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

[Fizzybelle]

Anniebee, I hope the exercise regime helps your Mandy, keep us posted on her progress

Teila and Fancy, thank you! I'm so happy with our progress so far on the coop.

Myself, I am on cloud nine as Agnes got some good news today from the ophthalmologist (I've gotten really good at spelling that now lol). There's been some improvement in her right eye (her good eye), as it turned out last visit that both eyes were effected, her left more so as it's cloudy in appearance. She's continuing on with her medication, antibiotics and drops, and a follow up consult in 2 weeks. My heart was thumping during her examination today, I was really afraid of the unknown, but determined to find a way to help her through whatever would come. So at least for now some progress and a sign we're on the right track with her treatment, phew. She shouldn't be in any pain either, the bird vet was also concerned about that which is good. So for now the only hassle is dealing with her wriggling as I try to get drops in her eyes. But otherwise she's happy, eating and playing with her flockmates, so I'm happy. She was popular today though, some kids in the waiting room spent time talking to her, which was very cute, and she was mistaken for a cat (again) by a few people, until she opened her beak to complain.

 

[MullyAly]

Thanks Fancychooklady. I shall stress less, ensure she has seen the water, and I would like to try and create more airflow through her box. It's meant to get to 24degrees today so now I'm concerned she may overheat. I wonder if she's as nervous about her first clutch as I am?

 

[Anniebee]

Anniebee, I hope the exercise regime helps your Mandy, keep us posted on her progress

Teila and Fancy, thank you! I'm so happy with our progress so far on the coop.

Myself, I am on cloud nine as Agnes got some good news today from the ophthalmologist (I've gotten really good at spelling that now lol). There's been some improvement in her right eye (her good eye), as it turned out last visit that both eyes were effected, her left more so as it's cloudy in appearance. She's continuing on with her medication, antibiotics and drops, and a follow up consult in 2 weeks. My heart was thumping during her examination today, I was really afraid of the unknown, but determined to find a way to help her through whatever would come. So at least for now some progress and a sign we're on the right track with her treatment, phew. She shouldn't be in any pain either, the bird vet was also concerned about that which is good. So for now the only hassle is dealing with her wriggling as I try to get drops in her eyes. But otherwise she's happy, eating and playing with her flockmates, so I'm happy. She was popular today though, some kids in the waiting room spent time talking to her, which was very cute, and she was mistaken for a cat (again) by a few people, until she opened her beak to complain.

Good news and glad to hear it, Fizzybelle.

Hope it all continues to improve ... and that Agnes gets used to the drops in the eyes, without wriggling. She just might you know !

Mandy is up on her feet today, but still walking ever so slowly. Unlike her mad mate who runs up and down like a maniac. Plenty of go in Molly RIR. .. LOL.

Cheers ...

 

[MyHaven]

Good morning folks 

Day off? What day off?  As we have a rental inspection coming up soon and I always want to make sure they have no reason to complain, yesterday was spent cleaning the oven, cleaning the windows, washing down doors and door frames [scuff marks etc] and dusting and I still did not get it all done.

Tee hee Fizzybelle I hear ya with regards “insane levels of preciousness”   Sadly I do not have any recommendations for a good place in Brisbane to buy vaccinated chickens.  I purchased Cilla from Northside Produce back in the early days and I am pretty sure she was not vaccinated.  Dusty I purchased from Brendale Produce and again, I do not think she was vaccinated.  LuLu was vaccinated but she was purchased from Chandler Markets after a breeder from Kingaroy advertised on Gum Tree that they would be there with frizzles for sale.  Since then, I have only purchased fertile eggs.   But, yeah, the unwanted roosters are always a dilemma.   Looking forward to the coop pics.

MandeePandee sorry I can not help with your guinea fowl question, I know zip about guinea fowl except I had read they are noisy?

Thanks for letting us know sourland. 

MullyAly I have seen a broody tuck an egg under her wing and carry it back to her nest and another roll one with her beak across the coop floor until it got to her stash .. they are determined!  Good luck with the hatches.

Fancy kudos to you for taking on the baby quails 

Chooks01 Yep, tis the season to be broody, tra la la la la la la la laaaaaaaaaaaaa 

Touch wood, we do not have any broodys yet but it is just a matter of time .. or, in Cilla’s case, one more egg, she has laid 9 since the return to laying 

Sorry if this is a silly question but do hens prone to broodiness stop going broody when they get older?  I am guessing once they stop laying they do not go broody? 

