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

[Teila]

Good morning folks

Great pic sjturner79!

Fizzybelle I had to stop feeding the Lorikeets in the afternoon because I ended up with way too many Top Knots and Turtle Doves [15-20]. The numbers are back down to a manageable two or three now.

LuckysMum Did someone mention Crows?

I have some experience with Crows .. hate them

[I can hear others who have read my rants about Crows chuckling away right now

] Anyways, I am pleased to say that while the Crows are still present in the neighbourhood they no longer land in our back garden and after all my varied attempts to discourage them; I think they eventually started avoiding our space when Dusty seriously beat up a couple of them

You reminded me that I needed to update my Crow thread:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/906780/my-home-has-become-crow-central-why/100#post_17768446

Yesterday was a beautiful day and we spent most of it outside. Today promises to be just as nice so the house is going to get a quick once over and then back outside I go to spend time with the gals and enjoy the day.

I hope everyone has a nice Sunday!

 

[sjturner79]

Your back yard looks lovely and green.  I can't wait till I get my numbers down a lot more so I can free range everyone together, its only the fence jumpers at the moment.
I clipped Lucky's wings both sides and today she was over again. I cut the longer under feathers to the same length as the top wing feathers. Have I taken enough off.

I hope everyone is having a great weekend with mild weather.

Fizzybelle I have the same problem with pigeons helping themselves to feed.  The crows are hanging around too getting quite game too.  They sit on the fence and the roof of the big coop.  

Post a picture of lucky's wing ? When I get real fliers I remove every second feather completely.

 

[sjturner79]

All boxes occupied, don't know why the ones in the lower right are there. They are definitely not laying or Broodies.

 

[Fizzybelle]

Teila, LuckysMum, I spose you can't really blame them for wanting some of the food on offer, still these pigeons are much more fearless than the introduced school pigeons. We ended up with a huge flock of those at my old place, wanting handouts. Lol it's like bird welfare. The girls peck the topknots if they get in the way, and it's nice to see that Beatrice my D'Uccle is bigger than someone, rather than being smaller than everyone. I've noticed the pigeons prefer the seed over pellets, so I try to give the girls more pellets now. At the moment though everyone is enjoying an occasional treat of fresh corn on the cob. I cut it up into rounds, then cut those in half. Greedy Annabelle is trying to eat everyone's piece all at once, but despite all her running around she can't be in several places at once

Oh btw, Teila, what breed was Dusty again, a langshan? I'd like a bold little hen like that in my flock. I've been rethinking a Houdan or Polish for a bantam RIR.

 

[Teila]

Tee hee sjturner79 hang up the ‘No Vacancy’ sign

Hey Fizzybelle I put a whole corn on the cob in the run one day; the way the girls reacted you would have thought it was a grenade with the pin pulled

They avoided it for hours until I could take no more laughing. They were more than happy to eat the corn when I pulled the kernels off the cob for them!

Yep, Dusty is a Bantam Langshan

In the flock she is Aunty Dusty and everyone's friend and who they run to if they are being picked on etc. She breaks up fights and yep, is the protector. However, she is 2IC to Cilla .. not sure what Cilla does to keep her #1 status; she pretty much ignores everyone and bounces around the place like a feathered beach ball

 

[Anniebee]

Your back yard looks lovely and green. I can't wait till I get my numbers down a lot more so I can free range everyone together, its only the fence jumpers at the moment.
I clipped Lucky's wings both sides and today she was over again. I cut the longer under feathers to the same length as the top wing feathers. Have I taken enough off.

I hope everyone is having a great weekend with mild weather.

Fizzybelle I have the same problem with pigeons helping themselves to feed. The crows are hanging around too getting quite game too. They sit on the fence and the roof of the big coop.

Yes, I believe you have taken enough off... that's about where my wing clipping efforts get to. And so far so good.

Mynahs, rosellas and cockatoos are the gate-crashers to chook parties around here. A few lace-necked doves for a while, but they have now disappeared. One I found dead ( won't go into detail - it was awful ) in Mindy's run, however, the only thing it might have been, is a cat - which leaves me wondering why the cat didn't have a go at my Mindy. I don't want to contemplate that any further ... it was ages ago now, anyway. But - that was pretty much the end of the visits from doves. And one of those doves was a little daily friend to Mindy. Just hope SHE didn't do it !! ( I don't really think so ).

sjturner said that every second entire feather is removed from real fliers .... would never have thought to do that. Sounds like a good idea.

