Consolidated Kansas

[medawinks]

Oh Maidenwolf, I am so sorry about your turkeys!! Your poor kids.

With all the predator talk, I hope that because I have a dog who likes to dig, my yard will be safer from possums and coons. We do have them here. The privacy fence has metal mesh tacked to it on the inside and buried under the grass turf to keep my digging dog from digging out. We put the same mesh under the privacy fence around the run to keep this same dog from digging in and have mesh around the gate. I don't have anything protecting the opening into my porch roosting area though..... Unless I close the window. I am betting a possum can come in a dog door...., I better start being more proactive. My kids would not feel safe at all, or would I for that matter if something attacked them so close to our own living space.....

Trish, your eggs are gorgeous!! I just live all the colors of eggs!!! You said Sunflowerparrot was hatching some of your eggs now. Is it harder to hatch eggs in the cool weather and keep the chicks alive? I have a silky who is bound and determined to hatch ping pong balls. She worries me.... Has been at it for almost 3 months with a 2 week break. If she takes another and goes back to it, should I get her some eggs to try to hatch? I don't have room for any more birds, but would gladly pass them to someone who might want them. I can easily keep her warm and safe and she is definitely persistent! Will sit on other chickens eggs, but doesn't peck me when I take them either. She is so sweet.... And determined to be a mommy. Seems cruel to not let her try I guess.... Tugs my heart strings.... Especially remembering how happy I was when my Aubri fluttered and KICKED . Enjoy every minute Josie!!! It gets better and better!

My 14 yr old brought a boyfriend home to study. ( the only dating I will allow without being a a group of kids). I was so scared of that milestone and.... I really like her choice I am sure she will have heartbreaks ahead, but for now, I am enjoying seeing her make good choices and growing All the stages and ages are priceless!



I agree, Danz, I was convinced by above teen to go to the mall yesterday so she could be with friends shopping there..... Online is the BEST shopping! No getting pushed around, easy to find sizes.... And no sore legs and feet

I have another chicken I think is a roo.... My Sussex looks more like a girl today, but who knows. This oneis a splash rock(?). It's tail doesn't look like the Marans.... But does look somewhat like my white rock did. It is much redder in the face. I am guessing it is about 10-12 weeks old. Might be younger but was fully feathered when we got it in the middle of September. It is the one that had curly toes. Still does some days... And others they are straight. It walks fine though. I am hoping it doesn't end up being stew, but my son has accepted that may well be its fate. He just knows that he will not eat it. Danz, if you think it is a boy, do you have anyone who might want to buy it for stew from you? Or would anyone here want him. We would be willing to take him.

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[Trish44]

Danz, I have two crested Swedish Flower Hen roos & two non-crested ones so I don't need any more roos. I saw two pullets in the bunch that I know of, one crested & one not. I would trade you a pullet for one of the crested roos if you wanted to do that. They're both going to be pretty nice roosters I think, but they're still young yet & haven't fully developed all of their feathers. I had just read that you shouldn't breed crested to crested, so I thought I would keep the best non-crested rooster for my main breeder & I don't know we'll see how these crested ones turn out, maybe I should keep one crested & one not. I'm undecided. I had thought I had more than one crested pullet, but instead I got two roos. I did lose two of my Swedish Flower Hens earlier on when I had that illness going through my birds. They all seem really healthy now & even the Cream Legbars are completely recovered & starting to fill out. The one roo is kind of stunted in growth from being sick, I don't know if he will catch up or not. The pullets are looking really good now & I'm liking their coloring too. The neck feathers are lightening up now to more the creamy color so that makes me happy. I think our roosters though may have more rust coloring on them than the UK birds, but to me that's not a bad thing, I like more color on them myself. Otherwise what differentiates them from any other barred bird breed?

It's not quite as chilly today as it was yesterday & we don't have the wind today, so that's good. My DH got the roof all on the new coop yesterday, so I was happy about that. Hopefully this week we can work on the windows & get them in. I have some scraping & painting & such to do on the front ones before they can be put in, so I'll have to get on that this week. I doubt we get the coop painted now that it got colder, I think it's too cold to put paint on, so I guess it will have to wait until spring for that.

We're making a run to Wichita this afternoon to pick up some things at Sam's & celebrate our anniversary, so I left the chickens in the run today. It won't hurt them to stay in for a day. I'm not too trusting of the dogs now that they started eating birds, so I don't want to leave the chickens out when I'm not going to be here. It's sad that now I have to worry about that, but I'm hopeful I can train them to leave them alone again since they were so good for over a year about it. I'm hoping the shock collar will do the trick, we'll see. Some people say negative things about using it, but you have to teach them somehow what the rules & boundaries are. Well everyone have a great day!