My Fraidy, would lay 12 eggs go clucky, 12 eggs go clucky etc for the first 2 years and hasn't been clucky since. She's a Blue Australorp. Her Sister Lizzy has always gone clucky periodically with a good time frame between and still does. She also cares for the chicks a lot longer than Fraidy. I think it depends on the bird.

 

[MyHaven]

SilkieChickStar .......... Your hens are absolutely beautiful. .... lovely to see those pics - made my day.

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

I have a question ? ( another one - same subject from way back ).   To anybody who can help with some ideas ??  

Mandy Welsummer, my huge chicken who I have mentioned before, seems to spend a lot of time sitting down - because I believe she cannot support her own weight.

She has been like this for almost a year incl. through her long moult.   Everything appears normal, she has a bright red comb and is squatting.   Eats well, drinks well.  Bowel normal and ... huge.   She is NOT limping.   She does walk like a little old lady - sooo slow - on her huge feet.   Yet she never stumbles, or trips on her own feet ( how she manages that is beyond me - ), and she does not collapse.  She also stands with no problem to eat and to drink.    

I will however, up-end her to see if she has bumblefoot.   Have Bactroban which would treat that well.   But I doubt it is that.    

Watching her closely this morning, she walks in her run with tail up, then stands still - tail  drops right down, and then down she slowly goes onto the ground to sit, at which time her tail happily raises up as it is when she is walking around.   She has been spending  a lot of her time during the day 'in her coop bed' more recently, but then it is still very very cold here..  

Considering she's been doing this for such a long time, has anyone else ever seen an oversized chicken do anything like this.   I only have to pick up the leaf rake ( which she hates when I use it to rake fallen leaves and twigs in their run ), and she rises immediately with tail up, and walks or even jogs away .... a few minutes later she is sitting down again.   Occasionally she will remain upright for a longish time - especially when free ranging, but if she finds a comfortable spot in the garden - she sits there too.  ??  She also occasionally  'sits' on the washing machine, when having feathers cleaned or trimmed.  ??  

..... Now - we have had two beautiful eggs laid by one of the two big girls - Mandy, or Molly RIR.   Molly - when younger laid gorgeous pink eggs with not a hint of spray or faint spotting on them.   Just  pink glossy-smooth eggs.

..... Last few eggs from that coop was early April - sparsely dark spotted on beige.   The two new eggs are much darker than Molly used to lay, but I could not call them terra cotta.  And the second of them had the faintest of sprays, only a tiny bit different in colour to the egg ( under a magnifying glass ).    

..... Mindy Araucana - who is ultra  Araucana to look at, has pretty splashes of ' coffee ' throughout her feathers, so there was a cross somewhere back there.   At 2 - 3 yrs of age, she laid blue and green eggs.   The recent lot have been olive green, and yesterdays was a quite darker olive. ?  

.........

Do hens - as they age, ( all 4 yrs of age ) change the colour of their eggs.   And could the introduction of BOSS twice a week, change the colour - not only of their poop, but of the eggs as well ?  

Got me scratching my head big time, and no amount of Googling can answer my questions.    I will only know if both big girls are laying, if I ever find two eggs in the nest.  

Sorry to be such a nuisance about this, but thought maybe someone had had the same kinds of experience.

Cheers - and thanks ........   

I'm sorry, I'm sure you've said before - has Mandy always been a big girl?

 

[MyHaven]

