Australians - Where are you all????

[MyHaven]

my girls only started laying 2weeks ago 8 months old

Congratulations, it's always exciting when they start to lay.

Hi yes I'm in australia yes I'm in australian and yes I have chickens haha.... I live in perth, duncraig to be precise, I'm originally from new south wales suburb of Bondi. .. I have daisy a beautiful big brown chook but can't remember what

[/IMG][/IMG] shes actually called and I have a Olivia my lavender Akahna? cant spell it but they are so gorgeous I'll try to add a photo. .. and thanks for asking I was wondering the same thing because almost everybody is from the other side of the world haha

You'll find lots of good info here on BYC. But as you have already commented posters are from all over the world. So I suggest you always check the information applies to Australia.

Cheers

 

[Fierlin1182]

Hi everyone. It's been a long time since I dropped in here.
Well it seems spring is just on the doorstep. The cherry tree in the courtyard is abloom again. I never seem to notice it until it's in full swing. Miss it every year!

 

[Anniebee]

I'm so sorry to hear about Milly. My mother talks about a wasting disease from the old days. Probably before vaccinations - or on the farm where vaccine was just not available. (Like now for us back yarders.) I'll have to ask about it again. The bird would just waste away with no known reason or obvious symptom. I wish you were closer I'd give you one of the girls I hatched.

I'm sorry too you still miss Moppit so badly. I guess you always will.

Wow, I didn't mean to pry that deeply. But thanks for the detailed response.

You should post a picture of your coop.

My girls love the work. They seem to be determined to level every pile of anything.

Very little comes on my place that leaves. I try to utilise or recycle everything.
I don't use wood shavings so don't know how it goes in compost. Honestly I wouldn't keep chooks in a backyard any other way. Firstly with the deep litter style you don't have to clean them out nearly as often. Which is great when you work. I can't say how often I do clean out the coop. I haven't paid attention. I just do it when it needs it. Then the run just keeps getting turned over until I lift some soil out for the garden. Both the run and coop are partly under a mango tree which ensures the girls have both sun and shade all day. I also think the tree helps dry the run out quickly when it rains. The straw or Lucerne doesn't get a chance to get wet in the coop since I tarped it. It is a bird aviary I converted. (I have more ideas for it yet like adding a "shelf" to make another level, a dividing wall to give a nicer place to lay and a roof with over hang for better insulation, shade and weather proofing.)

Back to the straw and lucerne - Out in the run it gets turned over,mixed in and broken down so quickly it doesn't get a chance to get wet and mouldy. It is amazing how adding chickens to the compost process speeds it all up. It does tend to be moist though. Part of the process needed to break things down and for the earthworms. They are on a slope so the compost gets scratched down hill and the top side is where they are fed and they dust bath.

I would not like mould to grow anywhere either. It is not good for any of us. I think we need different ideas for different set ups.

A puppy pen would work great to fence off a garden. I use wire panels which were actually old compost heap frames I don't need now because of the changed process.

You can get mealworms from any pet shop and produces. They are used to feed a variety of pets. They are easy to grow. I did it on a small scale years ago when I had finches. I've read the threads on BYC for larger scale operations. I just don't have space at the moment. Here's one link https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/74575/mealworms-raising-them-the-easy-way

But there are many threads on the topic.

Re: Yr rice/veg/bran/grain mix - sounds good.

Golden Retrievers are lovely dogs - good choice. I have a pet called Ruby too. She's a cat and has HRH preceding her name she is such a princess.

I use Ag lime around to keep the ground sweet and control flies. As long as the girls can give themselves a dust bath I don't have trouble with mites.

I only use wormers or medications that don't have withholding periods. I just wonder how safe things are for chickens if you can't eat their eggs.

I know some people use drench on their dogs for heart worm control too. It's much cheaper than dog treatments.

Let me know how you get on with the Ivomectin if you give it a go.

The weather here is still way too wet for winter. It hasn't really been cold yet.

All the best.

