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

[Ashburnham]

That's good news. Beware of any open wounds as her flock mates will be inclined to peck at anything that stands out. Injured members of the flock are inclined to be a ' soft target ' . Just keep an eye her.

Chickens are attracted to the red blood colour and will peck at wounds.
Purple antibiotic wound spray is a good treatment and hides the blood colour.

xxxx M

 

[Anniebee]

G'Day from Sunny Down Town Quakers Hill.

VK2HSV .... you will enjoy your time here .... can guarantee it.

Cheers ........

 

[Anniebee]

Well we had a showjumping coach here from NSW running a clinic over 2 days and whilst I was down the front playing host, I heard the roosters sound the alarm. By the time I got back up to the house the goshawk had pulled one of the chicks through the wire and had it trapped up between the coop and the cherry netting. Poor little thing was still warm

. That hawk had the audacity to stand screeching at me and has been back twice since. It managed to peck one of the 3 week olds on the shoulder , drew blood but he will survive.
Tomorrow I will have to move everyone around, once he knows there are little chicks about he won't give up.

No Fancy .... the little bustard will not give up.

Any way you can get some kind of minute sized wire ( like the top of a round bird aviary - relatively quickly ? ) ..... or bring them inside until you sort out some way of protecting them from that predator. The finest of wire might help - but is not always available --- ( but hope it is ).

You have had a bad run recently Fancy, and I feel for you. Horrid lot of situations you've had.

Best of good luck in protecting your flock in the future.

Cheers .........

 

[Fizzybelle]

Fizzybelle --- I had tears too, on reading your story. ,...... BUT ... it is super great that "Iris" ( no doubt a new name for him soon ) was given to people who will love him and look after him well. And he will have a lady 'harem'. That is a huge plus, despite the tears and sense of loss you are experiencing.

Hope your new lavender Araucana works out well. They are just beautiful. And sincerely hoping she is indeed a 'she'. All good wishes to you with your new lovely bird.

Cheers ......

Thank you Anniebee for your kind words It's been one of those days today. I know he'll be ok in the long run, I just hope all goes well for him, as I'll miss him, wonder how he's doing. Chickens are such wonderful creatures, it's hard to not get attached to them. My new addition whilst she didn't like being picked up, she was happy to sit on my hand or my leg, and go to sleep. She comes up to me too, so that's encouraging as I know Araucana's can be a bit flighty personality wise. She doesn't need to be super cuddly, Beatrice has insisted that's her job lol, but I want them all to be calm and friendly, happy to eat out of my hand, so that's the next step - build up that all important bond. I think she might end up being quite bold

 

[Anniebee]

MyHaven quoted :

AB I don't think clipping wings is always the best solution. While I used to clip one wing on each flighty bird where I lived before, I wouldn't do it where I live now. Clipping wings can inhibit the chooks ability to evade predators.

.............

I think it does have a lot to do with where one lives, MyHaven.

We have foxes here, and feral cats. ( Dandenong Ranges - Victoria )

Daytime would not stop them, but the smell of a dogs droppings, and human activity all round about, will halt them ( mostly ) to think twice. Night time certainly would not stop them, but my girls are locked up tight at night time, and allowed out at 10 a.m. each day. No early risers here, as much for safety from predators, than anything else.

I figure it is much easier for my chickens ( and for me ) that they are not permitted to fly up into unreachable areas ( like trees - which abound on our property ) .... a feral [ or other ] cat can climb a tree quicker than a chicken can get away and out of it.

Appreciate the thinking - about a chickens' ability to 'fly' from a predator if wings are not clipped. Still and all, the clipping does not stop them from flapping or leaping, ( and they can get as high as the chest high run fence as it is ). My major worry would be ( with or without wings clipped ) the aerial predators such as eagles, hawks etc. No amount of non-clipping of wings would stop one of those, when intent on a meal of chicken.

Fortunately ( so far - thank heaven ) my girls have known of the danger and retreated into the furthest corner of their coop, when an eagle or hawk is present.

Repeat - 'so far' ... and hoping it remains so.

Cheers .........

