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

[mamabokbok]

Lucky love your Sebrights very pretty ....I have taken a photo of the girls eggs today...

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The large one is from Madge (the bully) ..she supposed to be a Hamburgh but is much bigger and has an impressive comb almost like a rooster. Her eggs are huge, almost round and aren't as white! Some days the eggs have a ridge like she had difficulty laying it! Is this ok? They often are rough where my others are like porcelain . Can I also ask if dried mealworms are ok ....I am farming Meal worms but they are not ready. My girls love them!

I read a really informative article on here about egg inconsistency/odd eggs the other day when I got my 'fairy egg' and I'm pretty sure it explained these things as well

I'm pretty sure that it was here on BYC, it was super interesting! Have you seen this one? https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/common-egg-quality-problems

 

[Teila]

Howdy folks

I am broody free at the moment

Good to hear you have the mites under control Susan.

Hey mamabokbok I am not 100% sure what you mean by seeing the notification of replies but because I did not quote your comment and just mentioned you in my post, you probably will not get a notification, especially if you have them turned off. I have mine set to site only so I do not get any notifications and just monitor my Subscriptions on the site:

 

[Anniebee]

Happy new year to all. We've been cleaning up the bottom of the garden and come across a few tiger snakes today. Starting to think my gold laced Wyandotte was another victim to snake bite.

Good grief !!! Fancy .... a "few tiger snakes" ???

I am wondering if you have tried the snake repellents - electrically run buzz / vibration things. You'd have to get the top of the range devices though, some cheaper ones don't work too well.

Place them around the area where the girls are - and for the remains of the summer, don't let them free range. Feed them instead, picked / cut grass / cut up baby spinach and other green goodies etc, and devise some kind of dust bathing areas in their run. Also some area to scratch to their little hearts content - turned over dirt - compost etc..

Autumn will be here soon enough - when they can go out and free range again. Cannot stand the thought of losing a chicken to a snake.

Cheers .......

 

[mamabokbok]

Howdy folks I am broody free at the moment e Good to hear you have the mites under control Susan. Hey mamabokbok I am not 100% sure what you mean by seeing the notification of replies but because I did not quote your comment and just mentioned you in my post, you probably will not get a notification, especially if you have them turned off. I have mine set to site only so I do not get any notifications and just monitor my Subscriptions on the site:

Oh That would make sence lol it wasn't a tagged reply, thanks

 

[Fancychooklady]

Good grief !!! Fancy  .... a "few tiger snakes"  ???     

I am wondering if you have tried the snake repellents - electrically run buzz / vibration things.   You'd have to get the top of the range devices though, some cheaper ones  don't work too well. 

Place them around the area where the girls are - and for the remains of the summer, don't let them free range.   Feed them instead, picked / cut grass / cut up baby spinach and other green goodies  etc, and devise some kind of dust bathing areas in their run.  Also some area to scratch to their little hearts content - turned over dirt - compost etc..    

Autumn will be here soon enough - when  they can go out and free range again.   Cannot stand the thought of losing a chicken to a snake.   

Cheers ....... 

Thanks Annie, I've read the reviews and know of several people that have had no success with snake repellents. We have 50 acres and a kilometre of water front so there will always be snakes.
The hen that I lost on Xmas day was penned and to be honest my biggest fear is losing a horse to snake bite. Hopefully after hubby has finished clearing the land at the bottom of the garden the snakes will have moved on. Otherwise I can picture myself on the verandah sitting in my rocking chair with shotgun leaning against the wall.

 

[cheep82]

I've got to change my notifications as I didn't get any for this group! So I'll catch up properly later. Hope everyone had a great xmas/NY. We've celebrated our new year with 3 isa brown pullets. Well, before that but officially out of quarantine for the new year. So far free ranging we've had few scuffles with the 2 older girls but they hang out at different parts of the yard in their own flocks. I'm wanting the new girls to go into the older girls coop eventually so I'm hoping it goes smoothly and being they see each other daily in the yard will mean they'll become flockmates. I've not integrated before so a learning curve here. The older girls were very vocal the first few days.

 

[LuckysMum]

Howdy folks

I am broody free at the moment

Good to hear you have the mites under control Susan.

Hey mamabokbok I am not 100% sure what you mean by seeing the notification of replies but because I did not quote your comment and just mentioned you in my post, you probably will not get a notification, especially if you have them turned off. I have mine set to site only so I do not get any notifications and just monitor my Subscriptions on the site:

I wish I was broody free, but its only 1 now thank goodness and the most vocal and stubborn so far. Of course its Lucky.