Hi again MyHaven ... haven't caught up until today on 'things happenin' on the Aussie pages. I am still half and half about Ivomectin for the chooks. Will let you know what I decide when I decide !!! LOL. Meantime, I will enquire as to whether I can administer the normal chook wormer, as drops into some cooked mince steak ( individually hand fed ). Will let you know about that too when I can. My little Araucana can have hers in the water - as she is separate from the other two.

I am not sure what you mean when you say " Deep Litter" .... what exactly is that, and what is it made up of ?

My Mindy - an Aussie bred Araucana, is the text book chicken .... she stopped laying in late May - went into moult, then into heavy moult, grew her feathers back gradually, and laid her first egg after all that, today.

Which is what a chicken should do. She is now officially a ' hen '. !! My Welsummer continues to lay and moult at the same time, and my RIR is laying but there is still only a little of a moult at this time. She moulted heavily late summer, but so did two others. Mindy didn't.

My chooks absolutely ADORE their mash. Today I gave them cooked rice, finely chopped silver beet, some raw rolled oats, a small handful of bran, some scratch ( seeds ) mix and crumble all mixed up into a lovely goo - and they have at it, like there's no tomorrow. The past two days I have laid off treats, and let them eat their layer pellets only --- which they have devoured. It is rotten weather here at present - loads of rain etc., but they seem to cope. And the coop is dry ( thank heavens ).

Must try and get some Ag lime to spread around the outside ... I have dug up some areas of their flattened run, and added damp leaf compost, which they have scratched at, disposed of and spread around in around 15 minutes flat !! Will keep doing that to keep them amused in our wintry weather. At the moment, dust baths are out - the ground is saturated. Don't know whether they dust themselves with the dry wood shavings - haven't seen them do that at all.

Again, thanks for all the information you share. Will check out the mealworms situation shortly.

Take care,

Cheers ........... AB.

 

[tillyita]

Hi again MyHaven ... haven't caught up until today on 'things happenin' on the Aussie pages. I am still half and half about Ivomectin for the chooks. Will let you know what I decide when I decide !!! LOL. Meantime, I will enquire as to whether I can administer the normal chook wormer, as drops into some cooked mince steak ( individually hand fed ). Will let you know about that too when I can. My little Araucana can have hers in the water - as she is separate from the other two.

I am not sure what you mean when you say " Deep Litter" .... what exactly is that, and what is it made up of ?

My Mindy - an Aussie bred Araucana, is the text book chicken .... she stopped laying in late May - went into moult, then into heavy moult, grew her feathers back gradually, and laid her first egg after all that, today.

Which is what a chicken should do. She is now officially a ' hen '. !! My Welsummer continues to lay and moult at the same time, and my RIR is laying but there is still only a little of a moult at this time. She moulted heavily late summer, but so did two others. Mindy didn't.

My chooks absolutely ADORE their mash. Today I gave them cooked rice, finely chopped silver beet, some raw rolled oats, a small handful of bran, some scratch ( seeds ) mix and crumble all mixed up into a lovely goo - and they have at it, like there's no tomorrow. The past two days I have laid off treats, and let them eat their layer pellets only --- which they have devoured. It is rotten weather here at present - loads of rain etc., but they seem to cope. And the coop is dry ( thank heavens ).

Must try and get some Ag lime to spread around the outside ... I have dug up some areas of their flattened run, and added damp leaf compost, which they have scratched at, disposed of and spread around in around 15 minutes flat !! Will keep doing that to keep them amused in our wintry weather. At the moment, dust baths are out - the ground is saturated. Don't know whether they dust themselves with the dry wood shavings - haven't seen them do that at all.

Again, thanks for all the information you share. Will check out the mealworms situation shortly.

Take care,

Cheers ........... AB.

They will dust theirselfs in saw dust if you can get a bag (especially if you can put it in a container in the coop somewhere so that it doesn't get wet - the big plastic tubs are good because they can't spread it everywhere) and they will also dust themselves in ash from the fire place.

I use the ivermectin on the rare occasions that i worm the chooks - mainly because I already have it for the cows in a nice pour on form. I tend to only do it once or twice a year depending on their condition and usually do so when they are not laying anyway so withholding eggs is not a problem.

