ALABAMA!!

[Tomtommom]

You can be my first customer! I'm excited to hear that someone around here appreciates them already. There is a guy, Drieslag, on the Campine thread that has recently brought the first Campines back into the Campine Region in over 60 years.

I believe I actually read some of that thread I find that Dutch/Belgian/German breeds tend to be a bit more self-sufficient (because frankly, those folks don't believe in pampering haha) and I appreciate that. I'm really hands-off with most my animals. I will patiently help them if they need help, but I am really not someone to brush/groom/pamper an animal on regular basis. Most of the Northwestern European breeds are MADE to deal with folks like me

Another fun fact. Grocery store eggs in the Netherlands are generally brown, with white eggs being more prized and more expensive. While in the US the opposite seems to be true, where folks generally consider brown eggs to be organic/free-range and therefore better. Funny stuff, isn't it? Also, eggs are not refrigerated in the store in Europe. Some folks put them in the fridge when they come home, others just keep them on the counter.

 

[Wisher1000]

I don't refridgerate mine unless I have to wash them. They keep fine there on the counter, although many people don't believe that. I always try to let them know that the only reason the ones in the store are refridgerated is because the are produced in conditions so nasty that comsumers wouldn't buy them if they had not been scrubbed clean and THAT is when the bacteria can get into them. I eat the eggs from the fridge because the ones on the counter are always the freshest ones I have, and those go to my egg customers. I don't sell any eggs after the third day, I use them myself!

 

[RedneckGurl]

Okay, maybe a dumb question, but are anyone else's birds molting hot and heavy right now? Seems an odd time with the weather just getting ready to get cooler but since this is my first foray into chicken keeping I don't know. If I didn't know any better, I'd swear that something was coming in and attacking them during the night because every morning there is a huge pile of black feathers on the floor of the coop. Same underneath the coop where they nap and dust bathe...looks like a massacre took place. Is there anything I should actively DO or just let nature run its course and keep feeding her FF twice a day and treats every day or so? It looks like the others might be shedding a few feathers here and there but this one poor girl looks like someone tried to pluck her while she's still alive. I mean she's practically nekked.

 

[Tomtommom]

Okay, maybe a dumb question, but are anyone else's birds molting hot and heavy right now? Seems an odd time with the weather just getting ready to get cooler but since this is my first foray into chicken keeping I don't know. If I didn't know any better, I'd swear that something was coming in and attacking them during the night because every morning there is a huge pile of black feathers on the floor of the coop. Same underneath the coop where they nap and dust bathe...looks like a massacre took place. Is there anything I should actively DO or just let nature run its course and keep feeding her FF twice a day and treats every day or so? It looks like the others might be shedding a few feathers here and there but this one poor girl looks like someone tried to pluck her while she's still alive. I mean she's practically nekked.

I got one going commando on me.. even her tail fell off. But I think it's happening because she went broody on me and lost a LOT of weight and then gained it back real fast. There's white fluff EVERYWHERE. I got worried and checked her out, she's got pin feathers coming in all over, so she's fine. But it sure is scary!

From what I gather, extra protein and probiotics are the way to go (aka yogurt and scramble eggs/chick feed)

 

[RedneckGurl]

Quote: I've been lucky - so far none of my 25 hens have gone broody. I hope it stays that way for a while. I'm not really set up to deal with that just yet. I did notice the one hen who is molting the worst last night was on the highest roost, just a bit above my head, and I saw she has pin feathers coming in all over her bum and upper legs so I guess that means she'll be okay too. I want to see if I can find some of that new feed, Feather Fixer I think it is, and feed that instead of layer mash for the next month or so until they stop shedding.

