A Day With My Flock

[Hannahs Hollow]

Today, I am Harmony. I am Brahma/Icelandic and I weigh about 5.9lbs. I have the same markings as my sister Bo but I am darker. Mom loves how each of our feathers are laced with a darker shade.



Mom's cell camera doesn't do me justice! I am growling at her.

I don't have much of a life. I love to sit in the nest and hatch eggs. I love babies you see. I love to nurture them. Mom tells me I am a good mama.

Before my life of 4 walls and broody cages I was the best hunter, snatching flies, moths and mosquitoes right out of the air. I had dreams of being a marathon runner at one point. I was fast! Bo and I are lighter in weight and we can fly further then our flock mates. We also like to be up high in the rafters in the green house.




Last Wednesday one of my eggs hatched and I have a baby again!

I am still sitting on 2 little green eggs mom bought. She and I hope at least one more will hatch.

We think the lady who sold them to us was "off" on her dates as this baby was born 3 days early. the other 2 are due in 2 days, if they hatch. I still move them with me if I settle in a new area of my small cage. I roll them with my beak and tuck them under me. Sometimes I have to move them along with my baby a foot closer to the food and water. It's an ordeal but I can't have my baby drowning in the dishes and I can't leave those eggs behind. This gives mom hope that I know what I am doing and those eggs will hatch!

Yesterday after mom got home from work, she grabbed a couple of beers, some scratch and a lawn chair, the Man said, "see you tomorrow", and she came out to visit with us all. I stayed in my cage and refused to bring my baby out even onto the hen house floor. Gotta sit on eggs! This pic is me and Josie when I still liked her....



Anyway, mom took the others for a walk around the lawn for new green grasses. Matilda and Giselle went one way, Ruby and Bo two other ways. Mom had to carry and coax and encourage Josie and Sophie out. They have never been out in the yard before. They stuck close to her. Josie loves mom and Sophie loves Josie so they stayed under her chair.

At one point Josie was very worried and needed comfort. Josie spent a lot of time on mom's shoulder as a little chick and was trained to hop on her hand to get up.


Well, Mom was shocked when all of a sudden Josie leaped from the ground to her shoulder. Mom was sitting down. She was even more surprised when a second later Sophie too flew up! Next thing mom new she had pullets and poop in her hair!

Mom took a selfie after they settled down.



Sophie then proceeded to peck Mom's teeth so Mom put them back in their pen.

So my life is full with my desires for eggs and babies and I don't need anything else to make me happy. That's why I growl at everyone but I do still love my Mom and her treats! Speaking of which she should be coming with the cous cous soon!

 

[Quack House]

So adorable!!! What a good mom! (both you and Harmony )

I love the markings!

Great selfie!!!

Josie is adOOORable

 

[Hannahs Hollow]

Today, I am me. Becky. I'd like to first announce the birth of a second chick! 1 more egg to go! It's so tiny... Ameracauna or silkie? Who knows.

I'd like to talk about my thoughts and experience with DE. And I would like your thoughts on it also.

I have used DE in copious amounts in the last year. When I discovered the smell of poop went away after I doused the yard in it I was excited! How easy the *hit board was to clean with just a light sprinkling of the stuff, ecstatic! No mites, lice or worms!

However, little to my knowledge did I realize I killed all the bugs in my yard that my chickens love to eat! I killed every bug in my green house as well.... In the future I will dust my friends and put some down in the hen house before the straw and sawdust but, sparingly.

I usually use the NON food grade DE as, yes dustier, but effective. A friend who works at a public pool brought me a humongous bag of food grade DE and the next thing I knew I had mold growing on it where ever there was moisture. Like the green house! That stuff clumps when dropped and doesn't spread out.

Chickens can eat both the non and the food grade. But not when it is moldy and putting out spores in the hot green house tho. Never had a problem with the lower end stuff.

Now when I refill their sand box I put in a large amount of the lower grade stuff and don't worry about dusting them.

The best way I have seen to dust your birds is to get an old pillow case, put a bunch of DE in it, put the chicken in with the head sticking out, maybe tie it loosely around the neck or just hold it. Turn it many times to coat the chicken.

I have to admit I am not that well coordinated so I usually just stuff the DE into my birds feathers covering us both. The good news is I don't have any bugs either!!!!

Remember to wear a dust mask as I think I have damaged myself after only doing all this 4 -5 times...

I can get the lower end grade stuff for $16 a huge bag. Same size of food grade cost over $50 at the pharmacy that supplies vet stuff too.

What do you all think?
B.

 

[Jackalope Vigil]

So many chicken selfies!

 

[Chic_girl]

So many chicken selfies!

Oh yes- moment I get home, I'm headed out for my own chicken selfies!

 

[scratch'n'peck]

I usually use the NON food grade DE as, yes dustier, but effective. A friend who works at a public pool brought me a humongous bag of food grade DE and the next thing I knew I had mold growing on it where ever there was moisture. Like the green house! That stuff clumps when dropped and doesn't spread out.

Chickens can eat both the non and the food grade. But not when it is moldy and putting out spores in the hot green house tho. Never had a problem with the lower end stuff.

Now when I refill their sand box I put in a large amount of the lower grade stuff and don't worry about dusting them.

The best way I have seen to dust your birds is to get an old pillow case, put a bunch of DE in it, put the chicken in with the head sticking out, maybe tie it loosely around the neck or just hold it. Turn it many times to coat the chicken.

I have to admit I am not that well coordinated so I usually just stuff the DE into my birds feathers covering us both. The good news is I don't have any bugs either!!!!

Remember to wear a dust mask as I think I have damaged myself after only doing all this 4 -5 times...

