BYC Café

[featherhead007]

Good morning Cafe. I actually woke up before my feathered alarm clocks did today, Yay.

 

[DobieLover]

I'll be very interested if you do provide her with some eggs to see how the eggs are arranged when she gets off the nest.

Taken this morning

I've been a bit concerned with Veronica. She doesn't seem to be taking very good care of herself. The first three days she was on the nest all she ate were the five raisins I gave her each day. Today she took a better broody break. I saw her preening, scratching and eating out of the breakfast bar.

 

[CapricornFarm]

Cap - Texas has exploded with covid cases. Maybe we can pool our $$$ and have Sean airlifted to somewhere safe for a couple weeks. I saw 2 or 3 states that don't have any cases - I think Oregon, Wyoming, can't recall the last one. He could take a companion and George, and have a non-working mini vacation. Bet he could use one.

He wouldn't leave his birds.

 

[aart]

I've been a bit concerned with Veronica. She doesn't seem to be taking very good care of herself. The first three days she was on the nest all she ate were the five raisins I gave her each day. Today she took a better broody break. I saw her preening, scratching and eating out of the breakfast bar.

That sounds pretty normal, sitting tight for the first few and last few days of incubation.

 

[DobieLover]

That sounds pretty normal, sitting tight for the first few and last few days of incubation.

Hehe! The first few days of incubation where on ceramic eggs. She got the real ones last night.

 

[Perris]

Good afternoon Cafe.
Thanks for the coffee Shad - Lavazza now yes?

Do all you good folks the other side of the pond know of "Wildlife Services"? (Esp those who go walking in woods) If not, this is in today's paper here and you may find it interesting https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/jun/26/cyanide-bombs-wildfire-services-idaho

 

[Shadrach]

Taken this morning
View attachment 2213412
I've been a bit concerned with Veronica. She doesn't seem to be taking very good care of herself. The first three days she was on the nest all she ate were the five raisins I gave her each day. Today she took a better broody break. I saw her preening, scratching and eating out of the breakfast bar.

My theory is they learn how to do it. I've watched the pullets here watch the broody mums.
A few of the pullets/very young hens, that have sat here were not all that good at getting off the nest at the start. I chuck them off if I'm concerned about their food intake. I'll even block them out of the nest site and continually offer food.
I think the instinct to sit is relatively easy to engender in hens for most breeds but the personal hygiene and physical care takes a bit of learning as does nest building and chick care. A bit like humans in these respects.
The older hens that have sat and failed or succeeded have most of this sorted after three or four years old.

 

[Shadrach]

Good afternoon Cafe.
Thanks for the coffee Shad - Lavazza now yes?

Do all you good folks the other side of the pond know of "Wildlife Services"? (Esp those who go walking in woods) If not, this is in today's paper here and you may find it interesting https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/jun/26/cyanide-bombs-wildfire-services-idaho

Yup, on the cheapo stuff now I'm afraid Perris. I won't be offended if you take tea instead.

 

[Shadrach]

I saw 2 or 3 states that don't have any cases -

Just as a point for those who are not following the Trump stay well guide.....All states are likely to have cases; the difference is a)they have not tested enough people to find them yet, b) the state is deliberately not reporting them in an effort to get people to return to work and support the Trump approach, which is, in case it isn't clear, if we don't test, then we don't find and then the problem isn't there.
It works, just get a lot of dead people.

 

[aart]

Hehe! The first few days of incubation where on ceramic eggs. She got the real ones last night.

She doesn't know the difference

I chuck them off if I'm concerned about their food intake.

I do the same, a bit of feed and/or sip of water usually 'wakes' them up and after that they take care of it themselves.

First time I experienced this was alarming, then hilarious.
I dipped her beak in the water and she didn't really respond, she was totally tranced out.
Then all of a sudden, I swear she shook her little head and her eyes opened wide, she drank like crazy then ran over and gobbled some feed, drank more then raced outside and dropped huge poop then raced over to dust bathe, then ran back to nest and tranced back out.