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

[User395221]

we'll be stuck with a bunch of useless eggs which I totally disagree with.

They aren't useless, they're eggs. As you say, you might need to double up and I wouldn't fancy trying to do a big batch of hard-boiled, but otherwise they are just the same, aren't they? I'm thinking I'll need to get more "big girls" when the time comes for mine to pass on, but that's mainly because I swap eggs for my food and I need to have them to swap. If I were just eating them myself, I'd probably be more happy with the teeny eggs because it wouldn't be such a challenge getting through them.

 

[Fancychooklady]

For those of you with all bantams, do you get enough eggs and find them useful (like in cooking, frying them ect)? My mother was complaining that when our large girls stop laying we'll be stuck with a bunch of useless eggs which I totally disagree with. You might need two instead of one, but really, I don't see a problem. Cept maybe for a boiled egg, might be a bit fiddly. Then again she was cranky at Dad and I for getting Ada and Annabelle in the first place, yet at the time we had two hens who had stopped laying, and one bantam. Sorry, family's driving me nuts atm.   

You can tell your mum that bantams eggs do increase in size once they are second year layers. Silkie eggs are perfect for boiling. my grandkids love them.

 

[User395221]

You can tell your mum that bantams eggs do increase in size once they are second year layers.

Also, for "normal-size" girls? My (so-called) easter eggers are huge now, but they do teeny little eggs. They've just started laying. I was told they'd be bigger later on as they continue to mature.

 

[Fancychooklady]

Also, for "normal-size" girls?  My (so-called) easter eggers are huge now, but they do teeny little eggs.  They've just started laying.  I was told they'd be bigger later on as they continue to mature. 

Pulet eggs are always small to begin with.

 

[mooandmcgee]

As I sit here with hand throbbing from a cat chomping on it last night I think that yes I do have a cat problem as well as fox problem but I do have some very smart baby chickens.

I went down stairs to the washing machine last night which is near my brooder. As I walked in I noticed that my five and six day old chickens, we are making the warning sound just like the grown-ups do but in a squeaky version. I can see inside the front of my brooder so looked up to see them all standing there on alert exactly the same as the grown-ups. But out of the corner of my eye I saw a shadow move. I looked around but couldn't find anything and eventually convinced myself that I imagined it. About 20 minutes later I heard growling downstairs so went down and found a stray cat and my cat in an altercation. I had earlier locked all the doors so the stray was locked in. I managed to get hold of my cat and just as I was thinking how good she was not ripping me apart, she turned and sunk her teeth into my hand and had several good chomps. And the stray managed to find a hiding spot.

The abridged version is, I managed to get the stray out, stop the blood, and keep my cat inside and chickens safe.

It is a beautiful big long-haired white cat with tortoiseshell markings on it but it does look a bit skinny. At least I know it's not a Tom. But I also am sure it will be back.

Here I was thinking the flock warning system was or at least partly learned, I now know it is instinctive. They do not react to my cat in any way.

That's INSANE!!!! Are you alright? Seriously you poor thing that is just crazy. Couldn't even imagine what I would do in that situation.
Maybe there isn't a fox? Maybe all you issues are all from a bunch of hungry stray/feral cats.

 

[mooandmcgee]

Well this morning they were both wanting to use the same nest box. Ada's stopped laying her eggs in the garden and gone back to the nest box like she should, of her own accord actually, thankfully. In the past I've had two laying next to each other, but lately if they need to lay at the same time, there seems to be competition over the favourite nest box. Yes, they insist it has to be that one, the left one, or there's complaining. So yeah, in my experience it's not unusual to have two laying together, my girls seem to lay around the same time, generally morning, though I've had morning and afternoon, even very early evening.

That is actually really funny, hilarious that they have nesting preferences. My chicks are still way off laying eggs and yet I have the nests set up and ready to go. Hahahaha!! It is actually the best bedding that I blame for the chicks mites. Is that even possible? Good luck with the nesting buddies!!!

 

[Anniebee]

Ok – am doing the Word Doc thing --- have to this time, so many goodies here, but it is a grand idea anyway. Can only hope I don't miss anyone, where an answer might be a thought. Apologies in advance if I do.

LuckysMum …. As mentioned, ISA’s ( poor wee mites ) are hybrids – bred for egg laying only, and are often mean machines. Others said pretty much the same thing. They have been known to re-produce, if covered by a rooster. Here is a link I found very informative and interesting about them : http://www.suburbanchooks.com.au/information-sheets/isa-brown-information/

But some that have been raised from chicken-hood, can be gentled into becoming nice ( so I have been told ). Nice to you that is, not necessarily to any different chook breed. !! They are very dominant. I have heard of ISAs' living quite a bit longer than 3-4 years, but that is rare. Special loving care in a home flock because there's only 2 or 3 of them, might extend their lives. They do run out of ovum fairly quickly, apparently.