I doubt it would hurt a chicken ... have pulled some mucky feathers out from chookie bottoms myself, and there is no response whatsoever.

Cheers ......

 

[Anniebee]

Good morning folks

Great pic sjturner79!

Fizzybelle I had to stop feeding the Lorikeets in the afternoon because I ended up with way too many Top Knots and Turtle Doves [15-20]. The numbers are back down to a manageable two or three now.

LuckysMum Did someone mention Crows?

I have some experience with Crows .. hate them

[I can hear others who have read my rants about Crows chuckling away right now

] Anyways, I am pleased to say that while the Crows are still present in the neighbourhood they no longer land in our back garden and after all my varied attempts to discourage them; I think they eventually started avoiding our space when Dusty seriously beat up a couple of them

You reminded me that I needed to update my Crow thread:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/906780/my-home-has-become-crow-central-why/100#post_17768446

Yesterday was a beautiful day and we spent most of it outside. Today promises to be just as nice so the house is going to get a quick once over and then back outside I go to spend time with the gals and enjoy the day.

I hope everyone has a nice Sunday!

Hey Teila .... I didn't know you had a 'crow' thread ?? ... have just visited there, and will return - to read the 11 pages already posted.

I know it will all be a good read, because of the way you write ... and interesting, because crows are ... er ... what they are. !!

Today is actually hot in Victoria - but with little wind, so I can just cope with that. Tomorrow is set to be in the high 30's ... not so good - sure hope there is no wind with it !! - thereafter it is back to late Winter temps for the remainder of the week.

Yep - Victoria is weird.

Cheers .....

 

[Teila]

Tee hee Anniebee ah yes, the Crow Thread was started when I thought I was living a remake of Birds

I have become quiet an expert on the evil black #$%^’s

I have not been to your part of Victoria but I have been to Melbourne a couple of times. I had heard about the 16 degree temperature drop and while I believed people who told me, it wasn’t until I actually experienced it that I truly understood. When we left mid morning for a sight seeing trip it was beautiful but later in the day, within half an hour, it went from beautiful to me thinking I was going to freeze to death

I just spent a wonderful 30mins watching the girls dig through the compost. Hubby took off the lower doors on the bin and scraped out some dirt and bugs. Blondie nearly got bonked with the trowel a couple of times; she has no respect for garden tools

A large rhinoceros beetle larvae, which the girls will not eat because they are too big and fat, got tossed on the lawn for Chucky who was watching the proceedings quite intently. One swoop from Chucky, big bug gone! I was sitting on the grass and he came and helped himself to some leftover treats which were right next to me

I could have reached out and touched him but, of course, I did not and just sat nattering away to him.

 

[sjturner79]

Tee hee sjturner79 hang up the ‘No Vacancy’ sign 

Hey Fizzybelle  I put a whole corn on the cob in the run one day; the way the girls reacted you would have thought it was a grenade with the pin pulled    They avoided it for hours until I could take no more laughing.  They were more than happy to eat the corn when I pulled the kernels off the cob for them! 

Yep, Dusty is a Bantam Langshan    In the flock she is Aunty Dusty and everyone's friend and who they run to if they are being picked on etc.  She breaks up fights and yep, is the protector.  However, she is 2IC to Cilla .. not sure what Cilla does to keep her #1 status; she pretty much ignores everyone and bounces around the place like a feathered beach ball   

Yeah, the problem was bubbles wanted to lay and couldn't find a spot. I moved the little chicks out and she used that nest to lay in.
KC has been laying in the box with the 2 Broodies in it. As the other 3 have now been sitting all day I think I might have 3 more Broodies, I'll bath them tomorrow as I need to do a leg mites check, 3 of the roosters I culled yesterday had them. If they are still sitting on Tuesday I'll redistribute the eggs so the other 3 hens can have 1 each. 1 of the 3 will only hatch pre-started eggs as she has a short attention span, 1 has been a good mum in the past and the 3rd had only just started laying.

 

[sjturner79]

I just realized if I get. 90% hatch rate I'll have over 100 chickens here for Xmas. That might be a few to many for my little coops and yard.