California - Northern

[chiqita]

( the exciting was the funding coming in. The hot was about the packing...)

 

[debs_flock]

My green singing finches laid an egg today.

Here's a reminder of the size of baby finches (these were some abandoned gouldians that I was hand feeding last year)




The singers had been courting for a couple of weeks so I gave them a nest and some nesting material. They have been busily building for days! Last year they successfully raised two clutches.

 

[chrissyr]

i actually like bats, they're so incredibly cool, and the little brown bats that we have around here don't hurt people at all, they're basically mice with wings who eat flying insects.  all good in my book.  but i couldn't reach it, it was up too high even standing on a chair -- but fortunately opening a window near dusk & closing the bathroom door worked, even though the window isn't all that large, its echo-location helped it find its way out within a half-hour or so of the sun going down.  they're amazing creatures.

That sounds much better than I had imagined. Since they eat bugs (especially Mosquitos) then that's perfect

 

[chrissyr]

Not to push you in that direction, but I've processed quite a few different breeds and the marans have been the tastiest.

Although in the last week we've eaten a polish and a legbar, both great!

Sorry to anyone that doesn't believe in processing their birds, I don't mean to offend

debs_flock: at what age did you process them? I did some marans at about 17 weeks. No meat at all on them, but they were horrible to my girls. Last time I had them done i think I waited too long (6 months). They were so tough. I was wondering if I should have given them a meat bird feed.
And does anyone know about blood spots in pullets eggs. I've had them before, but these pullets have larger ones. Usually a meat spot too. I heard they can get better in time. Most people I give eggs to wouldn't understand these. They've been laying about 3 weeks now. I'm just hoping they'll look better in a month or two

 

[chicksnthestiks]

My green singing finches laid an egg today. e Here's a reminder of the size of baby finches (these were some abandoned gouldians that I was hand feeding last year) The singers had been courting for a couple of weeks so I gave them a nest and some nesting material. They have been busily building for days! Last year they successfully raised two clutches.

What did you use to feed them with? They are so tiny! Good luck with the singing finches.

 

[chiqita]

I have not noticed my marans roosters being tough at 6 months. How did you cook them?

debs_flock: at what age did you process them? I did some marans at about 17 weeks. No meat at all on them, but they were horrible to my girls. Last time I had them done i think I waited too long (6 months). They were so tough. I was wondering if I should have given them a meat bird feed.
And does anyone know about blood spots in pullets eggs. I've had them before, but these pullets have larger ones. Usually a meat spot too. I heard they can get better in time. Most people I give eggs to wouldn't understand these. They've been laying about 3 weeks now. I'm just hoping they'll look better in a month or two

 

[ronott1]

I have not noticed my marans roosters being tough at 6 months. How did you cook them?

Eat the Cockerels at 4 months and the pullets at 5 months. They need to be moisture cooked after that.

How is the capon practice going?

 

[chrissyr]

I have not noticed my marans roosters being tough at 6 months. How did you cook them?

Chicken and dumplings just kind of stringy/tough . Perhaps I'm just used to grocery store birds. Raised meat birds in a tractor a few years back and they were amazing!

 

[Hangtown Farms]

i actually like bats, they're so incredibly cool, and the little brown bats that we have around here don't hurt people at all, they're basically mice with wings who eat flying insects. all good in my book. but i couldn't reach it, it was up too high even standing on a chair -- but fortunately opening a window near dusk & closing the bathroom door worked, even though the window isn't all that large, its echo-location helped it find its way out within a half-hour or so of the sun going down. they're amazing creatures.

me too they are cool. we have alot of them here. I see about 30 at dusk on average from spring till at least now.
I was driving over the yolo cosway a few weeks ago and must of seen a hundred thousand or more was kinda bizarre actually

Ha ha.... I had a co-worker say the same thing. The candy is Jolly Rancher.

I am going to try to move the coop. I may need about 4 - 5 manly men to help me lift it, one on each corner and a 5th just in case it is heavier than I think. At the very least it will be top heavy. So 4 would be safer.

I am renting right now and I don't think the landlord would appreciate me leaving the coop, plus I must have at least $500 in wood, nails, hardware cloth and hardware in the darn thing.

That is funny. I will keep it in mind when I get some...... getting closer to it though.

I am sure a few of us can help out if you need it
not that I claim to be either big strong or manly

just somewhere in between so maybe 5 to be safe

My green singing finches laid an egg today.

Here's a reminder of the size of baby finches (these were some abandoned gouldians that I was hand feeding last year)




The singers had been courting for a couple of weeks so I gave them a nest and some nesting material. They have been busily building for days! Last year they successfully raised two clutches.

wow they are small. how big was the egg?

 

[debs_flock]

Quote:
I process the boys around 4 mos of age. I grow out all my birds on All Flock.

Quote:
I fed them on Kaytee hand-feeding formula. I used the blunt end of a flat toothpick to feed them.

For the parent raised birds, besides their normal feed (I have all my birds on Lafeber pelleted feed - much healthier than a seed diet), I also offer green feed daily. When they have hatchlings, I keep nestling food available for the parents to use and I raise fruit flies for them. They did super on them. Dust some ff's in vitamin powder, put them in a cup with a lid and pop them in the freezer. Ten minutes later they are fresh frozen, dump them into a dish and put them in for the parent birds. The babies did amazing on them!

Quote:

The chicks in that picture were already several days old, so size the egg down quite a bit from that.