Ok, ramp still needs attaching, but here is how the nest/sleeping box will look when complete. I finished painting it today! This one is for my larger chickens, Ada and Annabelle. The bantams will have one of their own, about the same size. Today we also worked on the roof of the run, attaching shadecloth and a tarp over it (the shade-cloth to help keep the tarp in place, and the tarp for easy waterproofing). We also marked out where to put the posts to divide the run into the two pens (with one of these nest boxes in each pen). Isn't it cute? It looks like a little house (actually seriously it looks like our old house, though that was completely unintentional). The windows have aluminium fly mesh attached, as well as the back of the box. It has a cut out section with mesh covering it to allow plenty of air flow during those god-awful hot summer nights. I will be putting curtains across the entrance to further help keep mozzies out. For the bantams box, we might put guard rails on the ramp to help Aggie if her eye sight deteriorates further. Those plants I will plant once the our shed is constructed, that goes down in the next fortnight I think. I want to make the yard more jungle like, with plenty of shade and cover for the girls, I'm sure I'll end up needing more plants. The front doors open for easy cleaning. Originally it was only going to be a frame with the fly screen attached, but that would have made getting in to clean it out a little tricky. The front half of the roof also lifts up (I took this photo before we moved it out into the yard and moved all that wood out of the way). Inside, there is a plastic drop tray to collect and shake out the poop! That'll make life much easier. That's also not the perch they will be using, it was to test the position and length. We're going to try and use suitable branch, go the natural route. The divider comes out, in case of squabbling over nest boxes, or if I crack the ***** with it just being there. I used the girls to check the sizes and placing of everything. I plonked Ada on the perch so you can see what it looks like in use. Dad's original measurements were for something half the size, which wouldn't really be as cool and comfortable for the girls (plus, always take chicken math into consideration). I'd probably widen it a bit more actually, but it's hard to know until it's in front of you what something will be like. Overall I'm really very very pleased with it. And yes, those hinges there are for the ramp, and that bit of wood I think will be used to help secure the perch when it's been selected and is in place. Anyway, hope you like what we've done so far. The bantams box will have three nest areas, they'll be a bit smaller, and it will have two perches, a high and a low one (good luck trying to hog BOTH perches at once Esme, you cheeky Pekin!).

That looks fantastic. Good work on planning and building! Love the pics and can't wait to see the bantams'.

 

[Fizzybelle]

Thanks MyHaven We spent a lot of time planning, with the priority on coping in the middle of summer and also room, so everyone has their own space and shouldn't need to peck each other...shouldn't, but I can think of a certain Rhode Island rascal in my flock who might anyway, just for fun (hence the separate pen for the bantams). Actually today we also finished the second door for the run, put wire on it, and secured it in place. I'm really hoping in the next fortnight we'll put the wire on the entire run. It'll be avian, so rats, mice and any other nasties can't get in. I've learnt a lot from this site, and just observing the girls and knowing their habits since we built their last pen.

And thank you Anniebee! Aggie's getting pretty compliant with being picked up and held, though generally she'd rather just sit and snuggle. The drops need to be kept in the fridge so they might be a little cold when they go in, I do wait a few minutes first though. Still I wish I could explain to her so she'd understand what I'm trying to do, but we're getting though it. I'm just glad there has been some positive progress Hehe, your Molly sounds like my Mabel, full of bouncy beans she needs to run around and shake out of her system. Now that is one wriggly chicken.

MullyAly, I'd probably be as stressed as you are if one of mine were sitting on their first clutch. It'll be worth the worry though, I hope you're able to get some more airflow into her box easily

 

[Anniebee]

I'm sorry, I'm sure you've said before - has Mandy always been a big girl?

MyHaven ...

From the first day I had my chickens - not quite at POL .... the biggest was Mandy, but not by much over Molly RIR and Milly Barnevelder ( now sadly gone - long ago ).

Just wish I had a photograph of the two 'big girls' together - in perspective. But I haven't. As standard chickens go - it's Mindy ( smallish ) - Molly ( medium - standard size ) - Mandy ( large - 5Kg + ? ) - observing from a distance of 5 or so metres.

Have recently ( by googling ) discovered that Welsummers can grow into very big chookies ...

Apart from what has been kindly discussed here, the thought occurred to me today - that this is 'just her' ... she simply likes to sit. Leaves all the running around to her mad mate Molly. Will forever wonder about the weight bearing though. ... !

Have been getting a few more eggs too - yaaay.

No double finds yet, in the big girls nesting area though !! One day maybe, will be able to say both big girls are laying. Cannot tell yet, from the browninsh eggs being laid ... who is doing what.

Cheers .......

 

[Anniebee]

Teila ...

Noticed the little note on one of your posts, that Chucky still visits every afternoon.

Have you noticed any change in him/her, like slight colour change or in behaviour ? Most probably a bit too soon for colour change yet.

Your Chucky has me intrigued.

Hope " Ming the Mandarine " does well for you. Wouldn't have a hope down here in chilly Victoria.

Cheers .......

 

[satay]

Thanks Fancychooklady. I shall stress less, ensure she has seen the water, and I would like to try and create more airflow through her box. It's meant to get to 24degrees today so now I'm concerned she may overheat. I wonder if she's as nervous about her first clutch as I am?

Probably not. She is probably thinking it's all good i know what to do. She won't over heat at 24c. Mine will try and sit at nearly 45c,