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

[MyHaven]

Good morning folks 

What the?  It has now come to the point that a person is no longer safe shopping for chicken feed!

So, we rock up at Brendale Produce where we have been buying our feed for three years now and who only ever have may be half a dozen or so of your standard garden variety LF’s for sale and as always, I wander over to say “hello” from a distance.

Oh no!   Full reverse .. turn .. run!!  I did not see Pekin’s!  No fair! 

I managed to resist temptation but may just have to order online from now on 

potato chip they were very similar in colour to your Jeannie.  Did you ever find out what the colouring is called?

I have, in fact, seen one bantam at Brendale Produce before and that was Dusty so the temptation resistance was not working so well that day 

Fancy that is a great job on the coop  I am also looking forward to the pics of the final product. 

Is that one of your new Silkies?  Such a cutie!!

Anniebee I too have a ‘who laid that egg’ dilemma.  I had a small, very white egg in the nest box yesterday.  Cilla and Blondie are the only one’s who lay small, white eggs and not a chance it was Blondie who is still heavily moulting and Cilla is not squatting or showing any interest in the nest box.

I marked it on the spreadsheet as Cilla’s but really have no idea who laid it.

How awful for your friend to see her Siamese taken; I too would be inconsolable and still feel ill if I think about how close I came to seeing Chimee run over.

Like potato chip I am lucky enough to not have the “meanies” that you do.  I know there is the chance of foxes here but I have never seen one or had a problem.  The new run is also going to be more secure.

Oh dear LuckysMum, while Bear sounds very clever, letting out your little ones was naughty.  I know I said it the other day but he is a beautiful dog!  Sorry, not sure of the Butcher bird question as I have not really encountered them here, that I know of. 

Have you tried Feedmania at Caboolture? They have a poultry market every Sunday. You should have seen the colours of the Pekins this morning.

No D'uccles today though.

 

[MyHaven]

Does anyone know what this girl is? She's half my birthday present. About half way between a bantam and standard chicken.

And here's the 2nd half

 

[Fancychooklady]

Does anyone know what this girl is? She's half my birthday present. About half way between a bantam and standard chicken.

And here's the 2nd half

My guess would be a silkie cross polish, and the second one looks to be australorp x.
Happy birthday.

 

[Ashburnham]

To Teila, Fizzybelle, MyHaven --- ( and all others who might be interested ).

I use deep litter method of keeping a coop --- and it certainly does keep way way down, the flies.

In fact, can honestly say flies do not hover at all - except on fresh woopsies way outside in the run. And even then, not for long as the girls chase them to catch !! ( with little success I might add ).

The ' fun ' part of deep litter is cleaning of the coop.

. You need a very sharp hard spatula type tool - or even the old spade dug in deep above whatever you have as flooring, plus a range of other sharpish tool bizzos - and a large stock produce bag.

But boy ..... does it ever give up good chookie manure .... after the hard yards have been done.

I decided on doing this after reading online, some facts on deep litter. [ Sounded terrific, to me.]

As you all know, chickens pass their woopsies overnight ( and during the day when feeding at their tucker outlet or drinking, inside the coop ) .... and it is ultimately stamped down by their little tootsies over a period of time, particularly if they have been locked up because of heavy rain or because they need to become bored for a half day, so feed more ( etc ). I don't let my girls out early - more like mid morning on a good day. They only make a lotta noise when they detect movement at the rear of our home. I let them out ( after going to the toilet myself ) - the little blighters HEAR the toilet flush ! and start up. I do this to make sure they don't tear a claw out on fine wiring on their coop door. !! Otherwise..... they are as quiet as church mice.

Fresh wood shavings plus straw on laying nest ( on the floor ??

), are added frequently and the whole process continues.

At some stage, the microbes go to work on it. Have no idea what microbes they are !!! The microbe thingies break it all down into really solid solid mass, and so we end up with woopsie cement on the flooring of the coop. That could get to inches thick ... but I spade, scrape, chip, lift and knife at the solid mass every 2 months or so, in order that it doesn't become too unmanagable.

Family / friends beg for bags of the stuff. The microbes do most of the work, with a lot of stamping help from the chooks - and it becomes manure of the purest kind.

Added benefit ---- NO FLIES. At least not in or around the coop.

