California - Northern

[chicksnthestiks]

When we realized Betty was getting chased from food, we did add a second dish....it did help, until she was pecked above her beak (which drew blood). I usually throw in a little scratch in the afternoon, and some sprouted wheat in the morning.

She is so flighty.......she will run back and forth along the run...she freaks over everything!....sometimes, I imagine a cartoon bubble above her head that says "The sky is falling, the sky is falling"
She is a hatchery bird, so I am assuming it is her breeding....next time, it's nothing but pure Engllsh Orpingtons for us.....

Mine are hatchery birds also, a year old now and not so flighty as when they were teenagers, 3 BO's and 2 Gold lace Wyandotte's. They just have to have a pecking order and they aren't nice about it. I added a Flock Block that Purina makes.It is big and hard so it takes them awhile to go through it, also Farmer's helper makes some smaller ones you can place around to keep them busy.

 

[Happy Chooks]

Silky ducks are fluffy feathered, not like a Silkie chicken (maybe that's why they spelled it different,

), but fluffy. They are bantams, about 1.5 pounds. I got a black, a snowy and four grays (mallard coloring).

Wow, pretty! Love the purplish coloring.

I need some affirmation. I just culled Gary. Many of you recall who he is. Only the neatest rooster ever...gone mean on me. I never did anything to him but over the months it's escalated. The more I chased him off, or put him in penned up time out...the more he seemed determined to stalk me. He only sometimes went after my 9 year old son but completely left my 11, 6 and 4 year olds alone. He also did not go after my hubby or mil. It was getting so bad we were penning him up daily just so I could go outside (we free range). Culling him has my 6 year old messed up and my 11 year old is being fake stoic - he ADORED that rooster. Like...loved him. I feel like a horrible person for doing it. I feel like a horrible person that I can even do it. Who can do that?? Me. No one else in my house. Not husband, not mother in law...nope just Amy. And it's not fun, I don't enjoy and I want to barf. Killing for the table is one thing...this was not that. I just feel rotten. But I know I could not give him away- he could be mean to someone else. I couldn't keep him- he was growing spurs. I wouldn't have a purpose for him- can't breed him, can't let him be with the others (or he'd get me). I swear when I was holding him he knew. He kept staring at my face. It was SO weird. Can I just skip to bedtime? I still have to teach Wednesday church to a room full of toddlers. So not feeling it- probably be good for me though. Thanks for listening. <3

You absolutely did the right thing. Your kids will understand when you have a nice rooster around, and they don't have to watch their backs. (or you watching yours)

I know what you mean about not being afraid, but it happens so fast - it certainly gets your adrenaline going.

You made the difficult and right choice. There are too many nice roos that need flocks of their own to deal with one that has no manners. A mean roo can cause a lot of damage. It could have easily escalated to spurring your little one in the face. I think you'd have felt much worse with your child losing an eye or being permanently scarred.

Hang in there.

Well said!

Adorable. That dog really wants to play with those chicks! Or de-squeak them!

 

[Meg2000000]

Good Morning Everyone!!!

I candled my lone goose egg and I could fall over in tears the gosling is still alive! I lock down this weekend. Words cannot express how excited I am about this baby goose! I pray she makes it through hatch if we make it to lock down!

Awww! Go little goose go!

Goodbye banty eggs! Boo-hoo!

1columbian cohin clear
2od started but VERY clear blood ring and no movement.
2bbb blood rings no movement.
Normally I won't pul this early but it was for sure:-(((

Deb- what does cl od mean?

I've never had such a good candle! I think the one extra day really helped . Very apperant what was going in in there. Good stuff.

Still jumping:
6 wild baby cream legbars, 2 golden Campine, 2 olandsk , 1 col Cochin , 1 bbb.

HEALTHY strong development. I am amazed at the veining and movement in debs eggs. I'm driving to the bay early June to teach an essential oils class... Dare I beg another batch of olandsk? YES, ISAYYES!!!

Kandi

Sorry about the clears but it sounds like you have a bunch of happy ones in their eggs! Hope you have a great hatch! When do you go into lockdown?

exciting stuff sorry about the 5 no gos

Ray was gone this morning.

but Amy Beth you are right, there are other chickens that need lovin on and another roo will appear. I am glad you feel better.
Curly spent the night with her hatch mates and the EE that flies over the barrier to cuddle with them. Very sweet.

Sorry about Ray :-(

Do you have a friend she can hang out with? You might be able to move her in with the smallest of the older chickens into a pet kennel for a week or so. After those two bond and Betty is bigger try moving them in with the big girls at Dusk.

Good idea Ron! I had an easier time introducing chicks in groups. I'd even give Betty 2 friends so that she has more protection when she's moved over. I introduce everyone at night (like Ron said) and then come out early in the morning, cause a commotion, and let them out while throwing down scratch or treats on the ground. I hope that works for you too!

 

[zooweemama]

exciting stuff sorry about the 5 no gos

Ray was gone this morning.

but Amy Beth you are right, there are other chickens that need lovin on and another roo will appear. I am glad you feel better.
Curly spent the night with her hatch mates and the EE that flies over the barrier to cuddle with them. Very sweet.

