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

They are beautiful chickens Fancy . ... Are they a hardy breed ? .... I am thinking increasing my little flock. ... Husband gets the vapors every time I mention it.  

Would like to have another RIR - and maybe a couple more araucanas' although must try and keep the chickens even in number ( two separate runs at the moment ) ... 

But would consider another breed if they are kindly, and hardy ? 

They are ' cold hardy ' dual purpose birds. Perfectly suited for us ' southerners ', ;) i have silver, gold and blue laced red wyandotte. My golds are 8 years old and still laying. the girls are just coming back into lay after a moult, but they will lay all through winter. They are very pretty garden additions and if handled when they are young, are very friendly. :)

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Well my leghorn has bitten the dust. I noticed she was missing the other night, I did my best to look everywhere in the dark but no luck, then I got a text in the morning from a lady down the road asking if I was missing a white hen, her dog had killed it :( she was such a good layer!! The lady has offered to buy me a new chook to replace, I told her it was ok but she's insisting, ive decided to wait till spring but I need help deciding what breed to get. What's everyone's favourite large breed? Is like to have some variation in egg colour, I currently have 3 isas, 2 Sussex, 2 Pekins and a barnevelder.
 
They are ' cold hardy ' dual purpose birds. Perfectly suited for us ' southerners ',
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i have silver, gold and blue laced red wyandotte. My golds are 8 years old and still laying. the girls are just coming back into lay after a moult, but they will lay all through winter. They are very pretty garden additions and if handled when they are young, are very friendly.
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Thank you so much Fancy ... for your reply - and for posting these spectacular photographs. Beautiful birds - all of them. .... I would be inclined to think seriously about a couple. I think the breeders we obtained my two big girls from would have at least ' white ' wyandottes, but perhaps not of other specific breeding for colour !! - that's your department Fancy. ....

Will have to work on the runs / coops situation to begin with - and hopefully get them all integrated ( except for my welsummer and araucana - that would NEVER work ). .... In fact those two hens make life difficult when considering where my 3 girls go, what they do - - - and how to integrate more chickens. .... I rather think the welsummer might well end up by herself. She's one pushy bordering very nasty, dame.

Anyway, again thank you ... given me much to think about.

Cheers,
 
Well my leghorn has bitten the dust. I noticed she was missing the other night, I did my best to look everywhere in the dark but no luck, then I got a text in the morning from a lady down the road asking if I was missing a white hen, her dog had killed it :( she was such a good layer!! The lady has offered to buy me a new chook to replace, I told her it was ok but she's insisting, ive decided to wait till spring but I need help deciding what breed to get. What's everyone's favourite large breed? Is like to have some variation in egg colour, I currently have 3 isas, 2 Sussex, 2 Pekins and a barnevelder.

:hugs
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For egg colour and nature I do like my marans but if I could only have one breed I would choose Belgian Duccles. I just love their personalities. The little ones sure have spunk.
 
Howdy folks
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Anniebee I miss having Silkies also. My very first hatch was Silkies and I kept two; we lost Suzie at 5 months so we were not entirely certain Suzie was a she. She was fine when she went to bed with her sister Tina, absolutely no signs of anything amiss. The next morning she could not lift her head from the nest box and was gone within two hours
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To this day I have no idea what happened but can only guess that she ate something she shouldn’t have on the afternoon free range or got bitten by something tiny but deadly. We lost Tina November last year when she was just over 12 months old to a combination of issues, including shock
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Sidhe13 I am sorry to read about your little one but as you say, he is at peace now and you gave him a fighting chance.

Fancy love the synchronised sunning! Beautiful pictures; as always!

Luke wow, nope, never heard of rapid growth or rapid shrinking in roosters.

Tee hee Deej211 you sure do have it bad! PS. Please keep it … I have declared Bambrook Bantams quarantined from chicken math
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Congrats on the newbies.

sjturner79 congrats on the egg! Bit sad you had to borrow a chicken to get one
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Hopefully your girls might notice and decide they need to lift their game or Zorrow might be staying and someone else might be going
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ChristieB I am sorry to read of your loss and under such sad circumstances; it is always hard when we lose one but even moreso to a predator. Sorry, can’t help with the favourite large breed due to my only having bantams. But, having a soft spot for Pekins, I vote Cochin but no variety in egg colour there
hu.gif


Again, not much news … all quiet at Bambrook Bantams.

