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

[Teila]

Good morning Friends

Today is my last day before returning to work tomorrow. While I definitely could handle not having to go back, I do not dread it. I got everything done that I wanted to and on the whole, I do enjoy my job. My resolution is to go back full of enthusiasm and to try and not lose my patience. It will be interesting to see if that lasts for even the first day

The girls are not going to be impressed. After two weeks of extended supervised free range, being restricted back to 4pm releases is not going to be welcomed and I am sure they will be vocal about it.

I hope everyone had a great start to their New Year; as predicted we were asleep when 2016 arrived

Beautiful eggs Ashburnham.

Tee hee chicken-clucky I told hubby the coop door joke, the resultant eye roll was not a surprise lol

RodneyRooster thank you for the chuckle “guess another 3 lots wont hurt”. I am kind of proud of myself in that I have stuck to my guns and not given in to Cilla, KiKi or Blondie .. critical chicken mass has its advantages

appps sorry, I have to say it, that is one strange looking bird Is it a Dove or a Pidgeon? Good to hear that they may have their parenting skills on track. Will you still be looking after them if/when the chicks hatch or will they have gone home?

I do not have any trouble with navigation in FB or BYC; do not lose my place etc. May be because I do not comment much on FB and as Anniebee suggested, use the open Word Doc to reply to posts and then copy and paste.

So, I have found out why LuLu has been a ‘bit off’; some days she is good, others a bit down .. she is moulting. Being a little round ball of frizzled feathers it is tricky to see if she is actually missing any, but having spotted a few LuLu feathers around the place was my first clue. She usually gets around with her little head pulled into her mass of feathers so half the time she looks like she does not have a neck. Yesterday, she stretched out her neck to take a meal worm from hubby and yep, managed to see some pin feathers in among the curls

Speaking of broodys, I have my suspicions that Cilla is once again thinking about going broody as she has been picking on everyone more than usual and showing all of her ‘I am going broody’ warning signs

Blondie’s comb has now fully healed; not so much her pride

 

[appps]

Good morning Friends 

Today is my last day before returning to work tomorrow.  While I definitely could handle not having to go back, I do not dread it.   I got everything done that I wanted to and on the whole, I do enjoy my job.  My resolution is to go back full of enthusiasm and to try and not lose my patience.  It will be interesting to see if that lasts for even the first day :/

My hubby goes back tomorrow too. He has got most of the jobs I found for him done too

appps sorry, I have to say it, that is one strange looking bird   Is it a Dove or a Pidgeon?  Good to hear that they may have their parenting skills on track.  Will you still be looking after them if/when the chicks hatch or will they have gone home?

I think they look like the same size and shape as a pigeon when not all puffed up but the breeder friend of hers calls them doves. I'm not really sure where the line is between the two though.

We have them for a month so another two weeks I think. From what I can tell if they are going to hatch it will be in about ten to 12 days time depending on when she actually laid the eggs. So should have a few days after babies if there is some.


Here is a video I took a couple of years ago of her original pair. They both died, also while I was babysitting . Was awful, the girl just had a fit and dropped dead in front of my youngest. It was something respitory. The video gives you a better idea of how amusing they are to watch though

The guy who bred them wins a lot of competitions Australia wide with them so this is the far extreme of bred for show for these chested kind of fan tails.

 

[Anniebee]

Hi appps .....

Ref : Here is a video I took a couple of years ago of her original pair. They both died, also while I was babysitting

. Was awful, the girl just had a fit and dropped dead in front of my youngest. It was something respitory. The video gives you a better idea of how amusing they are to watch though
http://youtu.be/nBZN0ouGE4w

I had a look at the link ( knowing absolutely NOTHING about pidgeons / doves, breeding wise ). All I do, is like to look at the lace-neck doves that are companions to little Mindy Araucana ( as she is not permitted with the murderous Mandy Welsummer hen ) ....

I had a friend who had pouter pidgeons, and I have to say, the way yours puffed up - showing off their crop and chest, your birds look very like they had pouter pidgeon in them. Just saying.

So sad, however, to know that you lost them both. Birds are so fragile aren't they - any type of bird. Nice video to watch, even though the outcome was so sad.

Cheers ........

 

[Anniebee]

The period of time that eggs will remain fertile is 4-7 weeks , after the last mating.

http://msucares.com/poultry/reproductions/poultry_long_hens.html

No foal yet, the mare is ginormous and pacing the fence line . She hasn't ' waxed up ' yet, a term used to describe the dried colostrum on the end of the teats. Not a lot of sleep is being had around here with 2 hourly checks through out the night.
Fingers crossed, soon and without any human interference.