In fact, I can honestly say we are almost completely fly-less out there.

Give it a go - but be prepared for some hard yacka every couple of months or so.

Cheers .......

I have always used the deep litter system in my 19 chook houses.
Just top it up every month or so, usually with free Council woodchip mulch.
Clean it out about once a year. No smell. No flies. No problems.

xxx M

 

[Fancychooklady]

Mommas babies have almost outgrown her.

 

[Anniebee]

Oh where to start !!

So much to look and at read again.

First - Ashburnam ..... I had read before, the many months a chook owner can safely go, in regards to the length of time to leave deep litter lie - wherever.

Can't bring myself to leave it 12 months ( only 2 mths for me ) .... but can understand the rationale behind that. It would be many inches deep, and a ginormous amount of excellent chook manure to be harvested. And definitely no problems - with flies or anything much else. The chooks and microbes do a superb job of tamping it all down. And yes, there is also - no smell

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

MyHaven - Happy ( belated by now I guess ) Birthday and Many Happy Returns. I have absolutely NO idea what breed is in those lovely birthday chickens, but they are beautiful. Could there be d'uccle in there somewhere, in the first pic ? I only ask because I was looking them up on line - so's I am NOT tempted to buy any - and will NOT do so.

( hee hee ).

Also - foxes live quite happily in the suburbs - even inner suburbs, cos that's where there is FOOD. They have more options in the outer rural areas to develop their dens, but never underestimate them. They are wily, cunning and ( to look at ) quite adorable - except when it comes to chickens, small pets like cats, guinea pigs, ducks, etc. Foxes are what they are, and theres' nowt much we can do about it.

As for the eggs dilemma ? ... nothing today. The recent eggs have actually been pinkish, with blobs of dark coloured spray on them. I am with you that it might be Mandy Welsummer, however, when she was a bit younger, her eggs were almost terra cotta coloured, with the lightest spray of the finest spotting on them. Had to get a magnifying glass to see the perfect symmetrical spotting on those eggs. These eggs however, look like someone has thrown dark brown paint from a distance - to end up as small spots all over them ?????????

Don't think I will never know !

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

 

[Fancychooklady]

...

My guess would be a silkie cross Polish or polish /fav and the second one looks to be australorp x.
Happy birthday.

 

[Anniebee]

potato chip -

Thanks for the suggestion of solar boosted self opening doors for chook pens. .... It is an excellent idea, but if ever ( big if at this stage ) we get around to totally reorganising chicken accommodation ( that's for the chickens I do not want and do not buy

) .... will consider that in the re-arrangement. Would suit me to a tee - to have solar do all the work for me.

( you know you have started something here - and I LOVE it - so enjoy all the non-buying of chickens going on ).

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

LuckysMum .... I am wondering if your beautiful shepherd, Bear - thought he was doing you a favour in letting the chooks out. They are intelligent enough to think through something like that - and it wouldn't surprise me.

However, it is something he has to be untaught - in a gentle way. Dear dear soul he is - possibly thought " Look Mum - I did good ".

Re : your comments about butcher birds ..... bottom line is, I wouldn't trust them at all. They are mostly seed eaters, but also like meat - kill small lizards etc., so would never let little chicks roam, just to be on the safe side. A wee chick would be easily picked up with that hooked beak they have. They are not naturally aggressive from all accounts, but when hungry ....... ??? Wouldn't trust them at all.

...........

appps ...... sure hope Carl is still improving and coming back to her normal self. Good luck to her - and to you.

...........

 

[cwrite]

Remember my baby pigeon? He's all growed up and cooing


Dad has decided to peck at him and chase him from the feed so he's inside till I come up with a plan b

Oh and on a positive with Carl we had a pretty good looking poop with solid enough to hold its form and white in it yesterday afternoon so at least the confinement is finally helping with that! She was eating like she was starving this morning so another good sign after weeks of no interest.

He's so big! And tame - you did a great job with him. Good news about Carl and nice to see a pic of her too. : )

 

[User395221]

I live in the city, nothing like wilderness.

Oh, bad luck that you've got foxes in your area. We do have them here in some areas, luckily not near me (touch wood).

Quote:
I like to be a role model.... The epitome of self-control and self-restraint. It is so heartening that others are also resisting temptation.