Potato chip …. Same thing applies … a further problem is, no-one knows, when they get chickens, just how long those chickens are going to last. Some live good long lives, ( maybe 8 to 14 years ??? ) …. Others simply don’t. …. one of the downers of keeping chickens …. lost my Milly Barnevelder at about 20 months of age - simply keeled over and died - from no-one knows what. ( did not have a necropsy done ). One day fine, the next day quiet and resting, and the third at midday - gone.

...........

And it is quite normal for chickens to ‘accompany’ ( be temporary guard I think ) to their BFF’s when their best friend is in lay mode. Mandy watches without fail, over Molly when she is laying. Mind you, Mandy I don’t think ( but really cannot be sure ) has not laid since January, so perhaps is trying to re-learn her job ( although she is still somewhat in moult mode so I don’t think is interested – yet, and certainly her pinkish comb indicates she is not ready ). But they have never fought over nesting rights, and as chickens can with-hold on laying, I believe they can ‘wait their turn’ in the nesting area. Seemed that way, when Mandy was laying …. have to wait until Spring I think to see if she lays again.

Fizzybelle …. Will try and provide a few pics of Mindy Araucana soon. Don’t know of many chickens who are fond of cameras. She is the Australian version of an Araucana, and with that I am happy … she is smallish, very feisty ( can give a cheeky peck at times for no apparent reason, and prefers not to cuddle, but will give in to all kinds of happy hour stuff, once she is inside, drying off ( or whatever ). She just adores being inside. Loved your photo of Mabel. She is gorgeous, a real blue lilac colour. What a pretty girl.
And note my first para to MyHaven, re Araucanas. ... and facial features etc.

MyHaven …. The range of egg colours from Mindy is quite amazing when they are all lined up together ( when she is laying ) …. There are in fact more than the three colours I mentioned – they simply range in hue !!. And she lays eggs with massive yolks, which surprises me. Perhaps she is an 'easter-egger' but with very distinctive Araucana features, including high crown, rose comb, large beard, a n d .... tufts at either side of her face ( admittedly small tufts ).

Re : ‘the visiting cat ‘. First, no matter which cat bites you, ( your own or someone elses’ – we ( this applies to all of us here ) should have on hand ( when dealing with animals ) some form of anti-biotic to immediately put on a scratch, bite or whatever. The best thing I have EVER come across is Bactroban. It is only available on prescription and is rather expensive as I don’t think it is yet on NHS. It is superb, remarkable, fantastic – and I would not be without it in the house. Only needs a tiny bit used at a time to do the job. And you are right – cat will be back, especially if hungry, as you have an abundance of food there for it … and it will fight your cat for the privilege of eating, if nothing else.

If nothing like Bactroban available, pour undiluted Dettol on the wound, and if possible rub it hard and fast, into the wound. It doesn't hurt nearly as much as it sounds like it might. That also is excellent, and has cured me of many cat bites and scratches in the past. As potato chip said - " Cat mouth germs are not something you want injected into you."

A while back, a cockatoo landed on my hand when I was feeding some BOSS to them,
( cheeky little beggar ) …. And when I moved, he/she dug her entire hooked beak deep into the fleshy side of my hand. I bled like crazy – stopped the bleeding with pressure, let it bleed again, pressure stopped it – ran it under cold water, dried it with pressure, and applied the Bactroban and a bandage with changes every day. Within a week, it had gone – with barely any sign of the deep wound it had created. Not cockies fault – it thought my hand was a branch moving and did what they always do, hung on while it changed position on my hand / arm, for the few seconds it remained there before I shrieked and shook it off. .

Perhaps you might let your dear little cat out when she wants to have a pee under superivison – or provide two or three trays of litter for her here and there, and confine her to barracks for a few weeks. That’s if you are not inclined to adopt the white & tortoiseshell cat …

,,,,,,,,,,,


I recently updated my Tetanus shot, mainly because I work with animals ( and 3 birds !! ) such a lot. That has to be considered too … I use rubber gloves to discard few days old straw only – ( I leave the wood shavings and add to them for deep litter purposes ) … and also when cleaning out the nesting box ( sorry – 'sleeping' box ), I wear a mask, so’s not to breath in dry chook woopsies from the ‘bed’. Gathering that up in late afternoon, tends to send up some fine woopsie powder into the air. Don’t want that in my lungs.

That's about it for the moment folks ..... !!

Have a great remainder of your weekend.

Cheers ........