I'm sorry Ray is gone

 

[MossyoakLane]

She needs to be both older and bigger. It is best to wait until they are 16 weeks or 3/4s of the size of the main flock. BOs get big so it should not be a problem when she is big enough.

Do you have a friend she can hang out with? You might be able to move her in with the smallest of the older chickens into a pet kennel for a week or so. After those two bond and Betty is bigger try moving them in with the big girls at Dusk.

Thanks!
The funny part is Betty is not a new bird. We are newbies just starting out and purchased 4 birds 3 (almost 4) weeks ago, Betty was among them.The were mixed ages, but all from the same place and had been together in a much larger flock. The only change we made was adding the black Australorp 2-3 weeks ago. The Marans are too young to add to the flock yet.
None of them are really big girls yet, as they are all under 16 weeks. Do I just need to treat Betty as if she is a new bird then?

 

[tommysgirl]

So sorry to hear about Ray. Sounds like he had a long great life for a rooster.

Thank you. Last night he wouldn't eat or drink so I knew it was coming. Just made him comfortable.

I am sorry about Ray!

You can take the spay leg hobble off now right? Good job on the little one.

Thanks Ron. Do you think I can her stance is still a little wide but her mobility is good.

Sometimes I feel l am in a chicken soap opera.....LOL Thankfully there are no men in my flock to fght over.

Sorry you have this drama in you coop. I don't have any first hand knowledge but I probably would shop around for a pal for Betty, any excuse to add a chicken I am picking up a few from Deanne in 9 days two different hatch dates so have to get multiples of each hatch date right?? That's what I told my husband...he just shook his head

Meg is on to something with getting 2 friends though depending how many you can have.

That is funny, I totally can picture that chicken with the cartoon bubble.

Me too

Good Morning Everyone!!!

Awww! Go little goose go!

X2

Sorry about Ray :-(

Thank You

Good idea Ron! I had an easier time introducing chicks in groups. I'd even give Betty 2 friends so that she has more protection when she's moved over. I introduce everyone at night (like Ron said) and then come out early in the morning, cause a commotion, and let them out while throwing down scratch or treats on the ground. I hope that works for you too!

More good advice ^^^^

 

[debs_flock]

Goodbye banty eggs! Boo-hoo!

1columbian cohin clear
2od started but VERY clear blood ring and no movement.
2bbb blood rings no movement.
Normally I won't pul this early but it was for sure:-(((

Deb- what does cl od mean?

I've never had such a good candle! I think the one extra day really helped . Very apperant what was going in in there. Good stuff.

Still jumping:
6 wild baby cream legbars, 2 golden Campine, 2 olandsk , 1 col Cochin , 1 bbb.

HEALTHY strong development. I am amazed at the veining and movement in debs eggs. I'm driving to the bay early June to teach an essential oils class... Dare I beg another batch of olandsk? YES, ISAYYES!!!

Kandi

The eggs you tossed, were they the eggs I told you were a little old and may not develop? I'm glad I threw them in as freebies. The C1 OD on the egg.....when DH collects eggs, he doesn't always remember the breed names, so he writes the pen number. I always write the breed abbreviation.

So that egg is from the Chick Chalet, pen #1 and it's an Olandsk Dwarf. We named our banks of coops/runs - Poultry Palace, Hen Haven, etc.

My DH said absolutely NOT, he wants to go back to the Getaway Café for another hamburger!

Nah, that would be fine. They are a little stingy with their eggs, I'm lucky to get one every day from that pen and rarely get two in a day.

 

[BCollie]

Quote:
Oh, I do know exactly what she's thinking. "Chickies. DO. NOT. MOVE." She is a very, very obsessive Border Collie. Working line. We used to work sheep before I moved up to Redding - haven't found a herding instructor here yet. All she cares about is working, she herds sheep, cats, chickies, fish, squirrels, all my foster dogs. One time she tried herding the water in the bathtub when I was bathing a foster dog. I've fostered about 20 BC's and have still not had one as obsessive as her!!


So, my chicks do NOT like going outside for their daily photoshoots, but I can't work inside because it is too dark in my house. Yesterday it was windy(not cold, just windy), and my little polish chick refused to even stand up. I mean, I put it on the cutting board and it immediately laid down and started shaking? It was only outside for 10 seconds at most.

 

[ronott1]

Oh, I do know exactly what she's thinking. "Chickies. DO. NOT. MOVE." She is a very, very obsessive Border Collie. Working line. We used to work sheep before I moved up to Redding - haven't found a herding instructor here yet. All she cares about is working, she herds sheep, cats, chickies, fish, squirrels, all my foster dogs. One time she tried herding the water in the bathtub when I was bathing a foster dog. I've fostered about 20 BC's and have still not had one as obsessive as her!!


So, my chicks do NOT like going outside for their daily photoshoots, but I can't work inside because it is too dark in my house. Yesterday it was windy(not cold, just windy), and my little polish chick refused to even stand up. I mean, I put it on the cutting board and it immediately laid down and started shaking? It was only outside for 10 seconds at most.

They are not supposed to go out in the wind when they are that little. They need to say at 90 to 95 degrees. Next week or so when it is not windy they can safely go outside.

 

[BCollie]

Quote: They can't go out for even 10 seconds?