Any one want to join me in waiting for eggs, posting and comparing notes?

[Ariekannairb]

I know this isn't about eggs but I had to share that my roosters have found their crow. I thought they were a bit young for it only being 12 weeks? Isn't he just so cute with his little-big boy crow?

 

[xshoshin]

My little black cochin, Apple, is being broody. She likes to sit in the box a lot and even sleeps there! Last night I went out twice to move her out and onto the perch. I'm hoping I can break her of it without removing her from the flock. There are lots of soft little black feathers in that nesting box...is she plucking them out? Meanwhile, we're now getting only 3 eggs a day. I sure wish I could install a chicken cam to see who is not laying (I'm sure Apple is not temporarily while she's broody, but we have rarely gotten 5 eggs out of 5 hens...someone is slacking!!!). I wonder if I can rent a chicken cam....I just need one for a week or so.

Another issue...a couple of my hens, especially the barred rock, have really dirty butts...poopy feathers. I have noticed some loose poops here and there but I don't know who is doing what. Are dirty butts normal or does this indicate a problem?

 

[WaterfowlWierdo]

+I have an african goose and a mallard drake, I was given some rouen eggs to hatch so I placed them under my goose. They are due on June 9th so its coming soon! Yesterday when I got home from school I noticed my mallard was missing some feathers so I went in the pen when I saw my goose had a few broken eggs, I investigated her nest and everything was fine except for the broken eggs? Then my mallard drake lifted his left wing slightly and I noticed his feathers were brown on the underside instead of the usual white. I grabbed him and opened his wing up and it was covered in dried blood!!!

I immediately started to look him over and his left wing is broken and he has a large puncture wound in his side. Then I started adding details together...They dont have a covered run, he was obviously hit from the top, my goose is protective and had broken eggs from a disturbance.

After this I concluded that he was attacked by either a falcon or a hawk

 

[jyurina]

We ate our roosters. I thought it would be hard, but I was surprisingly ok with it. We are meat eaters, I much prefer growing our own to supporting the sad conditions commercial chickens are raised in.

We ate our other roosters too. Had no issue with it. If he was a larger bird I would go through the trouble, but for only one bird who is going to be good only for stock really, I don't wanna!
The question about DE-I found tapeworms in my girls poop. They are all acting normally, just eating more than usual. I spent all last night on the computer and found an info sheet from a place called Wolf Creek Animal Sanctuary. They use DE to treat and prevent worms in all their animals. So starting this morning my girls are getting DE at roughly 5% in their feed. I mix it with their mash+ blended veggies and ACV and water. They love it this way and gobble it up. What you have to remember using DE is that it takes a life cycle of the worms to rid them. So you have to feed it EVERY DAY for at least 60 days. The DE won't hurt them and you really can't over feed it to them. Mine have eaten it straight and while I took it away from them, they had no bad reactions. So I will keep you posted. I am expecting to start seeing more before it drops off. Also I was reading that Wazine is known for not doing the job thoroughly, and there are problems with Wazine resistance in roundworms. If I DO see my girls get really sick or affected by the worms I will use Zemectrin Gold-it is horse wormer but very effective for chickens, and the dosing is easy as it comes in a paste. It also will kill a wide variety of worms.

 

[nakstk]

My little black cochin, Apple, is being broody. She likes to sit in the box a lot and even sleeps there! Last night I went out twice to move her out and onto the perch. I'm hoping I can break her of it without removing her from the flock. There are lots of soft little black feathers in that nesting box...is she plucking them out? Meanwhile, we're now getting only 3 eggs a day. I sure wish I could install a chicken cam to see who is not laying (I'm sure Apple is not temporarily while she's broody, but we have rarely gotten 5 eggs out of 5 hens...someone is slacking!!!). I wonder if I can rent a chicken cam....I just need one for a week or so.

Another issue...a couple of my hens, especially the barred rock, have really dirty butts...poopy feathers. I have noticed some loose poops here and there but I don't know who is doing what. Are dirty butts normal or does this indicate a problem?

Yes they do pluck their feathers out. It's to line the nest and to keep the egg at an even temp because they are touching the skin.
Do you add Apple Cider Vinegar with Mother in with their water? that helps the poopy butt.

