California - Northern

[tommysgirl]

Fezzik (calico showgirl boy) moment of the day

Soooo excited about 6 new showgirl + 2 serama peepers...thanks @chiqita!

he looks amazing!

I'm in Central Valley...Los Banos! NORTHERN CALI!!

Hi there

Welcome to the thread!

 

[Happy Chooks]

Holy cow you guys!! My husband just found an opossum one of our trash bins in the chicken area! It was freaking adorable. (Sharp teeth and all)

Ok so my most obvious question is: Do they eat chickens?! This was about the size of a large rat. Not sure how big they get. I've lived in Dunsmuir all my life (28 years) and have never seen one. So weird.

Yes, they eat chickens. The basic rule is............just about everything eats chicken.

Sexing Help! These are all the same bird unless noted. I assumed this was a Del boy because of the comb and wattles but in recent days I have had my doubts. 12 weeks old and now it looks and acts more pulletish. the last pic is a hatchmate who looks more cockerelish.

The red leakage is not really as pronounced as you see in the pics. The hen who laid the egg is from Kim the rooster is either also from Kim or a hatchery NH which would make this a Red Sex Link.













This last pic is one of the more cockerish hatch mates...terrible pic but you see his stance and tail

I'll have to go with both cockerels. I've never seen a pullet with that pronounced of comb and wattles at that age.

Argh! I've just had to lay down the law--no kids in the coop or the greenhouse without an adult (which was actually the rule before, too...) The free-range kids of the neighborhood tend to come by here--mostly because my husband doesn't want our girls running around (in the case of the 5-year-old, I agree, but I think the 11-year-old is responsible enough). First my daughter comes in with a not-quite-ripe tomato, announcing the first ripe big tomato of the year

(it really needed about 2 more days...) Then I go out to check for eggs--the bucket of fermented feed isn't in the outdoor cabinet--instead, it's on the ground next to it, and is a *lot* drier than yesterday. That could've been my husband's doing, however--the cabinet doors had a board holding them shut, and he's not here to ask. Anyway, I go into the coop, and the milk crate nest box is out of the temporary pen (not that that pen is anything more than in the way, now, but I've not gotten around to taking it out yet) and lying on its side. There's a bike helmet upside-down on top of the feed buckets (amazingly enough, poo-free!), the pvc feeder has come apart, and oyster shells have been scattered all over in the deep litter--almost a full coffee-can's worth.

Hubby just came home--he didn't take the bucket out.

Anyway, typing this out, this sounds really petty, but still...

My kids don't go in the coop without me because I have roosters. That has always been a rule here. Put the tomato on the windowsill and it will ripen.

I got the preliminary report back on my hen that died. Not much found, but tests are pending. I am wondering if maybe the other birds were keeping her from eating. Here is what they say so far:

Case Summary:

08/05/2014: The pullet was in a very poor nutritional condition but no gross lesions were detected in the visceral organs. I will
rely on ancillary laboratory tests to try to determine the cause of disease/death in this chicken. More results to follow.

Laboratory findings/Diagnosis

Backyard pullet -
- Whole body, very poor nutritional condition, with severe atrophy of breast muscles and very scant fat deposits.
- No significant gross lesions detected in the visceral organs.
Tests pending: AI and Salmonella PCR, bacteriology and histology.

Gross Observations:

Necropsy of a white backyard pullet was performed on August 5, 2014 beginning at 1:50 pm. The carcass was very poorly fleshed, had scant fat deposits and the tissues were in a moderate to advanced state of postmortem decomposition. No gross lesions were observed in any of the organs examined, including brain.

Interesting. Looks like they could have been keeping her from the feeder.

And I agree always always 2-3 food sources. Its a pain but I always have babies so I need an unguarded food source or they starve.

Yep, I have several feeders out at all times. I too always have babies and need to have food available to them.

 

[capayvalleychick]

Sexing Help! These are all the same bird unless noted. I assumed this was a Del boy because of the comb and wattles but in recent days I have had my doubts. 12 weeks old and now it looks and acts more pulletish. the last pic is a hatchmate who looks more cockerelish.

The red leakage is not really as pronounced as you see in the pics. The hen who laid the egg is from Kim the rooster is either also from Kim or a hatchery NH which would make this a Red Sex Link.

I don't know. First it looked like a pullet, then a cockerel. You really have to have extra patience with Delawares because it can take so long to sex them. I would guess that the NH is the sire because I never saw any red feathers in those Braden/Sand Hill lines.

 

[capayvalleychick]

At any rate, I was just hoping that he might have had some Delawares that were those F5s or possibly some F6s the the product of a lady named Kathy (in Missouri? I'm not sure…) was supposed to have developed. Besides, I only wanted a trio of the genetic superior, i.e., a cock and a couple of hens.

Neal, I'm not Kathy, I'm Kim, but I have her strain of Delawares. We spoke previously and I will call you when I have time to talk. I'm still slowly making selections, so don't have anything for sale right now. They are still a work in progress. Here's some photos of the 5 month olds and you'll see.

 

[tommysgirl]

I'll have to go with both cockerels. I've never seen a pullet with that pronounced of comb and wattles at that age.

OK... well I won't be naming either of them then. Thanks!

I don't know. First it looked like a pullet, then a cockerel. You really have to have extra patience with Delawares because it can take so long to sex them. I would guess that the NH is the sire because I never saw any red feathers in those Braden/Sand Hill lines.

Thanks Kim...If the NH is the sire then all three of them are indeed boys because they all have the red leakage to one degree or another. So they are RSL cockerels aka dinner.

Your birds from Kathy are breathtaking!

 

[caychris]

Yes, they eat chickens. The basic rule is............just about everything eats chicken.

Including chickens

 

[ronott1]

How do I get their feet warmer??

They are in a brooder?

move the light closer to them. Use a thermometer and look up what the temperature is supposed to be for them at their age and make the spot under the light that temperature. Watch them for behavior. Huddling is too cold, laying at the edges of the brooder is too hot.

 

[casportpony]

FWIW, I just used an ear thermometer and checked the belly temps of my ducklings that are outside in the shade eating and drinking. Their belly temps are all around 104. The ones inside are 102-103, but the iffy one is just 100, so back in the Janoel he goes, he's way too cold.

-Kathy

I do but I wouldn't know what to do? Do I just press it against them? They're feet aren't cold persay but they're cool not as warm as my last ducks got

If they have access to a heat lamp set at the proper level for them and are in a draft free brooder they should be fine.

-Kathy

 

[caychris]

Anyone ever seen this the wing feathers on this CLB boy seem to be getting frizzier by the day. This isnt a good pic and is a few days ago. Its even more pronounced now.

 

[casportpony]

FWIW, I just used an ear thermometer and checked the belly temps of my ducklings that are outside in the shade eating and drinking. Their belly temps are all around 104. The ones inside are 102-103, but the iffy one is just 100, so back in the Janoel he goes, he's way too cold.

-Kathy

I do but I wouldn't know what to do? Do I just press it against them? They're feet aren't cold persay but they're cool not as warm as my last ducks got

Gently press the probe on their belly and take their temp. If it's under 102, I'd guess that they're too cold.

Disclaimer: the above is based on what I didi yesterday and nothing else.

-Kathy