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

[tandykins]

Because this is an Aussie thread, I thought somebody could answer my question. I live out in the country and I was wondering if it is safe to have chicks in summer. It gets really hot and plus we have had multiple brown snakes hanging around the chook shed (they are attracted to the water.) Do you reckon a snake would go for any of the chicks?

We have heaps of brown snakes, tiger snakes and red belly blacks here and I'm constantly being warned about snakes taking chicks. I would definitely worry about it. That's why when we put our chicks back outside we're going to put them in a snake-proof run until they're bigger (well, that and raptors).

 

[Georgie141]

Thank you I think I will wait until the end of autumn then.

 

[tandykins]

Thank you I think I will wait until the end of autumn then.

Out of curiosity Georgie, where are you based?

And when I say "chicks" in this context - I'm referring to newly hatched chicks, not pullets. I'd feel comfortable having them outside (this time of year) after 6 weeks or so without snakes bothering them (but I'd still worry about raptors). My understanding is that a snake is probably more likely to go after eggs than birds but as I've never had a predator problem, I may well be wrong.

 

[ChristieB]

I think summer would be the perfect time to get day old chicks as far as the electric bill goes, once they start feathering you would only need a heat lamp at night and on cooler days. You'd keep them inside till feathered as usual (so like 6-8 weeks) And any snake that could make it's way into a predator proofed coop wouldn't be able to take a fully feathered bird

 

[tandykins]

So, until I can work out the very best absorbent pad for the inside of the pouches - I'm having some minor leaking problems. As such, I made four matching back-ups from fabric left over after making my son a pair of shorts.



I was using Viva paper towels as a pad but the first poo soaked through enough to make the outside damp. Tomorrow I'm going to take half a pack of nappies I have left over from before my son's potty training and cut pads, running them quickly through my sewing machine first to secure the absorbent contents. I'm sure there are better materials. I hear that menstrual pads work well but as I don't have those on hand, I'm working with what I DO have.

I'm quite pleased. I made the pattern from eyeballing someone's cut pieces compared to the self-healing mat behind them and adjusting the size accordingly. I was quite proud that my first result was perhaps just slightly too snug but otherwise fit really well.

On these, I adjusted the elastic about an inch longer to correct that problem. When I've fine-tuned the pattern I will post it (in printable form) along with a detailed tutorial on BYC. When I was looking up chicken nappy patterns, I found the combination of these two factors sorely lacking.

Now if you'll excuse me, my back hurts from too much sewing and I'm going to go have a glass of wine and binge-watch Bones.

Bumblebee immediately hopped into the box we made her in my son's bedroom (he cleaned his room just for the occasion) and went right to sleep. Pardon her scraggliness. She's coming out of a moult and looking rather mangey.

 

[appps]

I guess I never really thought past the fact they are wearing nappies to the nitty gritty lol. So you have to keep buying replaceable liners for them? That must get expensive at the rate they poop?

 

[sweetbeak]

Hi all, I'm in Little Hampton vic which is near daylesford and I have either a black auracuna or Ameraucana but not sure, she hatched from a tiny brown egg and is now 22 weeks old so very close to laying. I am just trying to work out what colour eggs she will lay, here's a pic of her, HELP!!

 

[smhoekzema]

Hi all, I'm in Little Hampton vic which is near daylesford and I have either a black auracuna or Ameraucana but not sure, she hatched from a tiny brown egg and is now 22 weeks old so very close to laying. I am just trying to work out what colour eggs she will lay, here's a pic of her, HELP!!

Without knowing parentage I think you might have a waiting game on your hands! Lucky it shouldn't be too long

 

[vehve]

Hi @sweetbeak

If she hatched from a brown egg, she's not an Araucana, or at least not a pure one. Of course, the roo used in the mix might carry some of those genes. But 50% chance that the egg color is green/olive, if the rooster has any blue genes (or 100% if the roo is homozygotic for the blue). If not, then you'll probably get something similar to what she hatched from. Do you know what the rooster used in the mix is? The hen that laid the egg she came in clearly doesn't have any blue genes.

 

[sweetbeak]

Hi @sweetbeak


If she hatched from a brown egg, she's not an Araucana, or at least not a pure one. Of course, the roo used in the mix might carry some of those genes. But 50% chance that the egg color is green/olive, if the rooster has any blue genes (or 100% if the roo is homozygotic for the blue). If not, then you'll probably get something similar to what she hatched from. Do you know what the rooster used in the mix is? The hen that laid the egg she came in clearly doesn't have any blue genes.

Hi, I found out that the rooster was a black araucana and the mother was an isa brown, so she clearly looks like the rooster but what she lays sounds like it will be a waiting game.