Australia - Six states..and that funny little island.

[my2wings]

@cluckcluckluke @rexy No worries at all. Let me know if u need me to pick up... But rexy it sounds like luke will have ur eggs ready before I even head down to Sydney! Anyway.... Let me know

 

[satay]

Qld girls did you get much of the storm yesterday arvo, Weirdest storm I have seen. It was so black on all 4 sides of our property I thought we were gunna get slammed but we got 2 mins of wind and nothing else. It divided over the top of us again.

 

[cluckcluckluke]

Are any ones chicken only just moulting now?
Most people I have talked to say that their chickens moulted early this year because of the heat, but my chickens are only just starting now?!?

 

[my2wings]

Qld girls did you get much of the storm yesterday arvo, Weirdest storm I have seen. It was so black on all 4 sides of our property I thought we were gunna get slammed but we got 2 mins of wind and nothing else. It divided over the top of us again.

Not much. Looked very promising but only got 2.5mm out of it. I always reckon it splits & goes either side of us too.... Very annoying!

 

[my2wings]

Are any ones chicken only just moulting now?
Most people I have talked to say that their chickens moulted early this year because of the heat, but my chickens are only just starting now?!?

2 of mine have only just finished moulting now

 

[megacakes]

When you are organised I would be happy to send you some eggs. Mainly marans, but some crosses too if you want.

Thanks rexy! Everything I know about hatching I've learnt from this thread, so the one thing is because I work in a school, I'd have to organise weekend care in case they hatched when we weren't there, right?
I'm probably getting a little prematurely excited...my boss hasn't said yes yet!

 

[megacakes]

Are any ones chicken only just moulting now?
Most people I have talked to say that their chickens moulted early this year because of the heat, but my chickens are only just starting now?!?

I got my girls in December 2012, they started laying at the end of January last year. They are yet to properly moult. They've lost a few feathers here and there, but only a couple of the bigger wing feathers that I've found, and they certainly don't look motheaten the way the ones at work did. They have a pretty wide variety of foods, including plenty of fish when the cat's not hungry, and they've laid consistently (at least two eggs a day from three hens) since they started. I keep waiting for the moult, but just false starts here so far!

Lukas, do your leghorns lay white eggs? I want to do easter egg dyeing with the kids, but my eggs are just too brown to really show off the colours! I might have to go and buy a punnet of duck eggs up the road...

 

[Karen Whitfield]

Are any ones chicken only just moulting now?
Most people I have talked to say that their chickens moulted early this year because of the heat, but my chickens are only just starting now?!?

All my mature chooks are moulting now..., so no eggs for me
My poor rooster who looked so gallant looks like a plucked chook.

 

[TheChookPatch]

Are any ones chicken only just moulting now?
Most people I have talked to say that their chickens moulted early this year because of the heat, but my chickens are only just starting now?!?

My girls are all over the shop! Some starting to moult, some almost finishing, some have been moulting for AGES!!! I'm treating for lice today and spraying all the pens... FunO !!! Also treating one of my new birds in isolation making gurgling sounds but luckily I am pretty vigilant with quarantine (with the exception of those chicks a month or so ago from abundant layers that possibly killed Isabel ) I have the best bird vet, which seems sooooo unusual to be able to say but I'd love to let anyone in Vic know the Melbourne Bird Vet in Scoresby are fantastic. Very thorough, reasonably priced and know everything bird/chicken. Very refreshing! I had the best chat with one of the Vets there about the syndicate and let me just say it was both nice and horrible at the same time to hear that that strain of Salmonella is definitely here in backyard flocks. My poor Penedesencas.... (enter explicit language here)

 

[rexy]

Thanks rexy! Everything I know about hatching I've learnt from this thread, so the one thing is because I work in a school, I'd have to organise weekend care in case they hatched when we weren't there, right?
I'm probably getting a little prematurely excited...my boss hasn't said yes yet!

If you set them on a Tuesday or Wednesday, then they will hatch during the week, but the chicks will need checking/care on the weekend anyway. A good idea is probably incubating them somewhere else for a couple of weeks, then candle and only take in the good ones. It isn't difficult to set up a pen at school for the chicks for a couple of weeks. You just need an old cot/playpen from someone and put mesh/flywire around it, hang a light of some sort in it for heat (be aware of the fire risk). It's a great thing to do, I used to deliver hatching outfits for Henny Penny Hatching to preschools, retirement homes and schools. They were universally loved.