2018 Newbie Chat!

[No More Empty Nest]

Apparently, last night, I wrote the whole above post and never actually posted it!

Boy if my head wasn’t screwed on...

So this morning I went out to check and lo and behold! Four new black chicks!


Mitzi is a fierce protective Mama.
It’s hard to take photos of chicks while holding down an angry broody lol.

View attachment 1764238

View attachment 1764240
All four were fathered by Oliver, my black Australorp.
Two chicks hatched out of Taka’s large blue/green eggs so they are BA/EE mixes.
One chick came from Charlotte, my Jersey Giant.
One chick came from ?? egg...it was either one of my Silver Penciled Rocks or my Partridge Rock or even my Speckled Sussex, Elsie or Sumi my only BA female.
I’m pretty sure I took all 4 eggs from Ollie’s girls because I had already rehomed Angus.

So cute!

 

[llombardo]

Well roosting time was not fun. For the first time ever Dorothy and Blanche went into the coop on their own. Of course they went to the roost they really never used. The little ones were really persistent about that roost. Finally I just moved Dorothy and Blanche. Tomorrow I'm going to try to make another roost connecting to that one and that should solve that. Placement is key here.

The two polish go in way before the rest to get their spots and they were not budging. Little One holds her own for being so small

 

[No More Empty Nest]

Finally got some decent current pictures

Pearl

Opal

Jade

Diamond

It was a beautiful day today, 75 degrees. But rain tonight and down to 40s tomorrow. My husband and I were doing yard work outside so the chickens got a good long time out in the yard. I figured with 2 humans out walking around, the hawks would go for easier prey elsewhere. I didn't even see one. But I did see a wren checking out one of my birdhouses! I hope she stays, I love their songs.
I'm getting a squirt gun for the squirrels in our yard. My neighbor feeds them and they are just too bold. They don't bother the chickens at all, they just coexist together. But they come so close to us that I'm afraid I might step on one and it'll bite me. Plus they dug up a lot of the flower seeds i had planted. It was pretty funny the first time a squirrel and a chicken came upon each other last fall. They were headed towards each other but not looking up. Suddenly they both saw each other at the same time and they both jumped up and ran away scared. I guess the chickens figured that if it runs away it isn't a threat.

 

[llombardo]

Finally got some decent current pictures

Pearl
View attachment 1765092

Opal
View attachment 1765093

Jade

View attachment 1765095

Diamond

View attachment 1765096

It was a beautiful day today, 75 degrees. But rain tonight and down to 40s tomorrow. My husband and I were doing yard work outside so the chickens got a good long time out in the yard. I figured with 2 humans out walking around, the hawks would go for easier prey elsewhere. I didn't even see one. But I did see a wren checking out one of my birdhouses! I hope she stays, I love their songs.
I'm getting a squirt gun for the squirrels in our yard. My neighbor feeds them and they are just too bold. They don't bother the chickens at all, they just coexist together. But they come so close to us that I'm afraid I might step on one and it'll bite me. Plus they dug up a lot of the flower seeds i had planted. It was pretty funny the first time a squirrel and a chicken came upon each other last fall. They were headed towards each other but not looking up. Suddenly they both saw each other at the same time and they both jumped up and ran away scared. I guess the chickens figured that if it runs away it isn't a threat.

Beautiful girls. I got the same thing with the rabbits. Every now and then they spook each other but exist together peacefully.

In the morning the chickens come out and one of the rabbits goes in and eats the feed out of the feeder. I just smile and shake my head.

 

[llombardo]

So I heard no bickering this morning and they all came out together.

Is there such a thing as resource guarding in chickens? Sweet Pea does not want Dorothy by me. She is pretty bold. When I first brought Dorothy out she was so scared. She jumped right in my lap and I pet her and talked softly. Dorothy is just a very sweet girl.

 

[CannedMonster]

Finally got some decent current pictures

Pearl
View attachment 1765092

Opal
View attachment 1765093

Jade

View attachment 1765095

Diamond

View attachment 1765096

It was a beautiful day today, 75 degrees. But rain tonight and down to 40s tomorrow. My husband and I were doing yard work outside so the chickens got a good long time out in the yard. I figured with 2 humans out walking around, the hawks would go for easier prey elsewhere. I didn't even see one. But I did see a wren checking out one of my birdhouses! I hope she stays, I love their songs.
I'm getting a squirt gun for the squirrels in our yard. My neighbor feeds them and they are just too bold. They don't bother the chickens at all, they just coexist together. But they come so close to us that I'm afraid I might step on one and it'll bite me. Plus they dug up a lot of the flower seeds i had planted. It was pretty funny the first time a squirrel and a chicken came upon each other last fall. They were headed towards each other but not looking up. Suddenly they both saw each other at the same time and they both jumped up and ran away scared. I guess the chickens figured that if it runs away it isn't a threat.