 

[HEChicken]

Danz, I have a couple of questions about what you said about the Cream Legbars. First is, the eggs - what is it about them that is special and do you have pics? I love having an egg basket where I can tell who laid what by the egg so I might consider adding a hen or two if they lay eggs that are that different from everyone else. Second, and I guess this goes to Trish too - you said they are auto sexing, but Trish had said that she just found out she has more cockerels than she thought. I was surprised when you said that Trish, because I had previously thought they are auto sexing, so how is it that you weren't aware of the extra cockerels to begin with?

Mommahen, that sounds a lot like the eaves on my coop. I left them open for the venting and it worked really well this past summer, as despite the coop being covered in metal siding, it was never hotter in the coop than it was outside. I did not cover mine with hardware cloth only because the opening is 8' above the ground and I don't know of many animals that can scale an 8' tall piece of metal siding. One day I may find that there *is* an animal that can do just that and then I'll have to retroactively cover the vent with cloth, which won't be easy retroactively. If you can reach your hand up and around it sounds like your opening is lower to the ground so you may be advised to cover it now while its easier.

Sorry about the loss of the turkeys - I know how devastating that would be. It does sound like the work of a raccoon to me - they have very nimble fingers and can open many different types of latches. They say if a child 5 or under can manage the lock, so can a raccoon, so you basically have to lock it up in such a way a small child would not be able to get it open.

 

[Trish44]

HEChicken, I actually was referring to the Swedish Flower Hens when I was talking about ending up with more roos than I thought, sorry for the confusion. The Cream Legbars are sexable at hatch, the males have light spots on their heads & are lighter in color & the females are darker & don't have the spots on their heads. The Cream Legbar eggs are a beautiful blue, almost a turquoise blue, that is what Danz was talking about with them being so special. I can't wait for mine to lay so I can see how pretty they are. My Ameraucanas lay pretty eggs too, but these Cream Legbar eggs are supposed to be even better.

Mommahen, I guess it would be up to you, but I am going to cover the opening at the top of my coop with hardware cloth just to be safe. I just have way too many predators here to not cover it.

 

[chicken danz]

Oh Maidenwolf, I am so sorry about your turkeys!! Your poor kids.
With all the predator talk, I hope that because I have a dog who likes to dig, my yard will be safer from possums and coons. We do have them here. The privacy fence has metal mesh tacked to it on the inside and buried under the grass turf to keep my digging dog from digging out. We put the same mesh under the privacy fence around the run to keep this same dog from digging in and have mesh around the gate. I don't have anything protecting the opening into my porch roosting area though..... Unless I close the window. I am betting a possum can come in a dog door...., I better start being more proactive. My kids would not feel safe at all, or would I for that matter if something attacked them so close to our own living space.....

Why don't you let her hatch some fertile eggs. If she hatches and raises some chicks it will break the broody ....for a little while any way.
My 14 yr old brought a boyfriend home to study. ( the only dating I will allow without being a a group of kids). I was so scared of that milestone and.... I really like her choice I am sure she will have heartbreaks ahead, but for now, I am enjoying seeing her make good choices and growing All the stages and ages are priceless!

I have another chicken I think is a roo.... My Sussex looks more like a girl today, but who knows. This oneis a splash rock(?). It's tail doesn't look like the Marans.... But does look somewhat like my white rock did. It is much redder in the face. I am guessing it is about 10-12 weeks old. Might be younger but was fully feathered when we got it in the middle of September. It is the one that had curly toes. Still does some days... And others they are straight. It walks fine though. I am hoping it doesn't end up being stew, but my son has accepted that may well be its fate. He just knows that he will not eat it. Danz, if you think it is a boy, do you have anyone who might want to buy it for stew from you? Or would anyone here want him. We would be willing to take him.
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Yes he definitely looks like a boy. I can see the pointed feathers.
You really should sell him. He's very pretty. Then A wouldn't be worried about eating him.

