What do you have in your flock?

[Sylvester017]

She was just 8 months old. She had some obvious genetic issues like split wing and very slight cross beak. She died very fast from being egg bound. She was a little off at 5 am and from where the body was either did not move an inch all day or died soon after I left for work,

I am accepting that I cannot save them all and trying not to beat myself up about it to much.
I have had rotten luck with the ee's. I like them but either they lay eggs with no shell, super thin shells or die young on me. All mine have been from different places so I don't think it is from one bad breeder.

It is so disheartening to lose them like this that I think I wont get more in the future. It is just to sad for me. I had 5 and now am down to 2, none of which are over 5 years old. Elizabeth is the oldest at 5, Whitchy died at 2, Apple died at 2, Victoria is 8 months old, and the Grandma chicken died at 8 months.

They are certainly a perky and attentive type of bird to have in the flock. The one that just passed was super sweet.

I feel your pain. In the last 2 years I ordered 3 Amer juveniles but lost 2 out of the 3 from different breeders and in different colors. Our one survivor is very sweet but she only layed 3 eggs her 2nd year. I hate losing birds and pure breed Ameraucanas have just not been hardy for us - plus our surviving girl does not do very well in heatwaves while our other breeds with walnut/or no-combs show no problems (Silkie and Breda).

I am in the city too but have much more lenient rules here luckily.

She was eggbound. She was fine Sunday running around like normal doing what she always did then Monday she was off a bit at 5 am and gone well before 3 pm. I had heard it could take them pretty fast I just hoped not to ever have it happen to mine.

Eggbound is a common occurrence in production birds like Sexlinks, Leghorns, hybrids, jumbo egg layer breeds, etc. The Amer and EE eggs I've seen are pretty big for a lightweight bird - these birds only look heavier because all their downy feathering makes them look larger than they really are. Our friend's EE had a prolapsed vent which she treated but the EE never layed another egg again. We love our Amer and keep her for her sweet nature towards her flockmates and towards us - I guess if it's a choice between having her eggbound or ceasing laying eggs I prefer the latter.

 

[21hens-incharge]

Yea the eggbound issue has me relooking at which ee was laying the double yolkers. I got one very light green egg today from Victoria. I had thought it was her doing the doubles but it looks like from the color it was the now deceased hen. Such a bummer.
The first 36 eggs she laid were doubles. I only got 4 single yolked eggs from her. I had suspected the one laying the gargantuan eggs would not live long. I just thought it was the other pullet.

 

[Sylvester017]

Yea the eggbound issue has me relooking at which ee was laying the double yolkers. I got one very light green egg today from Victoria. I had thought it was her doing the doubles but it looks like from the color it was the now deceased hen. Such a bummer.
The first 36 eggs she laid were doubles. I only got 4 single yolked eggs from her. I had suspected the one laying the gargantuan eggs would not live long. I just thought it was the other pullet.

Wow, that's a lot of double yolkers from such a lightweight breed. You expect doubles from heavy breeds or sexlinks but I would consider it a red flag to get doubles from a medium-weight breed. I got my first "fart" egg today - never had one in 5 years and got surprised by a 1/4-oz "fart" egg for the first time from my oldest Silkie. She tends to lay tinted eggs but because the fart egg was so tiny the outside pigment had less surface to cover and it was a cute miniature deep brown egg.

 

[AuntNomi]

We Have

1 Turkey - Tom Sawyer

1 Black roo - Doc Holiday
1 Grey roo - Jesse James
2 red sexlink pullets - Reno Blair, and Belle Starr
1 black sexlink pullet - Stagecoach Mary
1 Australorp pullet - Steamboat Lilly
4 White Leghorn pullets - Cheyenne, Delaney, Bessie, and Josie (we can not tell the leghorns apart)
2 Welsummer pullets - Vixey, and Dinky
2 Silver Laced Wyandottes - Widow Tweed, and Dixie
1 Gold Laced Wyandottes - Copper
3 Blue Orpingtons - Big Mama, Boomer, and Squeaks

We also have new chicks so my son is still working on their names.

