Checking-In On Peeps - Post Here To Say Hello!

[ronott1]

I haven't been active on BYC since the fall, just distracted elsewhere with life: Getting settled in after the move to a new farm and all the upgrades and adjustments (inside and out!) that requires, new grandbaby for whom I get the blessing of babysitting 4 days a week, winter care and feeding of the usual livestock and a new batch of feeder pigs, sudden and extreme family drama, and increasing and troublesome health and pain issues.

Currently, I'm in the midst of completing a hoop coop for growing out chicks, hatching chicks, kitchen remodeling, new huge chicken run and camper-coop under construction, and rounds of doctor appointments - around the babysitting schedule. So very, very busy still, but I'm finding some time to check in once in a while.

I still have my heritage flock of about 42 chickens, including 3 very well-behaved roosters (lucky me!) --- my tiny American Bresse flock trying to get started, including one mean d!ckh*d rooster, three hens, (7) one-week-old chicks, and 12 more Bresse eggs in the incubator --- and (8) ten-week-old Easter Eggers and (2) unidentified rescue chicks still in the 'Nursery Coop'.

Whew. Each day is a challenge! And a blessing.

Wow! you have been very busy!

The Bresse flock should be a fun project. They do lay a lot of eggs for a primarily meat bird.

 

[Debbie292d]

Still no birds, still no hightunnels. Fighting with the County and State with loads of paperwork every year. No help from USDA. Not giving up!

Glad you keep up the fight! Sooner or later, most win!!

Good luck!!

 

[ronott1]

Hello! I haven't been active in a long time, due to school. All my ducklings have hatched safely, and they are quiet big now! Thank you for all the support and help this website and all its amazing members gave me! <3

Nice update!

I am very happy to hear that the Ducks are doing well.

 

[Debbie292d]

Hi everyone. I'm from Istanbul, Turkiye. I have joined this forum to find answers to my questions about chickens. I think it was 4-5 years ago. On one day, stray dogs climbed over my fence and slaughtered my poultry expect one. Since then, I don't pet chickens. I will plan to pet again when I move to somewhere free of stray dogs.
Everyone, take care of yourself. Have a good day.

Hiya! And thanks for popping in. So sorry about the chickens.

In the U.S. we have what's called hardware cloth and use the 1/2" version which keeps everything out. Electric poultry fences work too if you can get those. Good luck and hopefully someday you can have safe chickens again!

 

[Debbie292d]

We have been super busy, lol. We have over 25 chickens (ya know that chicken math We've been incubating chicken and duck eggs for others as well as ourselves, and brand new to beekeeping. We've added two beehives to our "homestead" and are excited to watch this new addition blossom.

On top of our 6+ year old flock and all the one-year-olds and juveniles, beehives, family is growing (grandkids), I've been prepping our 1600+ square feet garden. Super ready for the warmer weather now!

Whoa, that's one huge garden! I bet that's fun at harvesttime. Ours is just a small one.

We also incubate and so glad to hear you're successful with it. It just does not get old!!

 

[ronott1]

Checking in here too. Hope everybody is doing well.

Life has changed a lot for me since I joined this forum. I moved several years ago. Unfortunately ever since then my incubator has been sitting empty. Wanting to get some chickens again this year but I don't know if that'll happen. Don't have nearly the space that I used to. I'd have to keep the flock pretty small. I know how difficult it will be to only hatch a few a year when I'm used to hatching hundreds every year.

I have currently shifted my main hobby focus towards beekeeping. Been keeping bees long before I started hatching chicks. Bees do not require fencing and daily chores so right now it makes more sense for my limited free time. I have most of my bees in outyards which also works better for the limited space at home here.


So many hobbies.... So little time.

I too have a much smaller flock! It is so much easier to keep up with and having big feeders, the daily work is minimal.

I hope that I can get into beekeeping too one day!

 

[Crazy_with_kidz_and_chicz]

We have such a vibrant community here at BYC... tons of active friendly members. Of course, life gets busy, so I was thinking it would be fun to start a thread welcoming some of our peeps we haven't heard from in a while.

If that's you, come say hello and let us know what you've been up to.

(if that's not you, feel free to invite peeps you haven't seen in a while and say hi to those that post here)

Hello! We were new to chicken keeping in 2017. Still have some of our first girls. Now we are into showing and raising Phoenix. We also care for a Black Spanish Heritage trio, calls, ducks, Sebastopol geese and more chickens!

 

[ronott1]

We recently just moved. Going to have to start from scratch with chickens at the new place.

It should go so much smoother now as we know what we're doing.

Congratulations on the move!

It sounds like you are busy with setting up the new place but implementing the changes from what you have learned will be a blessing.

 

[Debbie292d]

Since you asked! Things have been a little rough here. I'm feeling like a mediocre chicken tender at the moment. My flock of mostly production reds and EE's close to or over 3 yrs old is dwindling. I had a lice infestation that took out one of my girls.
Last year I had about 30 chickens and lots of eggs! I'm down to about 20 now and collecting maybe 7 eggs a day, 10 on a good day.
My production hens have really slowed down. I get more colored eggs than brown these days.
I do however have 9 chicks, 6 reds and 3 cuckoo marans, who will be ready to go off heat in a couple weeks. I am looking forward to getting them outside!
Lastly, my hens have been ruthlessly pecking the feet of my Buff Brahma girls to the point where I have had to remove the beautiful brahmas from the rest of the flock. I am considering re-homing them at this point.
I hope ya'll are having a better time at it!

Hiya, and thanks for popping in. For lice/mites, most folks use Permethrin powder or spray for their chickens and the coop. We treat our coop monthly with FG diatomaceous earth just to keep on top of it.

As for your feet pecking chickens, usually pecking comes from being overcrowded or low protein diet. If you want to try up their protein for a week before you rehome them, you'd find out if that's the issue. All flock feed is higher but you'd need to supply oyster shell in a separate dish as it's higher protein, lower calcium.

Good luck!!

 

[ronott1]

Hello! thanks for checking in. I'm just in a complete puzzlement because my silkie hens refuse to lay. I'v had them for a year and a half now!

thanks for checking in!

Make sure that they have good layer feed, plenty of fresh water and that they do not have parasites.

Hens are fickle with egg laying. I have had some hens go a long time without laying eggs.