California - Northern

[ronott1]

Hello everyone! Hope you guys are enjoying the game!

My 2 month old paint silkie. Fingers crossed it's a girl

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• zooweemama, your photos are amazing! Congratulations on the calender contest!

Very nice!

 

[waititout]

Very nice!

Thanks!

 

[CALI CHICK]

Last night didn't go so good with giving Buffy the new babies. She saw and heard the one we put in the nestbox and tried to peck the heck out of it.

Although, I didn't follow everyone's advice about adding them when it was dark.

My son wanted to do it as soon as we got home from the feed store (about 5pm) so I let him try. He just set it in front of her and she took it as a threat and intruder.

I got smarter early this morning and put one of the chicks "under" her (all the way) and so far-so good! She seemed to feel it's movements and look at me like, "SEE, I TOLD YOU I'D HATCH SOME BABIES!! I figured I'd try just one in case she killed it....there would only be 1 casualty, not 3! If she is still OK with the chick under her all day, I'll add the other 2 babies when I lock up the coop tonight. We've got the other 2 Golden Sex-Link babies in the silkie brooder. We moved the silkies down to the "rooster holding cell" (a big cage) and added another heat lamp for them. And, the roosters had to stay in the travel cage during morning quarantine time!
Oh-the things we do for our chickens!

Hello everyone! Hope you guys are enjoying the game!

My 2 month old paint silkie. Fingers crossed it's a girl

Sooooo cute. Of course, I'm kind of partial to silkies.

 

[ronott1]

Last night didn't go so good with giving Buffy the new babies. She saw and heard the one we put in the nestbox and tried to peck the heck out of it.

Although, I didn't follow everyone's advice about adding them when it was dark.

My son wanted to do it as soon as we got home from the feed store (about 5pm) so I let him try. He just set it in front of her and she took it as a threat and intruder.

I got smarter early this morning and put one of the chicks "under" her (all the way) and so far-so good! She seemed to feel it's movements and look at me like, "SEE, I TOLD YOU I'D HATCH SOME BABIES!! I figured I'd try just one in case she killed it....there would only be 1 casualty, not 3! If she is still OK with the chick under her all day, I'll add the other 2 babies when I lock up the coop tonight. We've got the other 2 Golden Sex-Link babies in the silkie brooder. We moved the silkies down to the "rooster holding cell" (a big cage) and added another heat lamp for them. And, the roosters had to stay in the travel cage during morning quarantine time!
Oh-the things we do for our chickens!

Quote: Thank you for the Broody Update! Golden Comets are great egg layers too. I still have one of them and she is finishing up her molt. I really want to see if The eggs she lays change after the molt. The Golden Comet that died this summer used to lay the nicest double yolk eggs. So far none of my new chickens lay double yolk eggs but I keep hoping...

Ron

 

[PetRock]

I have a little golden sex link hen (same as golden comet?) who lays the most consistently and the largest eggs of my flock. She is 2 1/2 yrs old and never gone through a molt. She just keeps laying and laying and laying. She is going to wear her poor little body out. The only chickens laying right now are three new layers and Omelet. The rest of the flock look like they've been through a tornado! The ones that look the worst are my two barred rocks. There are striped feathers all over the yard and two very grouchy, almost naked, pink chickens stalking around.

 

[CALI CHICK]

Thank you for the Broody Update! Golden Comets are great egg layers too. I still have one of them and she is finishing up her molt. I really want to see if The eggs she lays change after the molt. The Golden Comet that died this summer used to lay the nicest double yolk eggs. So far none of my new chickens lay double yolk eggs but I keep hoping...

Ron

I have a little golden sex link hen (same as golden comet?) who lays the most consistently and the largest eggs of my flock. She is 2 1/2 yrs old and never gone through a molt. She just keeps laying and laying and laying. She is going to wear her poor little body out. The only chickens laying right now are three new layers and Omelet. The rest of the flock look like they've been through a tornado! The ones that look the worst are my two barred rocks. There are striped feathers all over the yard and two very grouchy, almost naked, pink chickens stalking around.

That is great to know! Ooooh, I'm so glad I picked the "Goldens" at the feed store!

It was a choice between RIR pullets or the Golden Sex Link pullets. I picked the Goldens because of the reviews they had on here (BYC) and also because our Rhodie (RIR) is just "different". I better go out and check on Buffy and the one baby, right now.

I want these little pullets to make it more than ever now. Can you believe they're just $1.99 each and this was the LAST shipment of chicks my feed store will get until next spring. Phew, good timing!

 

[ronott1]

Quote: The chickens they call RIRs at the feed store are very iffy. They can be nice like they are supposed to be or weird and cranky. They have been crossed with leghorns and who knows what else. The Heritage RIRs I hatched out this summer are the quietest nicest little things(ok they are not that little...)

Golden comets or Gold sex links are similar to what the hatcheries use for brown egg layers. They have great feed conversion to egg producing ratios. They are also very friendly. They are Hybrids so they do not breed true.

Enjoy Them!

 

[Papa Brooder]

Ok update on new american poultry for all interested. $50 minumum charge. I had them process 21 birds today and the total was $57.75. Upon request they will remove feet and heads but if you are going to be selling them and need their "label" attached to prove that the birds were processed at a plant then they cannot do that. "I feel like chicken tonight, like chicken tonight." anyone else remember that jingle?

 

[Happy Chooks]

Last night didn't go so good with giving Buffy the new babies. She saw and heard the one we put in the nestbox and tried to peck the heck out of it.

Although, I didn't follow everyone's advice about adding them when it was dark.

My son wanted to do it as soon as we got home from the feed store (about 5pm) so I let him try. He just set it in front of her and she took it as a threat and intruder.

I got smarter early this morning and put one of the chicks "under" her (all the way) and so far-so good! She seemed to feel it's movements and look at me like, "SEE, I TOLD YOU I'D HATCH SOME BABIES!! I figured I'd try just one in case she killed it....there would only be 1 casualty, not 3! If she is still OK with the chick under her all day, I'll add the other 2 babies when I lock up the coop tonight. We've got the other 2 Golden Sex-Link babies in the silkie brooder. We moved the silkies down to the "rooster holding cell" (a big cage) and added another heat lamp for them. And, the roosters had to stay in the travel cage during morning quarantine time!
Oh-the things we do for our chickens!

I have tried putting babies under hens during the day and they freak out. Then took them back out after dark and by morning they were one big happy family. Definitely make sure you put them under after dark.

 

[CALI CHICK]

I have tried putting babies under hens during the day and they freak out. Then took them back out after dark and by morning they were one big happy family. Definitely make sure you put them under after dark.

Lesson learned!

Thank you for the encouragement. I almost felt like giving up when she "freaked out" (like you said) yesterday. I wish I'd gone with my gut and the advice of many and just waited till dark last night. We hadn't even considered that she might reject them since she adopted in the past............However, there were some different variables this time around. So glad I had extra brooder equipment because I know the 3 week old silkies wouldn't have accepted them. I've got some wild silkies from my latest hatch. (Not with us, but a couple of them are down-right mean to each other!)

Wish me luck.....the sun is getting lower......I'll take the other 2 out in a couple hours.