The New Flock 2021: Back to Basics

[speckledhen]

We do think alike, on quite a few subjects, not just naming chickens.

 

[speckledhen]

I think Axel has a crush on, of all the dangerous women he could have chosen, IRIS. C'mon, buddy, this won't end well. He clashed with her today, grabbed her and lived to regret it; she was running around with his feathers in her beak for a few minutes. Yeah, she's pretty and all that, but dude, you really picked a woman out of your league! She only has eyes for Gunnar. At least she is not broody anymore. A couple of days ago, she just quit suddenly. Cricket is broody still, though.

And let me just say that Rayna is not fond of Forrest. Understatement there. He had the audacity to dance around her. She not only rejected him, she actually went after him, flogging him as they ran. She really hates that poor guy. I guess she has higher standards than sweet, crippled Forrest.

 

[getaclue]

Keywords: He survived. Typical male, thinking they're worthy of females that are clearly out of their league. It's funny to watch though, isn't it?

 

[speckledhen]

History is repeating itself. We lost Ripley today. They just turned two years old in April. My original hatchery flock began dying off at just two years old from all sorts of reproductive malfunctions. We did all we could the day we found Ripley lethargic with shell hanging from her vent, gave her two rounds of antibiotics, but there was nothing else to be done. She was the first one I named in the brooder, she was so brave and adventurous. RIP beautiful, sweet girl. Dang it. I don't want to think of going through this all over again, one by one.

 

[fluffycrow]

History is repeating itself. We lost Ripley today. They just turned two years old in April. My original hatchery flock began dying off at just two years old from all sorts of reproductive malfunctions. We did all we could the day we found Ripley lethargic with shell hanging from her vent, gave her two rounds of antibiotics, but there was nothing else to be done. She was the first one I named in the brooder, she was so brave and adventurous. RIP beautiful, sweet girl. Dang it. I don't want to think of going through this all over again, one by one.

I'm so sorry you lost her

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

History is repeating itself. We lost Ripley today. They just turned two years old in April. My original hatchery flock began dying off at just two years old from all sorts of reproductive malfunctions. We did all we could the day we found Ripley lethargic with shell hanging from her vent, gave her two rounds of antibiotics, but there was nothing else to be done. She was the first one I named in the brooder, she was so brave and adventurous. RIP beautiful, sweet girl. Dang it. I don't want to think of going through this all over again, one by one.

So sorry you lost Riply. She was an adorable little girl.

 

[getaclue]

I too, am sorry you lost her.

 

[speckledhen]

Well, this Back to Basics, back to hatchery stock, seems to have led to back to early deaths and mysterious declines. I may be losing my best layer among the Easter Eggers, Scarlett. She's in the hospital cage. About three days ago, Layla was attacking her, but Layla also jumped Shelby, Scarlett's lookalike, in a day long grouch-fest. I didn't see anything wrong with Scarlett at the time, but day before yesterday, I noticed she was walking very slowly.
Yesterday, she was so slow and got left out of the pen when I was bringing them back from free ranging. I was counting and knew someone was missing so she was out by the gate, let her in and watched her walk very, very slowly back to the barn. I wonder if Layla saw the weakness in her and that's why the crazy attacks. Scarlett has always been pretty flighty, not like Shelby, but she hates to be messed with.
I enlisted my husband's help and we cornered her, found that she is very light, almost skeletal, nothing in her crop. Even in the hospital cage with a bowl of food, she would pick up pieces and just drop them. She did just end a hard molt, a key time when they seem to begin a downhill slide if anything internal is wrong. Once she was caught, she did not struggle, not the norm for our Scarlett. Stupid hatchery stock! I was thinking I'd be going through this again by buying those again, but I thought maybe, just maybe, the EE mixed genetics would not incline them to be prone to reproductive malfunctions. Poor Scarlett. Why is it always a hen and not a rooster? If I keep losing hens, the roosters will end up in a rooster pen with no girls.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

So sorry Cynthia. My Easter eggers have been pretty hardy, but I don't expect any to live as long as your better stock lives. They are also one of the few breeds that learned to avoid the fox.

Roosters don't have the stress of producing eggs and raising chicks, so they do seem to live longer here. I always have more roosters than I need.

 

[speckledhen]

I am pretty fond of Scarlett even though she isn't cuddly. I hate losing the best layer in that pen for some unknown reason. I'll try to save her, but I have no idea if there really is anything to do. I won't give her antibiotics since there is no reason to really think she has an infection. I can tell you that I will never buy more of those from any hatchery anywhere, or probably any hatchery birds again since this time around is turning out the same as with my original flock.