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  1. Susan Mc

    Susan Mcs Member Page

    Just giving this a try for the first time... Well, I've got chicks practically coming out of my ears now! Over one hundred at last count, in 6 differnt brooding and holding pens. Yikes! How did I go from 2 ducks a year ago to 8 breeding groups plus layers, and a whole load of chicks?! But I'm...
  2. Susan Mc

    Feeding chicks eggs?

    There's no problem feeding eggs to any age chicken, as long as it doesn't resemble an egg. So if you hard-boil it, then mash it or cut it up. I hard-boil mine mainly because it makes less mess. And it's a fantastic food for chicks, especially if you run out of chick crumb!
  3. Susan Mc

    Just curious? Who names all their chickens and who doesn't?

    I don't name them unless they're staying, so all my layers and breeders have names but the chicks have numbers. I won't bore you all with a list of 25 names!
  4. Susan Mc

    I have a question for breeders

    Quote: I wouldn't dream of expecting my hobby to sustain itself. It is a hobby, and an expensive one. Not many people actually make money in poultry at a hobby level, or not enough to write home about. I'm well on my way to 200 chicks, mainly bantams, to improve my chances of getting nice...
  5. Susan Mc

    new member from ireland

    Hello Thomas, Welcome! I'm in Cork myself, have about 3 dozen eggs in the incubators and nearly 140 chicks out back! Best of luck with the hatch
  6. Susan Mc

    Golden Seabright??

    Yes I agree, gold sebrights. I have some myself. Gold laced wyandotte hens don't have such long tail feathers, and do have yellow legs.
  7. Susan Mc

    Blending younger chicks, with older ones....

    Quote: I was going to suggest that myself! The other way seems easier altogether, but if the older birds insist on harassing the younger ones I think you'd need to resort to this method.
  8. Susan Mc

    Blending younger chicks, with older ones....

    Personally I'd keep the EEs in with the BOs till they're all ready to go out, wait the extra week if that's what it takes, then put the 6 out together. The attention is distributed among 6 newbies instead of 3, and you only have to go through it once instead of twice with just 3 chicks...
  9. Susan Mc

    What kind of chicken for a newbie?

    hi BT400, Do you just want eggs or do you want to breed the chickens? If you just want eggs, get hybrid layers that were created for the job, they won't let you down. If you want to breed chickens and have lots of eggs, get Australorp, Sussex, or Wyandotte, they all have great reputations for...
  10. Susan Mc

    wanted-advice on buying a incubator

    For quality and reputation you can't do much better than a Brinsea. Automatic-turning incubators are worth the extra money you spend, as are auto-humidity pumps IMO. Though I've never used one myself, I was reminded recently of a post from another forum about Hovabator, but have no idea which...
  11. Susan Mc

    Sad news

    Do you not offer water in the brooder right from the start? I move chicks into the brooder on the day after they hatch, and dip their beaks into the water as I transfer them in, and do this 3-4 times that day till I see them drinking on their own, then offer feed. Also, does the heat lamp...
  12. Susan Mc

    Found a soft shelled egg this morning!

    Also, sometimes hens will eject eggs that haven't had the shell completely laid down on, especially if they are frightened or suddenly stressed in some manner. Do try to remove them as soon as you are able so they don't get a taste for eggs, they are sure to peck at and eat them if left in...
  13. Susan Mc

    Why would a rooster crow in the middle of the night?

    Ah you're lucky he only crows once or twice and then goes back to sleep. One of my roosters crows at any time of night, and often. I can hear him anytime between midnight and dawn if I am awake. Silly roo. I haven't pinpointed anything going on, it's just every night whenever he takes the fancy...
  14. Susan Mc

    The Deal is DONE!

    Quote: I wanna know too! Do tell!!!
  15. Susan Mc

    The recent cold snap ravaged my animals

    I'm so sorry for your losses. We don't get very cold weather here in Ireland either, but in the month before xmas it went down well below freezing for over a week on 2 occasions. I lost 3 birds myself. Throw tons of straw into your rabbit hutches, they can burrow into it and huddle together...
  16. Susan Mc

    Parents, Is it too much? Rant... Kinda... Update post #29

    Quote: Absolutely not! Ten chickens will take so little of your time and energy, what are they going on about?!! It takes just a few minutes at dawn to let them out, check them over, give them water and feed. A few minutes once or twice a day to check for eggs. A few minutes to lock them in at...
  17. Susan Mc

    Intergration help

    Adding new chickens to an existing flock, begin as you have done, with the sidebyside pens, and never add single birds to an existing flock. When you are ready to put them together, do it in the evening, when the chickens are roosting, put the new ones right inside the coop on a roost. Next...
  18. Susan Mc

    crows and hawks

    Wow, this perspective of crows is so different from the way I view them, purely as pests that gobble up my chicken feed. Mind you, Ireland isn't exactly a hotspot for birds of prey, but I've begun using treadle feeders to keep the chicken feed for the chickens only. Now if the crows would just...
  19. Susan Mc

    Anyone else hatching this weekend??

    I've one egg hatching hopefully today. Another due on Feb 3. Another 3 on Feb 8. Another 3 on Feb 13. And anywhere from zero to 19 due on Feb 18, we'll find out in a few days. Plenty of company coming up for my 3 chicks that are 2-4 weeks old right now!
  20. Susan Mc

    New to Chickens - what Breed?

    Well, there are several approaches you can take here. Buying hybrid layers and hybrid broilers would be one way to go, but you would understandably prefer to go with purebreeds. If you simply want layers, go for leghorns or minorcas, or if you have them there (I'm in Ireland), you could try...
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