 

[MyHaven]

[COLOR=333333]MyHaven quoted  :  [/COLOR]

[COLOR=B22222][COLOR=333333]AB[/COLOR] I don't think clipping wings is always the best solution. While I used to clip one wing on each flighty bird where I lived before, I wouldn't do it where I live now. Clipping wings can inhibit the chooks ability to evade predators.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=333333].............[/COLOR]

[COLOR=333333]I think it does have a lot to do with where one lives, MyHaven.   [/COLOR]

[COLOR=333333]We have foxes here, and feral cats. ( Dandenong Ranges - Victoria )  [/COLOR]

[COLOR=333333]Daytime would not stop them, but the smell of a dogs droppings, and human activity all round about, will halt them ( mostly ) to think twice.   Night time certainly would not stop them, but my girls are locked up tight at night time, and allowed out at 10 a.m. each day.   No early risers here, as much for safety from predators, than anything else. [/COLOR]

[COLOR=333333]I figure it is much easier for my chickens ( and for me ) that they are not permitted to fly up into unreachable areas ( like trees - which abound on our property ) ....  a feral [ or other ] cat can climb a tree quicker than a chicken can get away and out of it.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=333333]Appreciate the thinking - about a chickens' ability to 'fly' from a predator if wings are not clipped.   Still and all, the clipping does not stop them from flapping or leaping, ( and they can get as high as the chest high run fence as it is ).   My major worry would be ( with or without wings clipped ) the aerial predators such as eagles, hawks etc.   No amount of non-clipping of wings would stop one of those, when intent on a meal of chicken.  [/COLOR]

[COLOR=333333]Fortunately ( so far - thank heaven ) my girls have known of the danger and retreated into the furthest corner of their coop, when an eagle or hawk is present.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=333333]Repeat - 'so far' ... and hoping it remains so.   [/COLOR][COLOR=333333] [/COLOR]

[COLOR=333333]Cheers ......... [/COLOR]

Here's hoping all our poultry stay safe. I've had a trap set here for three weeks. No fox caught this time. Cheers

 

[Anniebee]

Teila ........

Your new chicken palaces are looking superb.

Am very much looking forward to the final photographs of them.

You have put so much work, thought and effort into them - good onya ....

Cheers .......

 

[MyHaven]

G'Day from Sunny Down Town Quakers Hill.

Hey, and welcome to you. What birds do you have? We love pics.

 

[MyHaven]

Th
re is plastic sheeting under this and ive dug in a drain and used specal frainage pipe. Its round with holes in it that leads out to a slope down from the chook pen. There will be no poop sitting in it as it will go down the drain and out of the pen. The floor is slightly raised around the outside so water drains off to the pipe also as water not draining is why we put it in. Their perches aren't very high and I've been checking their feet. Thats why i went with rounder larger stone instead of gravel as I've already treated a hen for bumblefoot a few months ago and am not keen to do so again if avoidable. Yes just bedore christmas i brought in a new chook that had been quarantined and treated for a respiratory issue and seemed fine so i put her in. Not a mistake i will repeat as i had to cull her and 10 or so of my other chickens. The rest showed no symptoms until the consistant rain so out with the flooring that stays wet and in with the gravel. Working wonderfully so far. Been in for about a month now and still smells pretty fresh. Been hosed out only once so far.due again tomorrow. Im getting more eggs and chooks are putting some more weight on. As far as im concerned it is the best option for what we have to work with and in our climate...so far. We will see.

Sorry to read you had such a heavy cull.

 

[MyHaven]

And hey - MyHaven and ( I think ) Teila .... it IS Molly RIR  who is laying the splashed-with-squirts-of-brown eggs.  ???    She used to lay perfectly pink eggs.   Now they are pale beige in colour with these 'spaced out speckled' brown spots on them.   ( which made me and others here,  think it was Mandy Welsummer ).   Watched Molly laying an egg in her 'garden' nest yesterday, and when I collected it - sure enough - there were the speckles on it - same as recent eggs laid.  ....... All quite strange.

Molly would have been my next guess. Lol