 

[Fizzybelle]

Fizzybelle …. Will try and provide a few pics of Mindy Araucana soon. Don’t know of many chickens who are fond of cameras. She is the Australian version of an Araucana, and with that I am happy … she is smallish, very feisty ( can give a cheeky peck at times for no apparent reason, and prefers not to cuddle, but will give in to all kinds of happy hour stuff, once she is inside, drying off ( or whatever ). She just adores being inside. Loved your photo of Mabel. She is gorgeous, a real blue lilac colour. What a pretty girl.
And note my first para to MyHaven, re Araucanas. ... and facial features etc.

My Annabelle loves the camera. Well, mostly getting in the way of the thing. She'll walk right up to it and put her face in front of the lens. I've noticed too in a lot of my chicken photos, Esme is in the background, photobombing. Probably not intentionally, but she's there, and it's amusing. Also, so the pecking thing could be an Araucana habit huh? I say that as Mabel got me again (in the other eye this time) with her beak. Not as sharp now, it's worn down a bit from time spent pecking in the dirt, but still, ouch. I'm starting the integration process into the flock now with her.

Thank you all for the feedback on the eggs. I was irritated by my mothers comments as the girls all work hard and contribute, and they won't all stop laying at once either, despite her concerns. I hope to be finished with my return to study by then and back out on my own again (chickens in tow of course) by then, and happy to look after my girls in their old age, whilst she can get her own new layers. The girls certainly work harder than our cat, and are much friendlier, cuddlier, yet are looked on a little less fondly than her for some stupid reason. No-one around me seems to truly understand their appeal, and power of chicken math. Ahh, slight vent sorry. Thank goodness for these forums though

Fancychooklady, nice to know the silkie eggs get a little larger! I was getting almost one a day from Agnes (who got a haircut today) before she went broody. Adorable little eggs with creamy white shells. Not sure if she'll lay again now it's getting cooler, she might though. Depends on the individual I've learnt when it comes to chickens Yeh, small boiled eggs is the only drawback I can think of with bantams, though they'd be the perfect size for salads, no chopping needed

 

[User395221]

Nice to you that is, not necessarily to any different chook breed. !!

Mine are nice to me, nice as pets, they just weren't nice to the new girls. They are pushy and greedy types, but they are hilarious little people. They come running up, little chook legs being thrown out to the sides, thinking they'll get treats. They are funny little things. Completely clueless, I think, they wouldn't win any chicken IQ tests.

Yes, it seemed like Marcy was standing guard while Grace was doing her egg. That's how it seemed.

 

[LuckysMum]

Fizzybelle I love the snuggle photo. The female silkies cuddle my granddaughters but not the roo he hates being picked up.

MyHaven I had one clucky ISA she hatched one out of 12 eggs for me. But I took Lucky off her because I was worried whether she’d eaten others that had hatched. Now I think some crows were getting in. Yes they do eat heaps and I only buy top line feed, no its not economical but everyone love the fresh eggs. When these go I’ll stick with backyard breeds. A friend took 3 of them today; my grandkids picked which ones were to go. They picked the one who were mean. Haha my girlfriend laughed too. But the new coop probably won’t house 10. Hopefully they will be happy to see their days out in the new coop.
I glad you got the stray out before you lost some chicks.
Teila That’s good that Kiki’s not annoying anyone else it makes it a bit easier to put up with.

Potato chip My ISA’s quite often sit close together and lay their eggs, maybe they encourage each other. Our nesting boxes are 2 long ones. They all lay their eggs at either end. So we might have 4 in one end 2 in another or if 2 want the same spot they nestle in together and lay their eggs. One is above the other they tend to lay in the top one.
Anniebee I am very careful cleaning the coop out too. I had pneumonia a few years back after cleaning rat and mice dropping out of our carport. Had badly infected toe after sweeping out the coops wearing thongs with a cut on my toe.
So it pays to be careful.
Oh and on injuries I was helping Paul build our new coop and dropped a huge retainer wall brick (could hardly lift it) on my toe it is now black and blue, swollen and I will lose my nail. So it’s my fault it’s not finished as I could only hobble. LOL and tomorrow and the next few days it’s supposed to rain. But never mind we really need the rain. We’ll just have to finish in between showers.
Piper (3 ) said “Nana you have to go to hospital” but both girls got me a cold flannel and an ice pack and looked after me till the nurofen worked.

Bear let the 11 week olds out again he moved the brick and pulled the door back while they got out. So naughty. Then later my son found him in with the 7 week olds, just sitting there. This is what prompted the coop building and reinforcing runs. I worry that when we aren’t watching a big bird might come and get them after he has let them out.

Wow just realised how much I typed sorry for the book.
Hope everyone has a good weekend.