I was watching Crystal preen yesterday. If you remember the recently posted pictures, she is buff with blue undertones. Well, I have to try and get a picture of this but while on the outside she is predominantly buff, on the underside her wings are entirely blue! She looks like one of those jackets/jumpers you can turn inside out for a different colour
lau.gif


I had a day off work Friday; just one of those days you need to catch up on all those 'business hours' things you don't get a chance to do during the week because of work.

One of the things on the list was new wiper blades and a replacement rear brake light bulb for the car (Jenny).

I like Jenny, she is a nice car to drive and I think she looks good; especially after she had a detail on Friday.

Jenny is also clever, she tells me every time I start her that she is doing a system check; she tells me when she is low on fuel; she tells me when I leave the lights on; she tells me when she is due for a service; she definitely tells me when I do not have my seat belt on; she locks herself if I forget; she tells me if she is too hot etc etc

Makes me wonder then how come the only reason I knew the right rear brake light was gone was because a friend two cars behind rang to tell me!
wink.png


Anyways, 2 x Brake bulbs $3.80 2 x wipers $80! Who was to know that Jenny's wipers are not blade replaceable and you actually need to replace the holder as well!

Syba had his annual Vet check, vaccination and worming yesterday .. he was not impressed!

At 6 and a ½ Syba’s heart and lungs are good, temperature was fine, good weight for his size (7kg) and his teeth and gums were good also. The Vet was happy with him and hopefully that is it until next year.

Chimee and Syba hate the cat box and even though she did not have to go to the Vet, just the sight of it coming out of the cupboard was enough to send Chimee into hiding and panic mode for the remainder of the day.

3-4 hours after we got back and the box was back in the cupboard, hubby picked up Chimee to put her in their outside play run and she was wriggling and squirming … “Noooooo!, I don’t wanna!”; then she realised she was going outside to play and not into THAT BOX!

On yeah, speaking of cat boxes, they are similar to dog houses right? Well, hubby is in the dog house! He recorded Marley & Me. I knew it was going to be sad and make me cry and each time he suggested we watch it, I deferred. As a child I made a decision “no more Lassie movies” swore off them because they made me cry .. gees, I cried watching ET! Anyways, I gave in on Friday night and that is why he is in the dog house lol … it was a beautiful movie but boy oh boy did I cry!! Stoopid movie!
 
We just lost captain to a hawk attack. Smack bang in the middle of suburbia too.

Hubby went outside to talk on his mobile for better reception and spotted it up in the tree, big grey bird he said. They had been out on the lawn.

We found them all hidden all over the yard and then finally found captain down behind the pen. Just a few feathers plucked out so obviously it had just happened when he walked out.

Kids are devastated :-(

So, I've got plastic wire over the coop. Should I replace with something stronger now he knows they are there or do I just need something so he can't swoop in and that will be ok?
 
Howdy folks
frow.gif


Anniebee I miss having Silkies also. My very first hatch was Silkies and I kept two; we lost Suzie at 5 months so we were not entirely certain Suzie was a she. She was fine when she went to bed with her sister Tina, absolutely no signs of anything amiss. The next morning she could not lift her head from the nest box and was gone within two hours
hit.gif
To this day I have no idea what happened but can only guess that she ate something she shouldn’t have on the afternoon free range or got bitten by something tiny but deadly. We lost Tina November last year when she was just over 12 months old to a combination of issues, including shock
hit.gif


Sidhe13 I am sorry to read about your little one but as you say, he is at peace now and you gave him a fighting chance.

Fancy love the synchronised sunning! Beautiful pictures; as always!

Luke wow, nope, never heard of rapid growth or rapid shrinking in roosters.

Tee hee Deej211 you sure do have it bad! PS. Please keep it … I have declared Bambrook Bantams quarantined from chicken math
wink.png
Congrats on the newbies.

sjturner79 congrats on the egg! Bit sad you had to borrow a chicken to get one
wink.png
Hopefully your girls might notice and decide they need to lift their game or Zorrow might be staying and someone else might be going
wink.png


ChristieB I am sorry to read of your loss and under such sad circumstances; it is always hard when we lose one but even moreso to a predator. Sorry, can’t help with the favourite large breed due to my only having bantams. But, having a soft spot for Pekins, I vote Cochin but no variety in egg colour there
hu.gif


Again, not much news … all quiet at Bambrook Bantams.