 

[Teila]

Gees, I haven't signed in for a while, missed a heap of stuff! That would be because the sun has been shining and I have been spending as much time as I can outside.
A lot has happened since I was last here.
I had a Black Bantam Cochin (Cilla) and a Brown Red Bantam Cochin (Whitney). Sadly Whitney developed a limp and even with antibiotics and daily Condy's Crystals and Betadine treatment, she developed an infection and passed away within 3 days

Because of all the rain we had been having, we think the ground was not drying out quick enough, causing their run to be a haven for Staph. A whole weekend was spent moving Casa Del Chookie to higher, drier, sunnier ground. They now have a day spa (grass run; well grass until they chomp it all); dirt spa and chateau for the laying of eggs and sleeping. We have had some rain since the relocation and their run is drying out much quicker and gets way more sun.
As we all know, one chookie on her own is not good so mad dash to the produce store to get some company for the mourning Cilla .. They only had one bantam left. She was a bantam Leghorn ... Welcome Britney. There was a little pecking and shoving at introduction but because Cilla was on her own and desperate for company she bonded with Britney fairly quickly. Britney being the newbie basically did as she was told.
So, I'm used to gentle, petite, delicate little Cochin Bantams who just potter around the garden, scratching little holes and pecking at the occasional leaf .. was I in for an education! Britney's first free range day she went through the garden like a wrecking ball. If this is the damage a Bantam Leghorn can inflict, no real life size ones for me! .... Good job she had wormed her way into my heart by that stage or she might have been shown the pot (yeah, like I could do that!!). She also scored some brownie points by laying our first bantam egg .. Cilla! (she who pretends to be a chicken) that is how it is done!! Britney was not only a wrecking ball in the garden she also steam shoveled her way through the food bowl. Again, I was used to Cilla and Whitney delicately pecking, this new Leghorn was like nothing I ever seen. Having said that, she appears to have taught Cilla that chickens do, in fact, eat vegetables!!
Next up, now that Casa Del Chookie has been relocated and renovated, it's bigger and funnily enough, has a vacancy for one more bantam! (chicken math) ... Welcome Dusty! I must have a thing for unwanted bantams because again I managed to get the last one ... couldn't resist the big brown eyes pleading with me to take her home (Langshan). The nice lady in the produce store warns me that she is by herself and looking a bit worse for wear because her previous companions were constantly picking on her and pecked all her feathers from her neck. She was one very sad, abused little girl

But that's OK because, on previous experience (above) my girls are darlings and wouldn't pick on anyone, wrong again! Because Cilla already had a new friend, apparently she didn't need another one and it looked like I have just relocated poor ole Dusty from one battered home to another. Initially Britney was OK with Dusty but watching Cilla bash Dusty, Britney thought she would get in on the act also .... After a week of trying to cheer Dusty up with lots of treats and hoping that Cilla and Britney would come to accept her, I was just hours away from taking Dusty back to the Produce Store when Cilla walked past her without pecking .. there was hope! Over the next week the bashing became less frequent and now they have stopped altogether. My 3 girls are the best of friends, go everywhere together and Dusty is like a whole new girl, she is confident, very chatty and loves her Mum ... probably something to do with all those treats!
To finish, Britney's egg laying prowess apparently rubbed off on Cilla (the chookie imposter) who laid her first egg last weekend and yesterday I came home to 3 little eggs .. good girl Dusty!
I gotta go now .. they have finished their breakfast and are quite vocally demonstrating their wish to use their Day Pass out of Casa Del Chookie and transform into garden wrecking machines .. someone has to watch over them

 

[Anniebee]

Gees, I haven't signed in for a while, missed a heap of stuff! That would be because the sun has been shining and I have been spending as much time as I can outside.
A lot has happened since I was last here.
I had a Black Bantam Cochin (Cilla) and a Brown Red Bantam Cochin (Whitney). Sadly Whitney developed a limp and even with antibiotics and daily Condy's Crystals and Betadine treatment, she developed an infection and passed away within 3 days

