Arizona Chickens

[Arizonachicken]

So sorry to hear of your loss!

I hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas!

Well, we had our first encounter with a hawk. It landed on one of my big fat hens and my rooster attacked it. Poor hawk didn't even have a chance. My rooster was about twice its size and boy was he was ticked! I'm so glad we kept him. Both my hen and my rooster are fine, and the hawk is ok, too. Happy ending, and I haven't seen the hawk since.

 

[MagicChicken]

Still no eggs from Big Red, our now 8+ month old EE! But, last week, she went all broody on us! I thought that was kind of odd, since she had never laid an egg. She stalked the other girls while they were in the nest, and the minute they left, she jumped right in and took over. It took 3 days of pushing her out of the nest and taking the eggs out ASAP, and I think the broody behavior is over. I just don't know what she's waiting for!! Her comb and face are red, she sings and squats, her pelvic bones are separated barely 2 fingers, there is no indication that she is egg-bound. I guess she's just a late bloomer!! What a contrast from the others, especially Blackie the Australorp, who laid for 48 straight days until taking a day off yesterday (but she gave me her biggest egg ever at 6:30 this morning to compensate)!

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas. We had a great time with kids and grandkids (except the one who is in Basic Training in TX). Now we're looking forward to the New Year and deciding how many new pullets to add........ LOL

Are you sure she's not laying? Her eggs may not be blue, even though she's an Easter Egger. Could her eggs be blending in with the others?

 

[Stynch]

Are you sure she's not laying? Her eggs may not be blue, even though she's an Easter Egger. Could her eggs be blending in with the others?

I thought that might be the case at first, because she's a month older than the other three. But, since I work from home (best job in the world) I routinely coop-stalk, and being a OCD bookkeeper, I actually keep spread sheets on who laid at what time and what the egg weighed. The eggs from the three that are laying are all distinctive enough to be able to tell who laid what (Cherry's has tiny speckles and is always in the lefthand nest, Amber's is creamy colored and always in the righthand nest, and then Blackie's are light brown with two wrinkles near the point end and are in the righthand nest unless there is a conflict with Amber! Last week, I actually watched while Blackie laid her egg, and the instant she stepped out of the nest and started singing, Big Red had jumped in and sat! Her behavior just doesn't seem like she is laying - she'll sit in the nest several times a day, even in the afternoon, where the others only sit in the nest when they lay, and once they leave, they stay out until the next day. One of these days, maybe I'll get a 4th egg!!!

 

[RockNSuccess]

So sorry to hear of your loss!  

I hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas!

Well, we had our first encounter with a hawk.  It landed on one of my big fat hens and my rooster attacked it.  Poor hawk didn't even have a chance.  My rooster was about twice its size and boy was he was ticked!  I'm so glad we kept him.  Both my hen and my rooster are fine, and the hawk is ok, too.  Happy ending, and I haven't seen the hawk since.   

Woohoo! Nothing like an attack rooster to keep things safe.

 

[LadyKotaDoria]

[VIDEO]

Thank you I got it to work. I found this just to try to post a video for the future. This is on click training a chicken. First step in a trained chicken.

One good use would be to go to the coop. Train each of the chickens with a special treat, then if you have to leave, you can click the clicker and all the girls (& boys) will run to the coop to get that special treat.

CITY FARMER: yes and yes. Only the 1 of the blue did not hatch. I will have some interesting eggs from the pullets, don't know what they are going to be yet. There is only 1 with 5 toes. It has EE markings.

 

[City farm]

Still no eggs from Big Red, our now 8+ month old EE!  But, last week, she went all broody on us!  I thought that was kind of odd, since she had never laid an egg.  She stalked the other girls while they were in the nest, and the minute they left, she jumped right in and took over.  It took 3 days of pushing her out of the nest and taking the eggs out ASAP, and I think the broody behavior is over.  I just don't know what she's waiting for!!  Her comb and face are red, she sings and squats, her pelvic bones are separated barely 2 fingers, there is no indication that she is egg-bound.  I guess she's just a late bloomer!!  What a contrast from the others, especially Blackie the Australorp, who laid for 48 straight days until taking a day off yesterday (but she gave me her biggest egg ever at 6:30 this morning to compensate)!

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas.  We had a great time with kids and grandkids (except the one who is in Basic Training in TX).  Now we're looking forward to the New Year and deciding how many new pullets to add........   LOL

That's weird. However it is nice to have hens laying at different times.

 

[City farm]

I have six broody-raised chicks in the hoop coop along with several laying hens and a rooster.  The chicks are about nine weeks old.  Broody mom stopped sleeping with them a week or so ago.  Tonight I went out to check on everyone and only found five of the chicks in the box they usually sleep in.  Hmm.  Looked a little closer at the roost.  One of the chicks is sleeping with the big birds, tucked in next to the rooster. 

Love that.. I am thankful like to have a rooster.. It keeps them in line & they learn from the others.. Do you hold your babies a lot?

 

[City farm]

So sorry to hear of your loss!  

I hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas!

Well, we had our first encounter with a hawk.  It landed on one of my big fat hens and my rooster attacked it.  Poor hawk didn't even have a chance.  My rooster was about twice its size and boy was he was ticked!  I'm so glad we kept him.  Both my hen and my rooster are fine, and the hawk is ok, too.  Happy ending, and I haven't seen the hawk since.   

Awhee, no WAY!! That is rad!!!

 

[City farm]

[VIDEO]

Thank you I got it to work. I found this just to try to post a video for the future. This is on click training a chicken. First step in a trained chicken.

One good use would be to go to the coop. Train each of the chickens with a special treat, then if you have to leave, you can click the clicker and all the girls (& boys) will run to the coop to get that special treat.

CITY FARMER: yes and yes. Only the 1 of the blue did not hatch. I will have some interesting eggs from the pullets, don't know what they are going to be yet. There is only 1 with 5 toes. It has EE markings.

great photos girl..
Precious little stinkers..

 

[RockNSuccess]

WOOHOO! It is confirmed, I am expecting. I ordered 6 Lav Orpington eggs and when the box arrived, it was crushed on one side. I let them rest to come to room temp and got them in the bator. I have been candling them daily to see if they are growing. My light source is not the best, but what I found was that three were not viable. Opened them up around day 7 and nothing. The other three seemed like they were growing, but my light source was not great. Was pretty sure I could see the eye on one of them. Just candled again at day 9 with a brighter light and all three have embryos that are moving! I will wait until day 14 to candle again to make sure they are still growing. This is my first hatch and I am soooooo excited! Cross your fingers for me that may babys make it to full term.