 

[nakstk]

Sorry this is not really going to be all chicken related. UGH what an emotionally draining day today has been. Starting at 3:33 this morning when my dog had a seizure. He has never had one before it was so scary. He is still acting really tired and still a bit shaking cause he is unsure why his body hurts. Or so says the vet I talked too. I didn't get back to sleep til 5:50am then hubby alarm went off at 6:10 and I couldn't get back to sleep. Then it was making the decision to take Tank to the vet and miss my sons baseball game or let Tank rest in the kennel and go to the game. Tank was acting sort of normal walking okay, peeing, pooping, drinking but not eating. Vet said that's okay. So I went to the baseball game. I had to keep the score book which I hate because I can't talk to people when I do it. But that was a blessing in disguise It kept my mind off Tank. I knew there was nothing more I could do for him but then to just let him rest. The boys played a great game they won 14-7 this was their teams second win of the season. The other teams first loss which made our win feel even better. Got home from the game Tank was still tired (still is now too) I did a bunch of research on dog seizures and how the dogs act afterwards. So I know what to expect and what is normal. Made me feel a bit better. Read the news to find it VERY depressing 4 people in our county were killed in 25 hours in separate motor vehicle accidents. Really freaks me out that my son will be getting his permit soon. He has put it off because of school and sports. So glad he has, I know he needs to drive but I am just not ready for him too.
that's off my chest........... now the chicken stuff. lol Phoebe is spending more time out in the run and she is back to sleeping on the roost and not in the nest. She still makes the quiet cluck cluck clucks when she is out foraging. Her feathers have not yet started to grow in which might now be a bad thing with summer coming. She needs to put on some weight though she lost so much while being broody. The rain has finally stopped and we have had 2 dry days the girls love the dry weather. This May was our 3rd wettest in history and the wettest month so far this year. My girls did pretty good laying for having dark cloudy weather.

May egg total 121!

 

[kdwag]

We have 3 hens. We bought 5 birds 'pullets' at the beginning of the year, but 2 of them were roosters. The red and black hens are SO noisy. We have them in our backyard in a subdivision in the middle of an Urban city. Our neighbor on the side of the house that the coop is on is ok with it, we asked him...but the rest are renters that we don't know. It is allowed in our city, but there are lot size restrictions that I am not sure we meet. I will be really sad if we have to get rid of them Our cop friend says his sister who lives in a similar neighborhood 1/4 mile away has had chickens for years without issue.

They are so pretty, what breeds? I know what you mean about hens being loud. Mine squawk like crazy when they aren't let out in the morning. Hopefully, your neighbors won't complain. That would be awful to have to get rid of them. As for the roosters, maybe you can rehome them?

 

[kdwag]

I know this isn't about eggs but I had to share that my roosters have found their crow. I thought they were a bit young for it only being 12 weeks? Isn't he just so cute with his little-big boy crow?

Love the video, he is cute!!

 

[kdwag]

So I was unable to collect a pair of eggs from yesterday and collected them and today's 4 a lil while ago (10:30pm or so). Weather was in the 80's both days.

Normally I'm on those eggs as soon as the girls drop them lol they're clean, are they safe?

It's been hot and rainy but they were nice n neat in the nest box.

If you drop them in water and they sink, they are good. If they float, they are bad. I think that's how it goes??

 

[kdwag]

My little black cochin, Apple, is being broody. She likes to sit in the box a lot and even sleeps there! Last night I went out twice to move her out and onto the perch. I'm hoping I can break her of it without removing her from the flock. There are lots of soft little black feathers in that nesting box...is she plucking them out? Meanwhile, we're now getting only 3 eggs a day. I sure wish I could install a chicken cam to see who is not laying (I'm sure Apple is not temporarily while she's broody, but we have rarely gotten 5 eggs out of 5 hens...someone is slacking!!!). I wonder if I can rent a chicken cam....I just need one for a week or so.

Another issue...a couple of my hens, especially the barred rock, have really dirty butts...poopy feathers. I have noticed some loose poops here and there but I don't know who is doing what. Are dirty butts normal or does this indicate a problem?

My barred rock and my RIR both have dirty bottoms, not over the vent but down below. I think from when they lay on the ground. I've tried to clean them but they won't let me. I notice that eventually, they get them clean. Makes me nuts though. Mine do get ACV in their water at least daily. It doesn't seem to matter.