I can get the lower end grade stuff for $16 a huge bag. Same size of food grade cost over $50 at the pharmacy that supplies vet stuff too.

What do you all think?
B.

I've used the food grade DE. I never thought of using the DE for pools because folks on the forum stressed food grade (maybe just to be extra safe, I don't know). But I guess it makes sense NON-food grade would be pretty much the same stuff. That is weird about the mold in the DE. I have had my big bag of food grade DE for a few years and never saw mold. I guess that moldy DE you had must have been stored in a damp, moldy place before you got it. So do you get the lower end DE in the pool section of a something like a Home Depot or Walmart?

I don't use as much of it in the coop as I used to because it is so dusty. But dusting the chickens, and adding to the dust bath is great. I have used an old stocking filled with it like a powder puff for dusting the birds since I don't quite have the coordination to use the pillow case method either.

Congrats on the new chick. We will need pics soon.

 

[Hannahs Hollow]

I've used the food grade DE.  I never thought of using the DE for pools because folks on the forum stressed food grade (maybe just to be extra safe, I don't know).  But I guess it makes sense NON-food grade would be pretty much the same stuff.  That is weird about the mold in the DE.  I have had my big bag of food grade DE for a few years and never saw mold.  I guess that moldy DE you had must have been stored in a damp, moldy place before you got it.  So do you get the lower end DE in the pool section of a something like a Home Depot or Walmart?  

I don't use as much of it in the coop as I used to because it is so dusty.  But dusting the chickens, and adding to the dust bath is great.  I have used an old stocking filled with it like a powder puff for dusting the birds since I don't quite have the coordination to use the pillow case method either.

Congrats on the new chick.  We will need pics soon.

The stuff for the pool is the food grade white stuff. The lower grade grey stuff is what I use now. Both are safe to eat but the white stuff is bleached like flour I think.

The white stuff didn't spread as easily as the grey. It clumped. It went moldy after being spread in my wet green house and didn't dissolve.

I get the grey stuff at the feed store.

 

[Hannahs Hollow]

Today, my name is Josie. I am a very confused pullet now.

My sister/niece/foster chick is a nutcase!

She is 2 months+ and she doesn't shut the heck up! She doesn't want to roost, she wants to sleep under me. Always has to be under me!!!! For crying out loud, she is a big chick and can keep herself warm! Why me!!!!! Then nobody picks on her because they think she is a baby because she still loudly peeps but they beat the crap outta me! I am in an outrage today as you can tell with all the exclamation marks.

On the other hand I am still very needy myself being the lowest of lows in the flock... I try to hang out with mom but "SHE" has to go everywhere I go. What is she? My freakin shadow? If I am on mom's lap she screams that I am not with her! If mom has picked me up to move me to a safer place she screams for me some more! She has to constantly complain that it is bed time and to come cuddle her but she sits in the doorway so I can't get in. I am not sure this is a healthy relationship but mom is cramped for space with Harmony protecting her chicks. Harmony now takes her chicks outside and mom worries as to what she will come home from work to see. Sophia (aka, SHE, HER, IT, and that BRAT!) and I are in a pen together and everything about us but my sanity is safe. SHE is so crazy she runs around me in circles!

Drives me crazy!

As I was saying, I am confused and needy. I have no social skills when it comes to dealing with my Aunts. They terrify me. I maybe 3+ months old but I still say "uh uh uh" instead of chicken sounds. Lil Bo, Sophia's mom was like that too. Mom is concerned the breeders have inbred to much....Mom says, I am a sweet heart of a lap chicken!!! I am very affectionate and will make a great broody! Mom, says that's great, just what she needs. On the other hand I may make a good foster mom to chicks that aren't mine even if I'm not broody and they could be as old as "HER" and I would still stick by them. Mom has her hopes....

Now about our breed. From what I can piece together, we have Icelandic heritage. I think that might be another name for Kinder surprise or MUTT. You never know what you are going to get with us but we all seem to have feathered feet! We generally don't look like our parents. Sophia looks like a silver laced wyandotte and I just a silver wyandotte. (Tonight , Mom doesn't care if her spelling is off, she has had a tough Monday!)

Bo and Harmony don't look a thing like the rest of the flock they came from!

Harmony's little babies are doing good! She is a fierce Mamacita! Mom fears where she'll find any eggs as Harmony will run everyone outta the coop that just wants to lay an egg. The man has to build us more room.

2 days ago that humongous dog tried to get Ruby. Neither knew what to do when mom started shrieking!!! Everyone froze and mom dove for the brute and it was over before it began! My landed on her knee in the gravel.... I'm glad because Ruby is the nicest of my Aunts. She tells me it because she isn't the lowest anymore.Mom is going to brain her if she doesn't leave the rhubarb alone! Bo too if she gets near to strawberry plants one more time!

Mom went to the auction this weekend and was horrified at the product and treatment of the birds and bunnies.

She knows they are just food but.... She went to see what could be had there. Not that she would ever bring home one of those poor unfortunate creatures. Mom likes to hatch her own. She cringes at bugs and disease. But they sell fertilized eggs a lot cheaper and easier then her having to track down someone with what she wants and pay through her nose for them. (Not sure how that works but it sounds painful.)

There is a lot out there she just might want, but first that Man has to get to building! Mom is pulling her hair out and not just the grey ones anymore!

I am thankful that I do have at least Sophia as my friend, that we have had some decent weather and I am out and about when Mom comes home from work and lets us all free! Mostly I am happy when it gets dark and that "BRAT" shut the duck up!!!!

PS no pics as the sun is still bright and I can barely see the cursor on the laptop!!! Sorry.

 

[Quack House]

Love the chicken selfies!!

Great story! Paying through the nose HAHAHA!

 

[Hannahs Hollow]

Thank you Quack house!