California - Northern

[tommysgirl]

How Sad!

The one you have left is a pullet.

I am sad about loosing him too. I am assuming it was a hawk as it happened during the day. I have lost 2 chicks to predators this year: The PP and a Del both during the day while ranging both mostly white birds. I know I assume a risk allowing them out during the day like I do but I think the benefits to the whole flock outweigh that.

Looks like a girl to me, too!

Oh good! I will get a couple more at some pt but I am so happy to have this girl. The broody who is mothering her and the Konzas is not teaching them to fear me and they come running when they see me. I am sure the brooder raised are even more friendly!

Any thoughts on this one it is 8 weeks old BBS AM/EE what have you. Sorry for the pic quality I can get better ones tonight but I have to wait until they are in bed b/c they are super skittish!



Here is the one I thought was splash but turned out to be pale blue..we can take a better comb pic tonight if you need me to.





The pale one has a comb like the darker blue.

 

[SilkiesForEver]

I guess I got missed a while back before sick birds took over the list (seems to happen a lot) What do you guys do about nest boxes and cracked eggs. My new layer is digging out to the bottom of my wooden nest box to lay her eggs. Right now the box is pretty full of pine shavings. Should I switch to straw? I have a small linoleum on the bottom of the box right now. Do I just need to add more bedding to make it deeper so she can hollow and still not reach the bottom?

Any help would be appreciated.

I'm having the same problem, only I use straw. They just hollow out the center and I keep getting cracked eggs. One time though, I had a straw "blanket" (don't know how else to describe it), that goes right on the bottom of the box. Lasted for about a month and a half.
http://www.randallburkey.com/Excelsior-Nest-Pads-12-x-9/productinfo/10221/#.U9e9OfldUWI

 

[ronott1]

I am sad about loosing him too. I am assuming it was a hawk as it happened during the day. I have lost 2 chicks to predators this year: The PP and a Del both during the day while ranging both mostly white birds. I know I assume a risk allowing them out during the day like I do but I think the benefits to the whole flock outweigh that.



Oh good! I will get a couple more at some pt but I am so happy to have this girl. The broody who is mothering her and the Konzas is not teaching them to fear me and they come running when they see me. I am sure the brooder raised are even more friendly!

Any thoughts on this one it is 8 weeks old BBS AM/EE what have you. Sorry for the pic quality I can get better ones tonight but I have to wait until they are in bed b/c they are super skittish!



Here is the one I thought was splash but turned out to be pale blue..we can take a better comb pic tonight if you need me to.

With the Pita Pintas, you only have to wait three months or so and then they will be mostly black and less of a target.

It is a personal choice about letting the chickens be predator bait.

Megan sells the Pita Pinta eggs for a hundred bucks a dozen. They are on the Endangered list but recovering. They are very special hawk food for sure.

 

[tommysgirl]

I guess I got missed a while back before sick birds took over the list (seems to happen a lot) What do you guys do about nest boxes and cracked eggs. My new layer is digging out to the bottom of my wooden nest box to lay her eggs. Right now the box is pretty full of pine shavings. Should I switch to straw? I have a small linoleum on the bottom of the box right now. Do I just need to add more bedding to make it deeper so she can hollow and still not reach the bottom?

Any help would be appreciated.

Some will just keep digging until they reach the bottom. I like a combo of hay/straw and pine shavings. The shavings are absorbent and the straw is harder to scratch through but I still have girls who dig all the way down. Some people put that rubberized shelf liner in the nest boxes but I haven't tried that. Egg breaking that I have experienced has been b/c of jays or fragile shells not because they were laid on a hard surface.

 

[tommysgirl]

With the Pita Pintas, you only have to wait three months or so and then they will be mostly black and less of a target.

It is a personal choice about letting the chickens be predator bait.

Megan sells the Pita Pinta eggs for a hundred bucks a dozen. They are on the Endangered list but recovering. They are very special hawk food for sure.

just two more months then....any thoughts about the sex of the birds?

100.00 a dozen! WOW. I had no idea. and yes I agree. I understand both sides of the to range or not to range debate. It's a tough one.

 

[casportpony]

And it's been almost 24 hours with no poopy butt!! Thank you chickee and Kathy, Ron and everyone else for the great info! And I'm especially grateful to not be on a thread where I would have been told to do the dark box and no water treatment, lol!
On another note: my daughter has went off to college. So her room is now my brooder room and fodder room. She wasn't happy when she came home but not surprised at all either

That's great news!

-Kathy

 

[casportpony]

@chiqita , sorry to hear you're having problems with foxes!

-Kathy

 

[casportpony]

I'm sure many of you have been to poultry shows and fairs, but how many peafowl have you seen at them? Here is a picture of a young man sleeping at the fair with his peahen. It's such a cute picture I had to share it. Keep in mind that Peafowl are normally very flighty.

Post #4464
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/670065/show-off-your-peas/4460#post_13873970

-Kathy

 

[casportpony]

And here is that same young man at the judging table. His entry was the first ever pea to be entered at the fair.

Post #80
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...uld-never-be-used-on-peafowl/70#post_13871076

-Kathy

 

[SilkiesForEver]

I'm sure many of you have been to poultry shows and fairs, but how many peafowl have you seen at them? Here is a picture of a young man sleeping at the fair with his peahen. It's such a cute picture I had to share it. Keep in mind that Peafowl are normally very flighty.

Post #4464
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/670065/show-off-your-peas/4460#post_13873970

-Kathy

And here is that same young man at the judging table. His entry was the first ever pea to be entered at the fair.

Post #80
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...uld-never-be-used-on-peafowl/70#post_13871076

-Kathy

SO neat! I had no idea you could enter Pea fowl, OR get them that tame!