Black Jersey Giant thread!!!!!

[purplesquirrel]

Well this cat isn't afraid of my golden retriever when he comes charging at it! But yes the babies will be grown in my house till they are 8 weeks I think, depending how fast they grow,hahahaha! Its funny about your bird laying eggs off the roost cause one of my olive eggers is now dropping them off the roost too, cracks it good every time! How big are your nest boxes for the giants? I use milk crates for nest boxes now, but doubt they will be able to use them!

2 words for the cat problem, HOSE PIPE if you see him prowling around stalking your chickens (or golden retriever) spray em with ice cold water, he'll soon learn it's not worth it haha.

 

[purplesquirrel]

Oh boy. Well as long as you can keep them safe for a couple months that cat won't dare mess with them. I think my neighbors cat is afraid of being eaten by my birds haha. They might swallow it whole. Gotten 3 eggs so far but none in the nest boxes. They go in and scratch for food and then go on the roost and drop the eggs on the poop pile. Bird brains.

maybe try putting some of the eggs, or some shop bought ones, in the nest boxes? When they go in there to investigate and scratch about, the sight of the eggs might make a landmark in their head, maybe try and remove them from the poop pile asap and leave them in the nest boxes.
My buff sussex moggie (who's a perfect miniature of a purebred buff sussex as her dad was a white bantam game bird, so she's just come out real small) has just started laying beautiful little eggs exactly in the right place, as there is only one nest box at the moment...she laid her second one today, so proud! They have the run of our massive garden, complete with leafy areas under the shrubs, I was worried she'd be laying all over the garden.

OR make a little box and put it by the poop pile? Surely they'll appreciate the privacy and nice dry, clean straw...

 

[rottnwarrior]

I have been looking all over for some fake eggs to put in the boxes but the closest I could get was a plastic lemon haha. So I used that and two of the frozen cracked eggs. I thought I hit the lotto yesterday. Went out and there were two eggs this time sitting pretty in a box so I thought we had it down. Today they were both laid on the ground and the frozen ones are nowhere to be found. There was some dirt on them but I just wiped them off with a wet towel since they weren't broken. I built them 16" wide and 16" deep but two feet tall. Then I put a 6" board on the front to hold the bedding in when they scratch. I'm thinking about trying some curtains on one box to see if it makes a difference. Unless laying off the roost is a new fad we don't know about? I thought about putting a box on the roost to see what happens.

 

[purplesquirrel]

how strange! Are you sure some one's not having you on? lol
Have you seen them lay them on the ground? (I don't know about you, but I manage to fit in a fair bit of chicken watch...)

 

[rottnwarrior]

I haven't watched them lay but I'm around when they do and nobody has been near them lol. I know one of them made a big fuss this afternoon and when I went out there was an egg on the ground outside. I also have noticed a squirrel that thinks he owns the coop lately. I think all the snow has got them looking hard for food. I'm wondering if that bugger is messing with them. Might have to have a talk with it...

 

[amyandkids]

squirrels will take eggs and eat em! I have seen it with my own eyes! If you don't get rid of it others will follow in its footsteps, again another personal experience! Good luck with getting rid of them!!

 

[rottnwarrior]

I've heard that they will. I'm trying to imagine how they would haha. I'm not worried too much. I'll just shoot it and let the chickens eat it. Maybe then they will fight back next time. They had a little standoff with the crows the other day.

 

[rottnwarrior]

Here's that a snow picture I said I'd post. Some of them are deciding snow isn't so bad.

 

[rottnwarrior]

They sure are getting the hang of things now. At least 6 of them are laying now. Most in the nest boxes but now and then one is on the ground. I got one Friday afternoon that was so big it made a jumbo look small! All I could think was, that had to hurt. The roo is starting to stand up for himself more lately and kept the squirrel outside the other day, then ran him off. Was kinda fun to watch.

 

[WhiteLeghorn2]

They sure are getting the hang of things now. At least 6 of them are laying now. Most in the nest boxes but now and then one is on the ground. I got one Friday afternoon that was so big it made a jumbo look small! All I could think was, that had to hurt. The roo is starting to stand up for himself more lately and kept the squirrel outside the other day, then ran him off. Was kinda fun to watch.

Oh cool, how exciting! I'm sure you're very happy to be getting some farm-fresh eggs!