California - Northern

[HighNDryFarm]

Well I lost one too. Yesterday I found a RIR hen DOA when I go to collect eggs. I was pretty angry. This heat is not even fair!

Dang! This heat has got to stop! We're also stuck in the smoke! We overlook a lake and I can't even see it the smoke is so thick. I'm so sorry about your girl.

Quote:

I will admit, Susie, soaking wet from her dip in the bucket, lying on the sheet in the bathtub, I'm pushing the back of her head to dip her beak in the water...............out slides an egg. I know it was just "there" and needed to be expelled, but I told her she was a good girl.

Deb

OMG that is so funny! What a good girl for sure.

Quote:

I will admit, Susie, soaking wet from her dip in the bucket, lying on the sheet in the bathtub, I'm pushing the back of her head to dip her beak in the water...............out slides an egg. I know it was just "there" and needed to be expelled, but I told her she was a good girl.

Deb

Did you put the egg in an incubator?

I am waiting for the report from the lab, but probably heat related.

Ron
Good idea to send the bird to the lab, even though it's pretty sure heat related. I know you'll let us know what you find out.

so sorry to read about the heat troubles -- one of my girls seems slightly less active than usual, but still alert and eating/drinking, so i'm just keeping an eye on her.

and i should be getting my first baby chicks in the mail either today or tomorrow -- may not even need a heat lamp for them, with these temps! very very excited.

Make sure that you don't use the heat lamp if it's not needed. The first time I ever brooded in the heat of the summer, it felt weird to not put a heat lamp on them but it was plenty hot to keep them warm without it. Congrats on the new kids!

 

[Happy Chooks]

Sorry you guys are continuing to lose birds. Deb - I have a couple Isbar boys if you find yourself needing them.

(they are splashes)

in a BIG way for cooler weather!

 

[MonsterClucker]

I am sorry to hear about the dead Hen!

 
The heat is terrible!

Hopefully you will have some replacements hatching soon?

Ron

Actually yea I should have some hatching Tuesday or wendsday. Also I have 15 buff brahma chicks and another batch of meaties coming from Cackle this weekend. I was surprised I didn't have a casualty sooner!
And then also this week after the first hatch my incubator will be full again with 24 EO chicks from Mrs. Fluffy.

So I guess I can't be too upset .

 

[MonsterClucker]

He's so handsome!! Does he ever go after the birds? I had reserved myself to never leaving any dog loose on our property because the kind of dog that fit our family- weren't the kind that fit farm life. We couldn;t find a bred that was perfect for not being prey driven at all but have a high instinct AND ability to protect their family. Pits/Rotts/Dobies fit us family wise. But other breeds could have been better outside with the animals but wouldn't have fit our family if that makes sense. The pit seemed to be the best choice for us right now. Doberman pups are about $1,000. Which we didn't have lol. I take pics of everything- so people are going to get annoyed with pup pics! haha

I know exactly what you mean. I've grown up owning pits/rotts/dobies. Those are few of the only dogs I prefer to own. I like guard dogs. I like they are meant to protect the family before all. I do want a dog that is breed to protect poultry. Like a great Pyrenees. Those dogs were breed in the region that borders the Basque region. I don't leave the dogs alone around the birds, but from the outside of the fence he can get excited and maybe paw the fence once and then I'm there to scold him not to do it again! I have let a few chicks out around him CLOSELY SUPERVISED, he let's them crawl all over and under him surprisingly acceptably. I'm getting him used to them. I don't want to totally discourage his natural prey driven thoughts totally, as we have hawks, vultures and crows around but just not our birds. I have a Doberman also, "Zulu". He's an ex future show dog who one of his testicles wouldnt drop so showing wasn't his destiny. He's another project. Zulu is not as smart as Cajun but he does also live to just sit in front of the pen and just "guard" the chicks. I hope one day ill be able to have free ranging chickens or Turkey's here not have Cajun and Zulu terrorizing the birds. But that's a long road. One thing to FOR SURE KNOW WITH PITT BULLS is YOU ARE THE BOSS!! By every means necessary you have to command respect from them or they will literally view you as a push over. They probably are THE MOST dependant breeds of dogs. Without a good master they are a wate of dogs. They probably more dependant than children! Heres Cajun ans Zulu

 

[HighNDryFarm]

Does anyone have Marans or any other dark egg laying chicks hatching this week? I want to add dark eggs to the eating eggs we sell and I have broodies starting to hatch, hopefully tomorrow. I figured I could just give them to one of the moms to raise.

I put a fan on my Polish broody and when I checked on her she wasn't panting!