 

[jewels4710]

We just started in the spring
first started with 6 leghorns
then a month later added
3 Americana
3 Rhoda Island Reds
we are talking about what to add this coming spring. Have not decided for sure.

 

[dlp40]

Flock one:layers
Blk sexlink
EE
BO
Barred rock
OE that looks like a blue copper maran with a beard
Leghorn

Flock two: helping out a friend
3 bantam cochins(will be intergrating into layer flock asap)

Flock 3: babies/ daughters only request for b-day
2 blue bantam cochin
2blk bantam cochin
1 blk frizzle cochin
5 white silkies

Far cry from the 3 max last feb, lol

 

[Sylvester017]

Flock one:layers
Blk sexlink
EE
BO
Barred rock
OE that looks like a blue copper maran with a beard
Leghorn

Flock two: helping out a friend
3 bantam cochins(will be intergrating into layer flock asap)

Flock 3: babies/ daughters only request for b-day
2 blue bantam cochin
2blk bantam cochin
1 blk frizzle cochin
5 white silkies

Far cry from the 3 max last feb, lol

JMHO - but may I suggest you not integrate your gentle bantam Cochins into your laying flock - I didn't pay attention to advice to not mix my bantam Silkies with LF and learned the hard way. Had to re-home my dual-purpose and egg-laying breeds because they took advantage bullying the little 2-lb Silkies who were hiding all day long to keep from getting harassed. We thought this Silkie was molting only to discover our 7-lb Cuckoo Marans was eating her alive! The Leghorns started a cannibalistic behavior and had to re-home them too. This Silkie recovered with full fluff again but her comb was eaten away.

 

[Jenlyn9483]

Mixed flock for sure
Pioneers
Dark Cornish
Cuckoo maran
White rock
Partridge Cochin
American game
Delaware
Speckled sussex
Americauna/ EE
RIR
Dominique
Buff Minorca
Buff Orpington
Black sexlink
Brown leghorn
Olive egger
Oegb

In the brooder
Pioneer cross rangers
Black copper maran
Slw
White broilers
Mixed chicks from neighbors flock

Welsh harlequin and mixed pekin ducks

 

[dlp40]

JMHO - but may I suggest you not integrate your gentle bantam Cochins into your laying flock - I didn't pay attention to advice to not mix my bantam Silkies with LF and learned the hard way. Had to re-home my dual-purpose and egg-laying breeds because they took advantage bullying the little 2-lb Silkies who were hiding all day long to keep from getting harassed. We thought this Silkie was molting only to discover our 7-lb Cuckoo Marans was eating her alive! The Leghorns started a cannibalistic behavior and had to re-home them too. This Silkie recovered with full fluff again but her comb was eaten away.

Thanks for the heads up. The 3 full grown cochins just came from a flock with EE, marans, sexlinks, BO, standard cochins, welsummers, and some mixed birds. That said and your advice under consideration, i will take my time with the introduction and watch them all very close during this process. Again thanks for the heads up.

 

[Sylvester017]

Mixed flock for sure
Pioneers
Dark Cornish
Cuckoo maran
White rock
Partridge Cochin
American game
Delaware
Speckled sussex
Americauna/ EE
RIR
Dominique
Buff Minorca
Buff Orpington
Black sexlink
Brown leghorn
Olive egger
Oegb

In the brooder
Pioneer cross rangers
Black copper maran
Slw
White broilers
Mixed chicks from neighbors flock

Welsh harlequin and mixed pekin ducks

Wow, that's quite a terrific mix of birds! I have too small a cottage backyard to add ducks but still am fascinated with Welsh Harlequins. How much do WHs weigh when adults and are they more quiet than other duck breeds like review descriptions say? I've had Pekin ducks on the farm and they are busy, noisy, stinky, and absolutely want water all day long to poop in LOL! Pekins are sweet and cute pets but their constant loud chatter drove me nuts. How do WHs adapt with chickens and do WHs survive without water to swim in - Pekins absolutely revel and seem to really need a swimming hole but I know some duck breeds can do quite well without a swimming area. What assessment do have?