Because of all the rain we had been having, we think the ground was not drying out quick enough, causing their run to be a haven for Staph. A whole weekend was spent moving Casa Del Chookie to higher, drier, sunnier ground. They now have a day spa (grass run; well grass until they chomp it all); dirt spa and chateau for the laying of eggs and sleeping. We have had some rain since the relocation and their run is drying out much quicker and gets way more sun.
As we all know, one chookie on her own is not good so mad dash to the produce store to get some company for the mourning Cilla .. They only had one bantam left. She was a bantam Leghorn ... Welcome Britney. There was a little pecking and shoving at introduction but because Cilla was on her own and desperate for company she bonded with Britney fairly quickly. Britney being the newbie basically did as she was told.
So, I'm used to gentle, petite, delicate little Cochin Bantams who just potter around the garden, scratching little holes and pecking at the occasional leaf .. was I in for an education! Britney's first free range day she went through the garden like a wrecking ball. If this is the damage a Bantam Leghorn can inflict, no real life size ones for me! .... Good job she had wormed her way into my heart by that stage or she might have been shown the pot (yeah, like I could do that!!). She also scored some brownie points by laying our first bantam egg .. Cilla! (she who pretends to be a chicken) that is how it is done!! Britney was not only a wrecking ball in the garden she also steam shoveled her way through the food bowl. Again, I was used to Cilla and Whitney delicately pecking, this new Leghorn was like nothing I ever seen. Having said that, she appears to have taught Cilla that chickens do, in fact, eat vegetables!!
Next up, now that Casa Del Chookie has been relocated and renovated, it's bigger and funnily enough, has a vacancy for one more bantam! (chicken math) ... Welcome Dusty! I must have a thing for unwanted bantams because again I managed to get the last one ... couldn't resist the big brown eyes pleading with me to take her home (Langshan). The nice lady in the produce store warns me that she is by herself and looking a bit worse for wear because her previous companions were constantly picking on her and pecked all her feathers from her neck. She was one very sad, abused little girl

But that's OK because, on previous experience (above) my girls are darlings and wouldn't pick on anyone, wrong again! Because Cilla already had a new friend, apparently she didn't need another one and it looked like I have just relocated poor ole Dusty from one battered home to another. Initially Britney was OK with Dusty but watching Cilla bash Dusty, Britney thought she would get in on the act also .... After a week of trying to cheer Dusty up with lots of treats and hoping that Cilla and Britney would come to accept her, I was just hours away from taking Dusty back to the Produce Store when Cilla walked past her without pecking .. there was hope! Over the next week the bashing became less frequent and now they have stopped altogether. My 3 girls are the best of friends, go everywhere together and Dusty is like a whole new girl, she is confident, very chatty and loves her Mum ... probably something to do with all those treats!
To finish, Britney's egg laying prowess apparently rubbed off on Cilla (the chookie imposter) who laid her first egg last weekend and yesterday I came home to 3 little eggs .. good girl Dusty!
I gotta go now .. they have finished their breakfast and are quite vocally demonstrating their wish to use their Day Pass out of Casa Del Chookie and transform into garden wrecking machines .. someone has to watch over them

Hi Teila - how I loved reading your fun story - with it's happy ending. Love the name of your coop. Ours is called "Fowlty Towers". Someone once told me that 1,3 or 5 chickens is a no-go - not so good. There has to be an even number. But your girls have proven that theory wrong - ( even if it was a close thing ). Makes sense though - even numbers. One of my chickens, Mindy Araucana has to live by herself ( with a toy dog for company ) in the top storey of the coop, Mandy Welsummer attacks her badly. Molly RIR gets along well with anybody and everything. When Mindy is allowed out into her own private run, she has two lace-necked doves for company and doesn't mind sharing her treats with them from a double sided bowl. A blackbird and his wife are frequent visitors as well. So she is hardly lonely.

Anyway, thanks for such an interesting story - and I wish you well with your chooks.

Cheers ........ AB

 

[braden rowland]

IM FROM BUNDABERG QLD AUSTRALIA

I Breed mostly Polish

But do breed
Silkies
Hamburg's
Wyandotte
And starting Brahma and Cochin and Faverolles

Cheers For The AUSSIES !!!!!