For those of you who have broodies, I came into the hay barn to check on one of the other broodies and there were several of the 2 1/2 month olds in there with her and a broken eggs about a foot away from mom. I don't know if she moved it out and the others pecked at it or if she stepped on it chasing the others away.....but it was rotten with an early quiter in it. Maybe 9 days? I decided it was a good time to take the two eggs that she pushed aside about a week ago and eggtopsy them too. They were both about a week and a half in gestation so I'm not sure why she moved them out. They were kind of under the outer mound of the nest so maybe she didn't mean to move them. What causes an early quiter (besides mom moving them out of the nest)?

 

[UrbanviewFarm]

A warning though, they are not heat tolerant. For that you want the EO Marraduna Basque or the Penedesencas. We are working on those too.

Oh and Pita Pintas!

Ron

Thank you for the warning!!! Something to think about here, most definitely.
I gave away a SQ Silkie pair (bearded lav/partridge splits) earlier this year for just that reason-- the HEAT. I was so afraid for the poor birds, they are doing fine in their new home now and I'm still hatching from the rooster. I'm not really up for giving out special treatments for non-tolerant birds, but I do notice that if they make it through the first summer they seem to adapt, generally speaking. Had a trio of FBCMs last year that were really suffering and even though it's hotter this year they are doing just fine.


Here's Abner last fall when he was a chickie.... I have resorted to hooking my phone up to the computer and STILL no luck! I suppose I'll have to pull them off my phone first... but, its a start!

 

[UrbanviewFarm]

Does anyone have Marans or any other dark egg laying chicks hatching this week? I want to add dark eggs to the eating eggs we sell and I have broodies starting to hatch, hopefully tomorrow. I figured I could just give them to one of the moms to raise.

I put a fan on my Polish broody and when I checked on her she wasn't panting!

For those of you who have broodies, I came into the hay barn to check on one of the other broodies and there were several of the 2 1/2 month olds in there with her and a broken eggs about a foot away from mom. I don't know if she moved it out and the others pecked at it or if she stepped on it chasing the others away.....but it was rotten with an early quiter in it. Maybe 9 days? I decided it was a good time to take the two eggs that she pushed aside about a week ago and eggtopsy them too. They were both about a week and a half in gestation so I'm not sure why she moved them out. They were kind of under the outer mound of the nest so maybe she didn't mean to move them. What causes an early quiter (besides mom moving them out of the nest)?

Olive eggers and Marans due next Monday here. Color is wonky though, breeder-share hatch this time and he's got a cucoo roo over a blue Marans hen. Will have to see how many he's got earmarked for himself in the incubator.

My Bourbon turkey was kicking her dead eggs out of the nest earlier this year also. I think it's just what birds do; If they know the baby is dead no reason to keep it around in the nest to break/stink and attract predators.

What color Polish do you keep? I LOVE polish, just cant seem to keep them around!!!! Someone always ends up talking me out of the things (sometimes at a rather handsome price, too......) White crested blacks are my favorite.

 

[Happy Chooks]

Not getting squat for eggs today. I think my hens have had it with the heat too.




And yes, my Icelandic is still on the nest (well shavings bag actually) - much to my annoyance. She's puffing up, screaming and clucking to boot. And to make matters worse, one of my English Orps laid her egg (saw her lay it and then I took it) and it's been more than 3 hours now and she's still on the nest.

She plucked her belly in the spring, but never went broody.

 

[HighNDryFarm]

Well shoot, now my Polish girl kicked one out! The shell is crushed the chick is still alive! I wet the membrane then wrapped it and covered in a wet towel. Broody is off the nest, two more pipping. No incubator, what do I do??? Had to catch the darn bird to get her back on the nest! I put the broken egg back in the nest because it was getting cold.

 

[Wishing4Wings]

Not getting squat for eggs today. I think my hens have had it with the heat too.




And yes, my Icelandic is still on the nest (well shavings bag actually) - much to my annoyance. She's puffing up, screaming and clucking to boot. And to make matters worse, one of my English Orps laid her egg (saw her lay it and then I took it) and it's been more than 3 hours now and she's still on the nest.

She plucked her belly in the spring, but never went broody.

Is it true that hatchery birds tend to be less broody? I have an EE (we love her quirkyness, but she's not the brightest bulb

) who will lay her lovely green egg and then continue to sit on it for several hours. Does that mean she might be broody-bound or just a victim of inertia? She started laying recently. If it's too hot or she's causing a nest box traffic jam, I'll throw her out in the yard and she stays there for the rest of the day. None of my other hatchery girls sit on the nest longer than necessary.