I'm off to the Sunday market, enjoy your day.

Thank you Fancy - for the link ... it was fascinating to think that a hen can store sperm - for several weeks ? Good advice there.

As for your mare not ' waxing up ' - they all seem to vary in their approach to birth, although some rules mostly apply. Maybe your girl is not one to 'wax up' too much, or even at all ? Guess though, if she has had a foal before, and had then waxed, then she would do so again ??? Dunno !! - just as unpredictable as human babies huh ?

I figure I'd be sitting out there, coffee in thermos, 24/7 ( with some help ) waiting for at least a sign that her hindquarters are dropping and other signs. The pacing has to be one of them.
And I guess she has 'bagged up' well by now ? without the waxing so far. Do you test the early 'pre' milk ( the drips ? ) for calcium and electrolytes etc. ? .... some do, but again it is not always a reliable test as to when 'she' might be ready.

By the time you read this, I hope she has foaled. Due dates are good to know, but some mares seem to 'hang on' a little longer, for some reason best known to them !!

.

Best of good luck with it all, for your girl - and for you all.

Cheers ........

 

[Fancychooklady]

Thank you Fancy - for the link ... it was fascinating to think that a hen can store sperm - for several weeks ?   Good advice there.  

As for your mare not ' waxing up '  - they all seem to vary in their approach to birth, although some rules mostly apply.  Maybe your girl is not one to 'wax up' too much, or even at all ?  Guess though,  if she has had a foal before, and had then waxed, then she would do so again ???    Dunno   !!    - just as unpredictable as human babies huh ? 

I figure I'd be sitting out there, coffee in thermos, 24/7 ( with some help ) waiting for at least a sign that her hindquarters are dropping and other signs.   The pacing has to be one of them.
And I guess she has 'bagged up' well by now ? without the waxing so far.   Do you test the early 'pre' milk ( the drips ? ) for calcium and electrolytes etc. ?   .... some do, but again it is not always a reliable test as to when 'she' might be ready.  

By the time you read this, I hope she has foaled.  Due dates are good to know, but some mares seem to 'hang on' a little longer, for some reason best known to them !! :/ .

Best of good luck with it all, for your girl - and for you all.

Cheers ........   

Hi Annie, no foal as yet, she is actually due Thursday. Vet thought she might go early and whilst ' waxing ' isn't always present our local thoroughbred breeder swears by it. She has dropped away from the top of the dock and the ' hollowing ' in readiness for the rather large object to pass through the birth canal is present. She in the foaling yard up by the main coops and is enjoying a ' tidbit ' from the chook food each day. It's not uncommon for them to go 2 X weeks late.
Our daughter is off to Victoria to compete in a couple of weeks , so I'm hoping she drops sooner rather than later.
I think she is enjoying our 3 am tummy rubs.

 

[jayjayclaus]

Hello fellow Aussies!

Just Joined a few days ago and just discovered this thread. I look forward to getting to know you all.

I'm a new backyard chook owner I have a flock of 3 Isa Browns and rescued and Australorp (Well that's what google told me she was anyway) who i'm currently trying to integrate into the flock. Wish me luck!

Will grab a cuppa tonight and have a browse through the thread, so glad I found you all.

 

[Fancychooklady]

Hello fellow Aussies!

Just Joined a few days ago and just discovered this thread. I look forward to getting to know you all.

I'm a new backyard chook owner I have a flock of 3 Isa Browns and rescued and Australorp (Well that's what google told me she was anyway) who i'm currently trying to integrate into the flock. Wish me luck!

Will grab a cuppa tonight and have a browse through the thread, so glad I found you all.

nice to meet you.

 

[appps]

Welcome @jayjayclaus

 

[chicken-clucky]

Welc

Hello fellow Aussies!

Just Joined a few days ago and just discovered this thread. I look forward to getting to know you all.

I'm a new backyard chook owner I have a flock of 3 Isa Browns and rescued and Australorp (Well that's what google told me she was anyway) who i'm currently trying to integrate into the flock. Wish me luck!

Will grab a cuppa tonight and have a browse through the thread, so glad I found you all.

o

Welcome

I am Anne, from Victoria

Isa Browns are such Beautiful birds I own three alsi

 

[satay]

Hello fellow Aussies!

Just Joined a few days ago and just discovered this thread. I look forward to getting to know you all.

I'm a new backyard chook owner I have a flock of 3 Isa Browns and rescued and Australorp (Well that's what google told me she was anyway) who i'm currently trying to integrate into the flock. Wish me luck!

Will grab a cuppa tonight and have a browse through the thread, so glad I found you all.