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

[appps]

My daughter decided to carve a pumpkin this year too. She's got more patience than me lol

Not sure if we got any trick or treaters, we were out watching zombies walk through town

 

[LuckysMum]

Telia and appps I love the pumpkin carving. We have never gotten into Halloween. We didn't get any kids at the door either. There is not many young kids around us at the moment.

Sorry Teila I didn't take a photo. My husband was going to work (night shift) and I was in a hurry so I dumped it the bin without thinking. I did try and get it but there was too much rubbish. The egg was really tiny and I can't remember which coop I got it out of, but we don't have any roosters. I was just weird, it was a normal egg with a yolk and when I cracked it open it was full of blood not streaks of blood and there was a baked bean shaped thing in it. Are lash eggs like that or are they just a bit of gunk that's laid.

 

[Anniebee]

Nice to have you back online Annie. Yes animals have feelings but I guess that's no surprise to you.
Teila your birds are just re adjusting after the loss of a flock member( all be it a delayed reaction )
If she becomes too oppressive I'd remove her for a time and then re introduce her, if not put up a petition so she can see but not touch.

Thanks Fancy .. it's nice to be back - if only spasmodically. Gout is a really horrid painful thing to get. I now understand. !! .... And animals I often think have kinder, gentler feelings than humans often do. We can learn so much from animals - yet we think we know it all, being top of the pecking order ourselves ( hmmm !! ).

Re : Separating chickens ... I had to do that 3 years back, for little Mindy Araucana who lives by herself with a toy dog for company at night - which she occasionally beats up. .... Because Mandy Welsummer was intent on total murder at the time - and terrified poor little Mindy. They talk to one another through double cyclone fencing - and all is well - in fact, now that Mandy is less able to move quickly, they got along very well recently in a neurtral zone. I still wouldn't introduce Mindy back with the two big girls though - as I think Mandy would find some extra agility and energy - to at least chase her about. Molly RIR would no doubt join in, as even in the neutral zone, she stands up high over Mindy - in a threatening manner. Mindy quietly removes herself from peck range.

So - Teila .... that might work for you and Crystal - and your other birds. Can't hurt to try. She will be huffy no doubt, but will settle down - they all do eventually. And [ as Fancy mentioned .].. adjustment to loss from one of the flock can cause uproars. Could have been the cause of my Mandys' murderous intent, as I lost Milly Barnevelder at about that time - so Mindy was seen as an interloper perhaps. Who knows - chooks are chooks, and we will probably never 100% work them out.

Cheers all ....

 

[Anniebee]

Welcome back Anniebee! Sorry to hear about your gout.

Yep, it would be sad for Crystal to have to go which is why I am trying the attitude readjustment. But no chance she is going to be allowed to keep LuLu confined to the coop; that is not fair either.

Anyways, she is back with the flock at the moment, free ranging, but if she plays up, back into solitary she goes. Hubby is on standby with a water pistol and if Crystal so much as looks at LuLu [his baby girl

] he will not hesitate to shoot

Fancy I had not thought of that. It is over 6 months since we lost KiKi, could that still be the cause?

As I mentioned, she passed Blondie on the order but does not pick on Blondie; once Blondie submitted, all over and done with. LuLu has obviously submitted because she now runs away from Crystal and hides in the coop, not fighting back. Crystal has no reason to constantly pick on her?

I was telling myself that it would be OK in a couple of days but it is not and Crystal is not letting up.

I can only hope that Crystal aspires to get to the top cos next up is Dusty and I am pretty sure Dusty will adjust her attitude for her

Teila --- just another thought here.

Blondie did all required to submit and all is well in chookdom for her - but Lulu is displaying fear, by retreating to her coop and not standing her new found ground and role. She is a candidate for more standover tactics .... because she displays such fear. All animals ( and I presume birds ) pick up on fear displayed - and act / react accordingly.

Any animal that displays fear towards another, will be picked on - and that includes human animals ... ( e.g. bullying in the school playground ) .... So - Crystal is going through a bully stage - not good admittedly ... and has found her candidate to vent her spleen on.

Separation the only solution - imho. "Break" Crystal of her new found bullying tactics. Sorry to say I have no idea how long that might take.

Good luck with all that .....

Cheers -

 

[Kegs1972]

Wow wow wow is all i can say... who would have thought chickens were so awesome! I love letting the girls out in the afternoon and seeing them scratch and pick thru the grass, 1 finds a bug then they all fight over it, they come running with heads down bums up when u call the "I've got mealworms" call.... my favourite part of the day is relaxing with a beer with my girls cooing around me

 

[Fancychooklady]

Hehe, nothing more relaxing than sitting with your feathered friends. Depends how observant you are, but I'm sure you will begin to realise that they all have their own individual personalities.

