2018 Newbie Chat!

[Anna Ranieri]

View attachment 1586483 Roo White is doing well, other than working his way out of every wing bandage we’ve tried so far. I had him 8n his crate next to the run today (50+ degrees!) and everyone came over to talk to him and hang out. Tonight/tomorrow it’s a high of 25 so he will be back in the garage until it warms up a bit.

Poor little darling

 

[Anna Ranieri]

We did a warm epsom salt bath for about 15 minutes until she wouldn't sit any longer. I took that as her cue that she was ready to try to lay. So I dried her up and stuck her near the nesting boxes.
This was her posture earlier today.
View attachment 1586414
I left her alone for almost 2 hours. I went out to check on her and she was up walking around with her tail in the air! I found 5 eggs just now and have 6 laying pullets. I really think she laid her egg! Shes just a 180 from when I found her this morning!

Brilliant news!

 

[Cbarr00]

Now that Cricket is done being broody she is as bad as the other girls to the poor chicks. I think she might be one of the worst offenders at chasing them off. I found them all inside roosting around 3 this afternoon. Poor little guys, they come out in packs to eat and drink. They aren't violent towards them just pecking order stuff and showing who's who.

 

[llombardo]

Well I poked a hole in the duck pool trying to break the ice. I tried being so careful. I'm so mad at myself. So I loaded up the pool with straw. They have their dunking bucket and I put a bigger bowl they can stand in out there. I will have to add a second one because Ricky is hogging it. I ran to the store and got my buckets, the hose is officially frozen--I didn't even get to turn it off before it froze--in fact I forgot to turn it off. Will be my first thing to do tomorrow.

I got the rabbits litter boxes cleaned, added more bedding and some straw to duck house, scooped some poop and added bedding to coop.

I took the nipple waterer out, they are not using it, so I put a heated dog bowl in the run and they lived it. I was going to put it in the coop, but they are using the heated water bottle in there. Same concept as the nipple waterer(may be slightly easier).

I thought it would be cold out there, but at 25 degrees I didn't feel it because I was moving around, I was actually hot..lol

Still have to add some stone and mulch--that will be next week. I'm really bummed about the pool. I still can't believe I did that

I move to my new location for work Monday. I took a half day on Monday so I'll go in at noonish. At least I'll not worry about the dark morning and letting them out on Monday.

If I were to leave them in the coop in the morning and let them out at lunch when I come home--would they be ok? The chickens got food and water in there. I worry about the ducks being in there to long without food and water. I will not put food and water in their house, I'm not cleaning up that mess in 20 degree weather.

 

[PNW_Peepers]

Now you have wind of Manchaneel being male, do you think this is why they're fighting?

DH will not build another coop right now. I have all the materials aside from roofing and a few 2x4’s. But because we spent a little extra on the last coop than anticipated he won’t spend anymore. I cried so hard about it today. I’m sure that’s why they’ve been fighting since the getgo. My cousin actually suggested Manchineel was a cockerel during the first week. My MIL is trying to convince her husband to let her take him. She has a thing for animals that desperately need homes.

 

[CannedMonster]

Ahhhh, that makes a lot of sense, I did wonder if it was to do with the pecking order.
I watched a short documentary recently, it showed a chicken owner who has only one roost, its really long and all the birds fit on it well, but some of the birds had their heads at the tail end of the others, according to the docu, the lower birds sit with their heads facing the tails of the higher ranked birds to prevent getting pecked in the face and eyes, but can often get their tails bitten, but better their butts than their faces! Was really interesting to watch.

Very interesting!
Now I know why they sit head to tail.
The vicious pecking at bedtime is hard to see.
I find I try to referee all of them and really I just end up making it take longer!
So it’s best for me to just return to the house until I know it’s dark enough that they’re all settled and then I go shut them in.

 

[CannedMonster]

Pig is a cockerel. I knew in the first week he was a cockerel. Lazarus (the one we saved) is definitely a pullet. Leaving Manchineel.. in the photos manchineels comb is flushed. It normally doesn’t have any pink in it unless it’s stressed. View attachment 1586296View attachment 1586295

Age?

 

[PNW_Peepers]

Age?

8 and a half weeks.

 

[CannedMonster]

8 and a half weeks.

Idk...regardless of what others may say I’ve noticed that EE and AM can be very different than other breeds.
Skye seemed like she could’ve been a male very early.
I was worried about it because her comb was pink at an early age.
And she was friendly and confident.
But she’s 4 months now, the comb is still pink but her feathering shows she’s clearly female.
Lately I’ve been worrying about Taka because her feathers almost look like they could be saddle feathers.
But when I compare them to Oliver and Angus I know they’re not.
Yet they’re not as rounded as the non-EE pullets or even Skye’s!

And Taka has never had a pink comb.
Both of these EE are extremely independent and love to investigate and explore which has seemed to be a male trait with my other breeds.
The EE and Ameraucanas are very hard to determine sex, even for experienced folks, in my opinion.

 

[PNW_Peepers]

Idk...regardless of what others may say I’ve noticed that EE and AM can be very different than other breeds.
Skye seemed like she could’ve been a male very early.
I was worried about it because her comb was pink at an early age.
And she was friendly and confident.
But she’s 4 months now, the comb is still pink but her feathering shows she’s clearly female.
Lately I’ve been worrying about Taka because her feathers almost look like they could be saddle feathers.
But when I compare them to Oliver and Angus I know they’re not.
Yet they’re not as rounded as the non-EE pullets or even Skye’s!

And Taka has never had a pink comb.
Both of these EE are extremely independent and love to investigate and explore which has seemed to be a male trait with my other breeds.
The EE and Ameraucanas are very hard to determine sex, even for experienced folks, in my opinion.

I’ve correctly sexed 11 birds with pea combs. This one just stumps me. Experience Ameraucana breeders are saying cockerel as well as the gender thread here. I’m thinking with the way it fights with Pig it has to be a cockerel. I’m still prying at DH to build another coop. Fingers crossed I get him on board.