today. Might cool it down, might not, but can't hurt!!!!

Flies are god awful here, with the livestock they are just everywhere!!

 

[Latestarter]

I'm about 98% sure that I have several egg eaters amongst my various flocks... I keep finding wet, sticky spots in nest boxes and eggs covered in yolk or egg white (I'm guessing on the egg white). Or in some cases/days, no eggs at all! The other day I picked an egg up off the coop floor and placed it in a nest box... when I looked for it later, it was gone... One group provides me with eggs with nice holes pecked into the ends

Can't sell them and won't eat them... It's got me a wee bit aggravated...

The best layers w/the best eggs are my New Hampshires. Of course they are the ones who just drop dead for no apparent reason

Contacted a CL ad last evening about an incubator... She replied and I wrote back to say I'd like to buy it. Haven't heard back, but hope to be getting it Thursday (I'm OFF work from Wed eve till Tuesday am!!!). If I do, I'll order some auto turners for it and I'm gonna be hatching

Any guesses which eggs have priority? I think I'll be moving to a lower protein, higher fat mix for the rest, and then there's gonna be one heckuva processing party over here! I'll have enough frozen bird to last till early next year! Speaking of frozen...
I broke down and bought me some cookies & cream and Chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream... It's helped just a bit

Mixed them together and topped w/hershey's syrup... delish! May just be a flavored milk shake in my not too distant future

Don't like this heat much either... Makes me feel all run down... Or maybe that's due to the long work days... In any case. I'm sure everyone is waiting for this upcoming long weekend as much as I am. Stay cool all!

 

[COChix]

I'm about 98% sure that I have several egg eaters amongst my various flocks... I keep finding wet, sticky spots in nest boxes and eggs covered in yolk or egg white (I'm guessing on the egg white). Or in some cases/days, no eggs at all!  The other day I picked an egg up off the coop floor and placed it in a nest box... when I looked for it later, it was gone...  One group provides me with eggs with nice holes pecked into the ends   Can't sell them and won't eat them... It's got me a wee bit aggravated...

The best layers w/the best eggs are my New Hampshires. Of course they are the ones who just drop dead for no apparent reason   Contacted a CL ad last evening about an incubator... She replied and I wrote back to say I'd like to buy it.  Haven't heard back, but hope to be getting it Thursday (I'm OFF work from Wed eve till Tuesday am!!!). If I do, I'll order some auto turners for it and I'm gonna be hatching e Any guesses which eggs have priority? I think I'll be moving to a lower protein, higher fat mix for the rest, and then there's gonna be one heckuva processing party over here! I'll have enough frozen bird to last till early next year! Speaking of frozen...
I broke down and bought me some cookies & cream and Chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream... It's helped just a bit Mixed them together and topped w/hershey's syrup... delish!  May just be a flavored milk shake in my not too distant future

Don't like this heat much either... Makes me feel all run down... Or maybe that's due to the long work days... In any case. I'm sure everyone is waiting for this upcoming long weekend as much as I am. Stay cool all!

darn those egg eaters! Don't even get me started on ice cream, my BF love it in the summer. We are spoiled and go a spot called Sweet Cow here in Boulder. Omg, such good ice cream and simple limited ingredients. Did you know that some ice cream has corn syrup in it? I never knew, anyway, we went last night and I got a double scoop in a waffle cone. I was in a chocolate mood apparently, cuz I order the German chocolate on the bottom with Cookies and Cream on the top. Their cookies and cream I cannot get past. Chocolate ice cream with real chunks of Oreo 's in it and I mean chunks like 1/4 of a cookie size chunks. Last time I looked I cream was healthy.,.at least in my book. Hmmm wonder how late they are open until tonight.

 

[alebuela]

Hmmm for ice cream here in Denver, there's a place called Liks. They have a Jack Daniels Chocolate Chip that is incredible. At another place called Sweet Action, they have a Stranahan's Whiskey Brickle, which is good, but just doesn't do it like the one from Liks. So come to Denver!

 

[laurabonitahopkins]

I have a pretty little Welsummer hen named Petunia that desperately needs a new home! She is either a small LF or a large bantam, I've never been sure which. She lays about 4-5 darkish brown eggs a week. The only reason I need to rehome her is that she is noisy, and I live in a suburb. For someone who doesn't live in the burbs it wouldn't be a problem.

I live in the south Denver Metro area and would be happy to bring her somewhere within a two-hour drive to find her a new home, or meet someone part way. I also posted in the Buy/Sell section as a "Free to Good Home." Please help! Thank you! ~Laura