 

[Teila]

Good morning folks

LuckysMum yeah lash eggs are more like the consistency of a boiled egg.

Kegs1972 taking yesterday out of the equation

[below] yep, watching the girls and spending time with them is a highlight of my day. I love nothing more than finishing work, walking out the door and seeing 5 happy little girls each with their own chickenality running around the garden, having a wonderful time.

Well, I am pleased yesterday is over and hope not to have another one like it for a while. It was one of those days ....

We had four things going on:

1. Early morning breakfast demands [some time before 5am]
2. Crystal picking on LuLu and
3. Pretty much full on whinging from all of them all day and one thing or another requiring constant trips outside to find out the reason and shush them. Crystal being the worse and the loudest.
4. Plus a frustrating day at work.

I can handle 2 or even 3 of the 4 but not all 4 at the same time on the same day; Last night I was retiring from work and they were all going on Gumtree!! [Of course I am joking, even about Crystal, no way I am parting with any of them and I definitely can not afford to retire

].

Anyways, you gotta love them, they must have heard me

This morning I got to sleep in until 05:30AM, all 5 of them [including LuLu] were pottering in the run, not a peep out of them and no squabbling or bullying. Anniebee you summed it up beautifully with “Who knows - chooks are chooks, and we will probably never 100% work them out. “

PS. I just peeped out the window and now they are all in the coop together

May be they just do not like overcast days which yesterday was

 

[satay]

I had an odd day too appps my Millie Belgian disappeared. She was there in the morning but when i went to lock them up no sign of her. My guess is she is off on eggs somewhere. I searched as many places as i could before dark. I'll have to keep my fingers crossed that she shows up or that i find the nest where I am guessing she is hiding out. we got 4mm of rain yesterday which settled the dust a little but we still need 100mm + to make any dent in this drought we are having. My neighbours dam next door is totally dry first time in the nearly 10 years i have been here.

 

[SilkieChickStar]

I had an odd day too appps my Millie Belgian disappeared. She was there in the morning but when i went to lock them up no sign of her. My guess is she is off on eggs somewhere. I searched as many places as i could before dark. I'll have to keep my fingers crossed that she shows up or that i find the nest where I am guessing she is hiding out. we got 4mm of rain yesterday which settled the dust a little but we still need 100mm + to make any dent in this drought we are having. My neighbours dam next door is totally dry first time in the nearly 10 years i have been here.

I hope you find her!!

We seem to be going through an awful lot of parrot food just lately.

Thought I'd better check on the jellybeans. They sure do grow fast

 

[Fizzybelle]

I hope she's ok Satay, and sitting on some eggs safely somewhere, like you're hoping

Kegs1972, I hear ya. like to start and end my day spending time with my girls. It never gets boring watching them, there's always something going on.

Glad the jellybeans are growing really well SilkieChickStar!


Took Annabelle my RIR hybrid to the vets today after another soft shelled egg yesterday. She felt poorly late in the afternoon, I could tell she wasn't quite right, and she didn't get out of the coop at 5 this morning (usually she's pacing back and forth to be let out). Good news is she's in good health. I'll be monitoring her nutrition closely, and ordering some calcivet. I don't think, despite having several dishes of shellgrit (which she loves) she's eating enough of it at the moment. She's got no other symptoms, lungs and everything sounded good, she had a full check over. Also yesterday morning she laid a normal egg, then the soft shelled one late in the evening.In the case of yesterday, it could be the now lengthier days are messing with her and she didn't have enough calcium to make two proper eggs. There have been days though where it was only a soft shelled egg. The feeling off could be due to an inflammatory response from when the egg passes. She bounces back after a little while. Anyway, good news for now. As much as she drives me crazy at times, I'd hate anything to happen to her.

Also, my Araucana Mabel is very happily, through her own volition, becoming a lap chicken. It's at the point now where all I need to do is clap my hands on my lap and she'll jump up, and happily lap up the attention I give her (she loves a beard rub). So adorable.

Ok, I also have two general questions. Firstly, can chickens eat orb weaver spiders? I ask because they are now starting to try and take over the back yard after setting up camp in the front. Not having that, I'll tolerate a couple high up in the trees, but that's it. I don't want to walk through another web on my way to check on the girls at night. I've seen the girls eat spiders before, Annabelle loves them, but ones I know are harmless. Just not sure about orb weavers. Secondly, what's a good hay substitute? I brought a bale today, and it's a bit old and dry. Kinda over it. I need something I can clean daily, they always poop in the nest. Thank you.