 

[chirpingcricket]

 

 
Okay, maybe a dumb question, but are anyone else's birds molting hot and heavy right now?  Seems an odd time with the weather just getting ready to get cooler but since this is my first foray into chicken keeping I don't know.  If I didn't know any better, I'd swear that something was coming in and attacking them during the night because every morning there is a huge pile of black feathers on the floor of the coop.  Same underneath the coop where they nap and dust bathe...looks like a massacre took place.  Is there anything I should actively DO or just let nature run its course and keep feeding her FF twice a day and treats every day or so?  It looks like the others might be shedding a few feathers here and there but this one poor girl looks like someone tried to pluck her while she's still alive.  I mean she's practically nekked.

I got one going commando on me.. even her tail fell off. But I think it's happening because she went broody on me and lost a LOT of weight and then gained it back real fast. There's white fluff EVERYWHERE. I got worried and checked her out, she's got pin feathers coming in all over, so she's fine. But it sure is scary!


From what I gather, extra protein and probiotics are the way to go (aka yogurt and scramble eggs/chick feed)

I've been lucky - so far none of my 25 hens have gone broody.  I hope it stays that way for a while.  I'm not really set up to deal with that just yet.  I did notice the one hen who is molting the worst last night was on the highest roost, just a bit above my head, and I saw she has pin feathers coming in all over her bum and upper legs so I guess that means she'll be okay too.  I want to see if I can find some of that new feed, Feather Fixer I think it is, and feed that instead of layer mash for the next month or so until they stop shedding.

Yup, it's that time of year... Chirp

 

[Tomtommom]

I've been lucky - so far none of my 25 hens have gone broody. I hope it stays that way for a while. I'm not really set up to deal with that just yet. I did notice the one hen who is molting the worst last night was on the highest roost, just a bit above my head, and I saw she has pin feathers coming in all over her bum and upper legs so I guess that means she'll be okay too. I want to see if I can find some of that new feed, Feather Fixer I think it is, and feed that instead of layer mash for the next month or so until they stop shedding.

Tractor Supply supposedly carries it, according to the Nutrena site, but when I was there on Saturday I did not see it. Ours has Dumor or Purina.

Of all my birds, it was a white rock that went broody. What are the odds? Ofcourse, she didn't actually hatch the eggs, she abandonned them on day 19

I hatched 2 of them.... boy and a girl. They're a month old now.. I kicked them out 2 days ago. They're in the coop behind some wire with a heat lamp. They've adjusted well. Sleep under the light at night, walk around their section of the coop during the day, scratching about and cheeping at the big birds.

Chickens.... they're something

 

[rlrshaw]

Hi Everyone! I was wondering if anyone is in need of a cockerel (or 4! ha). We hatched eggs we ordered from ebay and out of 8 hatches, 5 are boys!

They are NOT show quality, but 2 are silver laced cochin BANTAMS, one is a mix of a cochin and maybe a blue laced red Wyandotte BANTAM? Cute as can be, but don't need all these boys. The other is a barnyard mix that is black and white, part standard and part bantam. I used to take my boys to Saddlerack over in Elkmont, but they closed!

Now I just want to find good homes for them. 3 of them were hatched mid June and one of the silver laced was mid July. PM me if you are interested and I can TRY to post some pics. Haven't attempted that yet. I know how to send them to an email, just haven't tried on this forum yet! ha

Ya'll have a blessed day!

 

[MunchiesChicks]

:yiipchick Getting excited!! :yiipchick

Leaving Ft Benning area and heading up to Helfin AL to meet Mr. McCarey and hopefully have a couple/three Buckeyes and them down below Birmingham to pick up a couple Silkies for my daughter and then home. Long ride for chickens but it will be a good ride! Is it Sunday yet!!!

 

[DeannaA]

Getting excited!!

Leaving Ft Benning area and heading up to Helfin AL to meet Mr. McCarey and hopefully have a couple/three Buckeyes and them down below Birmingham to pick up a couple Silkies for my daughter and then home. Long ride for chickens but it will be a good ride! Is it Sunday yet!!!

Are you picking up your silkies in Vance/Woodstock area?