California - Northern

[ronott1]

Ron, the egg eater ate a fooler egg I put in the box! It was a nice hard-shelled egg from another chicken. I put it in the box to try and get them to use the box adjacent to my broody hen instead of ousting her. Well, the egg eater used the box alright! The kids have been telling me that we had an egg eater but I didn't believe them because there was never any evidence, not so much as a piece of shell! Well this time I looked and looked and finally found the damp spot. GRRRRR

I shall try calf manna, a blindfold and a mustard egg, all at once. Aught to cure her

Ok. I'm kidding about the blindfold.

Give all of the chickens calf mana.

Also put golf balls into the nest box.

Do you think the one that ate the egg may have tumors too?

 

[tommysgirl]

Awe! Sounds like he was awesome! Sorry for the loss! Glad you had him while you did!

Me too. Thanks...funny how we are about our pets. I get misty just thinking about our boys and our 1 girl and we haven't had Boxers for over 10 years

Mine were sticky, sticky, sticky, some with pieces of egg that was SO stuck I chose to leave it. The egg is falling off leaving bare spots. Very gross process, that business of hatching a chick! One chick is wearing it's shell like a saddle. I should take pictures.

Cute visual. I had the stickiness problem too. chicks had bald patches. I think it was because I helped too much on that first hatch

You are the best promoter of CA Grey's I have ever met

Hee hee does it show? I can't wait to hatch some more. One of the boys I processed on Sat is CG covered by Del. I am anxious to see what he tastes like. Also can't wait to learn what the girls from that mix are like in terms of egg production. I am as excited about this Del over CG hybrid as I am about anything else I might be hatching. I think they produce a sex link but since all we got the first go round was the single boy I don't know. The chicks are hearty that's for sure. The little boy was a hellion right up to the last day. He flew into the neighbors yard to escape being penned up the night before processing. Tom named him El Diablo when he was just a day and a half old.

 

[chiqita]

MFL update.

Leghorns (sigh).

Last week one went dead on me.  Just up and fell over.   I was shocked and dismayed as I consider myself an active avian caregiver and should normally notice if a bird was just going to fall dead.

I panicked and treated all the birds (apx 60) for mites and lice.  I was sure she died from my negligence and overcompensated by scouring all 5 hen houses and spraying everything even the helpless ground.  Little red spider mites were swarming my raised bed so I sprayed them too.

Mailed off said dead bird to UC Davis.

Crazy thing had a tumor within a tumor and many other little tumors.    All that cleaning, spraying and treating and she didn't even HAVE mites.  

WELL.  That would explain why with 4 hens I never get more than 2 eggs a day, and some days just one.

Then 4 days ago one went broody on me.  We had to move her because the other (2 left besides her) kept trying to oust her from the box so they could lay eggs, even though the other box was sitting empty.  So, we made her a nest and moved her.  It is very nice but I don't think she likes it because she's no longer sitting.  I will take the eggs and put them in the incubator.  Maybe being broody for 3 days is all the attention span a leghorn has?    

And one of the two leghorns left has just proven herself to be an egg eater.  

You get the point.

One leghorn out of 4 still laying.  (Where's my sarcastic woohoo emocon?)

Those mfl have a lot of work to do on them. Wth did they use to create those chickens?

Mine were sticky, sticky, sticky, some with pieces of egg that was SO stuck I chose to leave it.  The egg is falling off leaving bare spots.  Very gross process, that business of hatching a chick!  One chick is wearing it's shell like a saddle.  I should take pictures.

Dont worry about getting stuck shell off the back unless it is hurting the bitty wings. I wash them when they are 4 days ols when they are very sticky so they will fluff up and put them back in the bator to blow dry.

I had something else to say and forgot!

 

[CackleJoy]

Give all of the chickens calf mana.

Also put golf balls into the nest box.

Do you think the one that ate the egg may have tumors too?

Ron, I don't know about tumors because I didn't notice anything wrong with the first one!
This is the hen that died. Her comb was pale but I thought it was just from coming out of winter and a partial molt. Otherwise she looked fine to me! I will certainly try the calf manna.



The obvious solution to my leghorn problem is to get more hens

 

[TheKeeper]

Well that explains why my number is higher than the ovations I rec'd. Thanks Ron

My intent in posting those queries was to encourage others to fill out a detailed profile, that is anything they are willing to share. It is so nice to be able to read profiles & get a good sense of the member.

Thanks for the clarification on Ovations. I thought they just like "Likes".

Ditto for me for Profile info.

 

[ronott1]

Ron, I don't know about tumors because I didn't notice anything wrong with the first one!
This is the hen that died. Her comb was pale but I thought it was just from coming out of winter and a partial molt. Otherwise she looked fine to me! I will certainly try the calf manna.



The obvious solution to my leghorn problem is to get more hens

Of course it is! We always need more.....

 

[CackleJoy]

Those mfl have a lot of work to do on them. Wth did they use to create those chickens?
Dont worry about getting stuck shell off the back unless it is hurting the bitty wings. I wash them when they are 4 days ols when they are very sticky so they will fluff up and put them back in the bator to blow dry.

I had something else to say and forgot!

Good thought on the chick baths

The MFL stock are originally from The Omelet Ranch but I bought them from someone here on BYC. I still believe them to be good stock. They are known to be an ancient breed so I don't think that the people at Omelet Ranch invented them. The tumors are going to be tested but I doubt they are isolated to MFL. The egg eating can happen to anyone as will the broody

In spite of my recent drama - I'd still defend them as beautiful additions to a back yard flock. That said, if the SFH end up doing well, I may just incorporate all my MFL space into SFH space and phase out of the MFL. I have another year before I can make that distinction. I really like spotted chickens!

I think if one is going to have chickens of any quantity, that challenges will arise. Somehow the MFL are my challenge right now!

 

[chiqita]

Good thought on the chick baths    

The MFL stock are originally from The Omelet Ranch but I bought them from someone here on BYC.  I still believe them to be good stock.  They are known to be an ancient breed so I don't think that the people at Omelet Ranch invented them.  The tumors are going to be tested but I doubt they are isolated to MFL.  The egg eating can happen to anyone as will the broody    In spite of my recent drama - I'd still defend them as beautiful additions to a back yard flock.  That said, if the SFH end up doing well, I may just incorporate all my MFL space into SFH space and phase out of the MFL.  I have another year before I can make that distinction.  I really like spotted chickens!  

I think if one is going to have chickens of any quantity, that challenges will arise.  Somehow the MFL are my challenge right now!

A lot of people have issues with them. They are from what I understand a recreation. Mine were from cheryl and they didnt lay twice a week let alone 300 eggs a year! But of course everyones chickens will be different.

 

[tommysgirl]

Those mfl have a lot of work to do on them. Wth did they use to create those chickens?
Dont worry about getting stuck shell off the back unless it is hurting the bitty wings. I wash them when they are 4 days ols when they are very sticky so they will fluff up and put them back in the bator to blow dry.

I had something else to say and forgot!

I think you were going to say that California Greys were an outstanding breed and that they should grace the backyards of every chicken keeper who wants white eggs

 

[chiqita]

I think you were going to say that California Greys were an outstanding breed and that they should grace the backyards of every chicken keeper who wants white eggs

Lmao I was going to say I think we should have a battle of the chickens and everyone can fight for the favord breed. The onlookers can have chicken face paint and comb hats and yell from the sidelines.

Im sure showgirls will win.