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

[Kooka]

Ok so here some of them are....

The buff GL's are in three types Blue, Gold and one that has red almost old blood red????

The GL is an oldie, one of the best mothers, but this time around the moult is really severe.


"I'm Cindarella, and I'M a good mum!"

" Don't tell her but she is looking RIDICULOUS!!!"



"DON'T stand next to ME dressed like THAT!"





"We are young and beautiful, and we just LOVE being the B***c Sisters not like Cinderella up above (Gloat!!)"

 

[Fancychooklady]

@ ChristieB and Kooka
If your hens are 18 weeks or older they can process the calcium from layers pellets and will actually need it before their first egg, they will often wait to get enough calcium before they start laying, a source of shell grit separate from the feed is the best way to ensure correct calcium level, If your hens are free range, and over 15 weeks you don't need to worry about finding extra protein unless they are  underweight they will find it themselves. Layers can be fed grower pellets if they have shell-grit available, but feeding it to long can cause them to get fat.

Kooka if your new gals are too light for their size (undernourished) they need grower, starter or finisher for extra protein, otherwise don't worry about it.


Commercial Starter   is about 20% protein and 1 % calcium
Commercial Grower and finisher is  about 16% protein and 1% calcium
started and grower often have addition medications that you don't want in your eggs, finisher never does.
If raising meat birds, the finisher is the same as their final feed.
layers should be on about 15% protein and 3-5 % calcium depending on egg production rate,
 so as you can see once they are over 15 weeks and they will not suffer liver poisoning from extra calcium the feed choice is not so important as long as they have shell grit

Sorry but I need to correct you on a few things.
Shell grit is to help with digestion , calcium carbonate ( crushed oyster shell ) is used to boost calcium.
Your calcium levels should not exceed 3% for layers only, however if you have roosters in your flock that drops to 2% . Excess calcium or protein leads to fatty liver , visceral gout and other organ damage.
For hens that are over 24weeks of age you should aim for 16-17% protein and 2% calcium with calcium carbonate on ' free take '.

 

[sjturner79]

@fancychooklady
Shell grit is the exact same chemical compostion as oyster shell, and in fact often contains oyster among the other shells. If a salesperson is trying to tell you differnent it's just so they can get another sale. I did the chemical analysis on them in high school and the shell grit I'm buying now looks exactly the same
Every thing I've found on visceral grout and fatty liver indicates birds of under 14 weeks but that could just be that the research is incomplete

 

[IamSamSam]

@fancychooklady
Shell grit is the exact same chemical compostion as oyster shell, and in fact often contains oyster among the other shells. If a salesperson is trying to tell you differnent it's just so they can get another sale. I did the chemical analysis on them in high school and the shell grit I'm buying now looks exactly the same
Every thing I've found on visceral grout and fatty liver indicates birds of under 14 weeks but that could just be that the research is incomplete

It's the same ? No grit sits in the crop to aid digestion crushed oyster shell is absorbed for calcium there "chemical" composition may be same but the chooks reaction to digestion is Not

 

[IamSamSam]

And I doubt a salesman could bluff Fancy one ounce. She's our unofficial chook dog horse vet

 

[Teila]

Good morning folks

Thank you cwrite, yep, they seem to be coming along nicely; they have oodles and oodles of energy!

With our block size, Council allows 6 chickens. I have 4 adults and was going to keep 2 of this hatch if they are girls.

It is only early days, but I have my suspicions that the black is a boy.

If the Frizzle is a girl, she will definitely be staying.

The photos of the “little pale brown with black markings” is the same little one and if a girl I am hoping to keep it.

My dilemma is that if one of the 2 ‘whites’ (not that they are white, don’t really know what colour to call them) is also a girl, I want to keep one of those.

I sat there yesterday watching them and trying to decide which I would pick between the brown and the white if they are girls and I want both!

So I am working on hubby to let me keep 3 if they are girls! Anyways, will have to wait a while yet until we know gender.

I didn’t get to keep ‘Spot’ or ‘George’ from the last hatch so if these little one’s all turn out to be boys, I will be very peeved!!

Your girls are beautiful Kooka!

Off to buy more chick start; these little ones are greedy little tykes!

 

[IamSamSam]

Teila

I love your littles and I don't think council would mind too much if one was accidentally on purpose in your yard +6 you already have

 

[RodneyRooster]

Wow im so out of the loop i didnt think id been gone that long! Lol.

@Teila ur chicks are all sooooo cute! Love seagull and think SHE has been very appropriately name. Omg the little frizzle GIRL's feathers are so cute as a chick!! :-D i sure dont mind u posting so many gorgeous pics!

@Kooka u crack me up! I think the posters are a great idea! Strobe lights not so much.. teila's right theyll be too busy partying haha.

Well my absolutely perfect natural layer Scarlett I also suspect is moulting. 3rd day that she hasnt laid now and shes never missed a day. Loads of feathers around but to be honest I havent gathered them up in a few cleans now so couldnt really tell if shes moulting a lot or a little, still looks beautiful as always so id say shes starting off slow..

My flock is coping well with the removal of my 2 RIR roosters. Miss Vonte who was the only one below them in line has now taken up her place with the others, for the first couple days she stood around in the bushes while they ate etc. Waiting for her turn as 6th in line and often missing out as there is no 4 and 5 to go before her! She knows her place now and is no longer seperating herself from the group waiting for her boys.

My newbies however arent meshing in so easily.. the2 groups keep seperated, there is no fighting or mating between them the big ones just ignore the newbies now. The new girls dont leave the coop.. for a whole week theyve been wandering in the coop with the door wide open while the others are out free ranging! They have just started sleeping near them in the last couple days but wont socialise with them at all or leave their manor.

I coaxed them outside yesterday (first day ive had time to try!) And they stayed within about 2 metres of the door for an hr or 2 before heading back inside. Gonna coax them out and sit outside with them again today and see if they eventually come and range a bit further and then im hoping the 2 groups will suddenly just merge.

Anybody have any input on my situation.. shouldnt they be playing together by now and just working on the heirachy still??

Miss Vonte has found her groove with the egg thing now so no doubt ill be back on tomorrow reporting that shes moulting as well haha. Rodney has seemed a lot calmer since getting rid of the RIRs, might even be able to let friends near the chooks without him taking them on! LOL

Sorry for long post, been a while!

 

[RodneyRooster]

Oh yes and I was going to comment on that too @IamSamSam, go for it Teila, i dont think council are gonna get u for having 1 extra hen.. especially if u show them how cute ur new baby frizzle is!!!!! X

 

[Teila]

Council says 6 Chickens but I like to think that is LF and I have bantams so one more is not going to make much difference

Good to see you back RodneyRooster it sounds like you are doing the right thing with the flocks, coaxing out the newbies, building their confidence. I have never had to merge two flocks, only ever having integrated an extra chicken or chicks but I have found that it just takes time; they work it out in the end.

Thank you for your kind words regarding the frizzle baby and hopefully the power of your positive thinking (“GIRL’s”) pays off … SHE is a little cutie

I have names picked out but I can’t use them until I know the gender