Danz, I have two crested Swedish Flower Hen roos & two non-crested ones so I don't need any more roos. I saw two pullets in the bunch that I know of, one crested & one not. I would trade you a pullet for one of the crested roos if you wanted to do that. They're both going to be pretty nice roosters I think, but they're still young yet & haven't fully developed all of their feathers. I had just read that you shouldn't breed crested to crested, so I thought I would keep the best non-crested rooster for my main breeder & I don't know we'll see how these crested ones turn out, maybe I should keep one crested & one not. I'm undecided. I had thought I had more than one crested pullet, but instead I got two roos. I did lose two of my Swedish Flower Hens earlier on when I had that illness going through my birds. They all seem really healthy now & even the Cream Legbars are completely recovered & starting to fill out. The one roo is kind of stunted in growth from being sick, I don't know if he will catch up or not. The pullets are looking really good now & I'm liking their coloring too. The neck feathers are lightening up now to more the creamy color so that makes me happy. I think our roosters though may have more rust coloring on them than the UK birds, but to me that's not a bad thing, I like more color on them myself. Otherwise what differentiates them from any other barred bird breed?

Danz, I have a couple of questions about what you said about the Cream Legbars. First is, the eggs - what is it about them that is special and do you have pics? I love having an egg basket where I can tell who laid what by the egg so I might consider adding a hen or two if they lay eggs that are that different from everyone else. Second, and I guess this goes to Trish too - you said they are auto sexing, but Trish had said that she just found out she has more cockerels than she thought. I was surprised when you said that Trish, because I had previously thought they are auto sexing, so how is it that you weren't aware of the extra cockerels to begin with?
The eggs are a beautiful robin egg blue. Awesome looking. I think Trish meant she had more cockerels in the SWHs. The leg bars are auto sexing with the boys being lighter colored and having a dot on their head.

 

[mikeksfarmer]

I saw an interesting behavior this afternoon/ today in my flock. Anyone else seen this?
I have two white rocks that go broody. One Hatched in October; possum got 4 of 5. Mother has been good, but chick is about the age (one month) she abandons. Today while filling feeders I noticed one of my sex-links mothering the chick; Mother sounds and the clucking sound used to show where food is. Some how she is either being an aunt or foster mother, to this chick? The chick is a month old; it could be that this sex-link is one that was hatched by the white rock and is being big sister.

 

[medawinks]

Thanks Danz.... I didn't want to be right but.... Better to know before it crows here

Would anyone here like this cockerel?

I am not too sure I can sell him if his toes are on and off curly?? Truly, some days they curl up and others, they are straight. Can I? If someone here can use him I would rather just give him away before listing him somewhere. He is very sweet and gentle. He has been handled and played with daily by a 9 yr old boy

He isn't really outgoing, though. The hens definitely keep him in line. That may well change when hormones hit though.

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[chicken danz]

In that picture he doesn't look roo like at all. He really is pretty. Look carefully at the ends of his feathers particularly the hackle and saddle feathers. Compare them to a bird you know is female. If they look pointed rather than rounded like the girls he is probably a rooster. I am sure he'd be a great rooster to guard a flock but not for breeding. It's a shame too since he turned out such a pretty bird.
Mike I don't know if that has ever happened here or not. I have so many birds that hatch so many chicks it is hard to tell. I have had a couple of young chicks with multiple hen Mom's though that argued over who was the mother.
It sure is cold out. I DID NOT enjoy doing my chores.

 

[maidenwolfx80]

I got materials together to reinforce my coop so tomorrow I will spend the day tightening everything down. My 7 weeks old chicks are doing great outside and staying warm. Now I have to decide when to acclimate my other 6 weekers to the outdoors. I only have the one grow out pen so they will have to live with my chicks already out there. Hopefully they dont give them to much trouble.
The temp gauge for the chicks outside was reading 29 and 30 last night and I was so worried, they were just fine this morning like normal. They have lots of straw in a large dog house with a towel to cover the door, inside a small barn. I guess I shouldnt worry but I do, should I do something to make it warmer or let it be?

 

[medawinks]

The feathers aren't coming to a point on the splash rock. It just stands differently and holds its tail differently, but maybe that is because of the feet? My white rock turned red in the face before any if the rest of my pullets, so maybe.... I will keep watching!

It is a beautiful bird. They all are! I just love the grays and almost blue eyes

If I did give this little Silkie a few eggs to set on, should I wait until she breaks from this time or... Just put them under her and hope she can set longer? I have to pick her up and put her with the food and water to get her to eat and drink and stretch a bit:-( She is a determined little thing!

It is too cold out! I don't have a huge list if chicken chores, but I sure was ready to come in from them quickly!

I hope everyone stays warm and predator free!



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