Fancy You in a rocking chair with a shotgun would be a great picture. I hope the snakes and anything that wants to harm your animals stays away.

When we lived in Thornlie, about 1km as the crow flies from the river and bushland. I was gardening out the front under my Diosma bushes and found a rubber snake that belonged to my boys, I threw it onto the patio. A couple of bushes later I went to grab what I thought was another rubber snake. It was a young Dugite about 18 inches long nearly gave me heart failure. Lucky for me it slithered away. I had one follow me into the house once too. I had to get a snake handler for that one. I don't envy anyone that has to deal snakes.

cheep82 I have put 2 young araucanas in with the big girls after a little scuffle they seemed to have settled, last night there was a bit of noise over perching rights.
Good luck with yours.

 

[sjturner79]

HI all, I'm back home and it looks like my pet sitter did a good job. Both cats and all the chooks look well.
Most of the little ones look like they've doubled in size over the time I was away. At least one of the girls has started laying again as well. It looks like I was only 4 weeks without any eggs whilst they were all broody.

 

[Fancychooklady]

I wish I was broody free, but its only 1 now thank goodness and the most vocal and stubborn so far.  Of course its Lucky.

Fancy You in a rocking chair with a shotgun would be a great picture. I hope the snakes and anything that wants to harm your animals stays away.

When we lived in Thornlie, about 1km as the crow flies from the river and bushland. I was gardening out the front under my Diosma bushes and found a rubber snake that belonged to my boys, I threw it onto the patio. A couple of bushes later I went to grab what I thought was another rubber snake. It was a young Dugite about 18 inches long nearly gave me heart failure. Lucky for me it slithered away. I had one follow me into the house once too. I had to get a snake handler for that one.  I don't envy anyone that has to deal snakes.

cheep82 I have put 2 young araucanas in with the big girls after a little scuffle they seemed to have settled, last night there was a bit of noise over perching rights.  
Good luck with yours.

The threats to my flock change from day to day. Today I came home from town to hear the everyone screeching , took me a while to spot him, but there sitting in the tree above was a rather large juvenile wedge tail. Been shooing him off all afternoon. Looks like free range is off the books.

 

[Anniebee]

Thanks Annie, I've read the reviews and know of several people that have had no success with snake repellents. We have 50 acres and a kilometre of water front so there will always be snakes.
The hen that I lost on Xmas day was penned and to be honest my biggest fear is losing a horse to snake bite. Hopefully after hubby has finished clearing the land at the bottom of the garden the snakes will have moved on. Otherwise I can picture myself on the verandah sitting in my rocking chair with shotgun leaning against the wall.

I do understand your dilemma Fancy ... and with your river frontage, and acreage, it is no wonder you get snakes. And especially worrisome if any get near the horses. You may already 'do the tour' ... of paddocks looking for snakes, but it can be a frustrating exercise - they come out, or they hide, precisely when they want to.


A friend in NSW - 400 metres from the Murumbidgee ( bad dude river that one ) which backs her 40 acre property - right along the boundary ... has had great success with the electric snake repellents, but only the top of the range.

It is a different situation for her though. Her home garden area ( lots of lawn with florals & shrubs ) is home in the day time to the grown joeys who cavort about there ... ( she is a volunteer WIRES carer ) ... and of course they are locked up at night. Pinkies are kept indoors anyway, in humidicribs etc. So the snake repellents are planted around that area and to date it has all been successful. She sees plenty of them on her walks to the river ( when it's down ). Getting to the river through all the massive river red gums, is a task I never tackle without wellies on - even in winter.

She had horses, but her last one passed away 2 years back, at 24 years of age ( beautiful Clydesdale - "Jock" ) and she has a donkey Miguel - who makes mincemeat of snakes. Donkeys are so accurate and clever when dealing with them.

Lindsay lost several joeys in the last big wet ( August / September ), when the river rose up the hill to just shy of her house doorstep. It was a river borne bacteria that killed several of them - which of course came with the detritus the river carried. While it is totally rewarding to live on property, raising animals, growing good fruits and vegies etc., it is also very tiring and at times can be very worrying. Very few rest times on a farm.

I can visualise your rocking away - ever vigilant with shotgun to hand. Trust you never have to use it.

As for the wedge tail ? ... I do hope s/he goes looking elsewhere for tucker.

Cheers .....