I was watching Crystal preen yesterday. If you remember the recently posted pictures, she is buff with blue undertones. Well, I have to try and get a picture of this but while on the outside she is predominantly buff, on the underside her wings are entirely blue! She looks like one of those jackets/jumpers you can turn inside out for a different colour
lau.gif


I had a day off work Friday; just one of those days you need to catch up on all those 'business hours' things you don't get a chance to do during the week because of work.

One of the things on the list was new wiper blades and a replacement rear brake light bulb for the car (Jenny).

I like Jenny, she is a nice car to drive and I think she looks good; especially after she had a detail on Friday.

Jenny is also clever, she tells me every time I start her that she is doing a system check; she tells me when she is low on fuel; she tells me when I leave the lights on; she tells me when she is due for a service; she definitely tells me when I do not have my seat belt on; she locks herself if I forget; she tells me if she is too hot etc etc

Makes me wonder then how come the only reason I knew the right rear brake light was gone was because a friend two cars behind rang to tell me!
wink.png


Anyways, 2 x Brake bulbs $3.80 2 x wipers $80! Who was to know that Jenny's wipers are not blade replaceable and you actually need to replace the holder as well!

Syba had his annual Vet check, vaccination and worming yesterday .. he was not impressed!

At 6 and a ½ Syba’s heart and lungs are good, temperature was fine, good weight for his size (7kg) and his teeth and gums were good also. The Vet was happy with him and hopefully that is it until next year.

Chimee and Syba hate the cat box and even though she did not have to go to the Vet, just the sight of it coming out of the cupboard was enough to send Chimee into hiding and panic mode for the remainder of the day.

3-4 hours after we got back and the box was back in the cupboard, hubby picked up Chimee to put her in their outside play run and she was wriggling and squirming … “Noooooo!, I don’t wanna!”; then she realised she was going outside to play and not into THAT BOX!

On yeah, speaking of cat boxes, they are similar to dog houses right? Well, hubby is in the dog house! He recorded Marley & Me. I knew it was going to be sad and make me cry and each time he suggested we watch it, I deferred. As a child I made a decision “no more Lassie movies” swore off them because they made me cry .. gees, I cried watching ET! Anyways, I gave in on Friday night and that is why he is in the dog house lol … it was a beautiful movie but boy oh boy did I cry!! Stoopid movie!

Always a great read Teila - I look forward to your replies and diary form of writing. .... Yes, silkies are wonderful, but if I ever have more they will be indoors chickens - strictly supervised on outings -- .... Carry them outside to free range, and indoors the rest of the time. Not sure if that is the proper thing to do, but would never risk another silkie to the elements ( which is what killed Moppet - she got saturated from a storm that leaked right into the coop, I didn't know so she shivered all night long poor wee soul, and developed pneumonia, from which she did not recover ). That coop had been made for me by a kind person ( for my birthday ) but was not water proof.? .... I didn't see where heavy rains would leak into it. ... NOW our coops are soooo water proof, not a drop could get in.

Re : Marley and Me - a remarkable book as well. Perhaps you should have read the book first eh ? .... not much difference, that had me in tears as well, but at least I knew what to expect.

Cheers ....
 
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We just lost captain to a hawk attack. Smack bang in the middle of suburbia too.

Hubby went outside to talk on his mobile for better reception and spotted it up in the tree, big grey bird he said. They had been out on the lawn.

We found them all hidden all over the yard and then finally found captain down behind the pen. Just a few feathers plucked out so obviously it had just happened when he walked out.

Kids are devastated :-(

So, I've got plastic wire over the coop. Should I replace with something stronger now he knows they are there or do I just need something so he can't swoop in and that will be ok?

Oh it's awful to know you were so close , yet so far away. We had another visit today also. I was cleaning pens and when I came up for air everyone was quiet.
Silkies all buried under the hazelnut tree, coro's hiding in the pony shelter and everyone else low on the ground. Took me ages to spot him, but there he was in the gum tree, not much I can do but keep the youngsters locked up.
Sorry for your loss, the netting will keep him out, but remember that if the door is open , Hawks are very agile and he will land and hop in to the coop.
 

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