You’re girls are just precious.
I have a little mottled Cochin pullet amongst my new bantams.
I named her Patches.
I hope she grows up to be as pretty as Diamond.
Your pics are making me want EE bantams too.
It’s a good thing that we’re full now.

 

[Anna Ranieri]

Apparently, last night, I wrote the whole above post and never actually posted it!

Boy if my head wasn’t screwed on...

So this morning I went out to check and lo and behold! Four new black chicks!


Mitzi is a fierce protective Mama.
It’s hard to take photos of chicks while holding down an angry broody lol.

Apparently, last night, I wrote the whole above post and never actually posted it!

Boy if my head wasn’t screwed on...

So this morning I went out to check and lo and behold! Four new black chicks!


Mitzi is a fierce protective Mama.
It’s hard to take photos of chicks while holding down an angry broody lol.

View attachment 1764238

View attachment 1764240
All four were fathered by Oliver, my black Australorp.
Two chicks hatched out of Taka’s large blue/green eggs so they are BA/EE mixes.
One chick came from Charlotte, my Jersey Giant.
One chick came from ?? egg...it was either one of my Silver Penciled Rocks or my Partridge Rock or even my Speckled Sussex, Elsie or Sumi my only BA female.
I’m pretty sure I took all 4 eggs from Ollie’s girls because I had already rehomed Angus.

View attachment 1764238

View attachment 1764240
All four were fathered by Oliver, my black Australorp.
Two chicks hatched out of Taka’s large blue/green eggs so they are BA/EE mixes.
One chick came from Charlotte, my Jersey Giant.
One chick came from ?? egg...it was either one of my Silver Penciled Rocks or my Partridge Rock or even my Speckled Sussex, Elsie or Sumi my only BA female.
I’m pretty sure I took all 4 eggs from Ollie’s girls because I had already rehomed Angus.

Awwwwwww such cuties!

 

[Anna Ranieri]

Finally got some decent current pictures

Pearl
View attachment 1765092

Opal
View attachment 1765093

Jade

View attachment 1765095

Diamond

View attachment 1765096

It was a beautiful day today, 75 degrees. But rain tonight and down to 40s tomorrow. My husband and I were doing yard work outside so the chickens got a good long time out in the yard. I figured with 2 humans out walking around, the hawks would go for easier prey elsewhere. I didn't even see one. But I did see a wren checking out one of my birdhouses! I hope she stays, I love their songs.
I'm getting a squirt gun for the squirrels in our yard. My neighbor feeds them and they are just too bold. They don't bother the chickens at all, they just coexist together. But they come so close to us that I'm afraid I might step on one and it'll bite me. Plus they dug up a lot of the flower seeds i had planted. It was pretty funny the first time a squirrel and a chicken came upon each other last fall. They were headed towards each other but not looking up. Suddenly they both saw each other at the same time and they both jumped up and ran away scared. I guess the chickens figured that if it runs away it isn't a threat.

So beautiful! such wonderful colours and markings.
Used to get the occasional squirrel in our garden but haven't seen any in our garden for at least ten years now, not sure why as we see loads in the surrounding woods, got loads of pigeons and blackbirds though and they keep eating the girls food

 

[No More Empty Nest]

My little Diamond is an egg layin' fool, lol. She hasn't missed a day since her first week of laying. Are all cochins like that?

 

[llombardo]

First time ever the store was sold out of their feed. I was in panic mode because I had not a drop left. They managed to find several 5 pound bags and gave me 1.50 off each bag.

I moved Sophia(second light brahma) into the coop. To be quite honest she was getting her ass kicked. She has feathers missing from her head from getting pecked and she has no more feet feathers. I feel just awful for not noticing sooner. Dorothy and Blanche both went for her when she got in the run but the younger ones were fine with her.

So I believe I'm going to put all the girls together, except for the older two. Now if I can get away with that I will try it(not expecting that to work) I will seperate the two boys from each other and the girls, allowing supervised visits. Ideally I would like to put all girls with Prince but I worry about the two polish getting pecked and the two older girls pecking the other girls when they are being mated because that is what there MO seems to be.