 

[braden rowland]

Yes im from Bundaberg

His Home Town

Cheers Braden

 

[MyHaven]

Hi again MyHaven ... haven't caught up until today on 'things happenin' on the Aussie pages. I am still half and half about Ivomectin for the chooks. Will let you know what I decide when I decide !!! LOL. Meantime, I will enquire as to whether I can administer the normal chook wormer, as drops into some cooked mince steak ( individually hand fed ) . Will let you know about that too when I can. My little Araucana can have hers in the water - as she is separate from the other two. I am not sure what you mean when you say " Deep Litter" .... what exactly is that, and what is it made up of ? My Mindy - an Aussie bred Araucana, is the text book chicken .... she stopped laying in late May - went into moult, then into heavy moult, grew her feathers back gradually, and laid her first egg after all that, today.

Which is what a chicken should do. She is now officially a ' hen '. !! My Welsummer continues to lay and moult at the same time, and my RIR is laying but there is still only a little of a moult at this time. She moulted heavily late summer, but so did two others. Mindy didn't. My chooks absolutely ADORE their mash. Today I gave them cooked rice, finely chopped silver beet, some raw rolled oats, a small handful of bran, some scratch ( seeds ) mix and crumble all mixed up into a lovely goo - and they have at it, like there's no tomorrow. The past two days I have laid off treats, and let them eat their layer pellets only --- which they have devoured. It is rotten weather here at present - loads of rain etc., but they seem to cope. And the coop is dry ( thank heavens ). Must try and get some Ag lime to spread around the outside ... I have dug up some areas of their flattened run, and added damp leaf compost, which they have scratched at, disposed of and spread around in around 15 minutes flat !! Will keep doing that to keep them amused in our wintry weather. At the moment, dust baths are out - the ground is saturated. Don't know whether they dust themselves with the dry wood shavings - haven't seen them do that at all. Again, thanks for all the information you share. Will check out the mealworms situation shortly. Take care, Cheers ........... AB.

Hi Anniebee and sorry I haven't responded earlier. I've been sick and had a sick child so have been a little too tired to put words together that actually make sense. Deep Litter - is a method of housing your birds. It is probably best if you do a search on BYC for the details as all the info is already there. But basically you use litter of some sort (pine shavings, straw etc) on the bottom of the coop. The chooks scratching around sends waste to the bottom where it breaks down. I don't clean it out as often and find it stays "sweeter". I have the biggest, juiciest earth worms in there. I do still clean out under the perches because I can't help it. I feel there is too much of it at once. I don't know if other people leave it or not. I've tried straw and Lucerne as a litter and have found the Lucerne retains too much moisture. I am going to try shavings when I source them. Search Deep litter and you will get heaps of threads up. Let me know if you can't find what you want though. Thanks for the update on your girls. I hope they are still doing well. Most of my girls were too young to moult this year. They've got lazy this last week. Only 4/5 eggs a day rather than the 6/7 I got when the days were shorter. Go figure????? I just had to cull my Barneys. The roosters had to go. I got three out of the hatch. One was a beauty and quiet. I managed to find him a good home with a harem. He started crowing before he got picked up. Phew, that was close. When my Silkie goes clucky, I can get a mixed dozen eggs of Orpington and Welsummers locally. I could also add Araucana, Dark barred Plymouth Rock, Transylvanian Naked Necks and Silver laced Wyandotte into the mix. That would be interesting. But I can't keep that many and I'd want to keep some of each. I hope the weather is treating you well in your part of Australia. It dried out here very quickly. Must go, the sun will be up shortly. Bye for now.

 

[MyHaven]

They will dust theirselfs in saw dust if you can get a bag (especially if you can put it in a container in the coop somewhere so that it doesn't get wet - the big plastic tubs are good because they can't spread it everywhere) and they will also dust themselves in ash from the fire place.

I use the ivermectin on the rare occasions that i worm the chooks - mainly because I already have it for the cows in a nice pour on form. I tend to only do it once or twice a year depending on their condition and usually do so when they are not laying anyway so withholding eggs is not a problem.

Oh derr, great idea to put the ash in a container. Thanks also for the worming info.
Cheers